Love this lens. I went through my catalog and saw that 80% of my shots fell in this range. I added it to my, "Un-holy Trinity," a 14-30 f4, the 24-120 f4, and the 70-200 f2.8. The Z glass is outstanding. Cheers Matt!
This has become the lens that is always on my Z6 II, supplanting the 24-70 /2.8 for its versatility. It is so much sharper that I've already sold my 24-200mm lens. This and my Sigma 100-400 Sony E mount and Megadapt are pretty much my base landscape gear. I love this lens, very well done Nikon. And same for you Matt. Stay Safe.
Another big plus for this lens is the 0.39x magnification, which is double what most lenses achieve, and almost half of a full macro lens. I bought this lens, too. It's a great one to leave on the camera for general use, and then switch over to something specialized if needed. Any time you don't want to carry more than one lens, or you don't want to be bothered with lens changing, THIS is the one:-)
I just wanted to say that beyond photography, beyond the great videos and the great opinion pieces etc, your videos have such great energy. I think it's obvious that you, Matt, are a very generous person...a caring person....a person who truly wants good for your viewers and the people who work for your. I'm sending positive energy to your friend who has cancer and positive energy to you for all the great vibes you send out to your viewers.
I sold my f mount 14-24, 24-70 and 70-200 2.8 trinity and replaced them with z14-30, z24-120 and z100-400 trinity. They are sharper, more contrasty, focus better yet lighter, smaller, cheaper. I dont need the 2.8s as my primes will do better if I need bokeh. They are as sharp as the 2.8 but has more reach. They are the perfect trio for me with my z9 and z6ii. With the 24-120 being used the most on my z6ii. Barely took it off. Great video review!
I've owned the 24-120 f4 for two months and I am so pleased. When I got my Z6 a couple years ago it came with the 24-70 f4 which I loved and it was sharp so when I heard about this one, I purchased it and so glad I did. I paired it with my Z9 and am so happy, its all I need for everything I do. That extra reach makes such a difference. Thanks.
Bought this lens 4 months ago and I have been absolutely loving it. Amazing range with constant aperture, amazing corner to corner performance, and extremely lightweight for how versatile it is. Only issue I have so far is the higher than average vignetting which the auto correct profile doesn’t completely eliminate
at last! not a £14k lens I'll never afford or some super telephoto I'll never need....THIS is lens I bought and took to Greenland 2 weeks ago and LOVED it! Cheers Matt
Matt, have had my 24-120 for about six months and think it's brilliant. I had the 24-70 f2.8 and sold that to make way for the 24-120. I'm really enjoying the extra reach, quality, as you'd expect with a Nikon 'S', is outstanding. As a landscaper, I usually shoot between f8 and f11 so the advantage of a 2.8 was wasted on me. FWIW, I reckon the 24-120 is just about the perfect lens for a landscape photographer.
Matt, as you compare the 24-120/4S in your conversation with a hypothetical f/2.8 and alternatively the 24-200/non-S, a couple things. The S lenses are really in a class apart as they combine sharpness optical quality, low to extremely low chromatic aberration (CA) and low to extremely low distortion combined with suppression of focus breathing. Not sure I explained that in your channel already, but making a less fast lens without CA is not too difficult anymore, but once you make the same design faster, you increase the glass elements' diameter and this will give edges with cross section like a prism - inherently causing CA. As a loyal-but-neither-collector-nor-fanboy Nikon user of over 45 years, I can tell you that CA has been my recurring rant with the F mount lenses and the 1.4G lenses (I had all of them) made me almost give up on Nikon for CA. Software could not free me from it. The "S" Class is really super. So this 24-120/4S is in that class. Period. As to "fixed aperture" - there is a relation with focus breathing. The deeper problem is that classical lens designs - with a fixed arrangement of lens elements relative to each other at all times - change focal length when you focus closer by than the infinity setting. Yes, the focal length is defined for infinity. The implication of focusing is that the lens moves farther away from the image frame and the lens angle gets narrower, while the focal length gets longer. This then is called focus breathing. That is not a nuisance I would say when you change focus in a movie camera and the slight zoom-in effect is tolerable. The problem of focus breathing is that actually the exposure changes. How come? Well the aperture f/number is expressed as fraction of focal length and setting f/2 on a 50mm lens means that the aperture radius for f=50 pertains to 50/2=25. Imagine that we focus closer by and the apparent focal length becomes 60mm while we did not change the aperture ... well the f/number as fraction of focal length now has become 2.4 (60/2.4=25 while the physical diameter of the aperture has not changed). This IS a nuisance to a DP in cinematography who is critical about exposure. The darkening effect of your focus puller pulling the lens's focusing distance from infinity to closer by causing the aperture to become f/2.4 instead of f/2? Bummer. Dammit - we should have rented those expensive cine lenses. I prefer to call it aperture breathing, but "nobody" understands, or appreciates. What this "breathing" prevention means for "prime'" lenses is that they have to become subtly marginal but smart focusing compensating zoom lenses. Yes, a prime lens without breathing is a zoom lens. Now imagine that your lens's focal length does not change when you go closer by and you can see that "constant aperture" just follows with mathematical precision from taking out focus breathing. That would make you very happy as a focus puller. And camera operator. And DP. This implies that a "constant aperture" zoom lens might have correction for focus breathing and the constant aperture relative to focusing distance is just a bonus. The other way around, it also means that lenses that cannot do this, will have aperture breathing and we can expect focus breathing as well. So, in a zoomlens these are still separate qualities. Do all "S" lenses suppress focus breathing? No. For example my ZMC 105/2.8S, certainly does not suppress focus breathing. With its display on the lens it perfectly shows what is happening to aperture when you focus closer by. So this lens with beautiful rendition is honestly explicit about it - consistent with Nikon's cultural history.
It’s not my favourite lens - my 70-200 f2.8 is - but as you say Matt, it’s very versatile. Especially for video on a shoot, agility is everything. My two other pleasant surprises: 1. You can still get good background blur 2. Close up performance. Add my NiSI close up lens and I don’t need a macro lens.
@@ElijahsAba I got the Z6II because it’s all the camera I could afford. I’d love the Z7II but it was too rich for me (like the Z9…oof)…that said, I’m very happy with my Z6II, great camera and the Z lenses are fabulous. 😎📸
I totally agree: the 24-120mm f/4S is a great all-around lens. When I go out shooting landscapes, and I don’t need the f/2.8 trinity, I take this lens and the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S lens.
Fully agree Matt, but this also makes a wonderful close-up lens. If my 105 MC gets left at home I know I can get great images of flowers with this lens….
It is my go-to lens, very versatile for composition and to avoid the hassle of constantly changing the lenses. Good quality, I would love to have this range in at least 2.8 which makes life much better, especially in low light conditions.
It does look like a winner. If I didn't have the 24-70, which I bought early on before 24-120 was available, I would probably get it. I'm currently trying the 24-70 + 100-400 combo, just to simplify my kit. There is a little gap, but I haven't missed it, especially and you can put it into DX and still get a very decent megapixel shot, We are so spoiled with this generation of cameras, they're amazing.
This is definitely one of my forth-coming "must-haves" - actually, when this lens was released, I thought "ah, it would make sense for Nikon to make this a 'kit' lens but I'm probably dreaming" - lo' and behold they did. When I eventually had enough to dive from F-mount D-SLR (APSC - my D7000) into mirrorless Z system - this was a long time of me watching for 4yrs wondering, D850 or Z7 - I ended up going for the Z7ii in this summer's sale (here in the northern hemisphere) despite this Z8/7iii speculation. I'd have loved to order Z7ii with 24-120, but just wasn't available. In fact, if I could've ordered body-only and awaited 24-120, I would have, but this also wasn't possible with stock at the time, so I went Z7ii 24-70 knowing it would be a compromise - not quality wise, but I am frustrated by lack of reach when previously sued to an 18-105 and 28-105 (w/macro) - 2010s kit lens and '90s lens. I realise I've got DX mode, but still lust for this 24-120. However, it's probably on the list AFTER the 85mm 1.8 and 50 MC 1.8. Before recently, I have NEVER had any kind of prime lens, and I am loving my 50mm 1.8 (incidentally, also got the 14-30 f4, couldn't justify the 2.8...and a a little later the 24-200, so I suppose my reach problem is solved). There's quite a list of lust to go though...got my filters...but now probably need a a gimbal, etc, etc...slowly, bit by bit. Really enjoy your videos Matt, thank you!
When/if I move from Nikon DSLR (D500) to Nikon Mirrorless this would be number 3 lens in my must buy / wish list. 1) 200-600 if it ever comes out, 2) 105mm macro, 3) this lens.
I think this is my all time favorite lens for what I get from it. Sharp, clean, just beautiful. Sad to admit I never think to use DX mode to get some extra reach. Thanks Matt.
Bought mine about nine months ago. Been absolutely blown away by it ITO sharpness, flexibility and its quality rendering. I shoot mainly landscapes and carry this lens and the Nikon 70 - 200mm F2.8 S lens most of the time in my camera bag. Very happy with them.
Love this lens. Just used it at a Botanical Garden and the extra reach along with a fairly close focus distance made it a great way to get shoots I couldn’t get when on a tripod. I take this everywhere now with my Z7II.
Coudnt agree more, Matt, this lens is a real revelation, I grabbed it shorty after it came out and I think it is superb. I knew it would be good much better than the F equivalent but it is so much better, the sharpness, clarity and handling is just super.
I replaced my 24-200 with this lens and I absolutely love it. The performance throughout the focal range is outstanding, even at 24mm which is where I felt the 24-200 was weakest. What doesn't get talked about enough as far as versatility goes is the 24-120's impressive quasi-macro capability; having a minimum focus distance of just 35cm throughout the zoom range is fantastic. Also really noticeable to me is the step up in build quality from the baseline lenses to the S line. It's largely superficial but does make the lens feel more special.
24-120mm would be better than my 24-200mm. But I'm thinking of getting the 28-75mm. I would use it for people and animal portraits. Also it can focus pretty close. Will see what I can get.
Just bought this lens a week ago based on the many reviews available here on YT and I'm glad you confirm it heart-fully. It will by my always on when leaving the house with no specific intention what to shoot. The only problem with this lens is probably that it makes some old F-lenses I own completely obsolete.
Sold my 24-70/4 to buy this lens when it released. Couldn't be happier. I don't have a common use case for the 2.8 as I use this range for landscape mostly so the extra weight of the 2.8 is pointless now a days when the f/4 are as sharp as the "pro-glass" ... The days of "all pros use the 2.8 holy trinity" are long behind us. I think Nikon hit it out of the park with the S-Line f/4(ish) trinity.
Yup, I originally bought the Z 24-200mm to use as my walkabout lens but was quite disappointed with it and went back to carrying around the venerable Z 24-70 f/2.8. Since I purchased the Z 24-120mm some months ago, it has become my go to lens, and I love it. In fact, the Z 24-70 f/2.8 has not been on my camera for over a month now. When I am traveling, I currently leave the trinity lenses at home and bring my Z 14-24mm f/2.8, the Z 24-120mm and the Z 100-400mm zooms. At some point I will probably pick up the Z 14-30mm f/4 and include the wonderful Z 20mm f/1.8 in the kit to replace the Z 14-24mm f/2.8.
I confess that in the beginning I was a little apprehensive about this lens. I never found either F Mount version to be that great optically (though using the VRII version on APS-C DSLR bodies was useful), but I'm reading so many positive reviews about the performance of this new Z version, that I'm beginning to think it might be the ultimate travel lens.
I'm not a Z-Mount photographer. I chose to go for the Sony A7RIV and my 24-104/f4 lens. I have the same experience. These lenses are great for travel photography and they have a decent capability to make all kinds of photos. I also use the 12-24/f4 and 70-200/f4. With three lenses and the crop mode I can cover 12-300mm which is fantastic!
I will put a order in as soon as I can sell my Nikon F mount kit, I will most likely get the 24-120 + 100-400 combo with a 105 MC, just to simplify my kit from 7 lenses down to 3 on a Z6 II/III from a D7200, Love the channel, it really helps when taking the next step. Love from Sweden!
I bought this lens shortly after my Z6ii, love it. Look forward to putting it on to my new z30 and see the results (although the weight will be a bit off balance) 😂
I fully agree with the quality and absolute versatility of this spectacular lens that never ceases to surprise me for the better. It works excellently on the Z7 and enhances every megapixel of its 45.7 mp. Thank you for your excellent review based on a six-monthly experience and ... greetings!
The 24-120 S is on my Z cameras 80% of the time. Great lens. Right now, in my personal kit, the three zooms for Z are 14-30mm f4 S 24-120mm f4 S and an FTZ adapted 70-200 f4 F mount or 70-200 f 2.8 FL ED. I would really like an 70-200 f4S to complete my f4 zoom trilogy. I use the Z primes for speed, if I need it.
The 400mm f/2.8 is essential for my bag but just not the pocketbook. I'm definitely looking to get that lens when I can find it and the money at the same time. It will be great as an all round lens when you go out without specific pictures in mind. Definitely will replace my 34-70 kit lens.
I had the 24-200mm because the 24-120 wasn't available. But now, I ordered the lens (sold the 24-200mm) and it should arrive today.... happy man 🙂 thanks 4 the video, nice to watch :-)
Do it Matt. We DO want to see your comparison with the 24-200. We know it does not have constant wide open aperture, but it’s got that extra reach. Be brutal if you have to, mate
Absolutely stellar lens , the best multi purpose zoom i have owned. Sold my 24-70 f4s which i was really happy with and thought was sharp for this even sharper lens which i feel resolves more of the Z7 pixels. And the extra 50mm in focal length is incredibly versatile 👌
Got the call from Grays of Westminster that mine is in ready to collect. Hopefully the heatwave here in the UK will end in time for me to go up on Weds. Far too hot to do anything outside here today 🥵🥵
Unless you need that extra stop of light with the heavier 24-70 the 24-120 f4 is a no brainer. One must ask themselves in the course of their general photography, how often do we shoot below f4... For wight, reach and IQ, the 24-120 (Z or G series) is the practical choice imo.
I have the f-mount G and agree it's a great all-around range. I really want the Z, but other things have to come first. (already have the Z 24-200 as well) Good video, and always enjoy seeing your work Matt. Agree that was a beautiful sunset.
It's certainly sharper/has less CA than the previous F mount model, but it looks like it still has about the same sort of flat image appearance compared to top-tier glass like the 2.8 lenses. The 24-70 2.8's of the world produce deeper blacks, more poppy highlights, greater vibrancy and much better bokeh. Remember kids, in modern lenses straight sharpness is the easy part!
Love this lens as well and one needs to shoot with it to know how great it is! I've done very important shoots and I'm a believer, it's fantastic and I feel confident taking it everywhere no matter what I'm shooting.
Third time on your site, good job. Used to teach college-level photo, first Nikon was SP range-finder. Coming out of retirement and just ordered this lens as my first Z mount. Keep up the good work.
This lens replaced my 24-70 f4, use it for vacation travel,the 24-70 F4 is great but there are many times i had to pull my heavy bulky 70-200 to get that background close around 85-105 range and this lens fills that gap..14-30/ 24-120/ a 35 1.8 and the nifty 50 1.8 is whats inside of my travel bag kit.
I can agree that the lens is really good, sharp and usefull. But I always feel like it is somewhere in between of everything and I skip buying it - if I want all rounder I think of 24-200 (not really that big of a difference in optical quallity), If I want bokeh I think of my 50 1.8 and 85, and also the weight is not really that low with 630g. Even the 28-75 comes into consideration if all-rounder is lens which can blur the background more and give you some standard flexibility. Not sure if anyone else has the same oppinion
Hey Matt. I agree 100% with the sharpness which is mind-blowing. I did find that this lens color profile is rather cool. My warm late afternoon shots came out rather blue. Nothing that can't be fixed afterwards, but still was noticeable. This was vs all my other Z lenses and previous F mount Nikkors
Got 4 massive trips coming up and have been going through the agony of planning my kit. A few trips, space in the bag is going to be a major concern and I think rewatching this video gives me confidence to give it a go with maybe just this lens and the 40mm f/2 for some street. Sample images were amazing and can't wait to get back to Melbourne later this year. Thanks for the great content as always. Cheers!
Great video! Thanks! I have this lens and I love it. I use it much more than the Z24-70/2.8S. And in addition I love my Z100-400S, another great lens with an awesome VR.
The 24-120mm f4 lens is the all rounder, perhaps for almost everything. However macro is better with 105mm. And longer lenses will give you more reach but for general use, portrait, family and landscape this is a great lens.
I've had this lens for almost 3 months now. It's pretty good. If you are looking for absolute perfection, go with the 24-70 f2.8, F or Z mount. Better contrast, sharpness (slightly) and wow factor.
Matt, love, love, love your super valuable info! Question. I am considering both the Nikkor z 24-70mm f/4 s and the nikkor z 24-120 f/4 s. If you had to choose only one of them, which would you choose? I do a lot of travel, landscape, and wildlife. I’m looking for a great high quality walking around lens.
Hi Rebecca, thank you. Yes I would choose the 24-120. It is such a great lens and gives you the extra reach. And I have found it to be fabulously sharp. 😀
A comparison with the 24 - 200 would be brilliant. These are the two zooms I think most of us agonize over the most when trying to think of an all-rounder zoom. We all know the 24-200 is optically inferior. Its one advantage is its extra reach. So what would be great to see before buying the lenses is just how much better, optically, is the IQ of the 24-120 over the 24 - 200? Is it grossly obvious or does one need to pixel peep to pick it?
Don’t forget the aperture difference either. It’s reach versus a brighter constant aperture, and a bit better quality. In the past I think that difference was more significant, and so the choice was easier between e.g. an F-mount 24-120 and 28-300.
I love my 24-200 non-S lens on my Z6ii. Nobody complains about the photos I share. I regularly do the pixel peeping and don’t have any concerns. Others, far better to evaluate lenses than I am, have favourably reviewed this lens. Eagerly awaiting the 200-600 brother to this, hopefully this year.
I found the Z 24-200 to be a real disappointment, it just doesn't measure up to the S lenses in IQ, the maximum aperture reaches 6.3 at 85mm, and the bokeh is just not as pleasing. Even though it had additional reach, I sold it and replaced it with the Z 24-120mm and have been very happy with it's performance.
@@EdwardKilner Interesting Edward. Todd gives the view that the difference is significant. I might be in your camp Edward. It's like my wine tasting skills. My brother has a good palate and I don't. One day I was enjoying my red until my brother told me it was no good, it had gone off. Thanks bro. I said I was enjoying myself until then! haha!
Nice photos! Ok, I just got a Z6 which I love, which lens should I go first?? Got my eyes on the 40mm f2, 50f1.8 s, 24/120 f4, I do street, a bit of video... I don't have any f mount or the ftz adapter.
Certainly a great all rounder and must-have lens. But if you can afford this lens OR 1, maybe 2 primes when buying a Z body, which would you buy there and then, and which would you save up for and buy later?
My own "holy trinity" for my personal fun, Matt, is the 24-200! I can't wait to see your face off between the 24-120 and the 24-200. I know there's a bit more flare and chromatic aberration in the 24-200. A trinity of one! yes. Isn't the DX crop a 1.5 boost, not a 2.3 boost?
What a great review. Thank you. Does this lens compatible with Z teleconverters (1.4x, 2x). If so, is there any experience the the quality is impacted when using a TC? Thank you. Jozsef
Superb, Matt. I recently bought the Z 24-200. I know it is a variable aperture lens but I was mega impressed by how sharp it was. I bought it specifically as a light-weight holiday/travel lens and it performed better than I expected. I backed it up with the Z 50mm, f/1.8 for those low light shops. Together with the Z7ii (left the Z9 at home) the two lenses gave me a really great, easy to carry around set-up. I would still be interested to see whether the Z24-120 is significantly better.
in corner sharpness it blows the 24-200 out of the water, especially at the short end. Also performs better against strong front light and renders better sunstars when stopped down. The price difference is there but you can clearly see that in the image quality.
@@pauka13 All quite true, I suspect, though I haven't tried the 24-120. I already have the 24-70 f/2.8 and the 70/200 f/2.8 which are both absolutely superb lenses. I bought the 24-200 essentially to provide the same reach as the two from the holy trinity but to be far more suitable for travel / holidays where weight and bulk can often be an issue. I have already been on one holiday using this lens and it gave results far better than I was expecting and most certainly wouldn't put anyone off getting one. The 24-120 might be even better, but there is a limit to how many lenses I would want to have that essentially perform in the same focal length field.
I`ve just buy this lense for my daughter camera Z5 , and i think is a versatille lenns. A little better of 24-70 f4 -who is sharper on the edge on wild open but still only 70mm on zoom. I added also 50mm 1.8 S for moore artistic kinds, and for a momment i think is enough to make her happy.
Don't know why this lens is suddenly such an amazing discovery. I've been using a Nikon 24-120 f/4 lens for many, many years. It has been the perfect lens for so many applications. Just about everything except bird photography.
As I indicated in the video Clifton, I have not really used one of the these lenses in about 20 years. In the case of the Z version, I cannot speak for versions in between, it is very, very good. Cheers Matt :)
A wonderful lens and a spectacular video, GREAT JOB... When I make the move to mirrorless this will definitely be my first lens, which will stick to my Z6III like glue. Another one that I will have for sure will be the 40mm f2 (good, beatiful and chep) and some long F1.4 (85??) and wide angle (20mm F1.4 Sigma on Z??) maybe..
I'm happy to hear the Z mount 24 - 120 is as good as you say. I have the F mount equivalent and am underwhelmed at its performance. The F version changed my opinion of Nikon glass, and not for the better.. Its strength is the versatility of its zoom range. It weaknesses: strong vignetting and soft corners wide open (which is only F4.) If Nikon's f mount is this bad and the Z mount equivalent is as good as you say, I have to assume the difference stems from the design of the Z mount itself, which to me bodes well for other z mount lenses. Thanks for the video.
Hi Matt. Excellent review and images as always! I shoot a Z7 with the Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S, and am getting superb results, especially in terms of image sharpness and detail. I'm now interested in the 24-120 f4, BUT have a question please...Have you compared it with the 24-70 f/4 S, and if so, would I be losing ANY sharpness by going with the 24-120? (Just FYI, I'm a sharpness fanatic, and usually shoot around f/8 or f/11, tripod-mounted.) Thank you sir.
Love this lens. I went through my catalog and saw that 80% of my shots fell in this range. I added it to my, "Un-holy Trinity," a 14-30 f4, the 24-120 f4, and the 70-200 f2.8. The Z glass is outstanding. Cheers Matt!
@Photo Bunny, really? The f-mount trinity was the 12-24 f2.8, 24-70 f2.8, and the 70-200 f2.8. Why would the Z line be any different?
Lol! I have the same set up and gave it the same name 14-30, 24-120, 70-200 with a brand new 1.4x teleconverter
@@woodybear8298 because you already cover the 70-120 mm range. The 100-400 brings you farther.
Same here. And no regrets at all. I love my nu-holy trinity. It would be nice if I was able to use the TC 2x with more lenses. The un-holy 4th one :-)
@@woodybear8298 Those are the lenses that are going into my camera bag. 🍻
This has become the lens that is always on my Z6 II, supplanting the 24-70 /2.8 for its versatility. It is so much sharper that I've already sold my 24-200mm lens. This and my Sigma 100-400 Sony E mount and Megadapt are pretty much my base landscape gear. I love this lens, very well done Nikon. And same for you Matt. Stay Safe.
Another big plus for this lens is the 0.39x magnification, which is double what most lenses achieve, and almost half of a full macro lens. I bought this lens, too. It's a great one to leave on the camera for general use, and then switch over to something specialized if needed. Any time you don't want to carry more than one lens, or you don't want to be bothered with lens changing, THIS is the one:-)
At what focal length does it achieve the max magnification?
@@mfdoom808I don't have it mounted right now, but Nikon says the close focus distance is constant, so the max magnification is at 120mm focal length.
@@jefflastofka9289 thanks, constant close focus is useful!
I just wanted to say that beyond photography, beyond the great videos and the great opinion pieces etc, your videos have such great energy. I think it's obvious that you, Matt, are a very generous person...a caring person....a person who truly wants good for your viewers and the people who work for your. I'm sending positive energy to your friend who has cancer and positive energy to you for all the great vibes you send out to your viewers.
Thanks Jeffrey. Means a lot.
I sold my f mount 14-24, 24-70 and 70-200 2.8 trinity and replaced them with z14-30, z24-120 and z100-400 trinity. They are sharper, more contrasty, focus better yet lighter, smaller, cheaper. I dont need the 2.8s as my primes will do better if I need bokeh. They are as sharp as the 2.8 but has more reach. They are the perfect trio for me with my z9 and z6ii. With the 24-120 being used the most on my z6ii. Barely took it off. Great video review!
I've owned the 24-120 f4 for two months and I am so pleased. When I got my Z6 a couple years ago it came with the 24-70 f4 which I loved and it was sharp so when I heard about this one, I purchased it and so glad I did. I paired it with my Z9 and am so happy, its all I need for everything I do. That extra reach makes such a difference. Thanks.
Bought this lens 4 months ago and I have been absolutely loving it. Amazing range with constant aperture, amazing corner to corner performance, and extremely lightweight for how versatile it is. Only issue I have so far is the higher than average vignetting which the auto correct profile doesn’t completely eliminate
at last! not a £14k lens I'll never afford or some super telephoto I'll never need....THIS is lens I bought and took to Greenland 2 weeks ago and LOVED it! Cheers Matt
Matt, have had my 24-120 for about six months and think it's brilliant. I had the 24-70 f2.8 and sold that to make way for the 24-120. I'm really enjoying the extra reach, quality, as you'd expect with a Nikon 'S', is outstanding. As a landscaper, I usually shoot between f8 and f11 so the advantage of a 2.8 was wasted on me. FWIW, I reckon the 24-120 is just about the perfect lens for a landscape photographer.
Matt, as you compare the 24-120/4S in your conversation with a hypothetical f/2.8 and alternatively the 24-200/non-S, a couple things. The S lenses are really in a class apart as they combine sharpness optical quality, low to extremely low chromatic aberration (CA) and low to extremely low distortion combined with suppression of focus breathing.
Not sure I explained that in your channel already, but making a less fast lens without CA is not too difficult anymore, but once you make the same design faster, you increase the glass elements' diameter and this will give edges with cross section like a prism - inherently causing CA. As a loyal-but-neither-collector-nor-fanboy Nikon user of over 45 years, I can tell you that CA has been my recurring rant with the F mount lenses and the 1.4G lenses (I had all of them) made me almost give up on Nikon for CA. Software could not free me from it. The "S" Class is really super. So this 24-120/4S is in that class. Period.
As to "fixed aperture" - there is a relation with focus breathing. The deeper problem is that classical lens designs - with a fixed arrangement of lens elements relative to each other at all times - change focal length when you focus closer by than the infinity setting. Yes, the focal length is defined for infinity. The implication of focusing is that the lens moves farther away from the image frame and the lens angle gets narrower, while the focal length gets longer. This then is called focus breathing. That is not a nuisance I would say when you change focus in a movie camera and the slight zoom-in effect is tolerable. The problem of focus breathing is that actually the exposure changes. How come? Well the aperture f/number is expressed as fraction of focal length and setting f/2 on a 50mm lens means that the aperture radius for f=50 pertains to 50/2=25. Imagine that we focus closer by and the apparent focal length becomes 60mm while we did not change the aperture ... well the f/number as fraction of focal length now has become 2.4 (60/2.4=25 while the physical diameter of the aperture has not changed). This IS a nuisance to a DP in cinematography who is critical about exposure. The darkening effect of your focus puller pulling the lens's focusing distance from infinity to closer by causing the aperture to become f/2.4 instead of f/2? Bummer. Dammit - we should have rented those expensive cine lenses. I prefer to call it aperture breathing, but "nobody" understands, or appreciates.
What this "breathing" prevention means for "prime'" lenses is that they have to become subtly marginal but smart focusing compensating zoom lenses. Yes, a prime lens without breathing is a zoom lens. Now imagine that your lens's focal length does not change when you go closer by and you can see that "constant aperture" just follows with mathematical precision from taking out focus breathing. That would make you very happy as a focus puller. And camera operator. And DP.
This implies that a "constant aperture" zoom lens might have correction for focus breathing and the constant aperture relative to focusing distance is just a bonus.
The other way around, it also means that lenses that cannot do this, will have aperture breathing and we can expect focus breathing as well.
So, in a zoomlens these are still separate qualities.
Do all "S" lenses suppress focus breathing? No. For example my ZMC 105/2.8S, certainly does not suppress focus breathing. With its display on the lens it perfectly shows what is happening to aperture when you focus closer by. So this lens with beautiful rendition is honestly explicit about it - consistent with Nikon's cultural history.
I did comparison of 24-120 and 24-200, they are pretty much identical at the same settings. It's all a placebo effect.
It’s not my favourite lens - my 70-200 f2.8 is - but as you say Matt, it’s very versatile. Especially for video on a shoot, agility is everything.
My two other pleasant surprises:
1. You can still get good background blur
2. Close up performance. Add my NiSI close up lens and I don’t need a macro lens.
Sold / consolidated my 24-200 and my 24-70 f/4 the day this lens was announced - absolutely LOVE the 24-120! Great update, thanks Matt!
I absolutely love this lens, it’s hardly off my Z6II now, the versatility of this lens is bonkers.
How’s the Z6ii working out for you? Any regrets about not getting the 7? I’m trying to figure out which I should get…
@@ElijahsAba I got the Z6II because it’s all the camera I could afford. I’d love the Z7II but it was too rich for me (like the Z9…oof)…that said, I’m very happy with my Z6II, great camera and the Z lenses are fabulous. 😎📸
I totally agree: the 24-120mm f/4S is a great all-around lens. When I go out shooting landscapes, and I don’t need the f/2.8 trinity, I take this lens and the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S lens.
Same here! I also have the 14-30/4, so in effect, I have a different kind of trinity.
@@RandyArellano they call it the un-holy trinity!
@@gosman949 Oooo... devilish. 😜
Fully agree Matt, but this also makes a wonderful close-up lens. If my 105 MC gets left at home I know I can get great images of flowers with this lens….
Very happy with my 24-120mm. Best lens for everyday shooting and video. Must in your gear. ... along with my 100-400mm lens. ... Outstanding lenses.
It is my go-to lens, very versatile for composition and to avoid the hassle of constantly changing the lenses. Good quality, I would love to have this range in at least 2.8 which makes life much better, especially in low light conditions.
It does look like a winner. If I didn't have the 24-70, which I bought early on before 24-120 was available, I would probably get it. I'm currently trying the 24-70 + 100-400 combo, just to simplify my kit. There is a little gap, but I haven't missed it, especially and you can put it into DX and still get a very decent megapixel shot, We are so spoiled with this generation of cameras, they're amazing.
Just happen to buy one of these Friday night. Have already used it under horrible lighting and colour conditions … Just as you said. MUST HAVE lens.
This is definitely one of my forth-coming "must-haves" - actually, when this lens was released, I thought "ah, it would make sense for Nikon to make this a 'kit' lens but I'm probably dreaming" - lo' and behold they did. When I eventually had enough to dive from F-mount D-SLR (APSC - my D7000) into mirrorless Z system - this was a long time of me watching for 4yrs wondering, D850 or Z7 - I ended up going for the Z7ii in this summer's sale (here in the northern hemisphere) despite this Z8/7iii speculation. I'd have loved to order Z7ii with 24-120, but just wasn't available. In fact, if I could've ordered body-only and awaited 24-120, I would have, but this also wasn't possible with stock at the time, so I went Z7ii 24-70 knowing it would be a compromise - not quality wise, but I am frustrated by lack of reach when previously sued to an 18-105 and 28-105 (w/macro) - 2010s kit lens and '90s lens. I realise I've got DX mode, but still lust for this 24-120. However, it's probably on the list AFTER the 85mm 1.8 and 50 MC 1.8. Before recently, I have NEVER had any kind of prime lens, and I am loving my 50mm 1.8 (incidentally, also got the 14-30 f4, couldn't justify the 2.8...and a a little later the 24-200, so I suppose my reach problem is solved). There's quite a list of lust to go though...got my filters...but now probably need a a gimbal, etc, etc...slowly, bit by bit. Really enjoy your videos Matt, thank you!
When/if I move from Nikon DSLR (D500) to Nikon Mirrorless this would be number 3 lens in my must buy / wish list. 1) 200-600 if it ever comes out, 2) 105mm macro, 3) this lens.
I think this is my all time favorite lens for what I get from it. Sharp, clean, just beautiful. Sad to admit I never think to use DX mode to get some extra reach. Thanks Matt.
you can do the same thing as DX mode by simply cropping. Do not fear!
You don't get extra reach by using the DX mode. All you are doing is cropping in the camera instead of on your computer.
@@cliftonwhittaker260 that is what I said!
@@cliftonwhittaker260 still better to frame your shot and have it in full screen rather than cropping later
@@AshBashSneakers yes, but then you also don’t get the versatility from cropping so just some to frame and shoot fx
Bought mine about nine months ago. Been absolutely blown away by it ITO sharpness, flexibility and its quality rendering. I shoot mainly landscapes and carry this lens and the Nikon 70 - 200mm F2.8 S lens most of the time in my camera bag. Very happy with them.
Works great on my Z6. Waited six months for Adorama to have it in stock.
Love this lens. Just used it at a Botanical Garden and the extra reach along with a fairly close focus distance made it a great way to get shoots I couldn’t get when on a tripod. I take this everywhere now with my Z7II.
This is definitely one lens I will have in my bag.
Coudnt agree more, Matt, this lens is a real revelation, I grabbed it shorty after it came out and I think it is superb. I knew it would be good much better than the F equivalent
but it is so much better, the sharpness, clarity and handling is just super.
I replaced my 24-200 with this lens and I absolutely love it. The performance throughout the focal range is outstanding, even at 24mm which is where I felt the 24-200 was weakest. What doesn't get talked about enough as far as versatility goes is the 24-120's impressive quasi-macro capability; having a minimum focus distance of just 35cm throughout the zoom range is fantastic. Also really noticeable to me is the step up in build quality from the baseline lenses to the S line. It's largely superficial but does make the lens feel more special.
Sold my 24-70 f/4 for the 24-120 f/4. Always preferred that range. The quality is amazing.
24-120mm would be better than my 24-200mm. But I'm thinking of getting the 28-75mm. I would use it for people and animal portraits. Also it can focus pretty close. Will see what I can get.
Just bought this lens a week ago based on the many reviews available here on YT and I'm glad you confirm it heart-fully. It will by my always on when leaving the house with no specific intention what to shoot. The only problem with this lens is probably that it makes some old F-lenses I own completely obsolete.
Sold my 24-70/4 to buy this lens when it released. Couldn't be happier. I don't have a common use case for the 2.8 as I use this range for landscape mostly so the extra weight of the 2.8 is pointless now a days when the f/4 are as sharp as the "pro-glass" ... The days of "all pros use the 2.8 holy trinity" are long behind us. I think Nikon hit it out of the park with the S-Line f/4(ish) trinity.
Yup, I originally bought the Z 24-200mm to use as my walkabout lens but was quite disappointed with it and went back to carrying around the venerable Z 24-70 f/2.8. Since I purchased the Z 24-120mm some months ago, it has become my go to lens, and I love it. In fact, the Z 24-70 f/2.8 has not been on my camera for over a month now. When I am traveling, I currently leave the trinity lenses at home and bring my Z 14-24mm f/2.8, the Z 24-120mm and the Z 100-400mm zooms. At some point I will probably pick up the Z 14-30mm f/4 and include the wonderful Z 20mm f/1.8 in the kit to replace the Z 14-24mm f/2.8.
I agree, it is one of the most surprising lens I've ever used.
I personally took the 24-200 before, very pleased!
I confess that in the beginning I was a little apprehensive about this lens. I never found either F Mount version to be that great optically (though using the VRII version on APS-C DSLR bodies was useful), but I'm reading so many positive reviews about the performance of this new Z version, that I'm beginning to think it might be the ultimate travel lens.
Good program Matt. What about the 24-200? I'm looking for THE walk around lens.
Nice recap. I"ve really enjoyed using my 24-120 so far. It's just so good and so versatile.
I'm not a Z-Mount photographer. I chose to go for the Sony A7RIV and my 24-104/f4 lens. I have the same experience. These lenses are great for travel photography and they have a decent capability to make all kinds of photos. I also use the 12-24/f4 and 70-200/f4. With three lenses and the crop mode I can cover 12-300mm which is fantastic!
I will put a order in as soon as I can sell my Nikon F mount kit, I will most likely get the 24-120 + 100-400 combo with a 105 MC, just to simplify my kit from 7 lenses down to 3 on a Z6 II/III from a D7200, Love the channel, it really helps when taking the next step. Love from Sweden!
I bought this lens shortly after my Z6ii, love it. Look forward to putting it on to my new z30 and see the results (although the weight will be a bit off balance) 😂
I fully agree with the quality and absolute versatility of this spectacular lens that never ceases to surprise me for the better. It works excellently on the Z7 and enhances every megapixel of its 45.7 mp. Thank you for your excellent review based on a six-monthly experience and ... greetings!
Eagerly awaiting the arrival of our order! Looks like a fantastic piece of kit.
The 24-120 S is on my Z cameras 80% of the time. Great lens. Right now, in my personal kit, the three zooms for Z are 14-30mm f4 S 24-120mm f4 S and an FTZ adapted 70-200 f4 F mount or 70-200 f 2.8 FL ED. I would really like an 70-200 f4S to complete my f4 zoom trilogy. I use the Z primes for speed, if I need it.
The 400mm f/2.8 is essential for my bag but just not the pocketbook. I'm definitely looking to get that lens when I can find it and the money at the same time. It will be great as an all round lens when you go out without specific pictures in mind. Definitely will replace my 34-70 kit lens.
It’s tough leaving the 2.8s at home but it’s perfect as a daily carry and for travel
I swapped my 24-70 for this one and love it! Hardly ever need to take it off.
I had the 24-200mm because the 24-120 wasn't available. But now, I ordered the lens (sold the 24-200mm) and it should arrive today.... happy man 🙂 thanks 4 the video, nice to watch :-)
Do it Matt. We DO want to see your comparison with the 24-200. We know it does not have constant wide open aperture, but it’s got that extra reach. Be brutal if you have to, mate
I had this lens in F-mount for the D850 and now in Z-mount for the Z8. All time favorite when traveling.
Absolutely stellar lens , the best multi purpose zoom i have owned.
Sold my 24-70 f4s which i was really happy with and thought was sharp for this even sharper lens which i feel resolves more of the Z7 pixels.
And the extra 50mm in focal length is incredibly versatile 👌
And the 77mm filter threads!!!
An absolute banger of a lens, miles and miles above the F version.
thanks Matt, great video. I already own an love the 24-70 Z F2.8 but i'm considering this as a more flexible travel lens for my motorcycle trips
I've had this lens since May, and I think it's amazing as well.
Got the call from Grays of Westminster that mine is in ready to collect. Hopefully the heatwave here in the UK will end in time for me to go up on Weds. Far too hot to do anything outside here today 🥵🥵
Unless you need that extra stop of light with the heavier 24-70 the 24-120 f4 is a no brainer. One must ask themselves in the course of their general photography, how often do we shoot below f4... For wight, reach and IQ, the 24-120 (Z or G series) is the practical choice imo.
Love this lens and pairing; my daily driver for general / journo / landscape
I have the f-mount G and agree it's a great all-around range. I really want the Z, but other things have to come first. (already have the Z 24-200 as well) Good video, and always enjoy seeing your work Matt. Agree that was a beautiful sunset.
It's certainly sharper/has less CA than the previous F mount model, but it looks like it still has about the same sort of flat image appearance compared to top-tier glass like the 2.8 lenses. The 24-70 2.8's of the world produce deeper blacks, more poppy highlights, greater vibrancy and much better bokeh. Remember kids, in modern lenses straight sharpness is the easy part!
Love this lens as well and one needs to shoot with it to know how great it is! I've done very important shoots and I'm a believer, it's fantastic and I feel confident taking it everywhere no matter what I'm shooting.
Third time on your site, good job. Used to teach college-level photo, first Nikon was SP range-finder. Coming out of retirement and just ordered this lens as my first Z mount. Keep up the good work.
This lens replaced my 24-70 f4, use it for vacation travel,the 24-70 F4 is great but there are many times i had to pull my heavy bulky 70-200 to get that background close around 85-105 range and this lens fills that gap..14-30/ 24-120/ a 35 1.8 and the nifty 50 1.8 is whats inside of my travel bag kit.
I can agree that the lens is really good, sharp and usefull. But I always feel like it is somewhere in between of everything and I skip buying it - if I want all rounder I think of 24-200 (not really that big of a difference in optical quallity), If I want bokeh I think of my 50 1.8 and 85, and also the weight is not really that low with 630g. Even the 28-75 comes into consideration if all-rounder is lens which can blur the background more and give you some standard flexibility. Not sure if anyone else has the same oppinion
Hey Matt. I agree 100% with the sharpness which is mind-blowing. I did find that this lens color profile is rather cool. My warm late afternoon shots came out rather blue. Nothing that can't be fixed afterwards, but still was noticeable. This was vs all my other Z lenses and previous F mount Nikkors
Got 4 massive trips coming up and have been going through the agony of planning my kit. A few trips, space in the bag is going to be a major concern and I think rewatching this video gives me confidence to give it a go with maybe just this lens and the 40mm f/2 for some street. Sample images were amazing and can't wait to get back to Melbourne later this year. Thanks for the great content as always. Cheers!
Great video Matt! So many great photos.
Keep up the good work and stay safe!
I’ve been loving the 24/120 z9 combo on film and tv work with dx mode and for video work also. Such a great range
Yes Great for everything, has been glued to my Z6 for 6 months ha ha… thanks for another great review 👍😊
Great video! Thanks!
I have this lens and I love it. I use it much more than the Z24-70/2.8S. And in addition I love my Z100-400S, another great lens with an awesome VR.
The 24-120mm f4 lens is the all rounder, perhaps for almost everything. However macro is better with 105mm. And longer lenses will give you more reach but for general use, portrait, family and landscape this is a great lens.
I've had this lens for almost 3 months now. It's pretty good.
If you are looking for absolute perfection, go with the 24-70 f2.8, F or Z mount. Better contrast, sharpness (slightly) and wow factor.
After watching sooo many reviews I finally have just picked this one up .
Now I can’t wait to try it out thanks Matt love your videos
this is your best video in my eyes. Well done!
I’m pretty sure now this is the lens I will buy together with the Z 6”!
I love this lens. it is my favorite lens by far
Matt, love, love, love your super valuable info! Question. I am considering both the Nikkor z 24-70mm f/4 s and the nikkor z 24-120 f/4 s. If you had to choose only one of them, which would you choose? I do a lot of travel, landscape, and wildlife. I’m looking for a great high quality walking around lens.
Hi Rebecca, thank you. Yes I would choose the 24-120. It is such a great lens and gives you the extra reach. And I have found it to be fabulously sharp. 😀
@@MattIrwinPhotography phenomenal! It seems to hit all the marks I was looking for.
Definitely getting this for my next single piece of kit walkabout rig. Thanks for another great review.
A comparison with the 24 - 200 would be brilliant. These are the two zooms I think most of us agonize over the most when trying to think of an all-rounder zoom. We all know the 24-200 is optically inferior. Its one advantage is its extra reach. So what would be great to see before buying the lenses is just how much better, optically, is the IQ of the 24-120 over the 24 - 200? Is it grossly obvious or does one need to pixel peep to pick it?
Don’t forget the aperture difference either. It’s reach versus a brighter constant aperture, and a bit better quality. In the past I think that difference was more significant, and so the choice was easier between e.g. an F-mount 24-120 and 28-300.
I love my 24-200 non-S lens on my Z6ii. Nobody complains about the photos I share. I regularly do the pixel peeping and don’t have any concerns. Others, far better to evaluate lenses than I am, have favourably reviewed this lens. Eagerly awaiting the 200-600 brother to this, hopefully this year.
I found the Z 24-200 to be a real disappointment, it just doesn't measure up to the S lenses in IQ, the maximum aperture reaches 6.3 at 85mm, and the bokeh is just not as pleasing. Even though it had additional reach, I sold it and replaced it with the Z 24-120mm and have been very happy with it's performance.
@@Interbeing_CDN Thanks Todd, that's very significant.
@@EdwardKilner Interesting Edward. Todd gives the view that the difference is significant. I might be in your camp Edward. It's like my wine tasting skills. My brother has a good palate and I don't. One day I was enjoying my red until my brother told me it was no good, it had gone off. Thanks bro. I said I was enjoying myself until then! haha!
Nice photos!
Ok, I just got a Z6 which I love, which lens should I go first??
Got my eyes on the 40mm f2, 50f1.8 s, 24/120 f4, I do street, a bit of video...
I don't have any f mount or the ftz adapter.
Thank for the review, I just picked up this lens and am looking forward to using it. Qq, what software were you using in this video?
did you use cpl for those cityscapes?? looks almost unbelievably fantastic!
Certainly a great all rounder and must-have lens. But if you can afford this lens OR 1, maybe 2 primes when buying a Z body, which would you buy there and then, and which would you save up for and buy later?
Nice looking lens, I'm considering getting one.
Is that Capture One you are using, do you prefer it to Lightroom ?
I also love this lens. I wonder if you can take stills during taking video.
My own "holy trinity" for my personal fun, Matt, is the 24-200! I can't wait to see your face off between the 24-120 and the 24-200. I know there's a bit more flare and chromatic aberration in the 24-200. A trinity of one! yes. Isn't the DX crop a 1.5 boost, not a 2.3 boost?
thx for sharing yes this lens is on my next list after upgrading to z8 as I still get 19mp in DX crop and will be on 240mm
I love this lens on my Z9, it is so sharp!
What a great review. Thank you. Does this lens compatible with Z teleconverters (1.4x, 2x). If so, is there any experience the the quality is impacted when using a TC? Thank you. Jozsef
Very compelling and interesting lens. Excellent video, thanks Matt
Superb, Matt. I recently bought the Z 24-200. I know it is a variable aperture lens but I was mega impressed by how sharp it was. I bought it specifically as a light-weight holiday/travel lens and it performed better than I expected. I backed it up with the Z 50mm, f/1.8 for those low light shops. Together with the Z7ii (left the Z9 at home) the two lenses gave me a really great, easy to carry around set-up. I would still be interested to see whether the Z24-120 is significantly better.
in corner sharpness it blows the 24-200 out of the water, especially at the short end. Also performs better against strong front light and renders better sunstars when stopped down. The price difference is there but you can clearly see that in the image quality.
@@pauka13 All quite true, I suspect, though I haven't tried the 24-120. I already have the 24-70 f/2.8 and the 70/200 f/2.8 which are both absolutely superb lenses. I bought the 24-200 essentially to provide the same reach as the two from the holy trinity but to be far more suitable for travel / holidays where weight and bulk can often be an issue. I have already been on one holiday using this lens and it gave results far better than I was expecting and most certainly wouldn't put anyone off getting one. The 24-120 might be even better, but there is a limit to how many lenses I would want to have that essentially perform in the same focal length field.
This Z 24-120 f4 is probably Nikon's home run lens for the masses. It clearas hell and it under cuts it's 2.8 cousins by big margin
I`ve just buy this lense for my daughter camera Z5 , and i think is a versatille lenns. A little better of 24-70 f4 -who is sharper on the edge on wild open but still only 70mm on zoom. I added also 50mm 1.8 S for moore artistic kinds, and for a momment i think is enough to make her happy.
Don't know why this lens is suddenly such an amazing discovery. I've been using a Nikon 24-120 f/4 lens for many, many years. It has been the perfect lens for so many applications. Just about everything except bird photography.
As I indicated in the video Clifton, I have not really used one of the these lenses in about 20 years. In the case of the Z version, I cannot speak for versions in between, it is very, very good. Cheers Matt :)
A wonderful lens and a spectacular video, GREAT JOB...
When I make the move to mirrorless this will definitely be my first lens, which will stick to my Z6III like glue. Another one that I will have for sure will be the 40mm f2 (good, beatiful and chep) and some long F1.4 (85??) and wide angle (20mm F1.4 Sigma on Z??) maybe..
I'm happy to hear the Z mount 24 - 120 is as good as you say. I have the F mount equivalent and am underwhelmed at its performance. The F version changed my opinion of Nikon glass, and not for the better.. Its strength is the versatility of its zoom range. It weaknesses: strong vignetting and soft corners wide open (which is only F4.) If Nikon's f mount is this bad and the Z mount equivalent is as good as you say, I have to assume the difference stems from the design of the Z mount itself, which to me bodes well for other z mount lenses. Thanks for the video.
Hi Matt. Excellent review and images as always! I shoot a Z7 with the Nikkor 24-70 f/4 S, and am getting superb results, especially in terms of image sharpness and detail. I'm now interested in the 24-120 f4, BUT have a question please...Have you compared it with the 24-70 f/4 S, and if so, would I be losing ANY sharpness by going with the 24-120? (Just FYI, I'm a sharpness fanatic, and usually shoot around f/8 or f/11, tripod-mounted.) Thank you sir.
I think it would’ve a great lens for me around here for daily carry in my pack.
I am blown away by the non existing CAs
sounds great would love an 18-100 f 4 APC for a 27 - 150 equivalent even more
Really want this lens...and with the upcoming "Z8". Will be a fantastic combo!