This article was updated in May 2024 using original contributions from Barry J Brady.
Invest in your lenses. Camera bodies will come and go, but a good lens can last a very long time.
That was the advice I received when I started taking my photography seriously. Initially, it seemed a bit ridiculous. I bought a cheap 70-300mm lens and used it at the first wedding I photographed. I thought the images were fantastic until I bought a better lens a year later. It was only then that I realized how much of a difference a good lens can make.
This is a review of the Nikon AF-S FX Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens, which I’ve used frequently. However, it is not a technical review. I don’t spend lots of time discussing specifications, nor do I include resolution charts or autofocusing tests.
Instead, I focus on how this lens performs, and on its strong and weak points. I also share plenty of photos I’ve taken with the lens. Many will be edited in Photoshop, while others will be straight out of the camera; I include labels on the edited images so you know the difference.
Ready for a hands-on review of the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G? Let’s dive right in!
An overview of the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED is regularly referred to as one of the best midrange zoom lenses that Nikon ever made. That sounds like a crazy statement, but when you look at the images produced by this lens, you can understand why.
In my view, this is a perfect all-around lens. In fact, once you get your hands on this lens, you may find that you keep it on your camera most of the time. Not only does it have a really good focal range for everyday photography, but it’s also a good travel lens. I’ve heard many photographers say that the 24-70mm f/2.8G was the only lens they took on vacation and it worked great.
Here’s a quick look at the technical specifications:
- Focal length: 24-70mm
- Mount: Nikon F-mount (can be used on Nikon Z-mount cameras with the FTX adapter)
- Format: Full frame (can be used on a Nikon APS-C body, but will be cropped)
- Maximum aperture: f/2.8
- Minimum aperture: f/22
- Dimensions: 83mm (diameter) x 133mm (length)
- Weight: 900 g
- Zoom ratio: 2.9X
- Minimum focusing distance: 38 cm
Photography genres where this lens shines
Not sure if the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G is right for you? Here are the five genres that it works great for:
1. Landscape photography
The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G isn’t considered an ultra-wide-angle lens, but at 24mm on a full-frame sensor, you will get a viewing angle of 84 degrees. This is a pretty wide angle of view, and you can use it to capture beautiful landscape images.
But I recommend this lens for landscape photography for several additional reasons.
First, the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G boasts beautifully made glass elements that handle light beautifully. There is some distortion at 24mm, but it’s easily corrected in Photoshop.
Second, the lens is really sharp. In fact, I think it makes images seem almost too sharp! If you use a tripod and you properly focus your Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G, you may find that you won’t need to do much sharpening during post-processing, simply because the optics are so great.
The color rendition on this lens is great, too; as you can see in the example images, the colors are wonderfully vibrant.
Bottom line: This lens is good for landscapes. It’s not necessarily a great dedicated landscape photography lens – the 24mm wide end is a little longer than what many landscape photographers look for – but it can certainly perform well for this type of photography.
2. People photography
The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G lens can work well for people photography, including portraiture, weddings, and events. The focal length flexibility makes it easy to zoom in and out as needed, and the wide maximum aperture allows you to work indoors without too much trouble.
When photographing human subjects, you want to capture minimal perspective distortion, especially when doing portraits. Therefore, if you plan to use the 24-70mm for people photography, I do recommend generally shooting at 50mm and upward.
Note: With a wide-open aperture, you’ll be able to effectively isolate your subject and generate a soft, out-of-focus background. The bokeh on this lens is good – more on that later!
3. Close-up and macro photography
While this 24-70mm model is not a macro lens, it has a 37 cm (14.5 in) minimum focusing distance. That may not sound impressive, but at 70mm, you can get pretty close to your subject.
If you are shooting on a high-resolution sensor, you will be able to crop in quite a bit, so you’ll be able to produce some really nice close-up images, like this one here:
Again, the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G is not a dedicated macro lens. However, if you want to get in close to a subject, it can do that. The sharpness and clarity are both amazing, which helps you highlight lots of little details, and even if you’re not a serious macro shooter, having close-up capabilities in your back pocket often comes in handy!
4. Street photography
Street photographers traditionally use prime lenses for their work. (Take a look at the setup of a serious street photographer, and you’ll often see a 35mm f/1.8, a 50mm f/1.8, or an 85mm f/1.8 lens.)
Sometimes, however, it’s good to have a little more flexibility, and the 24-70mm is perfect for this. You can shoot at 35mm, 50mm, or 70mm, and you will get great results each time. Plus, depending on your creative vision and the scene in question, you can shoot anywhere from f/2.8 on up.
Another big selling point of this lens for street photographers: it has a Silent Wave Motor (SWM), which means the autofocus is quick and quiet. There is some vignetting when the lens is used wide open at f/2.8, but I actually think this adds some depth and contrast to street photography images.
5. Travel photography
When planning a photography trip – or simply a vacation that includes some shooting time – you’ll always need to consider which lenses to pack and which lenses to leave at home. Weight is always a consideration. Space matters, too.
Fortunately, many photographers view the 24-70mm as a perfect travel lens. At 24mm, you can capture some great images of wide open spaces; you can also easily capture the interiors of churches and cathedrals. Zoom in to 50mm or even 70mm, and you can get pretty close to your subject. Step in even closer, and you can capture some wonderful cameo and detail shots.
The 24-70mm is almost designed for travel photography. Yes, it lacks a little on the long end – 70mm doesn’t give you a ton of magnification power – but you will come home with bright, sharp, color-filled images!
How the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G performs
I’ve already touched on many of the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G’s major benefits, but I do want to give a quick rundown of the lens’s performance:
1. Autofocus
This lens focuses quickly and accurately. I use it on an older DSLR – the Nikon D800 – and it works really well. You can, of course, choose to focus manually, but I would only suggest doing that when shooting landscapes or close-up scenes. If you have a subject that is moving, autofocus is necessary, and the 24-70mm f/2.8 will do a solid job.
2. Optics
The Nikon 24-70mm has amazing optics. It is sharp throughout the zoom range, and while you can expect a bit of vignetting at f/2.8, it’s nothing that you can’t deal with in Lightroom or Photoshop. It also produces good color, which is vibrant and rich.
When the lens is zoomed out to 24mm, you will see some barrel distortion. Once you zoom in, however, the distortion goes away, so you only really need to watch for it when working at the wide end. Plus, as with the vignetting issue mentioned above, this barrel distortion is easily fixed in Photoshop or Lightroom, so don’t be overly concerned about it.
3. Bokeh
Many lenses are judged not only on how sharp they are but also on how smooth and creamy they render out-of-focus areas.
In this area, the 24-70mm does a decent job. To get high-quality background blur (i.e., bokeh), you’ll need to zoom out to 70mm or get very close to your subject; you’ll also need to use a wide aperture such as f/2.8. In my view, the bokeh on this lens is not breathtaking, but it is smooth and soft. The bokeh is not perfect, but it is acceptable, especially when you consider how much this lens offers.
4. Handling
The 24-70mm f/2.8G is quite large and heavy. This is because the wide maximum aperture requires larger glass elements, and the body of the lens is metal. It is a durable lens and can take some rough handling, but be careful – it’s an expensive lens, so you don’t want to take it for granted.
On its own, the lens is around 900 g. When mounted to my Nikon D800 without a battery back, the combined weight of the lens and camera body is around 2 kg (4.4 lb). That’s a fair amount of weight to carry around, and while you can certainly use this lens handheld for long periods, it’s something to bear in mind.
The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.G ED: verdict
This 24-70mm lens has been praised as one of the best lenses Nikon ever made, and after using it, I can see why. It’s a great addition to any photography bag, and you may find that you keep it on your camera most of the time.
It’s tack-sharp, the wide maximum aperture is impressive, and the focal length flexibility is so useful. It’s a perfect all-around, everyday lens, though it’s also great for professional purposes.
Now, the 24-70mm f/2.8G ED’s specifications do come with significant costs, so it’s not cheap. It can also be harder to find now that Nikon has shifted to its Z-mount mirrorless lineups, though you shouldn’t have any trouble finding used copies.
When considering the price, just remember that you should invest in your lenses. They will generally outlast your camera bodies, and if you look after them, you’ll have them for many years. This is one of those lens types; you can count on it to produce great images for many years.
You can check out the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.G ED on Amazon.
