Nikon Zoom Wide Angle-Telephoto AF Zoom Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR Autofocus Lens

There is no other lens that I've purchased and then sold 3 times. The reason for this is I've switched camera systems several times over the last few years... going from Nikon to Canon and back to Nikon. When switching back to Nikon, the 24-120 VR is the first lens I bought.

Nikon's 24-120mm VR is a true workhorse that delivers excellent image quality through most of its range. It is a lens that can handle almost any situation

Strong points include low distortion and minimal artifacts (vignetting & chromatic abberation). Great build quality. VR is quite effective, I've had great success shooting handheld. Focusing is fast and accurate... and silent. I especially like the performance of this lens from 24-100mm. The 24-120VR is very resistant to lens flare, and I've shot directly towards the sun without flare.

Weak points: from 100-120mm this lens starts to lose a bit sharpness, although less so than a kit lens would. Only a dedicated telephoto zoom would do a better job anyhow. VR does use up some extra battery power and should be disabled unless needed (true for all VR lenses).

Main uses: everything from shooting sports outdoors, landscapes, portraits, walking around, aerial photography (best lens for aerials), and even architecture. I shoot photos for a living, and more than half my images over the years have come from this one lens.