Evolutionary Excellence

Nikon’s third iteration of this versatile, extremely popular zoom range, the Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S is at the very peak of it product evolution. K Madhavan Pillai puts it to the test.

- K Madhavan Pillai

The 24-120mm focal range was always a huge success for Nikon with every version of the lens (the venerable AF Zoom-Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6D IF, and the immediate predecessor, AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR introduced in 2010). While the G edition can also be used with Z mount cameras using the FTZ adapter, the latest edition, the Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S, is an evolutionary leap forward in every sense.

Essentially, the Z 24-120mm is a 5x wide-angle to moderate telephoto zoom with a constant maximum aperture of f/4, ensuring complete operability of all available camera AF systems. This lens belongs to Nikon’s S class of lenses, implying attention to optical performance. It is developed for full-frame cameras, but can also be used on APS-C bodies (Nikon Z fc or Z 50), with a crop factor equivalent of 36-180mm.

Features

In a nutshell, the Z 24-120mm has an all-new, more cohesive design, taking all the advantages of the larger Z mount. Significantly, apart from the manual focus and zoom rings, there is an extra function button and a third, multifunction control ring that can be customised to operate aperture (by default), exposure compensation, or ISO sensitivity, or switched off. The lens is sealed against the elements, but it misses optical image stabilization, relying on the body-based stabilization on Nikon’s full-frame Z cameras (and missing in the APS-C models, Nikon Z fc and Z 50).