Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/07/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Back when I was in the Navy I BEGGED and PLEADED on bended knee for a good fast lens. They issued me a 24-120 vr blah-blah. That thing was crap. It went back because of QC and the lens that returned was crap. It was sharp. At f/11 but a Holga lens is a gorgeous performer at f/11. Most lenses are. That lens was replaced with a new version and it was the one I took with me to Iraq. Unfortunately. Again, it was junk. Not made for any type of hard work other than playing tourist in a city park and making photos of ducks, children, puppies and possibly buildings at infinity. Things that don't look terribly bad just a bit soft or decentered. It was Kyle who graciously sent me a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AIS which saved my ass for reliability. I zoomed the 24-120 back to 24, put gaff tape around the zoom ring and finished deployment with gear that worked. When we got back to the states, the lens was thrown away by Nikon because it couldn't be salvaged. Not because of mistreatment but just because it was an abomination. I don't think any amount of engineering could save that design. Phil Forrest On Sun, 08 Jul 2012 13:55:12 -0400 Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote: > Rockwell has it all laid out here and he certainly agrees with you on > previous versions. > http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/24120vr.htm > He says its the worse lens ever made in the history of the modern > universe. That's the Nikon 24-120mm VR AF-S NIKKOR f/3.5-5.6 > I see no discussion on good versions. And I though he was my source > on that. Thom and Moose agree with him with a tad less venomousness. > But that's the earlier versions: > > Rockwell says: > The new Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR is a great lens. It is worlds sharper > than its predecessor, the fuzzy 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S VR > (2003-2010). Both these 24-120 AF-S VR lenses are much better > ergonomically than their predecessor, the clunky 24-120mm AF-D > (1996-2002). All three Nikon 24-120mm lenses are loaded with > distortion. http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/24-120mm.htm > > So lets not put all our 24-120's in the same pot. > The VR is supposed to work great. > I would kill for this lenes.... Slay dragons. > What you couldn't shoot with this lens and a D800 is not worth > mentioning. But again it's twice the weight and bulk than I like to > have one me every day. It's ok for a specific shoot when I'm going > somewhere for a specific shot. > > > > > - - from my iRabs. > Mark Rabiner > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/