I would have posted this in the Nikkor AutoFocus lens forum, but I don't think that it is of universal interest.

I am planning a trip to East Europe this summer and was going to take my D3s and a 70-200 VRII for the long end. Now that I have a D800, I was thinking that if I bought the new 24-120 f4 that I could travel a lot lighter. I don't think that I will need more than 200mm on the D3s, although I do have a TC 2.0 EII for the 70-200 that I would have packed up for the trip. I figure that I can get similar results cropping the D800 photos that would be the equivalent of about 300mm, give or take 50mm, on the D800.

What do you think?

jP

I think you are right. I don't know what kind of shooting you do, but my experience when doing travel photography you don't need a very long end. Wide angle is more often desired and the 24-120 give you a good range at very high quality. And, being able to crop and maintain resolution is the primary advantage of the D800, isn't it?

I think that is a great travel lens.

Larry Miller, Annapolis, MD
D700/D800
http://www.pbase.com/lmmiller9
http://lmmillerphotography.smugmug.com/

When I travel, I bring 14-24, 50 1.4g and 70-200 on D700 (D800E pre-ordered) with one SB900.

www.hitoshiujiie.com/photography.html

Mansurovs report a very good result for the 24-120 (although this was before D800 came out):
http://mansurovs.com/nikon-24-120mm-vr-review/7

I travel with my 16-35, 24-70, and thinking to purchase a 70-300, but yes I do like the idea of a 24-120 for travel. Certainly Agitater posts some very nice 24-120 travel results as do others here. Personally I always toss in a fisheye and my Sigma 50mm f1.4 for night work, they don't come out every day but they are available for when I need them.

Best regards, SteveK

'A camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.' -- Dorothea Lange
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Thanks for your comments. Perhaps the wording of my question was confusing. Larry's reply was really the type of opinion that I was looking for since I wanted to avoid taking any other lenses if D800 owners thought that the ability to crop the 36mp frame would result in an image that was as good, or better, than an image taken with a 200mm lens mounted on a 12mp camera such as the D700 or D3s. I realize that the answer will also depend upon the quality and resolving power of the 24-120 vs. the 70-200, and I will Scope that issue in the Nikkor AutoFocus lens forum.

jP

>Thanks for your comments. Perhaps the wording of my question
>was confusing. Larry's reply was really the type of opinion
>that I was looking for since I wanted to avoid taking any
>other lenses if D800 owners thought that the ability to crop
>the 36mp frame would result in an image that was as good, or
>better, than an image taken with a 200mm lens mounted on a
>12mp camera such as the D700 or D3s. I realize that the
>answer will also depend upon the quality and resolving power
>of the 24-120 vs. the 70-200, and I will Scope that issue in
>the Nikkor AutoFocus lens forum.
>
>jP

I have the 24-120 F/4 VR on my D800. So far pretty damn happy.