AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens is not only extremely sharp, it is equally versatile. It is my go-to lens for weddings and other social events. It also does very well as a food photography lens, as evidenced below by an image taken at a shutter speed of one second (on a tripod), an aperture of f/11, a focal length of 45mm, an ISO of 640, Matrix Metering, and Auto White Balance.

Ok, I´m not quite a pro but I´ve been shooting long enough now to know the difference between sub-par quality and spot on accuracy. The 24-70 is a legend of a lens! I rented one a couple of years ago for a trip just to see what all of the hype was about and it didn´t take 10 shots to realize just how special the 24-70 really is.
Here´s why it´s special: it´s freaking sharper than a razor blade! Not to mention the color rendition you get with the lens is truly superb. Build quality is military grade with solid, super fast focus. It IS quite heavy but there is something about the feel of a heavy piece of glass that I kind of like, especially on a heavy body like my D810. I was coming from a 24-85 kit lens which was not too shabby either. I really didn´t believe the 24-70 could possibly be that much better and to be fair, better is a relative term. I did get some fantastic shots with the 24-85, no doubt, but there´s just something about the 24-70 that takes it to another level.
I even purchased the 24-120 (which has VR) thinking perhaps it would shake out to be a better overall choice due to it´s employment of vibration reduction and it´s added focal length. I REALLY wanted to like the lens better than the 24-70 because I could always use more focal length. I did numerous comparisons between the two, testing bokeh, color, sharpness, etc. But in the end, the 24-70 once again came out the winner! This was mainly in the area of sharpness for which it excels in every way. Thus, I returned the 24-120.
I find that there is a psychological aspect of shooting with such a legendary piece of photo gear. You just feel like what you´re doing matters more. I´ve seen beautiful images taken with both the 24-85 and the 24-120 so I´m certainly not dogging either, but if you want the best overall image quality and are ok with sacrificing the added 50mm of focal length (and more importantly, the extra $$$) then you´ve got to go with this masterpiece of a lens!

Heavy but versatile. Fast and inspiring.
Since I own I almost use only this lens but a 105mm. for portraits.
The perfect fit with my D750

Why you have to have one?
- This is a lens that every professional has. If a professional can only use 1 lens in his life, this is the lens, because this is made for general purposes.

Why you don´t have to have one?
- It´s expensive; and if you´re not really serious with photography, just try other lenses because this lens is built for the serious and professionals.

What´s I like about this lens?
- It´s sharp on all focal lengths and apertures, renders color very well, renders out-of-focus blur very well, and this is solidly built for professionals because it can withstand in any weather conditions and hazardous situations, for a bit.
- It´s not too short, and not too long, it´s just alright.
- This lens is made to be in between of the specialty lenses not only for Nikon but for the other brands. Hence, being called by many as a general lens.

What´s I don´t like about this lens?
- It´s heavy.
- It´s expensive.
- You get a bit of attention when you take photos of other people in the streets, but not too much. Take another lens for street photography, if ever.
- If this lens is not that wide for you, get a lens wider than 24.
- If this lens is a bit short for portrait and you need longer reach, get a longer focal length lens.
- If you´re not satisfied with the bokeh, or you are not satisfied with how 2.8 handles low light situations, get a prime 50mm or 85mm with a 1.8/1.4 aperture lens.

I was not getting sharp images with this lens so I had it checked. It was back focusing considerably. It took a setting of 8 on my D800 focus adjustment to correct. That is too much for an expensive prro lens in my opinion. The lens is also very heavy and bulky but extremely versatile and reasonably fast.

I´ve been a Nikon user and a fan for years. I recently purchased a Nikon D810. This is my go-to lens. I like everything about it.

c´est ma lentille passe-partout, j´alterne entre celle-ci et ma 70-200 2.8, une autre merveille de Nikon

I got 24-70 mm 2 months ago and used on my vacation ,took picture about 6000 picture and I found out this lens focus really fast and quiet but some time not focus on subject , I compare picture with my 18-200 mm vr2 ($849.00)really hard to tell which one with 24-70 mm ($1889.95) or 18-200 mm

Great go-to lens. This is the range of focal lengths most often needed. Even though it´s heavy, it rests well in your hands. The results are professional all the way. The 24-70 2.8 is right at home as a high-end portrait lens. Images are sharp and with the right camera attached, creativity is unlimited. The lens has a solid and balance feel and is easy to operate in manual mode. It seems to capture light like a sponge even in tough situations making the picture taking range quite wide. I am impressed with the performance and will keep it mounted most of the time.