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I'm new to photography and I have just ordered a Nikon D700 body. It will be delivered within a week. So, it gives me time to decide which lens to go for. I want a lens which should serve all purpose. I mean it should be able to take pictures of close objects as well as scenery..Budget is $1500 - $2000.

Great starter camera!

Get a 24-120 f4 VR N. And you'll have some mOney left for a 50mm 1.8 and a 35mm f2.

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As Palakaboy said, you could go with a 24-120 f/4 VR, and you'd have some money left over for another lens like a 50 f/1.8 and a 35 f/2. You could probably even go for the 50 f/1.4, but that would put you at the top of your budget. If you went for the 1.8, you may even have some room left for a flash like the SB-600 or SB-700.

My suggestion would be to go for the 24-70mm f/2.8 VR, an excellent pro-grade lens (it would run you about $1700-$1800) and you may have a bit of room left for a fast prime like the 50mm f/1.8.

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-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

Thnks for replying..My friend also recommended the same..It seems..my issue's been resolved..thnks again guys..

I'd be inclined to get something on the lower end, he does want "close up". 24 is a bit tele to be used for "close objects".

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Trevor Harris

Nikon D200
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YN-560 II
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Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8
Nikon 50mm f/1.8

If by "close up" he wants something that would double as a macro lens, then you'd definitely want to get the 24-120 and add something like a 60mm micro.

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-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

I think the 24-120 is a good shout, assuming you go for the latest f4 one, and not the variable aperture ones of yonder

Possibly something like a 50mm f1.4 would be a good option to learn on though, I learned photography with a fixed focal length lens, and Im glad I did

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Nikon D5000 and D300 with 12-24mm, 35mm f1.8, 50mm f1.4, 60mm f2.8 Macro, 18-200mm, 17-55mm f2.8 (all Nikon)

I actually dont prefer changing lenses a lot..I want to learn my way up to actually understand the need for it..And, 24-120 might just do the job..And definetly I'll go for the new model..I mean "AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR"..correct me if I'm wrong..

You don't really "need" to change lenses, but each lens certainly has its conveniences. Prime lenses generally offer better quality and faster apertures for low light shooting, macro lenses obviously let you get in MUCH closer, wide angle lenses let you get very wide, telephotos let you get closer in to your subject, fisheyes give you a very wide field of view, tilt-shift lenses give a shallower depth of field or help straighten tall subjects in photos, the list goes on and on. Depending on what you like to photograph the most, I'd build your lens collection around there.
And the "AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR" is the newest model.

_________________
-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

what about "Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED Lens" or "Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Lens"..?? I found a video in you-tube recommending this as a better option than 24-120..

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the other option as opposed to the 24-120 is the 24-70 f/2.8. The advantage of the 24-70 would be that it offers a faster aperture, f/2.8 as opposed to f/4, meaning it lets more light in and it's better for taking pictures in low light. Generally, the 24-70 is the lens used by professionals that shoot weddings or other photo shoots, as it offers extremely good optical performance and because of its fast aperture. The only disadvantage of the 24-70 over the 24-120 is that it's 50mm shorter.

The 70-200 f/2.8 compliments the 24-70 perfectly, as the 24-70 stops at 70mm and the 70-200 begins at 70mm (where the 24-70 left off) and continues all the way to 200mm for telephoto shots where you need more reach. The 70-200 isn't really an alternative to the 24-70 or 24-120, while the 24-70 or 24-120 are just regular zoom lenses for everyday shots, the 70-200 is a telephoto lens used for getting closer to your subject.

The 24-70 and 70-200 are actually part of what's regarded as Nikon's "Holy Trinity" of lenses. The trinity consists of the 14-24mm f/2.8 (for wide angle shots), the 24-70mm f/2.8 (for everyday shots) and the 70-200mm f/2.8 (for telephoto shots). All three of these lenses compliment each other very well.

For more information regarding the 24-70 vs the 24-120, you could check out this video on Youtube, which although compares Canon lenses, is still useful to watch.

-Evan

_________________
-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

Personally I'd go for the 24-70. Even though the new 24-120 wasn't around when I bought it, I'd still choose the 24-70 now. I'll probably get chastised for posting a large image, but this shows the clarity you get from a 24-70 on a lowly 12Mp Nikon D90 - wide open at f2.8 it's great, stopping down to f8 and it's extraordinary.

No sharpening - just straight out of camera and a black and white conversion

And I'll keep posting this shot as an example of the 24-70 on a D700 until the cows come home!

@ f11

@dubaiphil
u were able to capture 2 awesome images with no visible noise..its great..

So, I assume 24-70 to be superior than 24-120..but what about the VR..its there in 23-120 but not in 24-70.. wouldn't I be missing a lot on that..?

the 24-70 is in a different league,compared to the 24-120...the lather was never a sharp lens,just decent,because it's desingned to be an all-around cheap lens for full frame.

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Gear: Nikon D80, 18-105mm, 35mm F/1.8, 85mm F/1.8, SB-600
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