Nikon 17-55mm F2.8... Decent lens? Anything similar?
Discussion
Evening all,
I'm a DX user (D7000) and I have a few lenses, some of which I use lots and some I rarely use.
I guess you don't really know which lenses will get used much until you actually have them!
I absolutely love my Tokina 11-16 F2.8 as I like to do funky wide angle interior/exterior car shots, plus I enjoy a few landscapes and use it for shooting inside nightclubs where the super-wide and the F2.8 for low light come in mega handy.
I often use a 50mm 1.8 for lots of close up shots of details/parts of cars, and at 1.8 gives great bokeh. Like it for portraits as well.
Lastly I have a Nikon 18-200VR which I absolutely couldn't be without... I know not everyone loves these 'do it all' lenses but It's been all over the world with me and it never misses! It stays on the camera for my travels and just does everything, and the VR is great. I'm very surprised at the sharpness of it as well.
Unfortunately the 'outsider' of my collection is my Nikon 80-200mm 2.8 - I simply never use it. It's just far too long on DX for anything practical. You have to be quite a silly distance away from people or cars or anything like that to even get them in the frame!
I don't shoot much wildlife or sports so it isn't much use these either.
It knocks out mega sharp images (and I'm a real sharpness freak)... but I just ain't using it... So i'll sell it.
I've come to realise that 90% of my images are shot at the wider end of the spectrum, and often in lower light... and I absolutely hate noise with a passion... which leads me onto the problem I sometimes find with my 18-200, the fact that at best it's F3.5 and gets worse as soon as you begin to zoom, meaning the light throughput rapidly diminishes and the camera ramps the ISO right up.
So I basically need a fast do-it-all zoom for the wider end and after a few years of shooting, I now know this is what I need.
I had never heard of the 17-55 2.8 DX lens until I found it on Warehouse Express one day whilst casually browsing, and after I got over the initial shock of the price, realised it was pretty much the lens for me.
Anyone used this lens or got any suggestions for something similar I might like?
Thanks
I'm a DX user (D7000) and I have a few lenses, some of which I use lots and some I rarely use.
I guess you don't really know which lenses will get used much until you actually have them!
I absolutely love my Tokina 11-16 F2.8 as I like to do funky wide angle interior/exterior car shots, plus I enjoy a few landscapes and use it for shooting inside nightclubs where the super-wide and the F2.8 for low light come in mega handy.
I often use a 50mm 1.8 for lots of close up shots of details/parts of cars, and at 1.8 gives great bokeh. Like it for portraits as well.
Lastly I have a Nikon 18-200VR which I absolutely couldn't be without... I know not everyone loves these 'do it all' lenses but It's been all over the world with me and it never misses! It stays on the camera for my travels and just does everything, and the VR is great. I'm very surprised at the sharpness of it as well.
Unfortunately the 'outsider' of my collection is my Nikon 80-200mm 2.8 - I simply never use it. It's just far too long on DX for anything practical. You have to be quite a silly distance away from people or cars or anything like that to even get them in the frame!
I don't shoot much wildlife or sports so it isn't much use these either.It knocks out mega sharp images (and I'm a real sharpness freak)... but I just ain't using it... So i'll sell it.
I've come to realise that 90% of my images are shot at the wider end of the spectrum, and often in lower light... and I absolutely hate noise with a passion... which leads me onto the problem I sometimes find with my 18-200, the fact that at best it's F3.5 and gets worse as soon as you begin to zoom, meaning the light throughput rapidly diminishes and the camera ramps the ISO right up.
So I basically need a fast do-it-all zoom for the wider end and after a few years of shooting, I now know this is what I need.
I had never heard of the 17-55 2.8 DX lens until I found it on Warehouse Express one day whilst casually browsing, and after I got over the initial shock of the price, realised it was pretty much the lens for me.
Anyone used this lens or got any suggestions for something similar I might like?
Thanks
I use to run the 17-55 2.8 on my D300 for about a year. It is a good lens, but not brilliant by Nikon's pro standards. It covers a very useful range, but I ended up selling it to fund a 24-70 2.8 that optically blows the socks off the 17-55. IQ and sharpness is far superior on the 24-70 compared to the 17-55. I also had the Tokina 11-16, and combined with the 24-70, the two lenses covered 90% of my shooting. The 16-24 range was covered by my feet.
One thing to keep in mind: having subsequently upgraded to FX (D800), the investment in the 24-70 has not been lost and it continues to deliver. Something to consider should you one day move to FX.
One thing to keep in mind: having subsequently upgraded to FX (D800), the investment in the 24-70 has not been lost and it continues to deliver. Something to consider should you one day move to FX.
I use the Nikon 17-55mm as my general purpose lens. I bought it for wedding work but also use it for anything where I want decent results. I find it to be excellent for my purposes - wide enough to work in small rooms and tight corners, long enough to do head/shoulders and reach across tables.
Sometimes it throws in a bit of front focus; not sure if this is down to lens or camera, but I always take several shots of anything critical so not a problem.
I would find its FX brother the 24-70 too long.
Sometimes it throws in a bit of front focus; not sure if this is down to lens or camera, but I always take several shots of anything critical so not a problem.
I would find its FX brother the 24-70 too long.
I've hardly read a bad word about the Nikon 17-55.....most people rave about it and don't seem to think it lacks anything too much in comparison to the 24-70. I use a 24-70 with my D7000 because it's focal length suits my uses better. Also the 24-70 is an FX lens if you ever think you'll go full frame.
Decent 17-55's come up for about £600 on forums like Talk Photography though they don't come up that often...softens some of the blow.
Decent 17-55's come up for about £600 on forums like Talk Photography though they don't come up that often...softens some of the blow.
Thanks for the info chaps.
I mostly buy lenses new, but in this case i'll defo be looking for a used one, hopefully at the £500 mark.
I do like the idea of a 24-70 2.8 but I'm just kidding myself, it will almost certainly be too 'long' for my needs. 17mm would be much better, and if I need to go wider I've got my 11-16.
I mostly buy lenses new, but in this case i'll defo be looking for a used one, hopefully at the £500 mark.
I do like the idea of a 24-70 2.8 but I'm just kidding myself, it will almost certainly be too 'long' for my needs. 17mm would be much better, and if I need to go wider I've got my 11-16.
Photozone have literally just got round to testing the nikor 17-55.
http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-t...
http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-t...
RobDickinson said:
Photozone have literally just got round to testing the nikor 17-55.
http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-t...
An accurate review in my experience. It is optically average (poor for a professional lens) and the reason why I sold.http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-t...
I have nothing constructive to offer i'm afraid, but i did find your description of your lens and your use of them interesting... thanks
I'm on the verge of buying a D7000 and i'm racking my brains about what len(s) i need / want. I'll keep an eye on this thread as im sure it'll prove useful.
I'm on the verge of buying a D7000 and i'm racking my brains about what len(s) i need / want. I'll keep an eye on this thread as im sure it'll prove useful.
Edited by Roule Duke on Friday 28th December 15:50
I've owned a Nikkor 17-55 since 2004. In that time I've also owned a Nikkor 17-35 2.8. The 17-35 had better IQ towards the edges of the frame but the 17-55 is a very capable lens and has that extra 20mm of focal length and faster AF.
If I was just shooting landscapes I would have kept the 17-35 but the reality was that the 17-55 is a better all rounder so I sold the 17-35
My friend owns the Tamron equivalent. It doesn't compare at all to either of the Nikon offerings on image quality, build quality, bokeh, distortion, CA's or waterproofing, nor does the Tamron have a 77mm filter ring. The only thing the Tamron going for the Tamron is the lighter weight if that's important to you.
TL;DR - buy the Nikkor 17-55 - if you use it knowing it's limitations, for the most part it will give you the performance of a bag full of primes in a zoom.
If I was just shooting landscapes I would have kept the 17-35 but the reality was that the 17-55 is a better all rounder so I sold the 17-35
My friend owns the Tamron equivalent. It doesn't compare at all to either of the Nikon offerings on image quality, build quality, bokeh, distortion, CA's or waterproofing, nor does the Tamron have a 77mm filter ring. The only thing the Tamron going for the Tamron is the lighter weight if that's important to you.
TL;DR - buy the Nikkor 17-55 - if you use it knowing it's limitations, for the most part it will give you the performance of a bag full of primes in a zoom.
The question was "is anything similar". I don't think, for DX, there's anything worth comparing.
Personally, I have the 17-35mm, but then I have been expecting to go FX for a while, and that is another exceptional Nikkor.
Either is the sort of lens purchase you make that outlives several bodies, so just watch out you're getting a good secondhand example and you're away!
Personally, I have the 17-35mm, but then I have been expecting to go FX for a while, and that is another exceptional Nikkor.
Either is the sort of lens purchase you make that outlives several bodies, so just watch out you're getting a good secondhand example and you're away!
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