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Author Topic: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810  (Read 29572 times)

DeanChriss

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24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« on: December 29, 2014, 10:56:19 am »

I'd like to get a small and portable Nikon D810 system exclusively for landscapes. Having an excellent 24-70mm (or similar) zoom lens for it is an absolute requirement. Based on reading everything I can find it looks like Tamron makes the best performer, and the Nikon lens has CA that's off the charts.

I haven't owned anything but Canon L-series glass for a long time and I'm not sure what to expect. Does anyone here have experience with the Tamron lens? I'm very curious about overall build quality and anything else you only find out after using the lens for a while. For instance, lenses by the camera makers never seem to vignet with normally thick polarizers while it seems many 3rd party lenses do. Any and all input is appreciated.   
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E.J. Peiker

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2014, 01:05:21 pm »

The Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 VC is currently the best 24-70 optically with a Nikon mount.  It's marginally better than the Nikon 24-70 for resolution but has slightly more linear distortions (corrected by most RAW converters if automatic lens corrections are turned on) and is stabilized.  The lens is a little more plasticky than the Nikon (or Canon 24-70) but still built relatively well.  If I ever lose or destroy my Nikon 24-70, I would buy this, get better optics, get stabilization if I want it, and pay less money.  Hope this helps.
« Last Edit: December 29, 2014, 01:07:53 pm by E.J. Peiker »
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dwswager

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2014, 01:57:49 pm »

I'd like to get a small and portable Nikon D810 system exclusively for landscapes. Having an excellent 24-70mm (or similar) zoom lens for it is an absolute requirement. Based on reading everything I can find it looks like Tamron makes the best performer, and the Nikon lens has CA that's off the charts.

I haven't owned anything but Canon L-series glass for a long time and I'm not sure what to expect. Does anyone here have experience with the Tamron lens? I'm very curious about overall build quality and anything else you only find out after using the lens for a while. For instance, lenses by the camera makers never seem to vignet with normally thick polarizers while it seems many 3rd party lenses do. Any and all input is appreciated.   

I can only comment on the Nikkors.   The 24-700mm f/2.8 is a great lens in real world quality, however, small and light it isn't!!  If you are thinking landscape, I can recommend the 24-120mm f/4 VR and the 24-85mm G.  I've never had good luck with Tamron and  Tokina lens.  I liked the Tokina 28-70mm ATX Pro-II, but it wasn't optically equivalent of the Nikkor.
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DeanChriss

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2014, 03:32:35 pm »

Thanks for the comments.

I should have been a little more specific. By "small and portable" I only meant that I don't want to carry a pile of prime lenses, which is an alternative I considered and rejected. Short of that I'm looking for the best optical quality I can get in a 2-lens kit. The 70-200mm F/4 Nikon is an easy choice, though I wish it was weatherproof. In the 24-70mm range it really looks like the Nikon lens falls short. In the search for alternatives the Tamron came up as the winner in optical quality, but it also has to hold up well and not have serious useability issues. Another thing going for it is that it shares the 82mm filter diameter with my Canon 24-70mm-II. Anyway, I was hoping someone here has owned the Tamron for a while and could comment. 

I have a lot of Canon equipment that I don't plan on getting rid of, at least in the short term. This 2-lens landscape kit is my way of testing the Nikon waters and determining what I think of everything side by side, and it'd be nice to have something more portable than Canon 1-series bodies and equivalent lenses. Longer term I'm very happy with the Canon 1DX and telephotos for wildlife and have no plans to change anything in that regard.
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Colorado David

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2014, 03:37:57 pm »

The 24-700mm f/2.8 is a great lens in real world quality, however, small and light it isn't!! 

I would sure love to get my hands on a 24-700 2.8 but I bet it wouldn't be small and light! ;D ;D ;D

E.J. Peiker

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2014, 04:06:09 pm »

I can understand the hesitancy on third party lenses but some have stepped it up in recent years so don't let experiences from more than 3 or 4 years ago cloud your judgement too much.  In head to head test that I have seen or personally done, the Tamron 24-70 outperforms the Nikon.  Here's the DXO Mark comparison on the D800:
http://www.dxomark.com/Lenses/Compare/Side-by-side/AF-S-Nikkor-24-70mm-f-2.8G-ED-on-Nikon-D800-versus-Tamron-SP-24-70mm-F28-Di-VC-USD-Nikon___175_792_885_0
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DeanChriss

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #6 on: December 29, 2014, 04:37:58 pm »

... don't let experiences from more than 3 or 4 years ago cloud your judgement too much.

It has been more like 20 years, but I'm sure that's a big part of my low expectations. The last third party lens I had was optically great for its day, when it worked. ;-)
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dwswager

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #7 on: December 29, 2014, 08:24:07 pm »

Thanks for the comments.

In the 24-70mm range it really looks like the Nikon lens falls short. In the search for alternatives the Tamron came up as the winner in optical quality, but it also has to hold up well and not have serious useability issues. Another thing going for it is that it shares the 82mm filter diameter with my Canon 24-70mm-II. Anyway, I was hoping someone here has owned the Tamron for a while and could comment. 


I know we are back to test versus real world discussion, but if you look around at images you will see the 24-70mm f/2.8 Nikkor used by most Nikon shooting professionals.  Images from it are omnipresent.  I have no RECENT 3rd party lens experience so can't comment. 

I started photography at 18 reading 2 John Shaw books.  He was basically a prime lens shooter because of the weaknesses in zoom lenses.  Though he has always like the 80-200mm f/2.8 and now the 70-200mm f/2.8.  Now if you Google John Shaw gear"  you find out that the only prime lenses in his bag are the 3 T/S lenses and 500mm f/4.  He shoots both the 24-20mm f/2.8G and 24-120mm f/4G VR. 

One concern I have packing is Circular Polarizer and ND filter sizes.  Both the 24-70mm and 70-200mm f/2.8 and my 16-35mm f/4 VR all take 77mm filters.  Believe the 70-200mm f/4 takes 67mm filters.    Everyone makes their own trade offs and you are right to consider thread sizes. 
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langier

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #8 on: December 29, 2014, 08:43:16 pm »

Of the two Nikkor 24mm zooms, I prefer the 24-120 for the weight and the extra 50mm reach. With good craft I find it does as well as my 24-70 for most of my shooting. Of course, your results will vary!

Why not rent the pair for a week and shoot the same images with each and then decide?
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shadowblade

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #9 on: December 30, 2014, 01:30:32 am »

I know we are back to test versus real world discussion, but if you look around at images you will see the 24-70mm f/2.8 Nikkor used by most Nikon shooting professionals.  Images from it are omnipresent.  I have no RECENT 3rd party lens experience so can't comment. 

I started photography at 18 reading 2 John Shaw books.  He was basically a prime lens shooter because of the weaknesses in zoom lenses.  Though he has always like the 80-200mm f/2.8 and now the 70-200mm f/2.8.  Now if you Google John Shaw gear"  you find out that the only prime lenses in his bag are the 3 T/S lenses and 500mm f/4.  He shoots both the 24-20mm f/2.8G and 24-120mm f/4G VR. 

One concern I have packing is Circular Polarizer and ND filter sizes.  Both the 24-70mm and 70-200mm f/2.8 and my 16-35mm f/4 VR all take 77mm filters.  Believe the 70-200mm f/4 takes 67mm filters.    Everyone makes their own trade offs and you are right to consider thread sizes. 

I wouldn't agree with that. The photographers you tend to see are those who shoot weddings, sports, music and other events - photojournalistic styles of photography. The 24-70 lends itself well to this. But there are plenty of pros shooting for advertising, product shots, propertyas well as creative/artistic work (e.g. landscapes) who are far less likely to use it.

The Canon 24-70 holds up well among these photographers because it has primelike image quality. But I wouldn't use the Nikon one for an application where image quality is paramount and convenience secondary.
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lelouarn

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #10 on: December 30, 2014, 02:57:17 am »

Just to throw a wrench in the spanner...
Why not try a Sony alpha 7R, with metabones adapter ? You would get to keep your Canon lenses, and have access to the wonderful Sony 36Mpix sensor. Sure, AF is really slow (and accurate), but for landscapes it doesn't really matter. If you have the Canon 24-70 f/2.8II, you'll even have the best optical quality in a zoom (better than the Tamron & Nikon).
Rumours are that Canon might get a 50Mpix out this year (but it's just a rumor) so this could be an intermediate solution.
Just a thought...
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Ludwig Nobel

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #11 on: December 30, 2014, 03:51:09 am »

Dean,

I have purchased a D810 recently because I don't believe Canon will come out with anything much better than my 5D2 anytime soon (for IQ, especially DR).
I went for (among other lenses) the Tamron 24-70 because I shoot a lot indoors with less than ideal lighting, so stabilisation is a great plus for me.
I can't compare it directly with the Canon 24-70 Mk1 that I have since the bodies are too different, but the Tamron is definitely a winner. I rented both the Tamron and the Nikon before making this decision, didn't see much of a difference between these two, but the Tamron has stabilisation and is cheaper and is definitely sharp enough for me, actually very sharp stopped down a little bit. A prime lens will be better, but I think you know this and are willing to compromise for convenience.
I can recommend the Tamron without any hesitation, the IQ and build quality is much higher than the price (compared to the Nikon) would let you assume.

Ludwig
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DeanChriss

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #12 on: December 30, 2014, 09:54:20 am »

First, thanks to everyone who has commented. All of the different perspectives are actually very helpful.

While DxO and others have reviews, charts, and graphs that all show essentially the same things, the most compelling lens comparisons I found between the Tamron and Nikon 24-70mm lenses are:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=618&Camera=614&Sample=0&FLI=0&API=0&LensComp=786&CameraComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0

The lens comparison tool also makes it possible to compare the Canon 24-70-II I use now with the Tamron:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=787&Sample=0&FLI=0&API=0&LensComp=786&CameraComp=453&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0

And with the Nikon (in a more general way since the lenses are mounted on different cameras):
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/ISO-12233-Sample-Crops.aspx?Lens=787&Camera=453&Sample=0&FLI=0&API=0&LensComp=618&CameraComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0

Frankly, using optics that are worse than I've got in front of a sensor that's better makes this entire idea seem a lot less worthwhile. The Tamron lens may be "close enough", assuming it has no big issues with flare, usability, or other things that don't show in the charts. That's what led me to post my initial question here regarding the Tamron.

Just to throw a wrench in the spanner...
Why not try a Sony alpha 7R, with metabones adapter ? You would get to keep your Canon lenses, and have access to the wonderful Sony 36Mpix sensor. Sure, AF is really slow (and accurate), but for landscapes it doesn't really matter. If you have the Canon 24-70 f/2.8II, you'll even have the best optical quality in a zoom (better than the Tamron & Nikon).
Rumours are that Canon might get a 50Mpix out this year (but it's just a rumor) so this could be an intermediate solution.
Just a thought...
I never thought seriously about using a Sony AR7 with a Metabones adapter and my current lenses, but the more I thought about your idea the more sense it made. For landscapes I don't care about things like slow AF. I spent part of this morning searching for online info and, like all of this so far, there's way more consider than I would have guessed. I'd need to look further into the compressed RAW format Sony uses, but what really bothers me is the Sony shutter vibration issue and the fact that there are many reports about issues/glitches in the Metabones adapter. Those include occasionally (some report as many as 1 in 10 times) needing to remove and remount the adapter after the camera is powered on to get the camera to recognize a lens is attached, sample to sample variability in centering of the lens, and lens mounts that range from "nice and tight" to so tight people think they'll break a lens by turning it so hard. Getting a "good" sample may be achievable but compromising reliability isn't acceptable. Having a better sensor doesn't matter if I miss shots because the camera won't recognize that a lens is attached unless I re-seat everything. Still, I really want to like this solution and it warrants a little more research and thought. Thanks for making me think outside the box.

The Canon rumors sites are like supermarket tabloids, only worse. They have said Canon would release a high resolution body at every major show that has happened in the last several years. They also said the 7D-II would be released at Photokina 2012. These sites repeat rumors until they eventually come true, something like a blind pig finding an acorn. Perhaps the rumor will come true in 2015, or not.

Ludwig: Thank you! This is the kind of info I was looking for.
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lelouarn

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #13 on: December 30, 2014, 10:30:02 am »

Like you, I was also very worried about using Canon lenses on a Sony. I read a lot of reviews, and was actually very skeptical. The issues that you mention make sense. Using an adapter is probably a "risky business", with mechanical problems (non planar adapter, tightness, etc).
Probably I was lucky. My adapter is nice and tight (and the beginning, very tight), and I can't see any asymmetry in the images. Taking the lens off definitely requires more force than on the native Canon. My 24-70 f/2.8II looks sharp side to side on the Sony.

As to the shutter shock on the A7R. It's likely there, but I haven't seen it. I am sure one can find a shutter speed / lens combo, where some sharpness is lost due to this effect. Perhaps even to the level of going from 36Mpix resolution to 20Mpix ? But you still have that Sony Dynamic Range. Again, perhaps I have been lucky.
So just make sure you can return the Metabones if it's out of whack, and try a few from different batches. Last resort, you can get the Zeiss 24-70mm f/4 for the Sony, which isn't bad at all (I hear, I'm happy with the my "CanSony" combo - it was my backup plan, if the Metabones turned out to be a dud). All of this is still cheaper than the Nikon+24-70 combo, which I considered also before going the A7R route.

Good luck :-)
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BobDavid

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #14 on: December 30, 2014, 11:17:02 am »

One thing to keep in mind, current premium Nikon lenses (Nano coated) are tuned for consistent  rendering throughout lineup. Introducing a third-party lens, albeit excellent, will paint differently.
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DeanChriss

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #15 on: December 30, 2014, 12:14:01 pm »

One thing to keep in mind, current premium Nikon lenses (Nano coated) are tuned for consistent  rendering throughout lineup. Introducing a third-party lens, albeit excellent, will paint differently.

Thanks, Bob. Things like that are easily taken for granted, especially when one has used only OEM lenses for over 20 years.
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MatthewCromer

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #16 on: December 30, 2014, 03:46:05 pm »

Agree with the others that if you want a portable landscape solution the Sony Alpha 7R is the way to go, not a Nikon D810.
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Colorado David

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #17 on: December 30, 2014, 04:14:07 pm »

Erik Stensland, Images of Rocky Mountain National Park, now shoots the Nikon D810.  He was a devoted Canon shooter for years and switched to the D800e.  He has since begun using the D810.  It is safe to say that the majority of what he shoots is a long walk from the car.  He can also shoot whatever he chooses to shoot and buys his own gear.  No sponsorship money involved.  Take a look at his work at imagesofrmnp.com  Go to the new images page under the photos drop down menu.  I really respect his work and have connection with him.

dwswager

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #18 on: December 30, 2014, 05:34:25 pm »

Thanks, Bob. Things like that are easily taken for granted, especially when one has used only OEM lenses for over 20 years.

I guess we should all just be thankful, because the Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 is 7-8 years old and when introduced it was the considered the pinnacle of optic quality for an AF lens in that range.  If all the other companies have caught up and/or passed it then everyone benefits.

As to weight, I can't comment on the Sony body, but the Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 is significantly heavier than the D810!!  I do admit that combo is quite the package when your holding it, but I don't handhold often as I use a monopod/tripod a significant portion of the time.
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Colorado David

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Re: 24-70 mm Lens for Nikon D810
« Reply #19 on: December 30, 2014, 05:44:04 pm »

I know that people want to save weight where they can and I do too.  The OP didn't say if he planned to use this package hiking.  If I'm stepping away from the car for more than a little distance, I'm carrying a backpack that has water that weighs more than my camera and lens.
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