With the release of the Z5, Nikon today also announced the new Nikon Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 lens, along with two 1.4x and 2x teleconverters for the Z mount. Many of us did not anticipate these lenses, because they were not on the Nikon Z lens roadmap. However, these are very important lenses for a number of reasons, as I explain in this article.
While Nikon has already added both f/2.8 and f/4 versions of 24-70mm lenses as well as the Nikon Z 24-200mm, one might think that another wide-to-standard zoom lens is not needed. However, after using the super lightweight pancake-style Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR, I was hoping that Nikon would release such a lens for full-frame cameras as well. And that’s what Nikon exactly did with the Z 24-50mm! It might not have the same impressive range, but expanding it would have resulted in a much larger and heavier lens.
Weighing just 195 grams, this is a very lightweight and compact lens, which will couple really well with the lightweight Nikon Z camera bodies, including the Z5. It will be a great travel companion for those who want to keep their setup small and portable. Plus, at $400, it is an inexpensive lens, even when compared to the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S. So it is also a great entry point for those on budget, wanting to get into the Nikon Z system.
Being a fully plastic kit lens, one would think that its performance is sub-par. However, once you take a look at its MTF chart, you will realize that this lens has quite a bit of value to offer:
It appears that the lens will be sharp from 24mm to 50mm, without serious compromises.
As a comparison, take a look at the MTF chart of the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S:
It appears that the new Nikon Z 24-50mm will be sharper in the center on the wide end, and have better corner performance on the telephoto end. Its contrast will be very high as well, something expected from a Z line lens.
The biggest negatives are the relatively slow aperture of f/4 to f/6.3, and lack of high-end coatings we normally see on S lenses. But I would not expect to see that on a budget kit lens anyway.
The Nikon Z 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters also look very impressive. These teleconverters are designed for high-end lenses like the Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S, as well as any future super-telephoto lenses Nikon will be releasing for the Z mount.
The performance characteristics of these lenses will be extremely important. While a 1.4x teleconverter harms image quality very little, anything longer tends to bring a lot of problems, as we have shown in our article on teleconverters. A 2x teleconverter can hurt lens sharpness by 30% or more, depending on what lens it is coupled with.
How about the new Nikon Z teleconverters? Let’s take a look at their MTF charts, when coupled with the Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S. But first, let’s see how the 70-200mm does by itself:
And here is the lens, with the 1.4x attached:
As you can see, it appears that the 1.4x teleconverter certainly affects the sharpness of the lens, but the performance impact isn’t drastic, especially in the center of the frame. From the chart, we can see that the telephoto end (200mm) gets affected worse than the wide end (70mm).
Now let’s take a look at the 2x teleconverter:
If we believe these MTF charts, the performance of the 2x teleconverter should be pretty incredible. We can see that the lens continues to produce high levels of contrast, and its sharpness deteriorates very little compared to the 1.4x teleconverter. And this is wide open – once stopped down a little, it should look even better.
Now that these teleconverters are out, I would love to get my hands on the Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S as soon as possible, to see how the lens performs in the real world. I would also love to see super telephoto primes for the Z mount. If Nikon could start out with its PF lenses like the 300mm f/4E PF and the 500mm f/5.6E PF, it would be amazing…
So I finally have the Z 2x TC
Fo photographing birds in flight, I have a 400mm full frame reach. Its not enough tough.. putting the Nikon Z6-2 in DX mode is not the best option unless I fill the frame perfectly, which is not the case with erratic flying birds in upstate N.Y.
Question: Is it my skill level that I’m missing or Using a TC is not the right tool for the job? In other words: Do I need to buy a support telephoto lens to get the results I’m craving for? And If a longer lens is the answer, which option would be the best for a maximum 3K budget.
1) wait for the upcoming Z 200-500
2) buy the FTZ and get the F 200-500
3) buy the Sigma 150-600.
Thanks in advance!
A cheaper kit with the 24-200 would be appreciated. Canon has such a kit with the RP for $1500
Since the FTZ is a tube, it appears there is no mechanical reason why you couldn’t use a Z TC with an FTZ and just about any F lens. Probably some good optical reasons though.
I’m not saying this won’t work, but I’d be very surprised if it does. I don’t think it’s just optical issues though those are important. I think it will also be electronic as the FTZ is getting its AF data straight from the camera and converting it to the F-mount lenses. Why would Nikon let or make this data pass through the Z-mount converters? Especially when they are only designed for Z-mount lenses. So although initially a cool idea you had, there’s no way it’s going to work. I say who cares though as the TC-14E III is already fantastic and recent, it works amazingly well with lenses like the 70-200mm FL! The only reason the new 70-200mm S lens is sharper than the FL f-mount is that it’s glass is closer to the sensor. That alone makes it sharper, if you look closely the 70-200 S looks just like the f-mount 70-200 FL and although it adds one element with a new design it’s very similar in design. What I’m saying is Nikon has a great starting point and just adapted that design to the Z mount. However the 70-200mm FL is already a fantastic lens, especially if you have a good copy. The only reason why people want the S 70-200 is because it’s going to have more accurate AF and not need the adapter, plus it’ll be slightly sharper. However I’ve had the chance to play with a sample 70-200mm S and it’s not as fast AF speed wise as the FL f-mount lens is. It’s not slow by any means, but the 70-200mm FL is the fastest autofocusing lens Nikon makes. Not sure why Nikon changed the motor in the S lens, but it’s slower for sure.
The question is from people like me that has the 3 F2.8 f and a z7 plus ftz. Now should I buy this or f … seems s lems future but not afford to do f2s lems upgrade …