The Necessity of the 24-70mm Lens

There are a lot of staple items in any given hobby that you need. not necessarily to be the best but it improves your quality of life in that given space. Watches? A dressy or sporty watch, for sure. Cooking? A good set of knives and a cutting board. Photography? Definitely a prime lens. And of course.

A zoom lens.

Quick breakdown

I have the Nikon Z mirrorless lens, 24-70 2.8s. Which means I sprang for the faster lens to get that extra brightness and bokeh that most of my photos need.

Full disclosure: I’m not a huge fan of adding filters to my lenses because I think if I have more options, I will always worry if I’m using the right one to get that “perfect shot”. But on my 24-70, I’ve got is a diffusion filter on. Three years ago if you would have asked me what filter I preferred to use on any of my lenses, it would've been an ND. But I saw a photo of what a diffuser did in golden hour and that was it for me. So that filter stays on my 24-70 to give it that soft, nostalgic mood to some of my photos.

What it can do, what it does well

All that being said about necessity and the fun I get out of using that filter? The 24-70mm is literally the most boring piece of kit of my gear. It's not flashy. It's not subtle. It's not fast fast. It doesn't do bokeh well or at least the effect I’d like for my particular photography. And it's heavy. Relative to other lenses but you carry that thing up a mountain and tell me its weightless (its a pound and a half, it gets to you.)

So why did I buy it? Why do I even have it? Because it does everything.

From portraits to landscapes to lifestyle to automotive, this thing can run the gamut of photographical situations and give you exactly what you need with slightly above average results. It's the pepperoni pizza of lenses: it's good, kinda basic, better than a cheese but it's not like a stuffed crust with ham kind of deal.

And that's not hyperbole, I have had this lens for three years after I needed a zoom for a couple of family lifestyle gigs I kept getting. Did I need a close up of a toddler’s hand playing with a toy but also them running around in a big yard from one second to the next? Yes. And I only could have gotten those shots with the 24-70mm.

How it travels

I’ll be honest: I hate packing it. I know that it's going to take up a lot of space in my bags and that I will do absolutely nothing exciting with it (unless I’m shooting a cliff or a mountain). It's just more planning, more figuring out bag real estate, its little micro annoyances that add up. But dammit, you need it.

Why I pick it for my photography and photographic travels

More often than not, I’m hovering around the 35-45mm range because that's my preferred focal length. But sometimes a landscape shot of a beach sunset can't be fully caught in that. And yeah you're just technically adding more sand and water but you're also capturing the whole mood.

It's kind of a heavy lug, noticeable on a strap or in a bag. Which is fine, it's the price you pay for not wanting to miss a thing. Generally, I use it for those landscape shots, quiet and alone kind of work. Sometimes I want the little details of what's around me, like a close up of the texture of a tree or a flower or the hands of a watch. And it does wonderfully. Or if I want to capture a little extra something to a scene with that diffusion? Perfect

Efficiency overall and while traveling

I’m never going to leap to reach this lens but I will equip it to get the job done. Not even as a last resort but as the reliable one. I have had zero problems wielding this in a professional or personal setting in terms of performance.

Like I said, when I need it, it doesn't fail.

The drawback is of course the weight and the unwillingness to use it. I sound like I am whining but I really want everyone else to consider when, why, and where you’re bringing this lens along with you. It’ll go in my bag but for necessity. Oh and it's tough as hell so I never have to really worry about it banging around.

Does it make my life easier/more creative

For all the grief I give the 24-70mm, it 100% makes whatever photography I’m shooting easier. And I don't mean my preferred, safe styles of photography. I mean, all of them. Does it make me more creative? Tough to say. It allows me to get shots I never would be able to with the rest of my kit. But it doesn't…spark anything creative. It's not going through the motions but it doesn't push me to drive for something crazy or see something in a different way.

Quick analysis breakdown

What I like

Everything I want it to do, it does

What I don't

Technically? Little weighty for the longer shoots

Personally? God it's boring

Thoughts on the brand overall

Still Nikon. Not quite a fanboy but I don't see me switching any time soon.

Would I upgrade?

Absolutely not, this thing ain't cheap.longevity/staying power in my “bag”

It'll always be in my collection but maybe not my bag.

Is it worth a buy?

Yes with a caveat: if you absolutely need it? Sure. iI you can wait, wait.