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I had been considering this Nikon 24-120mm f/4 lens since purchasing a Nikon Df a little over a year ago, and I've been monioring it on Nikon's refurbished products web site. Research performed online revealed generally high ratings for this lens, so it was a no-brainer to keep considering this for purchase. But the regular retail price even for a Nikon factory refurbished model is high, so I decided to wait for a killer deal from a reputable Nikon reseller. When I searched eBay recently I discovered prices for this refurbished lens that were significantly below Nikon's site, but I was hesitant to act under the theory that "if it seems to good to be true, it probably is." After checking prices on eBay regularly for the past three weeks, I located very reasonable prices offered by Buydig. My decision to purchase was triggered by an email I received from eBay over the weekend, offering an additional savings of $80 on a refurbished 24-120mm from Buydig. Of course I had read the reviews on eBay that warned about products shipped slowly, or arrived damaged or inoperable. But after receiving the email offering the additional savings, I placed my order. My order was entered on Saturday, and the lens was delivered to FedEx on Sunday. Subsequent tracking reports indicated the product was in transit on Monday, and was delivered on Tuesday. Upon arrival the outer package was in excellent condition, and the box inside containing the lens was packed identically to shipments of refurbished products I've purchased directly from Nikon's web site. My package excluded an instruction booklet, and front and rear lens caps -- while perfectly fine -- were not made by Nikon. I was delighted to find an official 90 day warranty issued by Nikon for my lens, same as I typically receive when I purchase refurbished lenses directly from Nikon. The overall condition of the lens seems perfect, with clean, clear glass and a new appearing exterior. The zoom is a tiny bit sticky, which I think will smooth-out over time with usage, and the focus and VR function appear to work similarly to my also refurbished Nikon 28-300mm lens. The lens has a US serial number, and the markings on the lens' exterior are clear and easy to read. I've taken over 100 pictures since opening the box, and images are clear, sharp and perfectly usable... even when taken indoors at night without a flash. Exterior shots taken from my window overlooking a typical New York City street are identical in overall quality to my Nikon 28-300 and close in quality to my Nikon 24-70 f/2.8. My plan is to keep this lens on my Nikon Df as my "go-to, general walkaround" lens, just as I keep the 28-300 on my other Nikon Df. The 24-120 is slightly lighter and shorter than my 28-300, but doesn't have the lens creep that's evident in the longer 28-300, and certainly won't be a problem to carry around for a day's worth of shooting. In a nutshell, my new refurbished 24-120mm completely meets my expectations. But my shopping experience with Buydig was exceptionally positive, and a real eye-opener. Based on my experience, I highly recommend both the Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR as well as Buydig.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Refurbished
The Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED VR is a constant maximum aperture lens with a 5x zoom range & it is fine for professional and advanced amateur photographers that need a mid-range lens with image stabilization, very functional lens. The Nikon 24-120mm stays at f/4.0 throughout the focal range, giving a one-stop advantage to the 24-120mm f/4 over variable-aperture lenses on the long end. For example, my older Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6 G lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 beyond 85 mm, very interesting to compare. In addition, the lens comes packed with plenty of new optical features from Nikon, including the latest generation of VR II (vibration reduction) technology, which offers camera shake compensation equivalent to a shutter speed increase of approximately four stops. Very appreciated the AF-S silent-wave focus motor, the lens focuses quietly and accurately in various lighting conditions, and the 77 mm filter thread makes it easy to use specialized filters (polarizing, neutral density, etc) without having to mess with adapter rings. The complex optical formula of 17 elements in 13 groups with two ED, three aspherical elements and Nano Crystal Coat all contribute to great performance throughout the zoom range. I am happy to add this lens to my collection. Very applicable cost for this type of quality lens. My best regards for everybody.Read full review
It has a very useful range 24mm -120mm can be used for a lot of general photography. It's much bigger and heavier than the 24-85mm it replaced. It's almost too big and front heavy for the D600 which I use. It takes up a lot of room in the camera bag. Optically it's pretty nice. The gold band says Nikon considers it a pro level piece of kit. At f4 it will give a nice bokeh for portraits. The VR makes it useable at slower handheld speeds, effectively making it a faster low light lens than a non VR lens. Buying it used it's a great bargain. Not sure I would pay over $900 for it new though. I wosh the foot orint was closer in size and weight to the 24-85mm, but the range and fixed aperture make up for that. Overall a thumbs up.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
It's no sharper than much cheaper 24-85 mm f/3.5-4.5 VR lens and the build quality is comparable. Not as sharp as 24-70mm f/2.8. But I find the constant f/4 aperture and the extra reach very useful as a all around walk-about lens, in similar vein as the Canon users who sometimes prefer the 24-105 mm f/4 L lens over 24-70 mm f/2.8 L lens. It is rather pricey when purchased new and you have to decide if the extra reach it has over 24-85mm lens is worth the premium. 4 stars for high price and less than ultimate sharpness.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Refurbished
--Haven't really given it the full run-through yet, but the 24-120/F4 appears to be what I need for my uses and an improvement over previous models of this lens. I have owned both of the previous 2 versions. Even though I have eyed this lens for the several years it has been out, I refused to pay the "new" price because the lens is just not worth the $1K+ that is retails for--at least for me. It's a much better value used or refurbished. This will be both a great travel and event lens with the constant F4 and wide-to-portrait range. My previous-generation copies worked well in those departments (and were not quite as bad as one might believe reading internet posts). I will use it alongside my older 2.8 Nikon zooms. It's always nice to have a "back-up" at a shoot that covers a number of focal lengths.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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