The good thing for you (and all of us) is that Nikon doesn't really make any dud lenses... All the new AF-S/G lenses are outstanding. The 24-120 f/4 is probably the best best for a walk around on full frame right now. I however chose to keep the 24-70 and 70-200 for critical stuff and insert a 28G and 851.8G if I want to travel light.

Mishu01 wrote:
It depends a lot of your most used FL... If I have to pick for myself as a walk around prime the new 28/1.8 AF-S would be the one. It works as a charm on D800.
Second to that.
I have D800E and new nikkor 28mm f1.8 is my walk around lens.

Levent

http://www.flickr.com/photos/levent_eryilmaz/8026862790/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/levent_eryilmaz/7907648866/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/levent_eryilmaz/7988877168/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/levent_eryilmaz/7739884960/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/levent_eryilmaz/8019635941/

I like my 24-70 on my D800e

I would go with the AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II.

Well, my very first SLR came with a 50mm f/2.8, that I used as a primary lens for many years. So, if I were choosing a walk-around prime, I guess that my sigma 50 f/1.4 would be at the top of the list. I'd also be looking at the 35 f/2 and the new 28 f/1.8g.

Kerry

Easy for me 24-120VRii, I use it every day, it's so versatile on D700/D800/D3x/D7000 and now D600

leighton w wrote:
I would go with the AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II.
As a walk around lens?? Are you serious
Levent

The reason iam asking because it took me long to save and i've lost money on canon gears aswell i dont want to spend without knowing and regret
How about D600 with kit lens and 70-200 f2.8 vrii
as iam hobbyist and to be honest D800 is far too much for me.

The d600 kit lens costs $400 US on the Amazon US site, when purchased with the camera. I have no idea how good/bad that lens might be, but it's a vari-aperture lens, f/3.5-4.5. If I were in your shoes, I'd get a mint condition copy of the Nikon 35-70 f/2.8d rather than the new kit lens. I've gotten a lot of photos that I treasure, out of that lens. A more expensive alternative would be the Nikon 28-70 f/2.8 AF-S. It is the predecessor to the current 24-70.

Hopefully, someone will come along and tell you how the 24-85 kit lens performs on the d600.

good luck
Kerry

You cannot buy camera gear and look at it as an investment. In todays economy it is like buying a car. You just cannot expect it to hold near purchase price value and expecting to get a good return on the dollar spent you'll be a sad person in the end.

I didnt mean to tell i lost money on canon i meant was i dont want to buy latee i will regret as im totally new to Nikon never used it that is why asking your opinions.

Zero_Gravity wrote:
leighton w wrote:
I would go with the AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II.
As a walk around lens?? Are you serious
Levent

Of course I'm not serious! I just felt like being grumpy. I mean no disrespect, but we get one of these threads at least once a week, and it's always the same answers, I just thought I'd be different.

To the OP: Nikon makes so many great lenses that can be used as a "walk around lens" that there's absolutely NO way I can suggest what YOU ought to buy. Decide the range in which you most like to work and pick one in that range. When all is said and done only you can make the call.

leighton w wrote:
Zero_Gravity wrote:
leighton w wrote:
I would go with the AF-S NIKKOR 200-400mm f/4G ED VR II.
As a walk around lens?? Are you serious
Levent

Of course I'm not serious! I just felt like being grumpy. I mean no disrespect, but we get one of these threads at least once a week, and it's always the same answers, I just thought I'd be different.

To the OP: Nikon makes so many great lenses that can be used as a "walk around lens" that there's absolutely NO way I can suggest what YOU ought to buy. Decide the range in which you most like to work and pick one in that range. When all is said and done only you can make the call.


As a matter of fact you are right.
how about 6mm f2.8 (There is one on sale on ebay UK now.)

molson wrote:
mick5 wrote:
I used to have canon 7d and 5d MKII with canon 70-200 f4 and canon 24-105 f4 sold all and moving to Nikon



Unfortunately, Nikon doesn't yet have any comparable lenses that perform as well as the two Canon lenses you sold, but the 24-120mm f4 VR is pretty good for a general walk-around lens.

If you want to save some money, the new 24-85mm f3.5-4.5 VR is just about as good as the 24-120 VR for about half the price.
The 24-120F4VR is awesome on my D800 very sharp even wide open. Even my old 28-105 works well.

Mick5, I'll give a plug for the 28-105. Yeah, it's old, yeah it 'snot sexy ( no VR, or IS). but it's cheap to acquire and can produce some great shots. I ran this lens on my D700 for the better part of a month long trip to Burma, and came away with some great pics. I don'l know how it will perform on the higher mega pixel D800 and D600, but for the coin its a hoot.

All the best,
Rodney

Took a trip to London summer before last, and only had a single focal length (35mm equiv) for the trip. It was great.

So, if you get a single and inexpensive fixed FL lens that is good, you won't spend much, you will get great pictures, and you will have time to consider whether to go longer, zoom, more fixed, or whatever. It'll be good in low light, good light, etc.

Consider a 35/2 or 50/1.8G and go from there. Keep it simple and cheap.

And if they don't work, I agree with Leighton, the 200-400 make a great walkaround. ;-)

would you consider D600 over D800 as a hobbyist? when you never used nikon before?

Another vote for the unsung 28-105D on FF - loved it on my F100 and D700. There are sharper zooms, but nothing else can do all the things it does rather well. In MF, I like the 28 f2 + 75-150E for a (very sharp) walkabout combo.
Good luck,
Ron