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

Pros:

Sharp at aperture 2.8, from 24 to 70 throughout
MOST useful focal length range (for full frame)
Weather seal
Smooth focus ring

Cons:

Expensive
Slight distortion at 24mm
No VR

Review: This lens never left my bag since the day I bought it. It is super sharp, focuses super fast and produces accurate colors and contrast. 70 mm at 2.8 will give you somewhat similar bokeh as a 50mm 1.8 would give. 24mm gives a superb wide view. This is the reason this focal length range is the most useful if you are using it on a full frame camera.

This lens takes 77mm filters. Using ND/GND filters is much easier than using them on a 14-24mm 2.8G because the latter has a bulbous end and you need special holders to hold the filters infront of the lens. Most of us would take wide angle landscape pictures at small apertures(around 7-10) so as to get a sharp picture, but you can very well use this lens at 2.8, for example for a group portrait. It is sharp up to f/16. After that you might get slightly soft or hazy pictures because of increased diffraction. There is some distortion at 24mm, but it can easily be corrected during post processing. There is also some vignetting(the blackish shadow that you get on the edges of an image) but only when the lens is used wide open at 2.8, and when the background is white or gray.

There is no vibration reduction in this lens, but one can take stable shots at shutter speeds as low as 1/50 at 70mm. Some third party companies are making 24-70 with vibration compensation/reduction which lets you shoot at slower shutter speeds.

Briefly comparing it to the Tamron and Canon variants, what I like about Nikon´s version is the quality control and fast focus. I have used all 3. The canon 24-70 is as sharp as Nikon, but what I don´t like about it is its thickness. It is fatter than Nikon´s 24-70 and is made for bigger hands. Tamron is not as sharp as Canon and Nikon at the centre, but the edges are equally sharp at 2.8. The difference becomes unnoticeable as you decrease the aperture. About the quality control, Nikon makes sure that every lens performs equally unlike the problems I have had with a third party company in the past.

Now this lens is expensive, but what makes the price worth buying? This lens has 3 ED elements and 3 Aspherical elements which help minimize chromatic aberration and make sure that you get sharpness both at the center and at the periphery. It has a nano crystal coat which is also responsible for this lens´ killer sharpness. It has a 9 bladed, rounded diaphragm which gives you lovely bokeh. It has a built-in autofocus motor, so it will auto focus even on cameras that do not have an auto focus motor. It focuses so fast, so fast that you don´t have to wait half way before fully pressing the shutter. You have to use it in order to believe it.

For those who find it difficult to spend 1900$ on this lens but need an all rounder lens, can go for a Nikon 24-85 f/3.5-4.5 lens. This lens is for 1/3 the price. You lose the 2.8 aperture but this lens performs so well that you will never regret purchasing it.

For the people who use DX ( cropped sensor cameras ): You can use this lens on a DX camera. It performs the same way as it does on an FX, the difference being the focal length change. On a dx, 24-70 would become 36-105mm. So on a DX, this lens can´t be called an all purpose lens since the wide angle 24mm is gone. I would rather use a 17-55 2.8 on a dx body so that it gives me an effective 25.5-82.5mm focal length. But keep in mind, you will not be able to use a 17-55 on a full frame unless you want to switch to dx mode.

For those who own a Nikon 28-70 2.8: This lens is as good as 24-70 in terms of optics and image quality. The only difference is that 24 is noticeably wider than 28.

Great lens. I am glade I made the purchase. Corner to corner very sharp. I have not taken it off my D800 and probably never will. Both the camera and lens exceed my ecpectations.

i use this lens on dx body d300s, its perfect lens to own one.... even if you end up moving to FX format nikon, this lens will give you more and more for many years....

This lens is permanently fixed on my D700, the results you get with this lens on an FX body are unmatched by any other midrange zoom. The build quality is second to none and is weighted nicely in contrast with pro bodies. Super fast lens in low light and the autofocus is adequate most of the time. I would recommend this lens to anyone who can afford it. you will see improved results immediately!!

I LOVE this lens. I switched from DX to FX and this lens replaced my 17-55, also an excellent lens. This 24-70 lens is absolutely superb ... ergonomics just right, balance great (it´s heavy but that´s part of the deal), zoom ring well placed, and the sharpness is phenomenal. I have been a Nikon user since 1980, and have owned or used (company equipment assigned to me) so many great Nikkors, and this is very high on the list. I do love primes, want the 35/1.4 and 105 Macro VR (the latter which I will get soon) but a short zoom is indispensable for photojournalism and other work. I can´t imagine how they will improve on this lens, even with VR.

This is an excellent general purpose lens and it THE lens I keep on my D800 body and which I use for nearly all of my work. Rather than repeat the many comments about its virtues that everyone else is already posting, and which I agree with, I thought instead to explain what I use it for and why I find this lens so useful, in the hopes that this information might be more useful to anyone considering purchasing this lens.

The sort of work I shoot include pinups, usually shot in a small studio, boudoir images, usually shot on location in a client´s home, food photos, small to medium product photos, catalog photos, and some architectural photos, with a limited amount of wedding and event photography. I found that the focal range of this lens is just about right for all of the above work, except for weddings where I find it desirable to have a second body at hand with a longer lens for some shots. Excepting this, I have found that a maximum 70mm focal length is all that´s needed, and the real strength of this lens for me, is the ability to zoom out when working in tight spaces such as a client´s home. I

If you can afford this lens, and if you shoot alot in the 24-70 focal range, you will not regret purchasing this piece of glass.

This lens is fantastic. The only downside I can think of is that it is a bit heavy, but for the quality of the pictures, it is absolutely worth it. All the pictures are sharp and the color is spot on. The auto-focus is extremely fast and precise, and the M/A mode is wonderful. The Nano Crystal Coat works really well (that is what the ´´N´´ means on the lens). I recommend this to anyone that gets paid for their photography. If photography is your profession, this lens, as well as any f/2.8 ´´N´´ series lens, will increase the quality of your pictures so you can charge more for noticeable improvement. In that regards, it is worth every penny.

Bought this lens about a year ago and since then it never failed me. Autofocus is fast, silent and accurate. Image quality is very sharp like super sharp. This is the lens that I will always bring wherever I go.

1 year ago I bought 85mm 1.4f for portrait work. It´s fantastic glass BUT - this 24 - 70mm f2.8 it´s pretty close and more flexible lens. Optical and build quality ***** five star ! It make me thinking to seal my 85mm 1.4f.
Only reason to keep 85mm now is size. It´s very light compare to 24-70. However from time I screw 24-70 to my body it´s non stop there because its just perfect for most of situations and work... It´s fantastic glass.