On Tue, 13 Aug 2002 19:07:34 GMT, "SimRacer"
>"Neuman - Ruether"
>news:3d59ed28.18245791@newsstand.cit.cornell.edu...
>> On Mon, 12 Aug 2002 13:43:19 GMT, "Steve"
>>
>> >I'm hoping one of you can help me decide between these
>> >lenses... I recently invested in a better long zoom (80-200
>> >f2.8), and now want to replace my "everyday" lens (I think)
>> >with either the 24-120 or 24-85 f2.8-4. I presently have the
>> >28-105, and while it's a nice lens, I would like to have
>> >either a bit more range or the extra stop... and I can't
>> >really decide which is most important to me- probably
>> >depends on what day you ask.
>> >
>> >Between some lens tests that I've found and the 80-200's
>> >overlap, my gut tells me that I should lean toward the
>> >24-85... but I'm wondering if one of you has already gone
>> >through this and would like to share your decision.
>> >
>> >Of course, with the 24-85 AF-S out there now, I'm even more
>> >confused...
>> >
>> >Thanks in advance for your help!!
>> The 24-120 is an excellent zoom (good samples are
>> sharp to the corners wide-open), and not much slower
>> at the same FLs than the 24-85 f2.8-4...
>Given all the responses about similar performance in the two 24-X zooms
>discussed here, would it not stand to reason the for overal clairty and
>optical performance that a smaller range zoom like a 24-85 would be better
>than a 24-120? I thought conventional thinking said the smaller the zoom
>range, the better the optical performance should be...is this not the reason
>primes are still around?
*****--> IN GENERAL <--***** this is true, but
*in particular*, there are many poor-to-so-so 2X
zooms out there, and quite a few really top-quality
wider-range zooms, too... In the case of the
24-120, it actually performs *better* at 24mm
than the excellent 24mm f2.8 Nikkor MF/AF non-zoom,
and better than the AF 28mm f2.8 Nikkor. The 35 and
up Nikkors are generally so good, though, that the
zoom, while excellent 35->120, is not up to the
superb non-zooms in this range. In other words, from
24mm almost to 120mm, the Nikkor zoom is *really*
good, and no apologies need be made for its use if
speed is not an issue...