24-70 2.8 for Nikon - advice needed

Spleen Sauce · 19 Jan 2016 at 09:53

OK, so I'm currently using a Nikon D750 and have the 'Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G' as my general use/walkaround lens. While I actually think it's a pretty good lens and sharp (esp. in the center) I do find that I crave something quicker.

I'm happy to lose a bit of range for quicker glass, so the obvious choice is a 24-70 2.8 - great, but which one?

As far as I can see, there's three choices:

Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 G AF-S ED (non VR) - approx £1300 new
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR - approx £1800 new
Tamron 24-70 mm F2.8 VC USD - approx £630 new

Now, the original Nikon 24-70 is regarded as one of the greats but lacks VR which I think is a bit of a bonus. The new 24-70 has a very mixed bag of reviews, some say its spectacular and others not so much. Its also hella expensive. The Tamron seems to tick every box really, with good reviews, VR (well, VC) and seems to be in the right sort of price bracket.

I'd like some opinions on what you guys have used and would recommend.

Cheers.

Spleen Sauce · 21 Jan 2016 at 12:48

Thanks for the adivce - been swaying towards the Tamron after more research so this confirms it really

Spleen Sauce · 21 Jan 2016 at 13:29

I'd have thought for pro work (wedding photography, etc) you'd definitely benefit from the VC - considering tricky lighting conditions and all and the lack of a tripod? Could be wrong though.

Spleen Sauce · 21 Jan 2016 at 16:11

Hmm tis an interesting discussion. Now I'm really torn!!

Spleen Sauce · 21 Jan 2016 at 16:18

Cyanide said:
Other things come in to it though - if the AF misses or is too slow then having VC won't save the shot. Plus if you're wide open at f2.8 and it's still not enough then no amount of VR will help in a wedding - you might be able to slow the shutter down but then you've got motion blur to contend with and I'd rather have something grainy with high ISO than motion blur!

If it takes a knock will it still work? Even if it does break Nikons Pro support is excellent - when I had to send something off to Tamron it took a bit longer than I would have liked to repair it. Not usually an issue for personal use but if you've got a wedding that you need it for...

Yeah I definitely see your point. To be fair, my D750 shooting with higher ISO using the 24-120 f4 actually does a really good job. Kind of makes me wonder whether I should stick with it, especially considering the extra range it gives.