20 Best Nikon Lenses For Wedding (2023 Updated)

Nikons 50mm 1. 8 lens is a must have lens as part of your kit. The G lenes are relatively inexpensive but more expensive than the better 1. 8d lens. The older version had no barrel distortion that this and its more expensive sidekick the 1.

4G has. All are great lenses though. The draw back with the older 50mm 1. 8d was that there was no built in AF motor within the lens, so you were reliant on the AF motor with in camera body, not all bodies had the built in AF motor, so the older 1.

8d lens was a manual only lens when fitted to those. The G lenses are more bulky due to the inbuilt AF motors, so they take up more room in your pocket than the older lens. Plus, this lens has weather sealing at the mount end of the lens that the older one didn’t.

Not really an issue if you’re respectful to your kit. Frankly the optics are sharp, the fast aperture is great in low light. I have the 50mm 1. 4 G too, but it’s hardly used. If you are only going to use this lens only once in a while, I’d buy a really good 1.

8d lens up second hand for around a hundred quid, but make sure your camera body has a built in AF motor before you do, unless you don’t mind manually focusing it. It’s a piece of cake to do. Most videos on line will tell you the G lenses are quicker at focusing than the older D lenses.

That rubbish. They are the same speed. Plus, the only reason the G lenses appear quieter is that the AF motors are in the lens not the camera body. So, in affect the AF motors are further away from your face and ears and not attached within the camera body itself.

Nikon would have you believe that the G lenses are a revelation but, they just want you to buy newer lenses that are arguable not as good as the ones they replace. The bottom line is this. Why pay £450.

00 for a G 50mm 1. 4 or a hundred quid less for the G 50mm 1. 8, when you can pick the D variants of these leases up in top nick for around £150. 00 for the 1. 4d or between £60 to £100. 00 for 50mm 1.

8d. They are smaller often look a little flimsy, but they are far from that, plus they go into your pocket so much easier than the G lenses that are bulkier. To be honest I use the D variants 8 out of 10 of the time, I’m only using the G’s on a camera body with no built in AF motor.

There is less post production needed with the older lens as you can get the images banging in camera. As a semi pro, I often use the older lenses, as they are often optically better than the newer kit.

There’s lots of fussy fluff on the modern lenses, and as a result the optic ability are often compromised. All the lenses mentioned in this review are great buys and I’m sure you’ll buy the one best suited to your specific requirements, but don’t discount looking at a good quality second-hand variant of this G lens, you might just bag a bargain and save a few quid and time sat in post-production.

I recently bought this lens to improve my portrait shooting. For the price, this is probably one of the best (full-frame too) lenses that you can buy. I’m sad I didn’t buy this sooner. Obviously, you can’t use this for everything, but it does work really well.

It is a plastic construction, but It does not feel like it is going to break. As sharp as you would expect from a Nikkor lens. I love that it comes with a hood. It’s really nice. As you might have read if you were looking into this lens, having a prime does make you consider your composition more which will improve your skills.

Now talking about more picky things. At that wide-open f/1. 8, it is not quite tack sharp and there is a considerable amount of chromatic aberration which Lr does a pretty good job of cleaning up. I noticed when shooting at f/2.

2 or 2. 8, this was significantly better and noticeably sharper. I will attach two comparison pictures to this review. The darker of the two is f/2. 8 and the lighter is 1. 8. So if you are looking for tack sharp photos with still a decent amount of bokeh, I would fully recommend using this lens and shooting at f/2.

5 or 2. 8. Overall, wonderful value and could not recommend more for anyone shooting anything.

This prime lens comes in at f/1. 8 which is fast enough for my needs. I’m using it on a Nikon full frame D810 and find this lens to be a welcomed lightweight addition. It’s fairly quiet and employs internal focusing.

If desired, it can also be switched to all manual focus. Close focus is around a foot. This lens is sharp, provides very low distortion (based on a window frame with many panes test). The colors are rendered nicely and the bokeh provides a smooth pleasant background.

I’m not providing a pixel peeping lab test here, but from experience, this lens is simply awesome and comes in at a reasonable price.

I was very hesitant about this lens as I had read many mixed reviews on it, but I can safely say this lens has become one of my absolute favorites – and that’s saying a lot as I have some of Nikon’s and Sigma’s finest glass they make (Nikon 24-70G, Nikon 85 1.

8g, Sigma 70-200, etc). The one oddity I noticed with this lens when shooting it wide open (at 1. 4) was that it did terribly on paper (calibration paper tests) but as soon as I started running test shots on people, specifically their eyes, it’s TACK sharp.

I can honestly say that I’ve not had a lens perform so poorly with the calibration chart but then blow me away with actual in-person tests! 100% crops I have no issues at all making out all the individual eyelash details (and then some).

And the raw files that come out with this lens are to die for! Just love everything about this little guy. oh and on that topic. this thing is so compact it’s actually a joy to carry around, unlike some of my other 6 pound lenses.

This is a lens that you will absolutely love after you give it some time and practice. One item of caution – it does have terrible chromatic aberration when wide open, but for the most part, that’s fixable in post.

Can’t say enough good things about this lens. I’ve attached a landscape shot I took with it the other week.

I purchased this lens because it was much lighter than my other options in this focal length range. I have many beautiful optics: Sig 50mm 1. 4 art, Tam sp35mm 1. 4, the latest version Tam sp90mm 2. 8 and many more to B&H’s profit.

And to be sure I have enjoyed owning these optics as well as the excellent experience of doing business with B&H. ( I mean that ) More importantly, I am serious about creating images. When it’s time to pick up the gear and to go out to shooting it helps when you can carry the equipment.

(without an attendant hernia ) So I expected OK optical results from this plastic feather. But, I was blown away by just how crazy good this lens truly is. Ok I’m an f5. 6-f7. 1 scenic shooter. Not fair since most of you will be say f2.

0 to f4. 0 portrait shooters. So, to be fair, I ran a bunch of tripod mounted studio lit tests between 4ft to 8ft and from f1. 8 to f4. 0. Once again I am blown away. Not so fond of f. 8, but all the fest from f2.

2 on is truly excellent. Really! Color,contrast and oh yes yes sharpness. So I can say that if you are still shooting DSLR say 24 to 36 mega pixel FX or 20 to 24 mega pixel DX ( bodies used for these tests )then I can only give a strong thumbs up to this device for anyone contemplating its purchase.

Also,right now, switching my systems to mirror-less would not get me anywhere in real world results. But even if one does make the change and they would prefer all Z lenses then this one did not break the bank and will produce like crazy for you for as long as you choose to use it.

This lens is magic. I already had the f/1. 4 and f/1. 8 versions of the Nikkor 50mm lens. This is not that kind of lens. This superb lens makes the most amazing bokeh shot nearly wide open. Also the softest transitions from sharp to un-sharp image areas I’ve ever seen.

Then take it out and shoot it at f/5. 6 or f/8. Unbelievable sharpness, gorgeous color and contrast. Look over the images at 500px or Flickr shot by this lens group. There’s the magic. Get this lens, don’t take it off your camera until you know how to make the magic.

You’ll never look at another standard lens again.

While Nikon touts on its website that the NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4. 5-6. 3 VR has the most effective Vibration Reduction (VR) image stabilization system of any NIKKOR yet (up to 5 stops), all I can say is that in my personal experience I was able to handhold an exposure of 1/10th second at 250mm (equivalent 375mm) with the lens mounted on the Nikon Z50.

Razor sharp. The AF system works extremely well, and even makes using Manual Focus super easy and convenient. This lens and the (Z DX 16-50mm) kit lens are obviously designed to work together seamlessly on the Nikon Z50.

The 50-250mm f/4. 5-6. 3 lens exhibits superb sharpness and contrast, and renders out of focus backgrounds (bokeh) with a very smooth and pleasant appearance, although it has a maximum aperture of f/6.

3 at 250mm. One of the undeniably annoying characteristics of the NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4. 5-6. 3 VR is the need to unlock the lens before it can be used. It definitely slows down the process of photographing.

Nikon has also implemented this annoying characteristic on the smaller kit lens, the Z DX 16-50mm (which also has outstanding image quality). The NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4. 5-6. 3 VR is light in weight although very plasticky, and when it is collapsed does rattle slightly.

The rattle does not seem to indicate a problem with the lens. Due to its light weight the lens balances perfectly on the Z50, even when fully extended to 250mm. All in all this lens is outstanding with great image quality.

The worst thing about the NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4. 5-6. 3 VR is that Nikon does NOT include a lens hood, which you will definitely need, and they charge $35 separately for it; but you can get around that by using one from VELLO ( HB-90A) at B&H for less than half the Nikon price.

I’m fortunate to own several nice lenses, most of the FX variety which I use on my D850. I’ve owned a Z7ii for about a month now, trading my Z6ii for the Z7ii through B&H. I had previously purchased the Nikon Z 24-200mm f4-6.

3 lens which I really like and intend to keep. I also own a very nice Sigma 24-105mm f4 DG OS HSM Art lens that is often on my D850. I could have used the Sigma with my FTZ adapter (and often did so with the Z6ii), but I found the Nikon Z 24-200mm so good that I became a believer in the Nikon Z lenses.

I knew from reviews that the Nikon Z 24-120mm f4 S was a sharper lens and I shoot a lot of photos in low-light situations so the constant f4 is a big deal to me. I’ve only owned this lens for a few hundred frames, but I’m smitten with the sharpness, the quick autofocus, the bokeh and surprised that it’s just 2 ounces heavier than the Nikon Z 24-200mm F4-6.

3. For me, the growing stable of Nikon Z lenses is a real game changer. I’m a sucker for sharpness and my stable of FX lenses includes several Sigma lenses because I found their counterparts from Nikon to be similar in sharpness but costing substantially more, or I traded the Nikons for the Sigma’s because of my disappointment with their performance.

I believe the Nikon Z lenses to be significantly sharper and lighter than their Nikon and Sigma DSLR counterparts. Actually I highly recommend both the Nikon Z 24-120mm f4 and the Nikon Z 24-200mm f4-6.

3. The latter is great in good light and probably as sharp in the center of the frame as the 24-120mm. But, the 24-200mm quickly climbs to f6. 3 by about 75mm and demands a higher ISO or slower shutter speed in low light, and is far crisper at the edges of the frame.

Given that I shoot a lot of actions shots in low light (dog show conformation events indoors), I felt it was the right move to buy the Nikon Z 24-120mm f4 S.

I was looking for a fast, light weight wide angle for Milky Way photography. I currently have a Sigma Art 14-24mm 2. 8 and Sigma Art 14mm 1. 8, both great lenses, for use on my D 850’s but Sigma Arts are heavy.

All, ok almost all, the B&H reviews touted the sharpness of this lens, additionally it’s a Nikon prime, so I got one. Initial impression is it’s plastic and feels cheap, but I wanted light weight and it is Nikon.

First test images seemed soft even stopped down. So now to more testing. Using a tripod and wireless shutter release and the same D 850, shot the Nikon against the Sigma Art 14-24 at 20mm. Both lenses shot at F 2.

8 so this should have given a bit of an advantage to the Nikon. Results, the Sigma was sharper across the frame with, to my eye, better color rendition. Tested using both auto and manual spot focus on close, mid and infinity focus points.

Viewed all images in LR on 34 inch calibrated monitor. At all magnifications, Sigma was the clear winner. I am thankful for B&H’s return policy as this lens will be going back. I have to believe this lens is an outlier as I cannot believe the lens that I received was similar to those receiving the great reviews for sharpness.

Since I still want a light, fast wide angle, I’ll try another copy.

I have had this lens for about a month now and have had the opportunity to take quite a few photos with it. As advertised this lens is super sharp from center to the edges. I’m using it on my D850 and love that I can easily add ND or polarizing filters quickly without carrying a lot of extra gear (like you might have too with the Nikon 14 to 24mm).

It’s a light lens but feels well built and balances nicely on the camera. As I will be sticking with my D850 for the foreseeable future (and not migrating to mirrorless) this lens fits in nicely to my current assortment of lenses.

This is not the lens that will stay on my camera most of the time, but when I need that ultra-wide angle of view its nice to know this lens is a top performer and generates very high quality images.

I got the lens today, attached it to my D750 and took this picture, all in five minutes! Did minimal post-processing in Light room Classic, mainly to straighten the building and I couldn’t be more pleased.

The lines look sharp and the colors are vibrant. I have always used my 24 to 120 zoom previously and had heard bout how much better the prime lenses are. I completely agree. It is small and light weight, but a heavy weight in performance in it’s class.

Will post more pictures as I get to use the lens more, but my initial take on the lens can’t be any better.

I just got this lens today and had to try it out right away. I started off in a snowy parking lot, shooting through the window. Even on the back of the D850 I could see this was going to be good. I then shot a bunch of pics inside my place at f/1.

4 in a room that was too dark and all the shadows came out nicely. It seems that even on the D850, not known for it’s low-light sensitivity, this will provide some smooth shots in the dark. Then I shot of bunch of art, flat paintings, a few sculptures.

All rendered beautifully. This little Buddha I picked up over 30 years ago and has been sitting on a side table since then. Shot at f1. 4, ISO360, 1/400. Probably the 10th shot out of the lens. Exported as full JPG with CaptureOne 21 and the only thing I did to it is crop.

The color is just stunning, as is the bokeh.

When I bought this lens I thought that I am getting what the money is worth but I been so wrong about it. This lens it has so much distortion that I can not believe it is worse then the previous version.

I own them both 1. 4D and 1. 4E and Sigma 1. 4A but if I have to chose one then definitely Sigma is the one! Sorry Nikon but, I have been waiting for to buy this lens for so long and my disappointment can not have been any greater.

I should mention that I own nearly the entire Nikon production with the exception of very few rare lenses that I can count them in on single hand.

Intro: I got this lens summer of 2020, but didn’t start using it until late 2020. I have been using this lens with the Nikon D7100 (DX Size sensor) which means this lens is actually a 300-750mm f/5. 6.

Design: Coming in at a whopping 5lbs this lens is heavy, but it feels light in the hand and it is well balanced even at 500. The zoom ring does require a lot of movement to get form 200 to 500. The Focus ring is smooth and easy to move.

If you want to use a filter for this lens you will need to get a 95mm filter which can cost up to $500. This lens comes with a lens hood that twists on the the front of the lens and can be flipped around reversed to save space, however this hood can fall off if you bump it.

The tripod color is comfortable to hold and is super sturdy, it has a small indent when it is vertical and horizontal which can be useful, the one downside to this foot is the way it comes off. It is too easy to slide off if the color is unlocked.

Usability: This lens will work with any F-Mount cameras and the FTZ (1 & 2) adapter, as well as the older film cameras with the F-Mount. All of the switches are easy to use even with gloves on. The lens has a minimum focus distance of 7.

22′ (2. 2m) which allows you to get macro photos VR: This lens has a really great VR system, I am able to handhold this lens even at 500mm and still get sharp shots even at 1/200th I will mostly use the sport mode for wildlife and action shots and I’ll use the normal mode for stay shot where the camera isn’t moving.

Features/Specs: Focal length: 200-500mm (300-750mm in DX mode) Maximum Aperture: f/5. 6 Minimum Aperture: f/32 Lens Format coverage: Full-Frame Dimensions ( x L): 4. 25 x 10. 53 / 108 x 267. 5 mm Length at Maximum Extension: 13.

5 / 343 mm Weight: 5. 07 lb / 2. 3 kg Conclusion: This is an Amazing lens for all types of photography, but it excels in sport and wildlife photography. I would recommend this lens for anyone who wants to get in to supper-telephoto photography but not breaking the bank.

I will keep it simple. This is the best sub $1500 wildlife lens you can buy for your nikon dslr, or even z mirrorless. Pros: – IQ is SHARP! It really produces some brilliantly sharp images. – VR is very good, I successfully keep grabbing panning shots of birds upto 1/600 of a sec for my shutter speed, I find many keepers.

1/800 upwards it just gets better. Don’t listen to anyone who says otherwise, it’s ABSOLUTE USER ERROR! – The build quality is good, the focus ring is smooth. Buttons for manual/AF, VR is always a plus.

– At this price point you would be hard pressed to find a better wildlife semipro lens! – for 5. 6 it produces beautiful bokeh, especially when close to your subject and at 500mm, the compression is just buttery smooth! Cons- – heavy, get ready for a workout, if you’re planning to handhold, and in my opinion this causes most problems for people missing focus.

Get yourself a tripod, a gimbal head tripod and you will unlock its real potential! – there is no weather sealing, if you want weather sealing you need to go for the 500 PF, coz that and weight is the only main areas where the PF 5.

6 has a leg up. That being said I have used mine in the rain, not torrential downpour but in light rain and no issues. just don’t keep changing focal length otherwise you will be pushing water into the lens barrel.

Save yourself the headache get a good lens rain cover and you will be fine! (FTZii is weather sealed FYI) – the filter thread size, is a pain, 95mm is huge, and cumbersome to even store and carry in a bag, or a lens filter pouch.

But you Get yourself a good ND and guess what it takes some very good video. Biggest point for anyone considering this with a Z system. I use this only with my z6ii and let me tell you it’s performed beyond my expectations with the ftzii.

The Z system just takes this to a whole new height, coz yes the f5. 6 is tad high, but with the lowlight capability of the z6ii I can push upto 12800 iso in some cases and get some great shots. I cannot stress how much better this is then the 150-600 sigma or tamron, those lenses are never going to outperform a native lens, even on a Z system.

Also for the third party lens you need to buy a separate tap in console to update the lens, extra purchase. WATCH B&H for price drops, I picked up this baby at $1000 when it was on sale! And it was practically a steal!! The only way I would replace this when the 200-600 Z lens releases, because that with a 1.

4TC would be my next upgrade. Unless that lens is also not weather sealed, in which case I would opt for the 500 PF. And it would be only for this reason, the weather sealing. For me its constant rain as I live in Brazil, for now while a rain cover does do well its just cumbersome for zooming in and out with the rain cover on.

It can scare off birds at times, especially owls and hummingbirds.

I’ve owned and used the standard 24-70mm 2. 8 lens for many years. It was my go to lens for most of my professional work. Over time it developed “zoom grind”, so I decided to buy a new one. When presented with the choice of the standard lens or the VR version, i decided to “upgrade” to the VR model.

So far it has naturally been everything i loved about to original and more! It’s slightly larger and heavier, but not nearly as much as many online/YouTube reviews led me to believe. If you can carry around the original, then you can handle this one too.

If you’re worried about the weight of your lens, neither 24-70 is right for you. Go buy a prime lens instead. The Vibration Reduction has already proved itself worth the money in my wedding work. I’ve developed shaky hands over the years, but now i can confidently shoot around 1/50th of a second (when i have to) whereas i dare not go below 1/100th with the original (I could go down to 1/60th but it took a great deal of concentration and effort.

) I’m not sure if there is any difference in the glass used, but I have zero complaints about sharpness. Like i said, i have no complaints about the OG 24-70, but the images I’ve created (from portraits to landscapes) have been absolutely beautiful, and dare i say just a tad bit “more better”.

I’ve also heard people claim the auto focus is “too loud”. But i find that to be a complete myth (at least for photography purposes). The active vibration reduction is noticeably quieter than the 70-200mm 2.

8. Whether or not it is worth the extra money depends on your budget. But if you can afford it, I would absolutely get this lens over the non VR version.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1. 4G Lens: It’s been years since I’ve used a 50mm and I hadn’t thought a lot about it really until I started seeing these gorgeous images from my friend. It seems like every time I saw something that made me wonder, it was the 50mm.

Add to that some difficulties I have lifting and the desire to have a 50 becomes apparent. We went out last week and this is all I brought for the first couple of days. I needed to make a portrait for her and though this might not be the best portrait lens, she was in a ‘make do’ way, so we made do.

They’re actually kind of nice. What’s in focus is tack sharp and the rest is creamy mush. Not instantly like the 200 I have, but it gets soft pretty quickly. Then mush. I went straight for f1. 4 and there was just enough DOF to cover her face and her shirt and enough of her hair.

The one thing I did notice is that I have some green fringing in some of the softer but not mushy areas like the hair and one shoulder and a little bit on the rock right behind her. I’m not worried about it.

It’s a forest shot but it is worth keeping an eye on. I’ve only had this out the once, but I really look forward to using it some more.

Let me start by saying I love this lens. I probably use it the most, maybe as much as my 24-70 Nikon. I have an older 85mm Nikon 1. 4, but it doesn’t autofocus with my Nikon mirrorless as it has the older autofocus system where you need the motor in the camera.

I got this lens to replace it and wasn’t sure what to expect. After having used it on several shoots now, I can say I’m in love with this lens. It isn’t crazy sharp at 1. 8, but stopping down to 2-2.

5 wakes this lens up a ton. The out of focus areas are very pleasant to my eye, and it shoots video very well. The lens is very light, but doesn’t feel too cheap either. It goes very well with my Nikon Z5.

I love that the front doesn’t extend at all during focus, and that there is a rubber gasket around the mount. The cheaper Canon lenses don’t have this, so it’s a nice touch. The price of this lens was very reasonable, and it is quickly becoming my go-to lens when I don’t need a wide shot.

My ultimate set up would be a 24-70, which I already have, a 70-200 2. 8, and 85mm prime and a 35 mm prime. I’m half-way to my dream collection and I’m glad this lens is part of it. I would like the 1.

4 more I think, but you can’t go wrong with this lens for the price and quality you’re getting.

This was my first professional-quality lens, and I love it. This lens gives images a lyrical character, with a soft, gently blurred background. It is extremely sharp wide open, with creamy bokeh and bright colors.

So far, I’ve used it to photograph portraits, landscapes, plants, and even perched birds. It performs well in any conditions – drizzle, low light, scorching hot days. Although it is heavy and a bit slow to focus (even on my D500), it is much smaller, lighter, and more unobtrusive than a 70-200 f/2.

8. This is one of the magic lenses you buy for their rendering abilities – it makes you feel that every shot should be deliberate.

The lens was in very good shape. Expectations met regarding the cleanliness of lens, no scratches, image quality excellent. It was like borrowing a brand new lens from a friend. Lens shipped and arrived on time (day early).

Very easy to follow return instructions. The communication (“lens on the way, tracking number, “time to return”) was very helpful. I’m not a pro, so I cannot justify buying a $2k lens for hobby usage.

However, I can rent them and not feel guilty. I’ve rented from Lensrentals before and will continue to do so. I continuously recommend Lensrentals to all my friends, but none of them are photographers, so whatever.

Anyway, summary = rental was a great experience, I’m coming back for additional rentals, I would recommend Lenrental to anyone/everyone who understands photography and needs a really good lens for a short time.

After reading the reviews, I sold my 85mm 1. 4 and purchased this 105mm 1. 4E. I am amazed at the sharpness and focus accuracy. With my 85 1. 4 I had a lot of focus fine tuning issues. This lens has been perfect.

I often use it with my Z6 which then gives me VR. It’s an incredible low-light combination! Note though, it is fat and heavy! My hands are not that big and it can be a challenge to hold the barrel when attaching or removing from a body.

I can’t imagine ever selling this lens regardless of S lenses for the Z bodies.

Though this review is about the Nikkor Z 24-120 f4 S lens, I begin with my favorite workhorse lens: my Nikkor Z 24-70 f2. 8 S lens which I have owned and used heavily for over a year. The 24-70 has exceptional sharpness (even out to the edges) and its maximum aperture of 2.

8 has been very helpful for low-light event photography. Yet I was intrigued by this new 24-120 for the reasons so many other contributors here have mentioned: compared to the 24-70 it is lighter with extended reach and many claimed it is nearly as sharp.

After long thought I decided to purchase the 24-120 with the plan to test it very carefully and then compare it to my workhorse 24-70. On a Z7, the 24-70 does have a bit better sharpness out at the edges and its bokeh (at 2.

8 and 4) is decidedly smoother than the 24-120 (whose bokeh at f4 for out-of-focus foreground detail is at times edgy and jittery with strong onion skinning in background out-of-focus detail). My first inclination was I could not accept those few weaknesses of the 24-120 and would return it.

Yet after much more comparison with various styles of shots (landscapes, interiors, near-macros and more) I saw that the 24-120 is VERY sharp (and in all shots as sharp or nearly as sharp and in some cases seemingly sharper than the 24-70), silently focuses very rapidly and reliably, is noticeably lighter (useful for this 64 year old) and most notably has that extra reach from 70-120 in which range it performs wonderfully! So with some surprise and much satisfaction I have decided to keep the 24-120 and have now sold my former standard: the Z 24-70 f2.

8. As a previous contributor here wrote, this is the new standard (at least for me) and I could not be happier. Thank you, Nikon, and thank you B&H.

This is undoubtably a fantastic lens and reputed to be sharper than the newer VR version. My gripe is not with the lens so much but as the way it was advertised. It is not even close to being mint. Loved certainly but there is much evidence of heavy wear.

All rubber grips will need to be replaced as they were loose due to wear. There needs to be better guide lines as to what ‘Mint” means.

First, let me state that I purchased this AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm F2. 8G ED wide zoom to replace my aging AF-S NIKKOR 28-70mm F2. 8 D wide zoom that is experiencing autofocus issues. After repairs by Nikon twice over a period of several years, I felt I could no longer pay for band-aids.

My first impression was the lens was larger and lighter. My careful comparison showed that the lens is actually one half inch (12mm) longer, but weighs about one ounce (35g) less and is 1/4 inch (5mm) less in diameter than the predecessor.

The zoom ring of the new lens is wider, more useful with gloves on. As a G lens, the 24-70 has no aperture selection ring as does the older lens. Other physical characteristics seem to remain the same as both accept 77mm filters.

And of course, the angle of view is improved because it is a minimum of 24mm focal length vs. 28mm of the older lens. That’s an additional ten degrees. As a biologist, one characteristic that I can appreciate is that the new lens will focus to 0.

38m while the older lens will focus only to 0. 7m, nearly twice the distance. And when speaking of focus, the internal autofocus is blazing fast. My impression through comparison images is the 24-70mm F 2.

8 lens produces greater sharpness and improved color over its earlier cousin. For me that equates to money well spent.

I bought my Nikon D750 with the kit lens. That’s a great every day walking around general purpose lens but it’s not particularly fast. I shoot indoor performances and was in need of a reasonably priced sharp, fast lens to compliment my Tamron 2.

8 70-200. I looked at this lens and the Sigma Art. The reviews were excellent for both, but seemed to me to be a little more solid for the Nikon. I used this lens for the first time at a performance last week-end.

It did not disappoint. It has a quality build and feels substantial in the hand. It is weighty and balances nicely in the hand with the solidly built D750. I shot hand held using center spot focus and exposure and shutter priority as it was a dance performance.

Focus was fast and sharpness was within my acceptable parameters for a hand held low-light motion shoot with an on-line destination for the photos. I shot for about three hours during two performances and cranked out 2450 shots.

The lens hunted and had difficulty finding focus two or three times. Exposure was good without exception. This lens gave me the performance I was looking for and i recommend it. I’m posting a few pix from this week-end’s shoot.

They are reduced in size to a max of 1000 pixels a side for web posting.

IšverstiShow in original languagePrior to purchasing this I had been using the Z 24-200 as my walk around lens for my my Z6, but I often felt limited by the f/4-6. 3 aperture range, particularly when you realize that you only get f4 at 24mm.

As soon as you zoom in, the max aperture quickly drops down, reaching f/6. 3 by about 70mm. Because of this limitation I found myself only using this lens when I knew I would be shooting bright outdoor situations requiring apertures of f/6.

3 or greater. Because of this I would often switch to my f/2. 8 24-70 instead. Once I’d read several good reviews for the 24-120 I decided it would be a better choice for me as i much prefer having a greater aperture range than zoom capability.

In fact, I noticed I seldom zoom in greater than 120mm, and on the occasions that I know I will, I’ll be using my f/2. 8 70-200, or 400mm lens, because quite frankly the 24-200 really isn’t very good at 200mm.

I used the new 24-120 yesterday to photograph my daughter at a pumpkin patch, and I’m very pleased with the results. I’m much happier with the fixed f/4 aperture, and the 120mm zoom range is more than adequate, especially as I can use the 85mm to 105mm focal lengths, which are perfect for impromptu portraits, which you wouldn’t have available with the Z 24-70 f/4.

Also, the build quality of this lens is far superior to the 24-200, which I always found to be rather cheap feeling. The extra programmable function button and adjustment ring are nice to have too. I use mine for focus lock and exposure adjustment respectively.

This 24-120 is definitely a keeper, and it will be my go to walk around lens from now on. I’ve decided to sell my 24-200 after just 18 months of use, but I will keep my original f/4 24-70 kit lens that came with my Z6, as it’s equally as good in the 24-70 range, and its’ lightweight, compact size is perfect for squeezing into my carry on when space is a premium.

TL;DR: Good: I can now take bright photos indoors and in overcast conditions. Bad: I have to take three or four steps back to take in the view that the old wide-angle 18mm kit lens used to. This 35mm f/1.

8 lens does what I want it to – take bright pictures in low-light conditions without a flash – but I have to learn its strengths and weaknesses. I bought this to supplement the kit lens my Nikon D3400 came with.

After three years I was outgrowing the original 18-55mm, f/1:3. 5-5. 6 lens: I found myself having to crank up the exposure of my photos in overcast or even reasonably sunny conditions. So as a prime lens this one is indeed brighter than the zoom kit lens, even at narrower aperture settings.

While the kit lens opens up only to f/3. 5, this one goes down to f/1. 8 – but I still get good indoor photos at f/3. 5 and narrower. I actually don’t like bokeh – generally, I want everything from the foreground to the background to be in focus – but I’m beginning to appreciate the possibilities of a shallow depth of field.

I’ve been getting soft-focus backgrounds that look good, without meaning to. One drawback of the 35mm focal length: in indoor settings, I often find myself having to take three to four steps back to take in the picture I want.

With the original 18mm kit lens, all I had to do was lift the camera to my eyes and press the shutter button. The 35mm focal length makes some types of shots difficult or impossible: I can no longer just stand on a chair and take in everybody in the room singing Happy Birthday.

It seems that there is no such thing as an 18mm or 20mm prime lens for APS-C format cameras. But as someone who just wants to take family holiday photos, I can’t justify the expense of upgrading to a full-frame camera.

So for me, this is as good as it gets.

I have an old Nikon D5200 from 2013. I had survived on the kit zoom lens and some of my vintage F-mount film lenses (yes, you can use old lenses, but you will not have autofocus and will have to adjust aperture on the lens).

But as I ended up using my camera to cover events, I needed to upgrade to modern lenses. I initially bought the 50mm and 85mm f/1. 8 G lenses that work on full frame and crop sensor Nikon cameras (FX and DX).

But since the 5200 is a crop sensor camera, I still needed a “normal” nifty-fifty equivalent lens. So I went for this affordable 35mm DX lens (52. 5mm FX full frame equivalent field of view). I love its compact size and the beautiful images that it captures.

Do not confuse it with the cheaper “D” series lens. Check compatibility on the Nikon site as the D lens will not have autofocus capability with older cameras like the D5200. That’s why I went with this lens which was a little more expensive but still very affordable.

This is a great little lens. I bought it as the first upgrade from the 18-55mm and 70-300mm kit lenses that came with my Nikon D3500. I wanted a faster lens that would expand my low-light horizons, but I also didn’t want to spend a ton of money- making this the logical choice.

This lens is everything I was hoping it would be. The f/1. 8 aperture is fantastically bright and allows for shooting sharp, clean pictures handheld at lower ISOs without a flash in surprisingly dim light.

Well suited for normal- field-of-view night sky photography as well (e. g. , constellations. ) It’s a very sharp lens, noticeably sharper than my 18-55mm kit lens. Autofocus is a little louder than on the 18-55mm kit lens, but accurate and reasonably quick.

A lot of people complain about the cheap construction but realistically there is only one moving part to break (the focus ring) and it’s reasonably solid. For anything low-light or indoors, this lens is now my tool of choice.

Overall, a top performer at a very low price point and a worthy investment for any Nikon DX shooter.

Unfortunately, if you are looking for a technical review, then this review is not for you. There are many other reviews that will give you that, but this won’t be one. Though I’ve been shooting for years, I’ve only been shooting with a 50mm for the last 5 or so years now.

It has been a game-changer in capturing portraits as well as just a great alternative as an everyday lens to capture just about anything. It’s also smaller and easier to travel with if you are looking for a more compact lens.

I bought it as a replacement for a 50mm lens that was stolen. So, I simply just replaced what I had initially. I haven’t met a 50mm lens that didn’t do exactly what I purchased it to do. So, I truly have no complaints about this purchase.

Great bang for your buck.

I bought this lens to get better details in my photos – to be able to digitize artwork that is larger than conventional scanners. Compared to my kit telephoto lens, it’s certainly an improvement. However, the fit to the body is uncomfortably tight, and a little gritty.

My kit lenses are smooth as silk. I’m a little worried about what this lens might do to my mount over time. Fortunately, I don’t change lenses regularly.

My first Nikon 50mm 1. 4 lens was purchased in 1964. That MF lens was great and I still use it. I own several 50mm 1. 4 lens purchased over time and what makes this special is that I can get almost instant focus shots that are razor sharp! The pros: 1) Focus is internal so focus doesn’t alter polarizing settings 2) I can grab the lens to change the focus easily if I want to.

(The previous design 50mm f 1. 4 AF-D required you to switch the ring to manual focus) 3) It has great bokeh is very good (as it is on previous 1. 4 lenses) 4) Fast, accurate AF-S autofocus is giving me a lot more keeper shots that are sharp.

5) Great keep-on-camera lens for walking around. 6) Well thought out placement of controls make the lens feel like I have used it for years. The cons: 1) G lenses can not be used on older Nikons 2) Who thought up the weird 58mm filter size? Should have been 52 or 62 like all Nikons 3) Made in China and not Japan 4) Preferred when things were all metal including filter ring and lens hood instead of plastic In summary, I pity the fool who parted with this great lens! His loss is my gain! (Side note: I have never sold any Nikon product I purchased, EVER!.

I was nervous about buying a 50mm for my crop sensor Nikon d500 but I have had it for a few weeks now and have not taken it off my camera! Sure, I probably would be unhappy in a small room but all in all, it does a beautiful job! My other favorite lens is the 35mm f/1.

8 so I wanted to give this 50mm with the f/1. 4 a chance especially since the price of a prime lens is so nice. I did my first photoshoot with it and the pictures are absolutely fantastic! There was talk of the pictures being “soft” in some other reviews and I have not seen that.

To the recent photoshoot (it was a family and maternity shoot), I brought other lenses along – the Nikkor 35mm f/1. 8, Sigma 18-35mm f/1. 8, and the Sigma 50-150mm f2. 8. But I never took the 50mm off! I am very pleased.

Checking photo gallery websites sites, you can still find this lens being used on high end current Nikon cameras, as well as the historical ones. From DSLRs (like D700) thru mirro-less bodies like Z6, Z7 – the output looks great across the spectrum.

If you’re on the fence about this one, just buy it. It’s quite nice and holding its own against the third party manufacturers. I really appreciate the prompt service from BH Photo!.

As a landscape and mostly static subject photographer (always on a tripod), upon buying this Milvus 50 f/1. 4 lens, I’ve forced myself to depart from a “quick-shooter” photographic style, heavily reliant on Auto Focus (AF), and transition back into a “pay-attention-to-details” photographic style (akin to my photo-style from earlier, film camera days).

For me, its a purposeful slow down in the artistic process, which, quite honestly, has been a tremendous joy, now coupled with this stellar Manual Focus (MF) Milvus lens (my first Milvus). I absolutely love the smooth and long focus throw, 225 degrees! I typically achieve focus through Live View (magnified), carefully select a primary focus element, while reasoning through the best f-stop to apply, and deliberating the framing & composition, using mirror-up release modes.

The resulting images are tack sharp, feature lovely bokeh, helping me derive extreme satisfaction at the other end, both as a viewer (following minimal but judicious post-processing) and as a promoter of one’s own development in the practice of the art.

This Zeiss Milvus 50mm f/1. 4 replaced an older Nikkor 28-70 f/2. 8 that had been a mainstay in my kit, providing about 50% of my photos over the last 12 years, mated to a D2x and more recently to a D810.

The Milvus on the D810 (and presumably on the D850) performs superlatively in the modes just described. Will I miss the AF? Will I miss having the flexibility of a zoom and be limited to one focal length? I suppose at some level I will, but the improvements in image quality, better low-light performance, tighter control of focus, as well as the adoption of a new mode of operating, all are worth it — and letting go of the ease and flexibility that high quality zooms afford.

But you have to be ready to take that step. Is this lens a good choice for photographers in action environments? No, you will struggle to maintain good focus – in that realm, AF lenses are likely the better choice, and zooming permits a quick way to frame without having to move, important in tight spaces.

But for those who are desiring to capture an essence of a place, a sense of wonder in a scene, or who need to isolate a subject in the 3D world, this is an outstanding choice of glass to do so. The price is generally a bit higher than competitors, but the build quality, weather sealing and smooth operation all point to the fact that this lens is made to last; it will likely stay in my kit for a long, long time.

This Milvus is perfectly matched for high resolution bodies, including the D8xx Nikons. No regrets here. Beyond image improvements, is a whole, newly rediscovered, approach to photography. Very inspiring.

Get one and see.

You are getting a perfect 50mm lens. Superb contrast, flare resistance and resolution even at f/1. 4 on a 60MP sensor (I used a Sony mirrorless adapter). The other two lenses in this class that I am comparing the Zeiss to are Canon 50mm f/1.

2L and Leica Summilux 50mm f/1. 4 ASPH, and the Zeiss is better than both. The trade-off is weight & bulk. It’s huge especially compared to the Summilux.

I also have the excellent Milvus 135mm. You get this lens for one reason: image quality. It is sharper than any Nikon in the 50-60mm range – and sharpness is not the whole story. Even when you look through the viewfinder you will notice a heightened sense of clarity, more pleasing saturation and smooth transition between shadows and highlights.

On a camera like the D800-850 series the detail rendered is something special. Transition from in focus areas to out of focus areas from f4 to wide open is creamy – but not as weird as the Nikon 58mm 1.

4 G. It’s a Distagon, not a Planar based design, so corner softness a non factor. If you are coming from late model Nikon lenses the Milvus is physically different. it is not optimized for light weight and lightning auto focus.

Its not plastic on the outside. meaning it has a different, luxurious, heavy feel. It is metal all the way and that means it can dent & scratch more easily than a Nikon – but my guess is it will still function.

The construction is superb. The focus is very long throw and easy. I picked the Milvus lenses over the Sigma Art line because of overall image rendering. I found the Zeiss lenses to be warmer. The images rendering is very close to from one focal length in the family to another.

IšverstiShow in original languageReview is based on using this lens with a D850. One of the reasons I bought this lens is for the VR, and I’m not disappointed. Coming from the original 24 – 70mm f/2.

8, I read countless reviews before making a decision. Most of them were of the opinion that a competing lens at $400 less was a better value, and provided quality images, so I tried it. It isn’t in the same league.

The Nikon lens produces better color, is sharper, and VR works better. You can read all the reviews, charts, and graphs and drive yourself nuts, but where the rubber meets the road is in processing RAW files.

And that is where the images from this lens shine. SOC RAW images are exactly what you want and need little work. The depth in each file allows you to process to phenomenal quality. If you’re in the ‘da more color, da better’ camp, you can push these images to cartoonish before losing shadow details and subtitles.

Contrast and color accuracy are terrific. Back to the VR. I have a few lenses with VR, but for whatever reason, it seems to work best on this lens. The D850 is not very forgiving. I haven’t measured how many ‘stops’ this lens is good for, but I can tell you that at 70mm, 1/30 second, the images are crisp.

I even got a few at second that were good. An added benefit is that it allows the D850 to be used for video. I know many are going to mirrorless with IBIS, but this lens does a good job and provides nice stable video with all the color depth and sharpness found in still images.

If the D850’s autofocus was better suited for video. Conclusion. At the new price, this lens is a no-brainer.

IšverstiShow in original languageThis lens replaced an older 28-120 f/4 NIKKOR lens that started acting up. I am so glad the old lens was crashing because this lens outshines it big-time. Although the maximum focal length is shorter, just 70mm, it is long enough for everyday use and picking up the wider 24mm (over 28mm) is a big advantage.

The faster speed (f/2. 8 vs f/4) significantly expands the opportunities for hand-holding the lens. The focussing mechanism is a gigantic leap forward over the 28-120 f/4. It is super fast and accurate.

This is the lens I leave on my camera. An interesting observation I made and hope to learn about is that the lens (which is longer than my old 28-120 to begin with) is shortest at 70mm. At 24 mm the lens is longer, protruding out farther beyond the sun shade.

How does that work?? Anyway, a remarkable lens that I highly recommend.

IšverstiShow in original languageThe lens fits my grip and the narrow lens barrel is comfortable to hold and the wide rubberized rings are easy to adjust. The 2-level vibration adjustment is amazing.

The lens is pixel peep sharp from f2. 8 to f8 at zoom range 24mm to 70mm, except at 50mm that falls off at f2. 8. There is a small degradation in sharpness from f11 to f22. This lens is made to be used wide open in natural light! There is noticeable chromatic aberration in out-of-focus high contrast areas, with near areas shifting to red, and far areas shifting to blue.

There is an internal focus shift on f-stop down that happens after auto-focus is triggered. The SLR view through the mirror and prism is normally done with the lens wide open at f2. 8. When the shutter button is pressed the lens is auto-focused, then the lens is stopped down to the working aperture and the picture is taken.

When the lens is stopped-down, the focus changes slightly. In practice the focus shift on f-stop down will not effect portrait work because the shift on THIS lens is linear and moves away from the focus point.

In other words – if the subject’s iris is in focus, the lens will keep that iris clear from f2. 8 to f16 because of the increased depth of field. Clever optical engineering. There is some focus shift while zooming the lens that will effect the lens in manual focus mode and will require refocusing upon a change to focal length.

All zoom lenses in this category change their point of focus on focal length change, but it is best to keep this in mind while in manual mode.