Ive been shooting with my D750 for like five years now and finally decided to retire my kit lens. I love my primes but honestly lugging them around while hiking in the PNW is getting old. Im looking for that one magic lens that does it all so I can stop swapping glass on the trail.
Here is what I need:
- Budget is around 800 bucks, maybe a bit more if its worth it
- Needs to be sharp enough for landscape but quick for some occasional wildlife
- Weather sealing is a huge plus
Is there anything out there that actually holds up or am I asking for too much?
Just catching up here! Honestly, you should grab the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR. It is fantastic for hiking! The extra reach helps with wildlife and the sealing is super reliable.
Honestly, finding a true do-it-all lens for the D750 is pretty frustrating. Most of the superzooms I have tested just fail to hit that sharpness threshold for landscape detail, and the aperture ranges usually make wildlife shots in the forest a total nightmare. I tried the Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD once and it was basically unusable for anything serious. If you really want to hike without a bag full of glass, you should look at these instead:
- Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR for the range and decent build quality
- Sigma 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM Art which is way sharper than the Nikon glass but lacks that reach Honestly, save yourself the headache. Stop looking for the magic 18-300mm lens and just carry the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR. Its weather sealed enough for PNW drizzling and covers most of your bases.
Gonna try this over the weekend. Will report back if it works!
To add to the point above: honestly, I had issues with that zoom range. It just didn't cut it for me in the Cascades. I picked up a Sigma 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM Art and while the weight is a bit much, it is way sharper than the plastic kit glass.
- The focus speed is snappy enough for elk.
- Weather sealing saved my skin in a storm.
- Honestly, it feels way more premium than Nikon glass.