Nikon Zoom-Nikkor AF D IF 24 mm-85 mm F/2.8-4.0 Lens

At some point in any photographer's evoloution we all need to make a decision - am I a zoom or fixed focal length shooter?
For the type of photography I enjoy, and for the purposes I use my photos for, are the tight tolerances and distortion controls designed into most professional level fixed focal length lenses necessary? Do I need the faster apertures - really? Do I mind carrying around several lenses, each weighing half to one and a half pounds, to cover the focal lengths I most frequently use when shooting and do I mind having to reach into my bag to change lenses again and again during a shooting session?
Or do I prefer carrying one, or at most two, overlapping zooms covering the same range?
If the answer to this question is the latter, then you should read no further and consider purchasing one of the many zoom lenses available that include the 85mm focal length. You should especially do so if you are a digital shooter. For you, the fast aperture of f/1.8 is meaningless, since most of your SLR's start with a sensitivity of ISO 320, and corner sharpness is useless since your sensor is only "seeing" the central portion of the circle projected by this lens.
Having said all that, Nikon's 85mm f/1.8 AF lens is one of the finest optics it has been my pleasure to own. Designing short telephoto's is, admittedly, easier to do well than say superwides but this lens is, nevertheless, a jewel among short telephotos. Distortion is virtually nil and the lens is sharp at all apertures, especially at f/1.8. Build quality is excellent, being mostly metal and the lens has metal filter threads (which you will learn to appreciate the first time you cross thread a filter on a lens with plastic threads). The internal focusing mechanism and short movement required to focus to infinity makes autofocus on the lens as fast on my F100 and D100 as my lenses with the AFS motors.
Slides taken with this lens are contrasty and sharp at all apertures with no vignetting - even with the lenshood on over a thick filter mount. The lenshood itself is a welcome departure from some of the plastic horrors Nikon has come out with in recent years, being an all metal screw in type.
So if moody portraiture with soft out of focus backgrounds on ISO 50 films are your thing - this is your optic and it's a bargain even at full price. If you are a contemplative one lens shooter, who spends the time setting up a tripod and then moving it about until your angle and framing are perfect, then you could not do much better than this little gem (But why are you working in 35mm and not large format?). Even a working pro, who occasionally needs a little more reach and speed would be happy with this lens and can be confident that the results will not let him down.
It just that the rest of us, with limited budgets, who take pictures for our own pleasure and not for resale, would probably be better served spending the same money for something a bit more versatile.

Nikon AF Nikkor 24-85mm f/2.8-4.0D IF Lens (new $690; used in good conditions $500 ):

1. This a great outdoor lens for amateur like myself to taking photos around,
above average speed, including some low light situation. Lighter weight than I
original thought, also have a plastic feeling (I rated 4 stars for this reason).

2. Pic quality is about the same/slightly better than my Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC HSM Macro Lens for Nikon DSLR (new $369, Adorama/Amazon). This lens also has a feeling of plastic.

3. With the hood on, the internal flashing is partially blocked. Therefore, it
is always better to have an external flash light goes with the lens in low light
shootings.

It really depends what your purpose is, this lens covers a lot of ground in general, however consider its price with the quality outcome in mind, I think
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC HSM Macro Lens offering a great alternative
to this lens.

Personally, I think the price of this lens Nikon AF Nikkor 24-85mm f/2.8-4.0D
IF Lens is a little too high for new and used. Well, it is the Nikon name sells.

I will keep both Nikon AF Nikkor 24-85mm f/2.8-4.0D IF Lens and Sigma 17-70mm
f/2.8-4.5 DC HSM Macro Lens for comparison of picture quality on my projects.

And I don't have money and needs for the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens (new $1,900 at Amazon) - which is what I should buy instead. Well, let me continue to dream about it. For now, I have to be happy
with what I have to play.

That is it, enjoy your high on photos.

I've had this lens for more than a year now and taken a few thousand pictures with it. It blows my old Tamron zoom completely away. 24-85mm is a huge range. It's just so darn convenient to zoom instead of changing lenses. The color is excellent with only a little aberration noticeable with extreme contrasts. It's certainly bigger and heavier than a point-and-shoot camera, but it delivers the same kind of instant flexibility. The "macro" switch is a little cumbersome and mine broke off after a while. I have other lenses for macros so I put a piece of tape over it and haven't missed it. It takes sharp photos, but certainly not as sharp as my Nikkor 60mm f2.8D macro.

My biggest gripe with this lens is the barrel distortion at the wider-angle settings. I can never seem to fully correct the distortion in Photoshop and on architecture shots I could spend forever trying.

I hardly ever use the 85mm end of this lens and over half the pictures I take (on my D50) are at 24mm. I've never tried the Nikon 17-55mm, but it is highly rated and I sometimes think of trading this in for one. But that lens is much more expensive.

Heck, if money was no object, I'd hire a porter to carry around a bag of prime lenses and clean each one every time I switched. But in the real world, this is a great all-purpose lens in its price range. Not to mention that leaving a lens on the camera eliminates the chance of a piece of dust landing on the sensor.

I have a number of fast prime nikon lenses and this 85mm f1.8D is on of my favorites. I really llike the size of the lense (Great Balance). Focus is very snappy and colors are very true. Probably one of my favorite reasons for enjoying this lens is it's the perfect focal length for candid portraits. If you can get your hands on one of these don't hesitiate to grab it. You wont be disappointed.

Modern DSLRs with zoom lenses are way too large to carry around easily and I wanted a small prime lens for my Nikon D90 to make it as compact as possible for use as a carry-around camera. I have a 35mm lens but that focal length is too long for scenery. The Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 Lens is perfect for a DX camera; it is exceptionally sharp edge to edge, and doesn't seem to be affected by flare. It also has the advantage of being usable on a full frame Nikon, should I decide to move up to FX.
There are only 2 minor disadvantages: at f2.8 it's a little slow; and it's not an 'S' lens, so has no focusing motor (cannot be used on a D40).
I love this lens!