Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S

Entry Date: 3/2/2024 (Summary in retrospect)

This was the first Z-mount zoom lens I had purchased.

My initial Z 6 was a body-only purchase, as I planned to use it with my 105/1.4E via the FTZ adapter to learn the new system.

After getting used to the new system (autofocus and all) and being confident that the Z 6 could be used in the field, I starting my journey to slowly replace my then F-mount workhorse lenses with the Z-mount equivalents.

At that time there were only two standard zooms available natively - the 24-70/4S or the 24-70/2.8S.

I do not need f/2.8 in the standard range for my style of shoot, and I figured some time down the road a 24-100ish/4S would be released, so I went on a hunt to find a good used copy of the 24-70/4S.

This lens was kept around as a backup lens in the beginning when I was still using the D800+Sigma 24-105/4 and Z6+FTZ+70-200/2.8E combo.

As my trusty D800 failed in its final days, I replaced it with another Z 6, coupled it with this 24-70/4 as my standard zoom set, and thus marking the start of my journey with full mirrorless workhorse cameras.

Compared to the heavy Sigma lens, the 24-70/4 felt really light and is a breeze to use in the field. I was initially worried that the zoom locking mechanism might prove troublesome when working with it, but I got used to it pretty quickly and in fact am thankful for it since it helps keep the size of the package down.

With the in-built software distortion and vignette corrections, SOOC jpgs were really nice and crisp, typical of S-line lenses. RAW files did show quite a bit of barrel distortion at the wide side, but most raw converters could correct them so it was not too much of a concern (unless I forgot to check the distortion correction box when post processing..)

Bokeh was OK-ish at best given the modest f/4 aperture and short focal lengths, but it was a lens that punched way above its weight in all other aspects - flare resistance was great, weather sealing proved to be pretty well done, focuses quickly and decisively, has good close focusing abilities.

The only downside for my use case was that it maxes out at 70mm - I was too used to the Sigma 24-105/4 previously that I found 70mm a tad too short in many situations, and had to just grab my second body with the 70-200/2.8.

This definitely made me wait eagerly (albeit a bit impatiently) for Nikon to release their version of a f/4 standard zoom with a larger zoom ratio - it finally arrived as the 24-120/4S and it proved to be a perfect lens for my use case.

The 24-70/4S now plays an important role as a backup lens in my kit and follows me around whenever I am on assignments - while it does not see much action firsthand after I started using the 24-120/4S as my primary standard zoom, having the 24-70/4S around definitely gives me a peace of mind as I know I can rely on it should any emergency call for it and know that I am not compromising on image quality or performance just because I have to use a backup kit.