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Is the difference between an f/2.8 and an f/4 lens really worth the price?

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You’re buying a new lens and there are two versions available of the same focal length. Do you go for the f/4 aperture, or do you splash out an extra grand for two extra stops of light, buy the f/2.8 lens and walk away smug that you’ve bought the ‘best’ option?

It’s a common question and most photographers will tell you that you ‘get what you pay for’, especially when it comes to glass. However, it’s not that straight forward. Obviously it depends on what and how you shoot. In this video Nigel Danson takes a not very scientific approach to discovering the answer to this question. He is a landscape photographer so the video pertains mostly to that genre, although it’s an interesting experiment no matter what you shoot.

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A Tale of Two 24-70’s: Nikkor S and G

First, a little backstory to this piece… For much of my young career, I shot Canon. Be it the 1D, 1D2, 1DS, 1D3, 1DS2 and 1DS3, let’s just say I had a thing for the ergonomics of that chassis. In every camera I would replace the focusing screen with the cross-style manual focusing option and would never use AF. To make things even more difficult, I only shot primes. In the beginning the main zoom from Canon was the original EF 28-70mm f/2.8L, and if you have used one, you know the drawbacks. It was also a time when there were not a lot of solid third-party lens options; Sigma had never dreamed of an ART lens and Tokina was even further behind.

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Can’t wait to get your hands on a Z7? Get one now with this paper cutout model

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If you want a Nikon Z7, but are concerned about it only having one card slot, here’s another option for you. This one has zero card slots, and there’s no waiting list! Posted by Boonlert Rojanaboworn in the Nikon Z series Club Thailand Facebook group, this printable paper cutout allows you to make your very own. And you can make the 24-70mm lens to go with it.

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The New the Old and the Vintage – Nikon’s ‘Worst’ & ‘Best’ Zoom Lens Comparison

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I’m going to preface this by saying that this isn’t a lens review article, there are many photographers better suited for this topic, so if you’re after refraction index comparisons and chromatic aberration charts this article probably isn’t for you. This article is however my personal thoughts on three Nikon zoom lenses and their resulting images but also a broader look at how we as photographers covet lenses and other photographic gear. Is the latest and greatest piece of kit actually worth the investment?

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Nikon 24-70 vs Sigma ART 35 & 50 (Also, Why a 24-70 is a Crap Lens Choice – Part 2)

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Everyone loves their 24-70 f2.8.

For most photographers, its often their first major upgrade from the kit lens that came with their camera (it was for me anyway).  For pure speed and versatility – nothing else comes close.  But when it comes to pure image quality and artistic vision…there is such a bigger world out there than what is possible with a 24-70.

So in real world use, how does a Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 compare to a Sigma ART 35mm f/1.4 and a Sigma ART 50mm f/1.4?

Well, in this article I am going to compare these three lenses shot for shot.

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