Nikon just announced their first-ever DX prime lens for the mirrorless Z system – the Nikon Z DX 24mm f/1.7. This ultra-light lens will launch for $280 and is expected to ship in mid June. Here’s what you need to know about the Z DX 24mm f/1.7.
Specifications
- Full Name: NIKKOR Z DX 24mm f/1.7
- Mount Type: Nikon Z mount, APS-C (DX)
- Focal Length: 24mm
- Maximum Aperture: f/1.7
- Minimum Aperture: f/11
- Filter Thread Size: 46mm
- Angle of View: 61°
- Minimum Focus Distance: 0.18 m (0.59 ft)
- Maximum Magnification: 0.19x (1:5)
- Lens Elements: 9
- Lens Groups: 8
- Vibration Reduction: No
- Diaphragm Blades: 7
- Aspherical Elements: 2
- AF Motor: STM
- Internal Focus: Yes
- Size (Diameter x Length): 70 x 40 mm (2.8 x 1.6 in.)
- Weight: 135 g (0.30 lbs)
- MSRP: $279.95 (check price and pre-order)
Thoughts So Far
A light, bright, inexpensive DX prime – this is a lens I’ve been wanting to see for a while. It won’t grab as much attention as a flagship f/2.8 zoom or exotic supertelephoto prime, but far more photographers will find the Z DX 24mm f/1.7 in their bags at the end of the day. As a 36mm equivalent lens, it’s a versatile focal length for a wide range of subjects.
My only concern with the Z DX 24mm f/1.7 so far is that it doesn’t have vibration reduction. Nikon’s three current Z DX cameras don’t have in-body image stabilization either. This cancels out some of the advantage of the bright f/1.7 maximum aperture, at least for handheld photography.
But for shooting with a shallow depth of field, or when your subject is moving, the f/1.7 aperture will be very handy. This includes video work, where I expect the Z DX 24mm f/1.7 to be very useful. And in terms of the lens’s size and weight, Nikon hit the nail on the head. At $280, this will be a very easy lens to recommend, assuming that it meets basic performance standards.
In terms of Nikon’s broader strategy with their Z DX lenses, the 24mm f/1.7 will help, but the lineup is still pretty slim. We now have four variable aperture zooms that reach everything from 12mm to 250mm, plus this new prime. I’d like to see more DX prime lens options, plus some faster DX zooms. While we’re at it, I’d also like to see two more DX camera bodies to help flesh out the system (one sub-$500 entry-level; one professional option).
All in all, I’m glad to see Nikon release this lens. It reminds me a bit of the Nikon DX 35mm f/1.8G, which was well-loved back in the day. Even though the focal length is different, this lens promises to continue that lens’s legacy as a lightweight, inexpensive, and (hopefully) well-performing DX prime.
Sample Images
Press Release
NIKON RELEASES THE NIKKOR Z DX 24MM F/1.7, A FAST PRIME LENS FOR NIKON Z SERIES CREATORS
Newest NIKKOR Z Lens Makes it Simple to Get Blurred Backgrounds in Photo & Videos
MELVILLE, NY (May 31, 2023) Nikon Inc. has announced the release of the NIKKOR Z DX 24mm f/1.7, a fast aperture and extremely affordable compact prime lens for Nikon Z mount APS-C size/DX-format mirrorless cameras. The NIKKOR Z DX 24mm f/1.7 is the first prime APS-C size NIKKOR Z lens and gives a wide range of creators the benefits of a versatile angle of view and fast f/1.7 aperture for blurred backgrounds and amazing low light performance.
The quality of the out-of-focus area, also known as the bokeh, is unique to fast maximum apertures and allows users to dramatically emphasize their subjects in still-life and portrait photography. The new 24mm f/1.7 also enables the capture of beautiful, high-resolution photos and video in dimly lit conditions, by allowing more light to enter the lens. In addition, images recorded under such circumstances exhibit very little blur, even while shooting hand-held due to the fast shutter speed afforded with wider apertures. The 24mm focal length is ideal for a wide variety of scenes, including tabletop photos, portraits, and landscapes. What’s more, the 7-inch (0.18m) minimum focus distance allows users to get close to subjects such as flowers and tabletop objects, for images that emphasize the subject with big background bokeh. The compact and lightweight design enables easy carrying, making it an ideal lens for everyday use.
Primary features of the NIKKOR Z DX 24mm f/1.7 Lens
- A fast maximum aperture of f/1.7 makes it an ideal lens for rendering content that includes large bokeh for both still-image and video recording. During hand-held shooting in dimly lit and dark surroundings, the fast aperture enables fast shutter speeds to reduce the effects of camera shake, as well as the ability to use lower ISO sensitivities for less noise.
- A convenient angle of view at 24-mm focal length and 7-inch minimum focus distance support recording of a wide variety of scenes.
- Adoption of a stepping motor (STM) enables quiet autofocusing, minimizing focus sounds in video.
- Designed with consideration for the suppression of focus breathing,1 the lens enables smooth focusing with less change in the angle of view, even when the focus point changes during video recording.
- A compact and lightweight design makes it easy to carry inside a bag while mounted on a camera. When combined with the Nikon Z 30, the camera and lens combined weighs approximately 540g.
Price and Availability
The new NIKKOR Z DX 24mm f/1.7 lens will be available in mid-June 2023 for a suggested retail price of $279.95.* For more information about the latest Nikon products, including the vast collection of NIKKOR Z lenses and the entire collection of Z series cameras, please visit nikonusa.com.
About Nikon
Nikon Inc. is a world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and technologies for photo and video capture; globally recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance for an award-winning array of equipment that enables visual storytelling and content creation. Nikon Inc. distributes consumer and professional Z Series mirrorless cameras, digital SLR cameras, a vast array of NIKKOR and NIKKOR Z lenses, Speedlights and system accessories, Nikon COOLPIX® compact digital cameras and Nikon software products. For more information, dial (800) NIKON-US or visit www.nikonusa.com, which links all levels of photographers and visual storytellers to the Web’s most comprehensive learning and sharing communities. Connect with Nikon on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram,TikTok, Vimeo and Flickr.
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Specifications, equipment, and release dates are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer.
1Focus breathing may be noticeable depending on the distance between the lens and the subject due to the characteristics of the lens.
*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.
Nice to see that it’s finally here. I held on to me z50 for an extra 2 years waiting for this lens. Finally sold it around Christmas. Got tired of waiting on a company that wasn’t interested in my poor DX self as a customer.
While there’s nothing wrong with a plastic mount, it certainly would have helped with the perception of quality to use metal. Particularly given that the 35mm 1.8G DX has one for less money.
Agreed.
Thom Hogan, in his recent ‘buzz, buzz’ piece, suggests that Nikon shooters should be happy with the current dx lens offering for the current dx cameras because it’s close to 35/50/85.
!!??
As long ago as 1980 I had a Pentax ESII with 24/50/150 lenses.
Come on Nikon! If you can’t even match what Pentax could do 40 years ago …
And this disappoints and annoys me! Why a plastic bayonet?! Will it be 5/10$ more expensive or 5 grams heavier? In order! Such disrespect to a DX user. 1.5 years ago I wanted to switch to Fuji, but bought the Z50, gave Nikon a chance to correct itself. But it didn’t work out. Lenses I would like to buy: Viltrox 13/1.4, Sigma 30/1.4, maybe Tamron 70-300 (it’s a pity that it doesn’t have stabilization). And Nikon still doesn’t have a 70-300, Karl!) There are no Nikon lenses on my wish list! And replace 16-50 with nothing at all! Nikon, where is the 16-80/4, where is the 16-50/2.8? I’ll probably switch to Fuji after all. I am 50 years old, there is no time to wait, life will end like that.
It’s funny to watch people who have invented and created a problem for themselves, and then suffer because of it)
And I won’t even ask you to explain the reason for the fear of plastic))
I know it’s an irrational phobia)
And yes. I bought the Z5 only after I realized that I could buy the lenses I needed with the necessary focal lenses)
I’m trying to understand the manufacturer’s logic, why make a plastic bayonet, what’s the point? Is the lens $5 cheaper and 5 grams lighter? Ridiculously.
Phobia?))) Why don’t they make plastic on the S-line? Is the next step going to be making a plastic camera mount?
P.S. My 18-105 developed backlash after several years of very careful use.
Why do amateur cameras have a shutter that, according to the manufacturer, withstands fewer triggers?
Why do amateur cameras rarely use magnesium alloy for the supporting structure, but use a lighter carbon composite?
Why are the lenses with the Z-series bayonet not smaller, lighter and contain fewer optical elements?
Why do amateur cameras have worse protection from dust and moisture?
Why do many lenses sell without a lens hood?
Why did optical seekers of amateur cameras often not have 100% coverage?
Expediency and division of products by market niches.
And so. A plastic bayonet can be considered a disadvantage only under two conditions:
• Heavy lens;
• Frequent lens change, that is, almost every day several times a day.
In all other cases, a plastic bayonet is better:
• It is lighter;
• It is cheaper with a large circulation;
• Provides better protection from moisture without the need to complicate and increase the cost of the design for installing the seal;
• In cases of excessive loads, it breaks down and thereby reduces the risks of breaking the mounting geometry and breaking the camera body and lens.
As a result, the Z 24 1.7 is not an S lens, that is, it is not positioned as professional as the Z 24 1.8 and, accordingly, should not compete with it. So the people who will buy it:
• won’t change it often;
• it is lightweight and does not create a load on the bayonet;
• it is cheap, which means that any increase in the cost of the material reduces its attractiveness to the target audience and/or profitability for Nikon;
• due to the hydrophobicity of plastic with a high tightness of the lens, the protection against dust and moisture of both the camera and the lens itself is improved (dust inside the lens is the main reason for the loss of value in the absence of damage to the lens itself;
• since a light lens and a light camera make the bundle lighter, we get less impact load on the camera when it falls, and thereby reduce the risk of lens and camera breakdowns.
As a result, Nikon does everything logically and correctly. And this lens is not your product.
An extra 5 grams will make the set heavy, and an extra 5 dollars will make it expensive?!))) Very funny!
It’s a pity that Sigma, Tamron and Viltrox don’t know about it)))
I will ask you to find a lens with similar characteristics from the brands you listed that had a similar weight, size and price.
Name the objective reason that prevented Nikon from making this particular lens with a metal bayonet? Metal does not increase the size, but the price and weight by 5/10 dollars/gram, so there is no logic in this.
Do you have problems understanding the text? I have already described in detail the advantages of plastic for light and short lenses. According to your logic, in amateur cameras you need to use magnesium alloys, shutters with a resource of more than 200,000, buffers that allow you to shoot without restrictions, etc. And the reason is simple – rationality)
According to your logic – a metal bayonet is needed only for heavy lenses, does it interfere with making light and compact lenses? Nikon itself refutes your claims! The most compact Nikon 26/2.8 lens (weight 125 grams) has a metal bayonet. Therefore, this is simply stupidity from the manufacturer, and not an engineering necessity.
Are you adequate? One more time. The plastic bayonet allows you to reduce the cost of the lens design. I do not urge anyone to abandon the metal bayonet. I will say more, I don’t care what kind of mount in the lens I buy it in order to photograph. And I’m not going to leave it as a legacy to my grandchildren. There are a bunch of parameters by which I choose the lens, but there is no bayonet material in the parameters)
The pro Nikon Z 26 2.8 costs $500, its closest competitor costs $200 less, while it has similar optical characteristics and, what is especially valuable to me, fully internal focusing! I personally will not buy Z 26 2.8, since I was not satisfied with the work of Z 28 2.8 in the corners, which is cheaper.
If you are willing to pay an additional $200 for a metal bayonet and -2 mm focal length within the same brand at the cost of losing internal focus, then great – this is your product!) I also have a Z 40 2.0 with a plastic bayonet on my travels to Z 24-200, which I bought for $300)
Oh, how aggressive you are!))) The optical design affects the price of the lens, not the metal bayonet! The lightest and most affordable F-mount lenses 35/1.8 DX, 40/2.8 micro, 50/1.8 had a metal mount! Even the 18-105 with a plastic bayonet was replaced by a similar in price and size 18-140 with a metal bayonet, and not the other way around! Metal almost does not increase the price, it’s just nonsense Nikon! Type C came out in 2013, and when Nikon makes the Z50 with micro USB in 2019, it’s just stupid because Type C doesn’t increase the price at all. You will make a good Nikon employee! Instead of working on bugs, you’ll be holding press conferences and telling consumers that plastic is better than metal and micro USB is better than Type C.
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm F3.5-5.6G ED VR costs 310$ plastic bayonet, 15 elements in 11 groups (including 1 element of ED glass and 1 aspherical lens).
Nikon AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR costs now $496 and almost $600 at the time of release, metal bayonet, 17 elements in 12 groups (including 1 element of ED glass and 1 aspherical lens).
Do you notice the difference in price?)
It seems that you are inadequate!
Why did you decide that Sigma, Tamron and Viltrox should have exact Nikon counterparts? What I meant was that they don’t use a plastic mount, but they make quality products, even cheaper than Nikon. Nikon has already made many mistakes! Instead of catching up with the competition, he started messing with the stillborn Nikon 1, lost time and users, many engineers from Nikon went to Fuji and Sony. Now Nikon loses in terms of marketing… That’s why they don’t do everything correctly and logically.
P.S. If the camera is dropped, the front lens is more likely to be damaged. And a plastic bayonet will not give an advantage over a metal bayonet when falling. You, as a connoisseur of technology, need to know about this.
Ranting about the plastic bayonet is completely pointless. It is what it is, and for most people, it works just fine.
The point about lack of choice and switching to Fuji has some merit. Nikon stopped catering to the serious DX user some time ago (except maybe the wildlife people who use the D500 with big glass). So, if serious APS-C is what you want, switching is probably the better choice.
Unfortunately, I don’t speak English, I translate through Google, so maybe not everything is clear. But I wrote not so much about the plastic bayonet, but about Nikon’s attitude to the DX user. Nikon behaves like a “dog in the hay”, does not make fast zooms and does not allow ready-made solutions from Sigma and Tamron.
You should give the lens a try if all that’s stopping you is the mount. With a tiny lens like this, a plastic mount surely will not be a weak spot!
Sigma also released 3 DX lenses for the Z mount recently. So, there are other fully functional and decent DX prime options available as well. Though the Sigma lenses are quite a bit bigger than this.
I have had the Sigma 40mm f/1.4 for about a month now and shooting it with a Z50. So far, so good. I have been taking it with me on some of my daily walks in a park that has a lot of wildflowers to get used to it. I have only shot a few portraits though so I can’t say too much about that, but the shots I have turned out good.
I’d like to try out those Sigma lenses before long. They look really nice.
I can actually see this new 24mm pairing very well with the Sigma 56mm. Would be a nice 35+85 equivalent combo.
I bought a Z30 just for video, and the kit lens is suprisingly sharp, an overal great lens for the price. This will be a nice option for low light shooting.
The lens is a great addition to the DX lineup. I find it curious with f1.7, instead of tradition f1.8 or f1.4. Wondering any reason for it.
I don’t know if this is the underlying reason, but it will definitely minimize confusion since Nikon already has a 24mm f/1.8 Z lens for full frame. Now it will always be clear which lens someone is talking about, which could be really helpful for new photographers.
Yes. it will definitely reduce the confusion.
I almost wonder if minimizing confusion was the real reason for f1.7. Searching for 35mm 1.8G lenses can be quite the challenge sometimes
I will ask you to provide facts that prove the figures you have voiced.
You have invented or read about it somewhere, and at the same time you ignore other factors. Such as the hydrophobicity of plastic, coefficient of thermal expansion, manufacturability, etc. The difference between metals and plastic is not only in weight and price.
f/1.7 lenses became popular decades ago. Mainly, I presume, because f/1.7 is halfway between f/1.4 and f/2: half a stop slower than f/1.4; half a stop faster than f/2.
Whereas f/1.8 lenses are only one-third of a stop faster than f/2.
Precise values to 2 decimal places followed by common name:
1.41 f/1.4 (1 stop faster than f/2)
1.59 f/1.6 (2/3 stop faster than f/2)
1.68 f/1.7 (1/2 stop faster than f/2)
1.78 f/1.8 (1/3 stop faster than f/2)
2.00 f/2 (0 stop faster than f/2)
As Spencer said, making this DX 24 mm an f/1.7 will minimize confusion with the existing FF 24 mm f/1.8, thankfully.
It looks nice, just too bad it’s a DX lens and not a FX lens. The 35mm Z lens is close to $700, I wish that hey something less expensive for the FX mode.
The Nikon 24mm f/1.8 is now discounted to $897. Check it out here: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/pro…f_1_8.html
I can recommend the 40 f2. I would be using that a lot, if my wife ever took it of her camera…
Get another one for that price. 😊
Very cool. I hope they’ll be doing it with retro look :D