The Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 lens might be among the best lenses you may have in your digital camera bag. To name it a equipment lens is to do it a disservice, even when it has all the flexibility of a traditional short-range zoom.
Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S: Key specs
Compatibility: Nikon Z mirrorless (FX)
Focal vary: 24mm to 70mm
Aperture vary: f/2.8 to f/22
Weight: 1.7 lbs
Measurement: 89.0mm x 126.0mm (5-inches x 3.6-inches)
Absolutely climate sealed: Sure
Filter measurement: 82mm
That is the f/2.8 model, is likely one of the first lenses launched for the Z-brand Nikon mirrorless system and, when mixed with the Nikon Nikkor Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S (opens in new tab) and Nikon Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S, completes the Holy Trinity of Nikon’s lens ecosystem. A trinity that can value you between $6500-7000 to finish, for those who’re feeling rich, with every lens retailing between $2000-$2500.Â
Should you needed to be prepared for nearly any astro situation (arguably, the 200mm is not fairly sufficient for detailed moon photographs), we might completely suggest all three lenses. Should you’re a photographer who likes to take all kinds of photographs, we might 100% begin with this, the 24-70mm. And we might be sure to do not confuse it with the superb worth, however not good for evening sky photographs, f/4 model. All clear? No? Glorious, let’s transfer on.
Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S: Design
- Comparatively mild, though bigger than the f/4
- Digital show on prime of the barrel
- Non-extending design
The Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S is a well-designed lens, with absolutely the minimal of fuss utilized to it. Not like its cheaper f/4 counterpart, there is no extension of the lens while you zoom it from nearer to additional focal lengths, so whereas it is a first rate 5-inches to start with, that is so long as this lens will get. This makes it higher in excessive climate if much less compact for journey. Crucially, although it means you get a digital show on the highest that may be configured to show quite a lot of settings (focal size, aperture and so on), which makes it useful for astro shoots as you’ll be able to double-check your settings whereas it is secured on the tripod.
You’ve got bought a further perform button, that may be custom-made as wanted (with any of 21 instructions), and the usual structure with the furthest ring used for focusing, and the interior ring used for focal size. There is a refined near-camera ring too, that controls the aperture. As with most Nikon lenses, there is a change that permits you to shortly toggle between AF and MF – once more, useful for tripod shooters who’d moderately not stare at a vivid display to make fast changes.
The lens is absolutely climate sealed, as you’d anticipate from the S-Line collection, and it feels powerful regardless of being comparatively mild. There’s an 82mm thread for becoming filters and attachments, which though on the vast facet, means you should not have points discovering appropriate equipment.
Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S: Efficiency
- Very versatile lens
- Delivers wonderful readability
- Straightforward and pure to make use of
What we love about this lens is that it presents you selection in virtually each capturing scenario. It is vast sufficient for grand landscapes, has sufficient zoom for primary wildlife photographs, and hits the candy spot for portraiture. A great deal of lenses do this, certain, but it surely’s the broader aperture (as much as f/2.8) that makes it really versatile. This implies depth and bokeh when capturing animals, element when capturing the Milky Way and, with the narrowest aperture of f/22, you’ll be able to even experiment with close-up and longer exposures through the day.Â
Nonetheless, for those who’re trying to recreate the element you see in macro photographs, you will be disillusioned. There is a minimal focusing distance of virtually 40cm / 1.3ft right here, and even in our well-lit exams, we struggled to get the lens to focus round this distance. That is not an actual concern, as this is not meant to be a macro, however hold it in thoughts for those who’re taking astro photographs with a foreground factor and focus stack the place applicable.
That wider aperture comes into its personal at evening, permitting you to seize star particulars with a brief sufficient shutter pace to keep away from trailing. We predict it is the practical minimal for photographing stars and that is one potential downside of the 24-70mm. Whereas it is an ideal lens to have in your bag, it is not a specialist, so these seeking to actually up their astro sport needs to be one thing just like the Nikon Nikkor 20mm f/1.8 S lens which has that additional width and decrease f-number. After we had been out capturing astro with this lens we took the identical shot with the 24-70mm as with our trusty 20mm f/1.8 and did see noticeable variations in the identical scene. The broader lens gave us extra element whereas maintaining the celebrities barely sharper, and it gave us a far ‘larger’ sky.
We discovered this lens good for mild trails. It provides you the flexibleness to regulate your shot to fluctuate the dimensions of your trails, and it has the aperture vary to provide the means to both concentrate on the paths themselves (or an object) or flatten the photograph out fully. Should you do wish to shoot movement and handheld trails, it is a useful lens to have too, because it is not excessively heavy.
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Elsewhere, although, the 24-70mm delivered nice outcomes. We by no means needed for extra width generally panorama photographs, and whereas the 70mm most size will be irritating for snapping the moon, and extra timid animals, it is nice for pets and prepared people. Whereas the lens is not sufficiently subtle to be road images choice, it will nonetheless carry out with portraits all the identical.
As you’d anticipate from a lens of this high quality, the picture is pleasingly sharp proper to the sting, in any respect focal lengths. There is not any perceptible distortion of the picture, nor any mild bleeding across the edge or vignetting (except you are utilizing the hood it is equipped with).
Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S: Performance
- Feels good to make use of
- Very tripod pleasant
- Straightforward to suit
There’s little extra to say concerning the capabilities of the lens itself, though the texture and practicalities of its options are properly value mentioning. We have discovered comparable issues with the opposite premium Z lenses in that the management rings on the barrel are near-perfectly balanced when it comes to torque. There is a refined looseness to the focusing ring, a tighter really feel for the focal size, and a particular graded really feel to the smaller management ring. Our solely grievance is that the aperture ring sits a little bit too near the digital camera, so takes a little bit getting used to, and we generally discovered it trickier to entry when wanting by the viewfinder and never on the digital camera itself.
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At 5-inches and 1.7 lbs, you’ll be able to fortunately match the 24-70mm to most tripods (through the digital camera’s tripod connection) and get little or no motion or settling, except you are combining it with a heavy digital camera physique just like the Z9. There is not any want for a separate tripod collar/foot with this lens, though chances are you’ll discover it challenges some ball-heads for those who’re utilizing a glass filter too.
As with all Z lenses, it is so easy to mount onto the digital camera physique, and it feels very safe as soon as it is there. As we talked about earlier, although, we hardly ever discovered the necessity to change it throughout common photograph classes because it covers a number of photographic disciplines simply.
Ought to I purchase the Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens?
This lens aced most of our exams. Nonetheless, except you are evaluating it to a different 24-70mm lens, we would not say it is the best possible at something. We favor a wider, sooner lens for astro, an extended zoom for moon photographs, and the far cheaper f/4 model of the 24-70mm is simply as competent for daytime landscapes.Â
At $2000+ it isn’t low cost, both, and can doubtless swimsuit those that shoot professionally greater than the hobbyists. It is bizarre to throw a lot shade at what’s, primarily, among the best Nikon lenses we have dealt with. We primarily love this lens for all kinds of photographs, but it surely is not what we might attain for if we needed to get specialised.Â
So, in case you have the cash and also you’re searching for a dependable zoom to take a seat in your digital camera and snap every kind of photographs, that is the lens for you. Should you’re decided to get the sting in a extra particular kind of shot, this is not more likely to be the one.
If the Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens is not for you
Clocking in round 60% cheaper, the Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S (opens in new tab) model of this lens remains to be a pleasant piece of glass. When you’ll battle to do astro with it, this lens will deal with most daytime photographs (and lengthy exposures) with ease. It is lighter too, and extra compact, though it does prolong lengthwise when zooming.
At about half the value you’ll be able to go for the Nikon Nikkor Z 20mm f/1.8 S prime (or the 24mm prime, though it is not fairly pretty much as good), which is extra of an astro instrument. When you lose the flexibility to zoom, you do get a really vast angle and a scrumptious most aperture of f/1.8, which is good for star photographs.
Then there’s the newest Nikon lens, the Nikon Nikkor Z 28-75mm f/2.8 (opens in new tab). It is a unusual one, this. We’ve not examined this extra inexpensive zoom for Nikon’s mirrorless system, but it surely presents very comparable stats for nearly half the value. You do not get as vast a shot, however you get a barely longer zoom and whereas it is not fairly as prime quality because the 24-70mm we have reviewed right here it is a rattling good lens all the identical.
