Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF Autofocus VR Nikkor Zoom Lens

Other products by Nikon  | See collection 

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 4.5 x 4.5 inches ; 1.3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00009VQG6
• Item model number: B00009VQG6
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: May 31, 2005

Product Description

Product Description

Nikon is a precision optical company with worldwide manufacturing, research and marketing capabilities. The Nikon name is equated with extraordinary photographic performance, innovation, precision and optical quality.PRODUCT FEATURES:Nikon D-Type design provides precise distance information for flash and ambient light exposure processes;Internal Focus (IF) design for smoother focusing and great body balance;2 Aspherical lens element for low distortion;G Type DX Nikkor is designed exclusively for use with Nikon SLR models where aperture is controlled from body;2 Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass elements for minimized chromatic aberration;Exclusive Silent Wave Motor enables ultra-high-speed autofocusing with exceptional accuracy and powerful super-quiet operation;New cosmetic design;VR operation offers the equivalent of using a shutter speed 3 stops faster at 120mm;Rounded diaphragm to make out-of-focus elements appear more natural;First Nikon wide-angle zoom lens with Vibration Reduction (VR);Compact and lightweight.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars better than reputed, December 28, 2006

By	Charles B. Lemak "LeChas" (Los Altos, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This lens gets an unfair bad rap from a lot of amateur snobs and pro-wanna-be's.

After reading all the mixed reviews, I figured at the price it would be a reasonable stopgap while waiting for an 18-200VR. So far I've been more than satisfied with this lens. I get good contrast, and sharp images through the middle 80% of its range. Contrary to some of the negative reviews I've read, focus is reasonably fast, and more than adequate for action sports in good light. Granted it's not a low light lens. I have other lenses for this purpose, but cost me over $900. each and don't have the versatility of this lens.

I finally did receive my 18-200VR, and have to admit it is an improvement due to the added range, but light gathering is comparable, and within the 24-120's range, the two function with about the same results. Overall, average quality of shots taken with both lenses is about the same.

Having said that, even with the 18-200 VR, I still have to use my 85mm 1.4 and 80-200 f/2.8 for shots where extra aperture or sharpness are needed.

In summary, if you plan on having a couple spcialty prime lenses and one multi-purpose zoom, then either the 24-120 or the 18-200 will do as a great walk around lens. Unless you're only going to buy one lens for the life of your camera, why spend the extra money on the latter?

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My lens is sharp., June 3, 2006

By	J. Chastain "j chastain" (Burlington, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased this lens after trying it by making a series of handheld test images and going home and analysing the results. On my D70, this lens is sharp. Not as sharp as my 105 MicroNikkor VR, but that lens is a tack sharp prime macro. It also has incredible color contrast. It is every bit as sharp as the 18-70 kit lens, and it has the great advantage of the VR technology that lets you shoot handheld in almost every situation. I recently took this lens and my 12-24 dx Nikkor to Cabo and got some fine shots, even at night. I took only 2 lenses because of the airport/customs hassle. That is what these new great lenses are about. Major focal length coverages, VR technology that makes the fast/slow lens issue irrelevent. Glass that is engineered for sharpness and contrast at all focal lengths. Pop one or 2 lenses in a bag and you can shoot just about anything. Nikon is revolutionizing digital photography.

37 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good lens but not perfect or a do-all, February 20, 2006

By	Roger J. Buffington (Huntington Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is a quite good lens for what it is: and what it is is a rather slow decent quality zoom lens that does a fairly good job on Nikon digital SLR cameras, which is what it is for. The main downside of this lens is the fact that it is slow and dark--over most of its range it is closer to F5.6 than F3.5. This is not a fast lens.

This lens is better for digital cameras than film bodies because since Nikon digital SLRs use the half-frame format, the digital body utilizes the "sweet" center portion of the lens, for better quality. I have not used this lens on a film camera and so I cannot give a firsthand report on how significant this is. Others say that it is, in fact, a significant advantage of this lens.

The VR helps, sometimes a lot, but VR is not a cure-all for a lens being slow. VR does not affect the brightness of the image through the viewfinder, although it will improve the quality of the picture by damping out camera shake.

The autofocus on this lens leaves nothing to be desired--it autofocuses at lightning speed. Nikon cut no corners here.

This is a very good all-around lens for the user who does not want to spend a lot of money and who can put up with this lens' relatively slow speed. A great lens for daylight shots.

The new 18-200 VR ED DX Nikkor is getting better reviews, and digital SLR users will want to consider that lens as an alternative to the 24-120.