Steve B Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 As the title says a bit of a dilemma, I am going to Park camera's tomorrow afternoon and know that I will end up looking at the Nikon 24-70 2.8 as I have wanted one for ages. So here I am sitting looking at the internet and finding out everything that I can about the lens ( like you do ), when I keep coming across comments about the Nikon not having VR and not being very good for hand holding and people saying the new tamron version is a better buy as it has VR. My heart tells me to go for Nikon as I have always thought the 24-70 is a superb bit of kit and I don't normally have much problem with hand holding, I regularly use my 70-200 with the VR off as I use back button focus on my D700 and would forget to half press the shutter button to get the VR fired up ready before tripping the shutter any way. Also my 35-70 2.8 doesn't have VR and I know it's not a bulky lens like the 24-70 but I don't have problems it either. ( the way I am looking at it is if I need a bit of extra shutter speed the D700 is ok to up the iso a bit without problems ) So are there any views on whats best... Nikon or tamron.... Thanks for reading, Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nacke Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Steve, I've been a fan of Tamron lenses for years, the 300 2.8 and the 20-40 2.7-3.5 were both main stays for me for years. I used the 300 on Canon FD mount bodies before switching to Nikon and F Mount bodies and the 300 made the switch with me. The only problem I've had with Tamron lenses is their electronic chips going out (My 20-40 had to go back to Tamron twice for chip replacement). In the 00's Tamron service was very good and you could pay an extra $25.00 for 48 hour turn around. I have no idea about how they are now, but I did contact them a few weeks ago about servicing a 20-40 and to my surprise they told me that "that lens is out of production, we will not service it." That was not something I enjoyed hearing and would make me think twice about buying anything from Tamron again. PS I did hear the same thing from NIKON about my 300 2.8 EDIF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gervais Montacute Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 Can't say because I don't own a Tamron lens. The Nikon 24 70 is sharp and built like a tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Edwards Posted June 20, 2013 Share Posted June 20, 2013 The 24-70 Nikon is a workhorse lens used by almost all the press that are in the Nikon Camp. If you cant hand hold a lens of that range (at say 1/125th)... well...Its one of nikons best although has been know to be put out by "impact damage"... No comparison I'd say.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve B Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 Steve, I've been a fan of Tamron lenses for years, the 300 2.8 and the 20-40 2.7-3.5 were both main stays for me for years. I used the 300 on Canon FD mount bodies before switching to Nikon and F Mount bodies and the 300 made the switch with me. The only problem I've had with Tamron lenses is their electronic chips going out (My 20-40 had to go back to Tamron twice for chip replacement). In the 00's Tamron service was very good and you could pay an extra $25.00 for 48 hour turn around. I have no idea about how they are now, but I did contact them a few weeks ago about servicing a 20-40 and to my surprise they told me that "that lens is out of production, we will not service it." That was not something I enjoyed hearing and would make me think twice about buying anything from Tamron again. PS I did hear the same thing from NIKON about my 300 2.8 EDIF Thanks for the reply Chuck, I have got a two year old sigma 50 - 500 OS that is just going back to sigma for the third time to have circuit boards replaced( which is a real pain ), so I think I might steer clear of the Tamron Can't say because I don't own a Tamron lens. The Nikon 24 70 is sharp and built like a tank. Thanks for the reply Gervais, my heart was always with the Nikon...I just love the build quality, The 24-70 Nikon is a workhorse lens used by almost all the press that are in the Nikon Camp. If you cant hand hold a lens of that range (at say 1/125th)... well... Its one of nikons best although has been know to be put out by "impact damage"... No comparison I'd say.... Thanks for the reply Julie, The nikon will be in my hand by this afternoon and I will be twelve odd hundred quid worse off, but it's what I want so who cares . I have got to admit when I read that people said it was a bit tricky to use hand held I was surprised...( I think people must be trying it when there is no light or something ) as even my 50-500 is hand holdable with a reasonable shutter speed and is always on one of my camera's at race meetings ( when it's not broken ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedSnapper Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 The 24-70 Nikon is a workhorse lens used by almost all the press that are in the Nikon Camp. that's absolutely true.....you'll find it, and the 70-200 in the bag of every Nikon press photographer (and probably the 17-35 too, rather than the 14-24) km Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve B Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 How could I have doubted the Nikon 24-70...as it now looks like a thing of beauty attached to my D700 sitting on my passenger seat...but on a serious note it shows you shouldnt believe everything that you read on the web and what people tell you, as I was told that the 24-70 was big heavy and not very good to hand hold..so when the guy got it out of its box in the shop I was surprised at the size being not as big as I expected, and after walking around with a 70-200 on my camera a lot of the time I was pleased with the weight.. As for hand holding its the same as any other lens ( with the right shutter speed for the focal length ) Wallet now empty but worth it... Well that is what I will tell the wife any way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 So glad you got it, Steve. You will not be disappointed with the quality of shots you get with it. I've had this lens since shortly after it came out. I still remember when I took it out for the first time. I brought no other lenses with me. I wandered down to the edge of a lake, where water ran in from a canal. There was a mute swan, something rare to see in Oklahoma. There I was, browbeating myself for not bringing my 80-400. The swan was busy pecking at something right below the water and ignored me. I had to get pretty close and did. The ensuing images were amazing. All the water drops on the bird's head were sharp as a tack. Water dripping from the beak, amazing. All hand held. I hand hold it always when out of the house, and I also use it on a tripod for tabletop shooting with natural light when the shutter speed needs to be too low to hand hold. If I ever got a soft image from it, I surely can't remember it! I use it for all my landscapes. I used it on my D7000 in the beginning, but now shoot a D800 full frame with it. Also, being female, I have no issues with weight. Absolutely love this lens. Betty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clynt Garnham Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Yes happy days my friend...enjoy it and shoot the hell out of it, I had the 35-70 2.8 for 20 years and then the 24-70, sharp as a knife and great on a D700 and D800 and what ever other Nikon you can match it with. Have fun and don't forget the flowers for the wife! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
instamatic Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Good choice. You can't beat the pro nikkors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve B Posted June 21, 2013 Author Share Posted June 21, 2013 So glad you got it, Steve. You will not be disappointed with the quality of shots you get with it. I've had this lens since shortly after it came out. I still remember when I took it out for the first time. I brought no other lenses with me. I wandered down to the edge of a lake, where water ran in from a canal. There was a mute swan, something rare to see in Oklahoma. There I was, browbeating myself for not bringing my 80-400. The swan was busy pecking at something right below the water and ignored me. I had to get pretty close and did. The ensuing images were amazing. All the water drops on the bird's head were sharp as a tack. Water dripping from the beak, amazing. All hand held. I hand hold it always when out of the house, and I also use it on a tripod for tabletop shooting with natural light when the shutter speed needs to be too low to hand hold. If I ever got a soft image from it, I surely can't remember it! I use it for all my landscapes. I used it on my D7000 in the beginning, but now shoot a D800 full frame with it. Also, being female, I have no issues with weight. Absolutely love this lens. Betty I am so glad I got the Nikon Betty, I have given it a bit of a test this afternoon and am very pleased with it.. Yes happy days my friend...enjoy it and shoot the hell out of it, I had the 35-70 2.8 for 20 years and then the 24-70, sharp as a knife and great on a D700 and D800 and what ever other Nikon you can match it with. Have fun and don't forget the flowers for the wife! Happy days indeed Clynt.. it's a cracking lens, I think I had better take the wife out for a meal....and I will even let her use my 35-70 2.8 now Good choice. You can't beat the pro nikkors. I think it was a good choice instamatic, being as I am not too into ultra wide stuff, it looks like it will be the 70-200 or the 24-70 that are going to spend a lot of time on my camera's... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gervais Montacute Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Let us know how you get on with it Steve. It's the Darth Vader of lenses no doubt about it. Put some shots up soon and I look forward to seeing some with this lens in use. Most of mine are on the 24 70G. Not all of course, but it's an easy lens to get used to. It's one of those lenses you keep for life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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