UPDATE: the Tamron 28-75 and Nikon 28-70 comparison is here. The party photos are here:
This weekend I will be taking event photos for a friend. Her parents are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. I initially planned to rent a Nikon 24-70 2.8G (I already sold mine) and a Nikon 70-200 VR II (sold my VR I too). However, on eBay I came across a listing for a Nikon 28-70 2.8D (reviewed here). It was listed for less than $800, whereas I usually see it for around $9xx, $1000, or more. I ordered it and received it yesterday. To my relief, it is as described and so far it works very well. In fact, it even comes with the original lens case in great condition. The serial number on the lens starts with "US" so I know it is not gray market. Thank goodness.
I will be posting a comparison between the 28-70 and the Tamron 28-75, with an emphasis on its use for full frame (FX), as less expensive alternatives to the excellent but pricier 24-70 (reviewed here). (Of course I will also do posts about the event photos and the Nikon 70-200 VR II.)
FYI, I found out the seller from whom I bought it (daniphotoelectronics) another listing for another 28-70, which looks to be in a similar condition, for an even lower price. The seller also offers a 14-day return period. I'm not affiliated with the seller but am posting it here in case anyone's interested. Of course, caveat emptor.
Would like to see a comparison and your thoughts on
ReplyDeleteNikon 28-70 to nikon 24-70 too. I have the nikon 24-70, but its getting less use now. I like the focal length and want to know if I can step down to 28-70 as I don't use 24-70 that much.
Hi macman. I liked the 24-70 but to be honest I couldn't justify the extra cost over the 28-70 because the performance of the 28-70 is almost the same. You can check out my review of the 28-70 here http://betterfamilyphotos.blogspot.com/2012/04/nikon-28-70-28d-vs-nikon-24-70-28g.html . The review includes a comparison with the 24-70. The harder question for me is the 28-70 or the Tamron 24-70 VC, which is similar in price. I don't know the answer because I've never tried the Tamron 24-70 VC. But if you go by the DPR and DXO tests, the Tamron 24-70 most likely outperforms the 28-70 because the Tamron is slightly sharper than the Nikon 24-70 and has stabilization. The downside is the resale value. If you really don't use the 24-70 much, you can save even more with the inexpensive Tamron 28-75. I will be posting samples so you can see if it is good enough for you.
DeleteBest regards,
Mic