Nikon Z 24-120 F4 S - A Landscape Photographer’s Review
The Nikon Z 24-120 F4 S
A Landscape Photographers Real World Perspective On The Nikon Z 24-120 F4 Lens
Introducing Nikon’s Most Versatile Zoom Lens For The Z System
Quick Disclaimer - This isn’t going to be a review filled with sharpness chart analysis and distortion graphs, it’s simply a normal landscape photographers experience of using the lens in the real world. This lens was also paid for out of my own pocket.
Like most Nikon Z system users I was very happy with the 24-70 F4 but I had previously used the Sony 24-105 F4 and missed the extra reach that lens granted me. It meant when I travelled to Asia, Europe or within Australia I was able to keep my bag relatively light yet still have the focal range required to meet most travel and landscape photography situations I encountered. So when Nikon announced the Nikkor Z 24-120 F4 S lens back in October 2021 I was very excited at the prospect of replacing my 24-70 with a more versatile focal range. All the rumours up until the announcement date had indicated a 24-105 was likely, which would have been great, but Nikon surprised us all with the 24-120.
After pre-ordering from the Melbourne DigiDirect in November I was apparently one of the first customers to pickup my lens when it was officially released on 16th December 2021. Since then I have been on several trips and had a great time putting the lens to good use in a wide variety of conditions.
Build Quality And Initial Impressions
Straight out of the box this lens felt good in the hand. The main body feels like the ultra-hard plastic that we usually see on modern, quality lenses and the mount is an aluminium alloy according to Nikon’s website. It certainly feels very robust and as this is an S lens it is dust and drip sealed, which is something we’ve come to expect from Nikon’s higher-end lenses.
The A/M focus switch was an obvious expectation but the function button was a nice addition I was really happy to see. There is also an extra control ring which means you have the zoom ring, focus ring and a third ring you can program to change the ISO, Aperture or Exposure Compensation. As a landscape photographer the third ring and function button aren’t something I’d regularly use but came in handy a few times when out shooting handheld shots. Definitely welcome additions that set this lens apart and help to confirm its S designation.
I fitted this to my Nikon Z7II pretty soon after opening the box and have barely needed to change lenses since except when I needed some ultra-wide shots and switched to the fantastic Z 14-30 S. The Nikon website claims this is 630g which they achieved by using light - but tough - alloys and plastics. The statistical weight doesn’t really matter to me as long as it feels right on the camera body which the Z 24-120 certainly does. It looks well proportioned on the Z7II and doesn’t feel front heavy at all. This is a really well balanced, nice looking and tough lens.
The action on the zoom ring is smooth and the grip itself is grooved and feels good to hold. Changing from 24mm to 120mm doesn’t require an unnatural wrist movement, it’s very comfortable. Another highlight here is that the lens doesn’t require ‘unlocking’ before use unlike some of the other Z lenses. I got used to that on my 24-70 F4 and 14-30 F4 but I much prefer the lens starting at the 24mm position and immediately ready to use when the camera switches on.
The only disappointment I had when opening up the box was with the flimsy bag/case that accompanies the Z 24-120 which seems like a bit of an afterthought from Nikon. Saying that, I think I used my Sony lens cases (that were very well padded) just once or twice so maybe Nikon has the right idea?
Nikon Z 24-70 F4 S vs 24-120 F4 S - How Do they Compare?
A lot of people, like me, will be looking at the 24-120 as an option to replace their 24-70 F4 S which was included in plenty of Nikon kit deals or perhaps you don’t have either yet and are wondering which is the best option for you? To make that decision it’s important to know the key differences without delving too far into technical detail.
Nikon Z 24-120 S F4 vs Z 24-70 F4 S | Build Quality And Feature Comparison
The 24-70 has an unlock (twist) to use mechanism whereas the 24-120 does not. I don’t mind the unlock feature but having used the 24-120 I definitely prefer the 24-120 without the unlock mechanism.
The 24-120 has a function button and extra (three total) control ring. For pure versatility and customisation this is a great benefit in the 24-120’s favor.
In the hand the 24-120 feels like a better quality lens. This might just be the extra weight of the 24-120 telling my mind that it is more robustly built but after several weeks of use I do think it is very well made and edges out the 24-70.
As you can see from the side-by-side images, the 24-120 is a bit bigger when both are fully retracted or extended which was to be expected. As mentioned earlier, when attached to the Z7II the size and weight of the 24-120 feels very balanced and natural but if compactness is your primary aim the 24-70 is the smaller of the two.
Nikon Z 24-120 F4 S vs Z 24-70 F4 S | Image Quality Comparison
Both of these lenses take amazing pictures and I found it very hard to see any discernible differences between the two. Both are exceptionally sharp and handle flare very well. Some early sharpness charts from Nikon show that the 24-120 should technically be the sharper of the two but those MFT graphs are not that interesting to me. Colours look great on both and distortion isn’t an issue. We know Nikon fixes distortion in camera so I wasn’t expecting to see any.
Both of these lenses will take lovely images so you’ll not be disappointed with either of them in this regard. Other differences may sway you one way or the other though.
Nikon Z 24-120 F4 S vs Z 24-70 F4 S | Price
At the time of writing the Nikon 24-70 F4 S is $1699 AUD on Nikon’s website whereas the 24-120 is $1749 AUD. The 24-70 is often sold in a camera kit which helps reduce that $1699 figure but as a standalone purchase the extra $50 makes the 24-120 a better buy in my opinion.
Nikon Z 24-120 F4 S vs Z 24-70 F4 S | Which Should You Buy?
In Lightroom you can filter your image library by focal length which is handy if you want to see which focal lengths you frequently use. When I set this filter I found that just over 25% of the images shot on my old Sony 24-105 F4 were taken at 71mm and above, with quite a few at 105mm. That alone tells me I will make use of the extra reach the Nikon 24-105 F4 S gives me not just above 70mm but also the 106-120 range that I didn’t have on my Sony lens.
The addition of an extra function button and wheel will be a key benefit for a lot of people, as will no longer needing to unlock the lens to use it. The improvements to the build quality will also reassure people that the 24-120 is a lens built to last and as both of these aren’t cheap lenses, that really matters. These features I think set the 24-120 apart from the 24-70 as a more premium quality lens. Image quality is the same or better on the 24-120 and as it contains a lot of the pro-grade glass elements this was to be expected.
The main draw of the 24-70 is its smaller size and weight which will still attract a lot of people but for me the 24-120 doesn’t add much weight or bulk in real use so this, along with the other features and some stunning image quality, means that out of the two I would definitely recommend the 24-120. My 24-70 has already gone on Ebay and been fully replaced by the Nikon Z 24-120 F4 S in my camera bag. For me it was an easy decision.
In The Field Experience And Image Quality
Since purchasing this lens I have put it to use around Victoria including a very stormy trip to Flinders on the Mornington Peninsula where the weather proofing was well tested as well a visit to the Port Fairy Lighthouse at the end of the Great Ocean Road . I was impressed at all focal lengths and loved the extra reach the lens gave me compared to the 24-70 F4. Not having Image Stabilisation/VR wasn’t an issue for me as the Nikon Z7II has excellent IBIS so I was quite confident taking shots even at 120mm.
Focusing
The 24-120 F4 S autofocuses extremely quickly and quietly. Whether in single point mode or wide area eye detect I had no trouble obtaining and keeping focus for my shots. The Nikon focus system has clearly improved a lot since the initial release of the Z system and adding this new Z glass to the front of a Z7ii really SHOULD focus well so it’s good to see it meet expectations.
Manual focus worked very well on the 24-120 F4 S. I use manual focus at least half the time when out shooting landscape images so for me it is an important feature to get right. The 24-120 focus ring is a decent size and moves smoothly using a variable gearing mechanism which allows for very fine movements to really nail focus.
Sharpness
No concerns here at all. Every Nikon Z lens I’ve used so far has been super-sharp and the 24-120 F4 S maintains Nikon’s high standards without issue. I’ve taken shots at 24mm all the way to 120mm on a Z7ii whose 45.7MP sensor asks a lot of the lens attached to it.
You can see for yourself within this article some of the images I’ve taken with this lens. Centre sharpness is outstanding and the corners look excellent too. I am not a pixel peeper but I did take look at the 24mm and 120mm ends closely as some lenses can struggle at the min and max focal distances. Honestly, you may need to check MFT charts to find out where this lens has any sharpness weak spots as I can’t see anything obvious. This is a very, very sharp lens.
Nikon Z 24-120 F4 S More Image Samples
I’ve put together a sample of images shot with the 24-120 F4 at a variety of focal distances so you can see for yourself what this lens can do. Even under some pretty adverse weather conditions - including a decent hit from a the spray of a rogue wave - I was able to come away with a few keepers and am definitely happy with the sharpness and overall image quality from the 24-120.
Final Thoughts
As someone who preferred the 24-105 focal length to the more ‘standard’ 24-70 I was so happy to see Nikon release the Z 24-120 F4 S. The focal range versatility alone was enough for me to order one but I was also pleasantly surprised by the addition of a function button and control ring. Nice touches for a lens that doesn't cost that much more than the 24-70 F4. The build quality and overall image quality are absolutely brilliant and from a landscape photography viewpoint this is a must have lens for me in my camera bag now, alongside the 14-30 F4. For anyone wanting to keep their camera bag weight down when travelling this is great lens to have in your bag and might be the only lens you’ll need on some trips. I would probably still take my 14-30 F4 for those ultra-wide situations but if I was only able to carry one lens it’d be the 24-120 without question.
I can now safely say that I no longer miss my Sony 24-105 as, for me, this Nikon 24-120 beats it in every way that matters. I highly recommend it.
