What's Your Favorite Nikkor Z Mount Zoom Lens?

[BruceSD]

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I currently own a Nikon Z6 and Z7 camera.  I mostly shoot Nikkor F mount, and Zeiss Milvus F mount prime lenses on these two cameras (with adapters of course).

I own no Nikkor zoom lenses that are designed specifically for Nikon Z mount full frame bodies.

I'd like to purchase a standard zoom lens that has a Z mount.  I have done some research, and I am considering purchasing the Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 S lens in Z mount.  If any of you own this lens, I would love to hear what you like and what you dislike about this lens.   

If there are any other zoom lenses (even third party ones) that you also like, please feel free to tell me about them too.

Oh, almost forgot - my budget is $1,000 USD.

Thank you

[golunvolo]

I own and happily use the 24-70mm f4. Compact, light and very sharp. Mint second hand can be found for less than half your budget. All reports indicate that the 24-120 is similar in quality but with added extra reach. Someone here may confirm it.

[Eric Borgström]

Bruce!

I am a happy owner of the Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 S lens. It sits on a Z8 and a Z7. The lens is versatile, sharp and has a nice out of focus character. The Z8 for the fast focus situations with grandchildren. You cannot go wrong with this lens.
 
But I might look into an iPhone 16 pro. Lighter, cheaper and a greater zoom range in the wide area. A complement camera, perhaps.

How far your budget takes you depends on where you live.

/Eric

[chris dees]

For me it's the 24-120/4 S
Jack of all trades. Very sharp through the range (a little less at the end).

[Thomas Stellwag]

I own the Z 24-120 since I own a Z camera. It is the most used zoom lens on my Z7II. It has seen dust, rain and a lot of bumbs in trains and busses.
The range gives you most, what you need during the day. The additional programmable ring makes it easy to modify exposure.
You still can  carry it with the camera on a strap, hanging on a side under your arm.
A choice I would make again in the sense to have my complete "light" travel kit:  Z 14-30 4.0, Z 24-120 4.0 and Tamron Z 70-300.
An alternative imo would be the new Tamron Z 35-150mm 2.0-2.8. All the reviews I´ve seen so far are superb, but it is bigger and doesn´t go wider than 35mm, but here with aperture 2.
No idea what Z8/9 are doing, my AF with the 24-120 in my Z7II is not as fast as f.e. FTZ with 1.4 58 or the Z 2.0 40mm. It  might have to do with the inside mass of the lens, but I think it has as well to do with the light coming to the sensor. In the evenings and under bad light conditions camera and lens are not, what i would call a reliable team to get a fast shot under any circumstances. Here my 1.4 58 lens shines in speed (as well as in the result)
As an addition to your primes I recomment it, but test the Tamron as well, if you have a chance.

[BruceSD]

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Thank you everyone.  Great responses!

I'm now going to start looking for a nice used copy of the Z 24-120 lens for myself.

[aerobat]

Bruce, for the last approx 20 years I only used primes as I didn't like the results and haptics of zooms. The Z 24-120 S is the first lens which changed my view. I use it on the Z8 and a bit less on the Zf.

[Lars Hansen]

I own and happily use the 24-70mm f4. Compact, light and very sharp. .... All reports indicate that the 24-120 is similar in quality but with added extra reach. Someone here may confirm it.

Same here, but I've considered getting the Z 24-120 instead of my Z 24-70/4. Any opinions/experiences appreciated. 

[Frank Fremerey]

I am the prime guy as you know. I bought into the Z system to mount the 1.2/50S although I have to confess I did not use it much since I own the Zf with the 1.0/50 Voigtlander.


Yet. If I want to travel light weight and low key and camouflage as an amateur I really love the 4/24-70S ... superb quality through the range, was dirt cheap as a bundle with my Z6 and is very reliable.

[chris dees]

Same here, but I've considered getting the Z 24-120 instead of my Z 24-70/4. Any opinions/experiences appreciated.

The 24-120 is just a little better in the same range. But a lot better at 71-120   
I had the 24-70 before the 24-120. Sold the first on after a couple of months.

Ricci did a test between the two lenses.

[Hugh_3170]

+1

Having personally owned both of these two lenses, I would agree with Chris's assessment.

On the other hand, if budget is an issue, the 24-70mm lens can be affordably picked up second hand and it is still a very good lens.  Both are Nikon Z "S" type lenses.

*****

I also have the 14-30mm f/4 lens which I am still coming to terms with, but it is a keeper and I doubt if I can justify a faster wide angle zoom at this time.

The 24-120 is just a little better in the same range. But a lot better at 71-120   
I had the 24-70 before the 24-120. Sold the first on after a couple of months.

Ricci did a test between the two lenses.......................................

[Airy]

+1 about the 24-120.

I must confess I also find the 40/2 extremely useful, plus it is cheap and small. I once shot a whole graduation party with that lens (on the Zf), B&W rendition and electronic zooming (actually, re-framing in PP) and got lovely results. Bokeh is slightly nervous but pretty too.

Since I bought the 40/2, I seldom use the 50/1.8 despite its superior quality. Its size is an issue, esp. when doing street shots.

I also enjoy the Voigtländer 50/1.0, quite an allrounder with a monstrous IQ wide open.

[Birna Rørslett]

My 24-70/4 apparently is on a permanent loan .... frankly, although it was a very good 'kit' zoom lens, I don't miss it that much.

The 40/2 mentioned above (I own the SE version) sees a lot of use either on my Z5 for IR, in which it really excels, or for the Zf or Z fc for pleasure shooting. The 50/1.8 has better image quality,  but at the same time can be perceived as simply too perfect for my liking.

Due to the size of the S-Line optics, I doubt whether I'll get any new zoom lens from that range.

I do shoot with zoom lenses on the smaller DX Z cameras, i.e. Z30 or Z fc. Either the 16-50 or the 12-28. Both are featherweights and surprisingly good in output quality terms. They also share the common trait of a slightly nervous bokeh, the 12-28 being the least nervous of them.

[dko22]

since getting the 24-120 nearly a year ago, I use that much of the time. I prefer both rendering and sharpness to the 24-70 which went in part-exchange.

[MEPER]

I like the 16-50 on my Z50 very much. The lens I almost always use on the body. I also like the 18-28.
For a wedding I got an used 24-70/4S at a very reasonable price. The same time I had a even lower bid on a brand new 24-70/4S which I won. It was a kit-lens so it came in its while box. It is quite expensive as a stand-alone lens in its black box!     ......interesting people sell those that cheap just because it is a kit lens.

The 24-70/4S is very very good. An example attached with two 100% crops (shot with the used lens). Maybe the brand new lens is even better!