AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR

In terms of value for dollar this is a great lens. Excellent centre sharpness....sure it has some softness in the corners but that can be said about most lenses regardless of price. Very lightweight and easy to handle. Paired with the D600 this lens delivers solid performance all round. Very fast focus with the D600, and delivers vibrant colours. Some distortion is to be expected from a zoom lens of this type...but once software catches up with the product launch I´m sure it will be fairly easy to correct. Overall no complaints with this lens given its price point.

For people looking for a good travel combination I´d suggest the 24-85 VR paired up with the 70-300 VR....it won´t break the bank and will give you solid performance at a reasonable cost.

Small, light, versatile ´walk-around´ lens that has proven very useful for event (even indoors with limited lighting), portrait, and travel photography with a D800. At its focal-length extremes, it´s not as sharp or as free from aberrations as one might like. Yet, image quality is very good, and its package of features at this price point makes it a bargain.

I like to carry a small, light lens for the middle range. This lens does that and more. The 24mm covers the wide range so that is a big plus. The 85mm for portraits and close ups. I´ve found the lens to be as sharp as the lens it replaces, the really sharp AF-S 24-85mm that was discontinued in 2006. I was never disappointed with that lens, and now with VR I like the new lens even more. Did I mention this is a sharp lens....

I´ve had the lens for about 2 weeks and shoot it on my D700. I´ve taken about 600 shots with it and can say it is an extremely good value in a very light weight package. Image quality is obviously not up to the highest standards Nikon produces, but considering the relatively low price the IQ far surpasses my expectations. Most importantly, its compact size and versatile focal lengths make it a lens you can keep on and have with you. Any distortion is easily corrected in post and the bokeh is surprisingly pleasing due largely to the rounded diaphragm blades. In all an outstanding value, I highly recommend it.