I like prime lenses, but I also like to keep a "trinity" of zooms on hand for convenience. I'm retired and on a tight budget so my trinity is not the fast and expensive trio, but budget alternatives. My current zooms are the AF Nikkor 18-35mm f/3.4-4.5 D, the AF Nikkor 28-85mm f/3.5-4.5 D, and an older push-pull version of the AF 80-200mm f/2.8 D.
I'm pretty happy with the 18-35 f/3.5-4.5 and I love the 80-200 f/2.8 (except for the weight!), but the 28-85 f/3.5-4.5 just seems lackluster. It's looking like I might soon have about $1K max to spend on upgrading the 28-85. I can't afford the fast Nikkor zooms in that kind of range, the slower Nikkors don't have reviews much better than my 28-85, and I can't seem to pick out a third-party stand-out, either.
Is there a excellent bang-for-the-buck lens in this 24-70 or so range or should I look for a used specimen of one of the fast Nikkor zooms? I love the optical quality of the fast Nikkors, but I'm starting to consider weight as an important factor. Maybe I should just be satisfied with the 28-85 I already have...
Thoughts?
Edit to add: I just noticed the difference in reviews of the 24-85 AF-S vs. the 24-85 AF-D. Maybe the AF-S is the one I might try...
I'm pretty happy with the 18-35 f/3.5-4.5 and I love the 80-200 f/2.8 (except for the weight!), but the 28-85 f/3.5-4.5 just seems lackluster. It's looking like I might soon have about $1K max to spend on upgrading the 28-85. I can't afford the fast Nikkor zooms in that kind of range, the slower Nikkors don't have reviews much better than my 28-85, and I can't seem to pick out a third-party stand-out, either.
Is there a excellent bang-for-the-buck lens in this 24-70 or so range or should I look for a used specimen of one of the fast Nikkor zooms? I love the optical quality of the fast Nikkors, but I'm starting to consider weight as an important factor. Maybe I should just be satisfied with the 28-85 I already have...
Thoughts?
Edit to add: I just noticed the difference in reviews of the 24-85 AF-S vs. the 24-85 AF-D. Maybe the AF-S is the one I might try...
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