Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G VR Lens

Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED Lens

In spite what a few self-anointed website pundits have remarked about this particular lens, it's in reality a very functional piece of glass. Mounted on a D700, the sharpness ranges from adequate to remarkable. Predictably, it does it's best work in the heart of its zoom reach.

The lens is quite good for being a somewhat slow respectable quality zoom that performs a more than decent job on Nikon DSLR cameras, for which it was designed. The lens' big downside is the reality that it's slow and murky and over a good part of its zoom breadth it's more like f/5.6 than f/3.5, definitely not a quick lens.

It's center accomplishment is very good although edge production doesn't come close to a prime lens or even several zooms, even though it's yet adequate. Chromatic aberration is amazingly under control Focusing is fast and quiet.

The 24-120 lens is not without peculiarities -- such as the fact that the usual focus and zoom ring positions are reversed. But it's autofocus which leaves zero to wish for--Nikon did no corner cutting here, it auto-focuses lightning fast, so cares about a focusing ring? Just consider the overall wherewithal, convenience at a somewhat low price for a 24-120, I 'd label it a robust lens.

The 24-120 seems better for DSLRs than film cameras, since Nikon DSLRs employ a cropped frame sensor, the digital camera only uses the "sweet" center part of this lens, for best quality.

The VR is helpful, sometimes a bunch, but VR does not become a fix-all for a slow lens. VR has no effect on the brilliance of the image seen in the viewfinder, even though it improves the image quality by reducing camera shake. It's an especially good all-purpose lens for the photographer who doesn't want to invest a bunch of money and can live with this lens' slow relative speed.

It has distortion that's apparent at the wide-angle end. a littlet noisy, a little slow, and a little dark. The focus ring i a little sloppy. It won't replace normal primes and wide angles for of sharpness, however this is the concession price for flexibility.  

Feb 6,, 2011

• AF-S Autofocus lens featuring a Silent wave, coreless, integrated, focus motor (unwrapped in 1996). Basically an updated AF-I Autofocus-Silent sporting a "Silent Wave Motor" (ultrasonic) to focus near silently and fast.

• Two AS - Aspherical lens elements - Nikon unveiled the first lens in 1968 featuring aspherical camera lens elements. What makes them different? Aspherical lenses all but eliminates the issues of coma and related kinds of lens aberrations even when employed at the maximum aperture.

• D- Distance. Denoted after the  f-number. It signifies the lens has the capacity to use Nikon's 3D Matrix Metering on camera bodies where it is supported.

• Two ED- (Extra-low Dispersion Glass Elements)
a necessary element of the Nikon telephoto lens Nikon engineered Extra-low Dispersion optical glass to facilitate the manufacture of lenses that provide superior color correction and sharpness by diminishing chromatic aberrations

• G - labeled after the f-number.
A G-lens contains no aperture ring, therefore aperture may only be electronically controlled by the camera and only autofocus camera bodies featuring function dials have the capacity to control G lenses

• IF- Internal Focusing
The ability to have a lens focus while it's size remains unchanged. Nikon’s IF engineering allows that to happen. All internal optical travel is contained within the inside of the non-extension lens container.

• M/A mode
AF-S Nikon lenses include the exclusive Nikon M/A focus function, that permits switching from auto to manual focus virtually without time lag - even while the AF servo is in operation regardless of the AF mode in play.

• N-Nano Crystal Coat
Nano Crystal Coat consist of an antireflective coat that stemmed from the cultivation of Nikon NSR-series (Step and Repeat type) semiconductor fabricating devices

• RD- Rounded 9 Blade Diaphragm
Soft-focus images of point light resources create accepted polygonal shapes that mirror the form of the cavity produced by the diaphragm blades.

• SIC - Nikon Super Integrated Coating
Nikon uses an elite multilayer lens coating to augment the operation of its lens elements which also helps diminish ghosting and flare to minute levels. Nikon Super Integrated Coat also accomplishes several purposes,

• SWM- Silent Wave Motor
Nikon AF-S engineering is yet one more rationale why professional photographers like Nikon telephoto optical lenses.

• VR - Vibration Reduction
Normal mode Employs a moving optical assembly to minimize the effects of photographic camera shake. Active Mode which provide for shooting from a moving vehicle.

• VR II Vibration Reduction system
Provides the equivalent of employing a 4 stops faster shutter speed This second generation VR is known as VR II, that was engineered to provide an additional 1-stop improvement over the initial VR

• Compact and lightweight

• Fully compatible with D1X, D1H, D100, F5, F100, N80, N75 and N65

• HB-25 Flower Type Lens Hood, • Rear and Front Lens Caps