Nikon Nikkor Z 24-120mm F/4 S Long Term Lens Review
My Impressions, Experience, and Verdict
In Short: Low expectations, incredible results… Read On!
By Sam Bugas - November 2023
I should start this review with the following statement: The tool that you can successfully use to create a compelling visual series of photos is the right tool for you. Perhaps even more importantly, the tool that compels you, and that you enjoy using, is the right tool for you. I am predominantly an adventure photographer with a focus on natural landscapes, how we move within and around them, and sometimes how wildlife exists in them. My photographic interests have compelled me predominantly towards zoom lenses that balance three things: size, versatility, and maximum aperture. That’s not to say I only consider those variables, it’s just to say that those are my priority. For that reason, I had more or less ignored 24-120mm lenses up until this year. I saw them as being versatile at the cost of size and aperture. This lens, however, rewrote my perception.
Why Buy a 24-120mm Lens?
Let’s start this off with a handful of reasons why someone might consider any 24-120mm (or roughly equivalent) lens:
Versatility
I wrote above that I ALWAYS prioritize versatility, and that’s exactly what first compelled me to check out this lens. 24mm lets me open up the scene in more adventurous sequences, while 120mm allows me to look for the details that help to tell the story (storm clouds around a mountain top, climbers ascending a ridge, a cluster of fog filled trees far off).
Weight
This may seem like a contradiction given I started this post by saying I’ve avoided 24-120mms in part due to size…I was wrong. The 24-120mm lens, as it happens, is smaller than the typical 24-70 f/2.8. More importantly, though, it’s much smaller than the collection of lenses you’d typically need to hit this range (24-70mm and 70-200mm). I can go on a multi day climb or backpacking trip with just this lens and feel confident I have the range to create a full visual series without a mountain load of weight.
Durability
I’m not sure what the magic formula is, but 24-120mm lenses tend to be built with high quality construction by each manufacturer. The Nikon Nikkor 24-120mm is an S-series lens, the canon equivalent is L series. Each copy I’ve seen has tight tolerances (consistent quality), with weather sealing and robust materials. In the mountains or on a long weather stricken trail, this pays dividends.
Build Quality & Ergonomics
I’ll start with the basics. The Nikkor 24-120mm F/4 S lens is built beautifully. The materials, while being primarily hard plastic, give total confidence that they will last. The single function button comes in handy on a regular basis. Each and every “feature” is well manufactured, but that’s not what makes me so pleased with the quality. Instead, it’s the weather sealing and the zoom ring. I’ve soaked this lens a number of times, left it in the snow on a mountainside for hours (and nights), battered it with ocean spray and sand, covered it in dust and mud, and never felt as though it was hindered in the least. A quick wet rag and it looks good as new. The zoom ring stands out for two reasons, the first being its tightness. I prefer a good amount of resistance in a zoom lens, and this one is the best I’ve used (even compared to other Nikkor lenses). I also find the material grippier than most other lenses, which helps while wearing gloves, or when my hands are numb. As for ergonomics, it’s a tightly built, well balanced lens. The lack of VC (vibration reduction) reduces the size, and when paired with anything but the smallest cameras, it feels great.
I want to specifically note a distinguishing factor that sets this lens apart from the competition put out by other lens manufacturers. For the most part, this range is produced as a 24-105mm f/4 lens (this is the case for Canon, Sony, and Lumix to name a few). Nikon, however, managed to squeeze in an extra 15mm, extending the range from 105mm to 120mm, while maintaining a size and weight that is below all major competitors. Those extra 15mm are a massively useful for making this a do-it-all powerhouse, and to have zero compromise in build, weight, or cost is unbelievable in my opinion.
Image Quality
This, in my opinion, is the least important, and yet most shocking part of this lens. First, why isn’t it important? Lenses are pretty much universally sharp these days (this stands true for many, if not most, lenses over the last 20 years). When a lens is soft, we almost always process in software that can give even the worst files an impressive face lift. With that in mind, image quality goes beyond sharpness and into the mysterious realm of…character. This is one of the hardest variables to objectively quantify, and so I simply won’t, sorry. What I will say is that some combination of contrast, color rendition, and sharpness make this lens one of my favorites ever. No, it doesn’t break into the crazy character realm of some speciality primes, but it certainly has enough of a look to help your files start off in a great place. I am someone that almost always decreases clarity and contrast right out of the gate so that I can build it in locally rather than globally, but with this lens, I often find myself leaving it as-is because I really enjoy how the files look right away.
Fun Factor
For years and years, I knocked 24-120mm and 24-70mm lenses for not being fun. Truth be told, I had never owned one. I doubt I’ll own a 24-70mm lens anytime soon (because I love the Nikkor 24-120mm too much), so I won’t comment on it’s fun quality. The 24-120mm, however, has proven to be a powerhouse of fun. I recently went on a two day climb in the Washington Cascades, up Mt. Baker. The climb was brilliantly beautiful, and I was able to work with the 24-120 start to finish without wishing I had another lens. I was running all over the place finding new angles, looking for distant peaks and layers, hunting patterns in the glacier and capturing time in camp. The lens was like a Swiss Army knife! It’s a very different kind of fun than the zoom-with-your-feet fun of a prime lens, which can be a very expressive way of shooting, but it’s fun nonetheless. Being able to do this rain, snow, mud or shine makes it all the more enjoyable. The only lens I have more fun with at any given time is my Nikon Nikkor 70-180mm f/2.8 which I will review in a different post, and that lens is fun for an entirely different reason.
Alternatives to The Nikkor 24-120mm F/4 Lens
The 24-200mm
The 24-200mm lens has at least as much (and arguably much more) versatility as the 24-120mm. With additional reach, it can be more practical for being your one-stop-shop of a lens, and for that I cannot fault it. I will fault the typically lower image quality and character, as well as the slightly less robust build quality in most case. It’s many photographers’ favorite lens, though, and certainly worth considering
The 70-200mm
I fully intend to write another post about this lens alone as it is perhaps the most fun lens I own. Given the range, the versatility, and the optical quality, a 70-200mm f/2.8 or f/4 is incredibly worth considering. Size and price are the two biggest cons I can come up with, and they aren’t good reasons to not shoot with this lens. Refer to my other post about 70-200mm lenses to learn why I think they are essential.
Summary
The Nikon Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens (wow that’s a mouthful) is far and away my most used, and most prized, lens at this time. Out of my last 10,000 photos, it has accounted for nearly 6,700 of them, and I expect it to maintain the lion’s share in most cases moving forward. Between its great build quality, longer than average maximum zoom range (120mm), and very satisfying image quality and character, I would tell virtually anyone that shoots in the Nikon Z system to order this lens, or at minimum give it a long term rental to earn you respect.
About Me:
I have shot photos for nearly five years, with a consistent focus on capturing moments of action and environment while I am outside. I’ve dabbled in quite a few different genres of photography, and I’ve found that my favorite moments to take a photo are when the wind is whipping, the air is freezing, and I’m far away from home. Over the last year, I’ve come to the realization that taking photos and telling stories are two very different things. My goal is to become a story teller that can work in the worst environments and come away with compelling sets of photos and written stories that help me, and others, to relive the essence of an adventure. I am focused on continuing to grow as a visual story teller so that I may someday leverage my skills to successfully work within conservation and expedition photography.
Lastly, if you are a climber, backpacker, photographer, scuba diver or whatever else in the broader Washington/Oregon area, let’s get after it! I’d love to start some group journeys!