Learn & Explore Tip of the Day

May 18, 2013

You should format the memory card in your camera on a regular basis. By using the camera’s built-in “Format” function, found in the menus, you lessen the chance of having card problems in the future. Doing so is better than just deleting the images using the camera or the computer.

May 17, 2013

When you’re at a parade take photos of the parade goers, especially your children and the looks on their faces. You’ll see a lot of smiles and excitement.

May 16, 2013

Take a self-portrait each day for a week or month (or a year). It’s harder than you think to take an attractive photo of yourself, and if you do it for long enough you’ll have an interesting series that shows how you’ve changed over time.

May 15, 2013

Everyone loves a parade. For more interesting photos, look for details like the band’s uniforms, a cheerleader’s colorful pom-poms or a bright red fire engine.

May 14, 2013

When shooting groups of five or more people, make sure you stagger them. Put tall folks in the back and the shortest ones in front. It may seem simple, but blocking out just one face can ruin a group portrait. Always tell them, “If you don’t have a clear view of me, the camera can’t see you.”

May 13, 2013

Posing a bride and groom for photos is sometimes difficult. Concentrate on close shots of just the two of them, with clean backgrounds. Then create a fun group shot having them in the center, with others gathered around them. Just make sure no one gets in front of them. After all, it’s their day.

May 12, 2013

Take plenty of photos during your Mother’s Day celebrations. Remember to print multiple copies, so everyone can have their own photographs of mom to cherish.

May 11, 2013

Use a polarizing filter to lessen or eliminate reflections from glass. This works really well on windows of stores or cars. But the trade-off is that your exposure will be a bit longer, as the light is cut down by almost two stops.

May 10, 2013

Capture the hustle and bustle of the city at night. Place your camera on a tripod and use a long exposure (slow shutter speed) to blur the movement of cars and people. Try shooting for about 10 seconds first, and then adjust creatively to catch the motion of the lights and the feel of the city.

May 9, 2013

Make a great team picture. Get the team together in front of a nice background—maybe the goal, the net or the team logo on the field or floor. Shoot the ordinary, and then let the kids have some fun, making faces or funny poses. That’s the one they will always remember.

May 8, 2013

Try shooting panoramas if you’re at a sport stadium, beach or park, for more interesting images. Some Nikon Digital Cameras have an Easy Panorama mode or a Panorama Assist mode, which make these photos easy to shoot.

May 7, 2013

When photographing animals of any kind—pets, birds in flight, animals at the zoo—try to zoom in as close as you can or use a longer lens to isolate the animal from its background. By getting a close-up view you have a greater chance of capturing a wonderful expression on the face of the animal, which will give you a more interesting photograph.

May 6, 2013

Want a unique video of sports action? Use the slow-motion mode that many Nikon digital cameras offer. By shooting the action faster than normal and played back at normal speed, your subject’s movements are slowed down and look more deliberate.

May 5, 2013

When celebrating Cinco de Mayo, take plenty of photos of the colorful decorations in addition to candid photos of everyone having a great time.

May 4, 2013

Change your white balance during a sunrise or sunset. Take your camera off auto white balance and switch to Cloudy or Shady white balance. This will add more strength to the reds, oranges and yellows. Auto White Balance tries to keep colors neutral.

May 3, 2013

To get a shot of someone at sunset, turn on your flash and place the person with the beautiful sunset behind them. With the flash on, they will be illuminated. With the flash off, they will be silhouetted.

May 2, 2013

Spend a day capturing images only in black and white. You have to look at the world differently to take a good-looking photo in black and white, and that will help sharpen your artistic skills.

May 1, 2013

May is National Photo Month! Celebrate by taking photos every day. Give yourself an assignment such as taking a self-portrait each day of the month, or photographing an object every day.

April 30, 2013

If your camera can capture images in both RAW and JPEG format, do so even if you don’t work with RAW images now. These RAW files have the highest image quality possible, so you can edit them years from now and be sure you’re getting the best looking image possible.

April 29, 2013

Set your Speedlight to Rear Curtain Sync. This fires the flash at the end of the exposure, not the beginning, and can create interesting streaks and effects in moving subjects. Experiment with the different flash modes your camera and Speedlight offers.

April 28, 2013

Pick a day and use a fixed focal length lens instead of a zoom (or only one focal length on your zoom, like 35mm). By practicing moving you and the camera to re-frame your images you’ll become more engaged with your subject.

April 27, 2013

If you are photographing out of the window of a plane be sure to keep from touching the window, walls, armrests or other parts of the plane. The vibrations caused by the engines are transmitted through the fuselage and can make your photos blurry. Instead, sit up in the seat and hold the camera as still as you can, close to the window.

April 26, 2013

Arbor Day, which celebrates the planting and caring for trees is celebrated across the USA at different times of the year. Some states celebrate in February while others celebrate the holiday in April, so we decided to celebrate it twice! Use this holiday to take some cool photographs of trees.

April 25, 2013

Frame your storm photograph before it happens. Remember that the sky is your subject, so dramatic clouds are what you’re framing for, and then you hope that lightning will happen in that space. Keep the horizon in the lower third of the frame with the sky the top two-thirds.

April 24, 2013

Shooting a lightning storm can be exciting. Use a tripod and set you camera to record a long exposure. With D-SLRs, 15 seconds is a good start, but you may have to use up to 30 seconds, or bulb setting (where the shutter stays open as long as you hold down the shutter button). Because you never know when the lightning will occur, keep shooting for best results. And don’t forget the tripod! Otherwise you’ll have blurry photos.

April 23, 2013

Try different kinds of framing with your flower shots. Instead of centering the flower, try placing it off to the left or the right of the frame. This will allow for you to be creative with the negative space (areas without the subject). Look for the patterns of other out of focus flowers in the background.

April 22, 2013

Celebrate Earth Day by taking photographs of nature, or of Earth Day Events in your neighborhood.

April 21, 2013

Try photographing flowers early in the morning when dew is on the petals. If there’s no dew, make your own. Take a small sprayer and fill it with glycerin and water and spray the flowers for those natural looking dewdrops. You can also use just water.

April 20, 2013

If you accidentally delete your images or see a card error message, stop using the memory card. There is software that can recover your “lost pictures” even if they don’t show up on the camera. Continuing to use the card before running that software on it can ruin your chances of saving those photos.

April 19, 2013

When you can, transfer your photos from the camera to a computer using an external memory card reader. Take out your memory card and insert it into the reader. It doesn’t rely on battery power (like the camera does when using it to download image and video files) and often can transfer the files faster. Plus your camera is still ready to shoot, even while you’re downloading.

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AF Zoom-Nikkor 24-85mm f/2.8-4D IF

Multipurpose, high-performance standard zoom covers a wide range of subjects from landscapes to portraits.

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$744.95

Product Number: 1929

Authorized Dealers

Supplied Accessories

Key Features

Wide to Telephoto 3.5x zoom lens ideal for landscape, full length portraits, travel and portrait photographs

Filter attachment does not rotate during focusing or zooming.

Maximum Reproduction Range (R:R) at 85mm is 1:2 (life size).

Fast f/2.8 maximum aperture at 24m setting is ideal for available light shooting or slow/rear flash sync techniques.

*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

Specifications

Mount Type

Nikon F-Bayonet

Focal Length Range

24-85mm

Zoom Ratio

3.5x

Maximum Aperture

f/2.8

Minimum Aperture

f/22

Format

FX/35mm

Maximum Angle of View (DX-format)

61°

Minimum Angle of View (DX-format)

18°50’

Maximum Angle of View (FX-format)

84°

Minimum Angle of View (FX-format)

28°30’

Maximum Reproduction Ratio

0.17x

Lens Elements

Lens Groups

Compatible Format(s)

FX
DX
FX in DX Crop Mode
35mm Film

Diaphragm Blades

Distance Information

Yes

Aspherical Elements

Super Integrated Coating

Yes

Autofocus

Yes

Internal Focusing

Yes

Minimum Focus Distance

0.7 ft. (0.2m)

Focus Mode

Auto
Manual

Filter Size

72mm

Accepts Filter Type

Screw-on

Dimensions

(Approx.) 3.1 x 3.2 in. (Diameter x Length)
78.5 x 82.5mm (Diameter x Length)

Weight

(Approx.) 19.2 oz. (545g)

Supplied Accessories

HB-25 Hood
72mm lens cap
Rear lens cap

*Supplied accessories may differ depending on country or area.

*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

**Specifications and equipment are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer.
***Refer to the product manual or the Compatible Lenses Specification for additional details.

72mm Circular Polarizer II$187.00

LC-72 Snap-On Front Lens Cap 72mm$20.50

HB-25 Bayonet Lens Hood$22.50

SY-1-72 72mm Adapter Ring$29.50

LF-1 Rear Lens Cap$13.50

72mm Filter NC$128.00

72mm Soft Focus Filter$130.00

CL-S2 Soft Lens Case$42.00

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*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

AF Zoom-Nikkor 24-85mm f/2.8-4D IF 4.4 5 26 26

One lens for people and travel and close ups I like using this lens on my D2h and my D300. Have capture some nice images due to it's size and handling. On the macro side the lens offer's great versatility as well! March 6, 2011

Versatile, solid, sharp lens. I love this lens!! It is fastest wide open, and only slows by one stop at its longest. It has legendary Nikkor optics and has a very practical focal range. It also has a very useful macro setting at its longest focal length. It is an excellent general use lens and would recommend it hands down. October 27, 2010

Absolutely Underrated I have found this lens now on my camera 90% of the time. It covers a great focal range, fast when you need it to be and with the flip of a switch and a turn of the focus, you are given a descent macro lens. It may be slightly heavy but it's great all around. I found the AF to be spot on with my D300 and all my macro shots have looked nothing but amazing. September 27, 2010

Excellent compromise of many features For an all-purpose lens on DX or FX cameras, this lens is hard to beat. The combination of price, very respectable wide-angle to good short telephoto focal lengths, maximum aperture range, AND half-life-size close-focusing makes this an ideal multi-purpose lens for photographers with more-limited financial means. August 2, 2010

My Workhorse Lens This 24-85mm, for me, just has that perfect walking around zoom range, especially on an FX camera like the D700. The lens is sharp and more flare resistant than most zooms. And it has a macro mode to boot. I've used it for landscapes, still life and portraits. Not amazingly, this is the lens I use about 60% of the time. July 30, 2010

Great lenes This lense is a great all around lense it's fast clear sharp images... July 30, 2010

This lens was a workhorse for me for many years, its fast f/2.8 to f/4, and it falls into the mid range of Nikon lens in price and renders surprising quality for the cost. You cannot go wrong with this lens; it’s a bit heavy but balances well on the D300 and D70s. I prefer to use it at the high end 28mm and above it seems to perform better at the high end then the low end seems to be a common trait with zoom lens? This lens is well traveled and is still in great condition both physically and quality wise, testimony to the quality and workmanship Nikon puts into its lens. It is an all around standard zoom lens good for general photography and portraits. July 30, 2010

Resolution is extremely high I have been taking photos since 1950, and I have never experience a lens as fine as this. When I go on a job, most of the time I take this lens only. July 30, 2010

Fast zoom with macro. Under-rated Nikkor. Good: 1) Sharp lens. Wide end of range is really sharp. 2) Versatile zoom range. Multipurpose lens. 3) Macro is great asset (very sharp also). 4) Fairly light weight but still very durable. I've banged this one around for over 10 years, taken thousands of pictures, broken or lost 3 lens hoods, and it still takes pictures like it was out of the box. 5) Fast 2.8 aperature at wide end of zoom. Minor negatives: 1) Contrast and color saturation good, but not as good as Nikon's most expensive zooms. Hey, but its <1/3 the price too. 2) Lack of lens focus motor doesn't affect me but it won't autofocus on many of Nikon's newer entry level cameras. July 30, 2010

The best for travel This is the only lens I take on trips to Europe. This lens on the D300 is not light, but worth every ounce in travel photo memories. July 30, 2010

My most used lens I have owned and used many Nikon lenses, including the 24-70 f2.8, and I still think this is the best mid-range zoom I have ever used. If may be slower at the long end but I can live with that on the D-3. The size and sharpness makes this my pick of lenses. July 30, 2010

Outstanding Lens - Extremely Sharp - Using this lens with the D3s camera and found it to be extremely sharp, fast focus, and provide wide to medium shots. Highly recommend for a normal standard lens. July 30, 2010

Great range, soft focus This lens has the range I have been lookin for. The range is great and the colors jump off the screen. My one complaint about the lens is the soft focus. I bought the lens despite reading a number of complaints about soft focus. I have experienced the same problem. Some of my photos are very clear and some are very soft. There seems to be nothing that triggers the soft focus. If not for that, this would be the perfect lens. June 20, 2011

jack of all trades This lens does a lot and it does some of that very well. It has a fairly fast F value over the range, though only 24- ~ 27 mm is F2.8, and it focuses very quickly. You can set the lens at F4 and have a constant aperture lens that offers relatively small size, low weight and low cost compared to other Nikkor lenses in this focal range. The included, reversible bayonet hood is large (and necessary, since the lens has a 72mm front element and tends to flare.) My lens is pretty sharp and there is a macro capability (up to 1:2) from 35mm-85mm, accessible by a switch. That's a lot of the capability of the pro zooms for a lot less money. But there are some downsides, too: there is a good bit of distortion at 24 mm, and some loss of contrast at 80-85mm. The biggest problem, though, is the short focus throw. It's great for fast, accurate autofocus on a D700 but unusuable for manual focus since the focus range is so small (~ 10 degrees). It makes for an attractive travel lens. It is a lot less imposing than a pro zoom, both in size and weight. Build quality is ok ( there is a slight wobble in the extended lens barrel)but there is an aperture ring, something that is lacking on most of the other choices. All in all, a very good performer. April 15, 2011

Excellent all-purpose lens This lens, my workhorse "normal" lens, is a good, all-purpose, everyday lens. It's reasonably fast, useful in nearly all lighting, and responsive. I've been quite happy with it. I use it primarily with my D80 DSLR. April 14, 2011

A versatile alternative to a bag full of primes? I bought this lens as an alternative to having to haul around 3 or 4 prime lenses to shoot street photos and landscapes, and for that purpose this lens has worked very well. Because of the sensor size on my D90, I do need a wider lens for some shots, but I have found the 24-85 to be versatile enough to stay on the camera most of the time. I agree with a couple of the other reviewers that this lens is a little "soft", particularly if you're shooting wide open. It helps to stop down one of two stops, but I guess at (less than) half the price of the 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED what more can a person ask? Long story short, while I am not completely thrilled with the performance of this lens, I am happy enough with the lens to keep it on the camera about 75% of the time. July 31, 2010

Does what I need This lens in on my D700, about 90% of the time. At 24 the 2.8 works well in those really low light situations, and even moving to 4 at 85mm the 700 has plenty of iso range to still get the job done. I really like the extra reach over the 24 to 70 as frequently I can't get as close as I would like shooting weddings, events, and occasional news work. I know nikon has lenses that are sharper in a limited range, but I'm rarely called upon to make anything over a 20x30. For the price the versatility of this lens fits exactly where I need it to be. I dropped it hard on concrete recently, I finally had to take it to the shop, I almost considered buying a backup of this lens. I know there are a lot of guys carrying around big glass, But when your on your feet for up to 8 hrs carrying multiple bodies and sometimes a 7lb camcorder, weight is everything. For almost a third the price and significantly less weight I haven't found a better all around lens than the 24-85. By the way I do have 8 other lenses in my kit. I also shoot with a d300. July 30, 2010

Great for the price Wonderful lens. Great for the price. A shade soft on the outer edges but other than that a lot better than the 3rd party lens I have tried in order to save a buck. Just stick with Nikon and you can't go wrong. July 29, 2010

Soft and slow Feels very solid. Images soft at both ends of zoom range even at middle apertures. Slow to accurately auto focus but seems to work with focus tracking okay. July 31, 2010

vignette!!! I'm using this on my D700 and at 24mm it vignettes like there's no tomorrow! It's practically unusable, starts getting better around 25mm and ok around 40mm. October 4, 2010

not all that sharp, colors look muddy I have brought this lens, and my d-200, in several times for repair, always saying that the images don't look sharp, and they never find anything wrong. It did get cleaned and fully serviced recently, but still the results are not great. My much cheaper manual focus lens on my old FE2 did not have this problem. Because of this, my main use for the camera is location scooting. At first it was okay shooting up close, but never at a distance. With the D200, it has always given disappointing results. Friends swear by the strides Nikon has taken, but at the moment, I'm still shooting film because I'm not liking what I get. When I rent a much nicer lens, the results are much better. July 30, 2010

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AF Zoom-Nikkor 24-85mm f/2.8-4D IF

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I can't figure out how to get it to autofocus on the d3000???

Feb 25, 2012 by

Anonymous

on AF Zoom-Nikkor 24-85mm f/2.8-4D IF

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