How does the 24-120VR f4.0 (latest version) when used on 12 MP FX compares to the 16-85VR f3.5-5.6 when used on 12 MP DX?
I am asking because I absolutely love the photos produced by the 16-85 when used on my D90 and D300. Something about that lens just sings to me. The focal length is also just right for me.
Someone just sent me a D700. :-)
I am looking for a lens equivalent to the 16-85 for the D700. I know the 24-120 has the same angle of view. But is the IQ the same? I've read all the usual reviews, and most seems neutral (at best) when reviewing the 24-120 f4.0.
I am seeking opinions from people with experience using both.
I love my 24-120mm on my D700 when I had the D700... I would say the IQ is better than the 16-85mm. But if you read at all, you will see lot's of pro's and con's to all of those lenses. The 24-120mm is the lens I use on my D800 also until I get out in the field to shoot Landscapes, where then I will switch over to the 16-35mm.
Maybe not the total answer you need, but I have to tell you this:
I have not owned the 16-85 Nikkor. But I recently bought the new Nikkor 24-120 f/4 for better performance on new D800e than some of my other glass that work just fine on my D300, D700 and D3s.
The special beauty of the new 24-120 f/4:
1. VR stabilizing
2. Constant f/4 aperture
3. Starting with the D700 and onward, high ISO settings are so nice that f/4 handles my needs just fine, so far.
So, as the occasion demands, the 24-120 has become my 'walk around' zoom on whatever body.
I had the 16-85 mm f/3.5-5.6 VR (sold in favour of eating one month), and it is indeed an attractive lens. To my mind, there isn’t a perfect FX equivalent.
The 24-120 mm f/4 VR that you mention is perhaps your best bet, but it’s much larger, more ambitious, and more expensive. At the long end it’s twice as bright as the 16-85, plus it covers the FX frame which is over twice as big as DX. So it supplies over four times more light to the sensor, and to do that it has to be bigger. Much bigger. The 16-85 is 72 × 85 mm and 485 g, while the 24-120 is 84 × 103.5 mm and 710 g.
For this reason, you might also consider the new 24-85 mm f/3.5-4.5 VR. It’s a lower zoom range, but in size (78 × 82 mm, 465 g) and price it’s a closer equivalent to the 16-85.
