Originally Posted by
Gaucho100K
a) zoom lens with a solid fixed max aperture
b) I dont mind a heavy/bulky lense - I want top quality glass & specs
c) Im quite flexible with my budget
d) VR is highly desireable
e) Im looking for a zoom that includes proper wide angle coverage (a low teen zoom range would be good)
So... what say the experts...??? What are the top 2-3 options for something like this...?
stabilization isn't that critical at shorter focal lengths, and based on your criteria, the nikon 12-24mm f/4, 17-55mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 vr would fit. i wouldn't worry about the missing 55-70mm range, although there's a lot of overlap at the wide end.
for a lot less money, the 16-85mm vr and the 70-300mm vr are both very good lenses, but not constant aperture.
the 18-200mm is certainly convenient, but it's not a constant aperture and it's not top quality.
Originally Posted by
wiredboy10003
Out of curiosity, why do you want a lens with a constant maximum aperture?
the exposure doesn't change if you zoom, which is particularly important if you use flash or studio lighting, they're generally faster than the variable aperture lenses which means more options when taking a photo especially in difficult lighting, and they're generally higher quality lenses.