Tamron SP 24-70mm F2.8 Di VC USD Nikon mounted on Nikon D810 : Measurements

We summarize the scores and analyses of multi-purpose zoom lenses in this second part of our review of the best lenses for the Nikon D5. More versatile than primes, zoom lenses are often a more convenient choice for shooting in fast-paced environments when you don’t always have time to switch lenses. Although primes generally deliver better image quality, with noticeably improved edge sharpness and transmission, zoom performance has steadily improved, and now some come close to rivalling the performance of a prime. 

The Tokina AT-X 24-70mm f/2.8 PRO FX (Tokina 24-70mm f/2.8) is a wide-angle to short telephoto, fast-aperture standard zoom for use on full-frame Canon or Nikon DSLRs. Great lens metric scores from Tokina’s latest affordable, pro-grade, standard zoom for Nikon full-frame DSLRs.

After releasing the highly-regarded 35mm and 24mm f1.4 DG HSM Art series primes, Sigma has introduced an ultra-fast, high-grade 24-35mm f2 DG HSM Art zoom intended to appeal to enthusiasts who might favor convenience over outright lens speed. Available in Canon and now Nikon lens mount versions, the Sigma 24-35mm f2 DG HSM Art is a constant-aperture, full-frame zoom designed to rival the equivalent focal length f/2 and f/2.8 primes in image quality, and tempt people away from standard zooms. 

Launched back in August 2015, but only recently available due to unexpected shipping delays, the new AF-S Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR (Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8E) is an updated version of Nikon’s FX-mount fast-aperture standard zoom.

The Nikon D750 is an affordable 24.3Mp full-frame DSLR with attractive-looking specs for both the enthusiast and the professional photographer. It’s capable of producing outstanding pictures, but the quality of the lens used has a bearing on image quality. We’ve analyzed the performance of 105 lenses on the Nikon D750, and in part one we bring you an analysis of the top three zoom lenses in six different categories.  

Nikon’s mid-term refresh of the firm’s hugely popular D800 and D800E models resulted in a single model, the D810. Like the D800E it aims to maximize the resolution of the full-frame 36-Mpix CMOS sensor and omits a modified AA filter completely. We’ve analyzed the image quality of over 100 different lenses mounted to the new camera to discover how well this new model performs.

Following on from the lens recommendations for the earlier full-frame Nikon D600, we’ve now had the opportunity to assess a wide range lenses with that model’s replacement, the 24-Mpix D610. We’ve analyzed a total of 95 Nikkor and third-party prime and zoom models with the D610 to assess image quality, and we’ve come across some unexpected results. Read onto find out more about that and which lenses perform best when paired with the camera.

This is the second part of our lens recommendations for the Nikon D7100 where we’ve analyzed nearly 60 Nikkor and third-party standard and portrait prime and zoom models to assess their optical quality. Read onto find out which of these lenses are the best performers when paired with Nikon’s ultra-high resolution 24-Mpix APS-C format semi-pro model.

Tamron has an excellent reputation for macro lenses and their 90mm focal length is practically legendary. The latest version has a new state of the art optical design and adds image stabilization (vibration reduction) as well as an ultrasonic type AF motor. Read on to see how well this new significantly updated model performs in our labs.

Tamron’s new full-frame high-speed standard zoom won plaudits for its high image quality and balance of features for the price. However, while the Sony Alpha mount version similarly includes an ultrasonic type AF motor, it doesn’t have the optical stabilization feature because of the stabilized sensor platform of the Alpha camera bodies.  Read on to see how well this revised version performs on the Sony SLT Alpha 99.