Ask Dave, June 29th - Two lenses

Ask Dave, June 29th (part 2)
I get tons of questions each week, I respond as quickly as possible, and I might just answer them here too. If you have questions you can email me at Learn@DaveShumway.com.

Question:
From... Countless friends/students/strangers/customers
If you could only have one, non professional, camera and two lenses what would you have?

Answer:
Are you saying you are going to take away the lenses that I have?

I will assume that I can also not have any one lens over say $2,000 and that I must stick with the brand of the camera I selected. In part 1 I selected the Nikon D700, so I need to look at Nikon lenses... Well that only leaves me with 7 Nikon lenses that have VR, are under $2,000, and will fit onto the D700's FX (full frame sensor). I like the idea of versatility and have always heard good things about the 24-120/4.0 VR, so that is my first choice. Second is hard because the 80-400 is junk, the 300/4.0 needs VR, they don't sell a 70-200/4.0, and they don't really have much else. The 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II is just over the limit (and I was well under the limit with the 24-120, so can we let it slide?). I would then commence "saving" for some TCs.

In Canon it would be the 17-40/4.0L and the 70-200/4.0L IS (odd loose the IS and those were my first two "L" lenses).

If I could have only one Canon lens to do everything I would get the 28-300L IS, and in Nikon I think I would stick with the 24-120VR because I have not heard good things about the Nikon 28-300VR; but maybe it would be okay.

I really wish I could put Canon glass on that D700 in this hypothetical situation :)