Two Nikon Z Lenses Announced: 24-120mm f/4 and 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6

Spencer Cox

Alongside the years-in-the-making announcement of Nikon’s flagship Z9 mirrorless camera, the company also unveiled two lenses from the Z-series roadmap: a Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S and a Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S. Nikon says the two lenses will be available within this year.

The most unexpected but welcome part of this announcement is that the 24-120mm f/4 does, in fact, max out at 120mm! The Nikon Z roadmap all this time has previewed a 24-105mm zoom instead. And while the difference between 105mm and 120mm isn’t night and day, the extra reach at the end of the zoom range is a meaningful improvement nevertheless. It also makes the lens more justifiable over the existing 24-70mm f/4 kit zoom for photographers who want more reach.

So, let me dive into both of these lenses in a bit more detail.

Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S

Specifications

A few features stand out to me. First, the weight is impressively low at just 630 grams. For comparison, the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S is 500 grams, so the 24-120mm f/4 isn’t drastically heavier. This no doubt means it will be a popular choice for single-lens travel photography.

Second, the maximum magnification of 0.39× is surprisingly high. It’s easily enough for close-up photography, allowing you to fill the frame with anything that’s about 9 centimeters / 3.5 inches wide (assuming you’re using it on a full-frame camera). Dedicated macro photographers will still want a lens that can do 1:1 magnification, but this is pretty impressive for a standard zoom.

Lastly, I’m struck by how much of Nikon’s higher-end tech they chose to put into this lens. It has three aspherical and three extra-low dispersion glass elements, a fluorine coating on the front, an extra control ring, and Nikon’s nano crystal coating. The only feature it’s missing that may have been using is vibration reduction, although the in-body image stabilization on the Z cameras is so good that it’s not really needed.

All these features add up to a $1100 lens – somewhat expensive but not out of line compared to similar lenses from other manufacturers.

Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR

 

Specifications

Nikon is throwing everything they have at the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6, including one of their most complex lens designs ever (a whopping 25 elements in 20 groups)! The 100-400mm lens has vibration reduction, two control rings, two function buttons, and all of Nikon’s lens coatings. Like the 24-120mm f/4, it also has great close-up capabilities with a maximum magnification of 0.38×.

This lens is similar in many ways to the Nikon Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S, which is one of the best lenses we’ve ever tested. If the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S is in the same ballpark, it will be a truly impressive telephoto lens.

Press release:

NIKKOR Z LINE EXPANDS WITH TWO NEW S-LINE TELEPHOTO ZOOMS – THE NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S AND NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S

Nikon Also Announces New Streamlined Mount Adapter FTZ II

MELVILLE, NY – Today, Nikon announced new NIKKOR Z zoom lenses that let creators get closer to the action and fill the frame with astounding clarity. The NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S and the NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S are Nikon’s latest S-line lenses, giving discerning photographers premium optics and ultimate versatility. Additionally, the new Mount Adapter FTZ II is a streamlined solution to seamlessly adapt F-mount lenses with the integrated vertical grip on the new Nikon Z 9.

“Our core focus will always be optical excellence, and our customers rave about the unrivaled sharpness, color and clarity from the rapidly expanding line of NIKKOR Z lenses,” said Jay Vannatter, Executive Vice President, Nikon Inc. “These latest telephoto zoom lenses give extended reach to all kinds of creators whether on vacation or on assignment, and each deliver on the promise of superior image quality and benefit from the technological advantages of the Nikon Z mount.”

NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S – The First NIKKOR Z Super Telephoto
The new NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S is a premium, S-line telephoto zoom lens with an extremely long 100-400mm range for Z mount mirrorless camera users, including the all-new Z 9. Well suited for sports, wildlife and those in the field, the lens features a great combination of focal range and wide aperture for professional photographers, advanced enthusiasts and photo hobbyists who want to dynamically capture distant subjects. This S-line lens is designed to the strictest standards, offering excellent sharpness and clarity with minimum aberration and color fringing even at the maximum aperture, throughout the entire zoom range.

This lens is the lightest in its class, weighing only 1355g1, making it easy to use handheld. It’s superbly balanced, purposely built with a small 80-degree rotation angle and new “Inner Balance Technology”2, which minimizes the weight shift caused by zooming.  Content creators will appreciate the minimal focus breathing, while the 5.5 stop optical VR3 will help to provide smooth video and sharp stills.

Primary features of the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S

  • The first super-telephoto zoom lens in the NIKKOR Z lineup that covers a focal length range from 100 to 400mm.
  • Multi-focusing system that utilizes two STMs (stepping motors), enabling fast, precise and quiet AF operation for both stills and videos.
  • Employs an optical vibration reduction function with an effect equivalent to a shutter speed 5.5 stops faster, which is the highest among NIKKOR Z lenses.
  • While lateral chromatic aberration is optically corrected, axial chromatic aberration is also significantly reduced via the adoption of Super ED glass and ED glass elements, providing clear images across the entire frame from maximum aperture.
  • Nikon’s original Nano Crystal Coat and ARNEO Coat are both adopted to effectively reduce ghost and flare effects even in backlit situations.
  • With the attachment of teleconverters, the focal length can be extended to 560mm and 800mm*4 while maintaining high resolution.
  • Features the highest maximum reproduction ratio of 0.38x (at the maximum telephoto position) in its class*1 that lets users shoot flowers and insects in large size, with a minimum focusing distance of 0.75M (2.46 feet) to allow users to get closer to their subjects.
  • The shortest*3 rotation angle of 80 degrees in its class for the zoom ring enables users to rotate the zoom ring from the wide-angle position to the telephoto position in just one motion, without adjusting lens holding.
  • The click-less control ring realizes smooth operation and reduced operational sound during video recording.
  • Features a design with consideration for video recording, including effectively reduced shifting of a focus position when zooming in or out and the angle of view when adjusting focus.
  • Superior dust- and drip-resistant capability*4, high reliability that comes from both robustness and weather resistance, and excellent anti-fouling performance via the employment of fluorine coat.

NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S – Ready to Impress
The NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S gives users an extremely useful 24-120mm range focal length and S-line optical quality. This 5x zoom lens is ideal for landscapes, events, weddings and portraits as well as for video and content creators. With a constant f/4 aperture, the lens attains beautiful rendering with large bokeh, especially in the telephoto range. The 24-120mm f/4 is the lightest lens in its class 5, weighing only 630g, and combines portability and versatility to make it a great travel companion.

Primary features of the NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S

  • An optimal lens for stills and videos that covers up to telephoto 120mm focal length while attaining high optical performance throughout the entire zoom range.
  • High maximum reproduction ratio of 0.39x at the maximum telephoto position and a short minimum focus distance of 0.35m (at the max wide-angle), letting users get close and shoot small subjects in large size.
  • Multi-focusing system that utilizes two STM (stepping motors), enabling fast, precise and quiet AF operation for both stills and videos.
  • Effective compensation for chromatic aberration with the employment of three ED glass, one aspherical ED glass, and three aspherical lens elements in the optical system.
  • Nikon’s original Nano Crystal Coat and ARNEO Coat are both adopted to effectively reduce ghost and flare effects even in backlit situations.
  • The click-less control ring realizes smooth operation and reduced operational sound during video recording.
  • Features a design with consideration for video recording, including effectively reduced focus shift.
  • Designed with superior dust- and drip-resistant capability6, and achieves excellent anti-fouling performance with the employment of fluorine coating.

Mount Adapter FTZ II 
The Nikon Mount Adapter FTZ II further improves the usability of the existing Mount Adapter FTZ by featuring a streamlined design with minimal projections, making it easier to use with the vertical grip of the Z 9. Removing the tripod socket and reducing the size makes for comfortable shooting in any direction, and enhances compatibility with a wider variety of tripod plates. Similar to its predecessor, the Mount Adapter FTZ II seamlessly adapts F-Mount lenses to the larger Z-Mount, retaining the image quality, autofocus performance7, weather sealing and comfortable handling of approximately 360 NIKKOR F lenses from AI type onwards.

Pricing and Availability
The new NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S will have a suggested retail price (SRP) of $1099.95*, the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S will have an SRP of $2699.95* and the Mount Adapter FTZ II will be available for an SRP of $249.95*. All of these products will be available within this year.  For more information about the latest Nikon products, including new NIKKOR Z lenses and the entire Nikon Z series camera lineup, 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 camera, 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, 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.

1. Among 100-400 mm zoom lenses with a maximum aperture of f/4.5-5.6 for full-frame (Nikon FX-format) digital cameras with interchangeable lenses available as of October 28, 2021. Statement based on Nikon research.
2. A mechanism that reduces the shifting of the center of gravity as much as possible with lens groups moving in opposite directions for balance. As the front lens group moves forward, when zooming from the wide-angle to the telephoto position, part of the rear lens group moves backward.
3. Based on CIPA Standard. This value is achieved when attached to a camera with full-frame (Nikon FX-format) sensor, with the camera’s VR function set to “NORMAL”, and when zoom is set to the maximum telephoto position.
4. Focal length becomes 560 mm with NIKKOR Z teleconverter TC-1.4×, 800 mm with NIKKOR Z teleconverter TC-2.0×.
5. Among interchangeable zoom lenses for mirrorless digital cameras with interchangeable lenses equipped with a 35mm film size image sensor, with a focal-length range from 24 mm at the wide-angle end to 105-120 mm at the telephoto end, and a maximum aperture of f/4 or less, available as of October 28, 2021. Statement based on Nikon research.
6. Perfect dustproof and waterproof performance is not guaranteed under all conditions.
7. *Full AF/AE supported when using FX or DX AF-S Type G/D/E, AF-P type G/E, AF-I type D and AF-S / AF-I Teleconverters.

 

*SRP (Suggested Retail Price) listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

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