Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S Review

There are a number of other midrange lenses worth comparing against the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S – after all, Nikon has a lot of midrange lenses. Below, I’ve compared the 24-120mm f/4 S against one Nikon F-mount zoom, three Nikon Z zooms, and one Nikon Z prime.

Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S vs Nikon F 24-120mm f/4G

I’ll start with the lens’s predecessor – the Nikon 24-120mm f/4G VR for DSLRs. Both lenses share the same focal length range and constant f/4 maximum aperture, but the mirrorless lens has a more complex design that takes advantage of the Z lens mount’s short flange distance and large diameter.

Note that for each chart in the comparison below, I’ve shown the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S first and the Nikon F 24-120mm f/4G second. I’ve also summarized the performance at the end of the charts.

Here’s how the two lenses perform at 24mm:

Then 35mm:

50mm:

70mm:

105mm:

And 120mm:

No matter what focal length you look at, the result is clear: The Z lens drastically outperforms the DSLR lens. And the results only become worse for the F-mount 24-120mm f/4G as you zoom in. At 105mm and 120mm, the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S simply wipes the floor with the older lens.

If there’s one redeeming quality for the F-mount 24-120mm f/4G in this test, it’s that it sharpens up pretty well by f/8. At that aperture (as well as f/11 and f/16), the two lenses are at least in the same ballpark of performance from 24mm to 70mm. Even at f/8, though, the Z 24-120mm f/4 S still has a clear advantage at the longer focal lengths, especially in the corners.

It’s not really a surprise that Nikon has improved upon the F-mount version of this lens – that’s the story of most Z glass so far. But the degree of improvement is still pretty impressive.

Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S vs Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S

I’ve heard the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S described as “the same as the Z 24-70mm f/4 S, just with more reach.” They’re certainly two of the more similar Nikon Z zooms so far. But does that description hold true in terms of sharpness?

We’ll start by comparing 24mm. As before, the Z 24-120mm f/4 S is shown first each time:

35mm:

50mm:

70mm:

Maybe that description was pretty accurate! The two lenses are pretty evenly-matched in terms of sharpness overall. That said, there are differences that favor one lens or the other depending on where you look.

First, at the wider focal lengths of 24mm and 35mm, the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S is stronger in the center and midframe, whereas the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S is stronger in the corners. The differences get pretty slim by f/5.6 and f/8, but there’s still present.

At 50mm, the story changes a bit. Here, the two lenses are well-matched in center sharpness at 50mm. If anything, the 24-70mm has a slight advantage in that respect. But the 24-70mm f/4 S’s corner sharpness has dipped a bit at this focal length, giving the Z 24-120mm f/4 S a clear advantage at f/4 in the corners. By f/5.6, the differences even out.

Finally, at 70mm, the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S looks a good bit better than the 24-70mm f/4 S. That’s because this is the weakest focal length for the 24-70mm f/4 S, whereas, like I mentioned earlier, the 24-120mm f/4 S is extremely consistent in sharpness at every focal length.

On balance, I’d give a slight overall sharpness advantage to the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S. But it depends on what focal lengths and apertures you use the most. If you’re an f/8 to f/16 landscape photographer, for example, the results slightly favor the 24-70mm f/4 S.

Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S vs Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR

If you’re considering the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S because of its longer reach than a basic 24-70mm zoom, you may also have your eye on the Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR. Even though the latter is a superzoom, it’s surprisingly sharp – but does it hold a candle to the 24-120mm f/4 S?

Let’s start by looking at their 24mm performance:

35mm:

50mm:

70mm:

105mm:

And finally, although they’re not exactly the same focal length, 120mm on the 24-120mm f/4 S and 135mm on the 24-200mm f/4-6.3:

The story here clearly favors the Z 24-120mm f/4 S, although it also depends upon the focal length that you’re considering.

At 24mm, the 24-120mm f/4 S clearly wins at f/4, especially in the midframe. Stopping down to f/5.6 makes things closer, and by f/8, the two lenses have essentially the same sharpness.

At 35mm, things actually favor the 24-200mm f/4-6.3! Well, at least in the corners. Central and midframe sharpness are still higher on the 24-120mm f/4 S. However, 35mm is one of the strongest focal lengths on the 24-200mm f/4-6.3, and the two lenses start to diverge before long.

Note that at 50mm and beyond, the 24-200mm’s maximum aperture becomes f/5.6 to f/6.3. Make sure that you compare the proper parts of the two graphs against each another. With that in mind, sharpness isn’t bad on either lens at 50mm, although the 24-120mm has the advantage in the corners and midframe.

At 70mm, the 24-200mm falls off in central and midframe sharpness, but its corners stay pretty good. When both lenses are at f/5.6 (well, f/6.0 on the 24-200mm) and f/8, the superzoom actually has slightly better corner performance than the 24-120mm f/4 S here.

At the longer focal lengths of 105mm and beyond, however, it’s no contest at all. The Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 is definitely weakest at the telephoto end, whereas the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S stays strong throughout. In the center and midframe especially, but also in the corners, I’d pick the telephoto end of the 24-120mm f/4 S any day.

Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S vs Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S

How does the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S compare against the highest-end Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S? This time, it certainly faces a tougher challenge.

Make sure that when you compare the charts below, you compare f/4 to f/4, f/5.6 to f/5.6, and so on – because the 24-70mm f/2.8 S has an extra set of columns at the left for f/2.8.

We’ll start with 24mm:

35mm:

50mm:

70mm:

I didn’t expect the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S to beat the best-performing midrange zoom we’ve ever tested… and it doesn’t. The biggest difference is in corner performance, where the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S outperforms the 24-120mm f/4 S at every focal length except 70mm (and simply smokes it at 24mm and 35mm).

Interestingly, central and midframe sharpness are pretty comparable on both lenses, even favoring the 24-120mm f/4 S somewhat at 35mm and 70mm. Corner sharpness is also comparable at 70mm, which is the weakest focal length on the 24-70mm f/2.8 S.

Overall, I’m impressed by how the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S holds up. But especially taking corner sharpness into account, it’s not at the level of the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S.

Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S vs Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S

Just for fun, let’s see how the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S performs compared to one of the sharpest lenses we’ve ever tested in the lab, the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S. This was never going to be a close comparison, but it goes to show what you’re trading when you go for a zoom (even a good zoom) rather than a prime lens.

As before, the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S is shown first. Both charts are at 50mm, of course:

That’s some wild performance from the 50mm f/1.8 prime! Even at f/1.8, it’s sharper in the center than the 24-120mm f/4 S ever gets.

In the shared aperture range, it’s no contest. The 24-120mm f/4 S’s abnormally sharp midframe holds up surprisingly well, but in both the center and corners, the 50mm wins hands-down. Even at f/11, corner sharpness favors the 50mm f/1.8 S by a meaningful amount. Only by f/16 does their performance roughly equalize.

None of this is a surprise, although hopefully it’s useful for a point of context! The Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S is sharp, but it’s certainly not at the level of a top prime.

Conclusion

All told, the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S holds up well against almost any lens you throw at it. Compared to other midrange zooms, only the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 beats it overall in sharpness – not surprising for one of Nikon’s highest-end $2400 lenses.

There are lots of midrange zooms on the market, and even more lens options if you include primes like the 50mm f/1.8 S in the mix. I think this page is getting pretty long already, but if you have questions about any specific lenses and how they compare to the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S, let me know in the comments section on the final page of this review.

Likewise, if you see a lens listed on our lens reviews page, you can compare their sharpness numbers yourself by opening both reviews side by side. All of our lens reviews have directly comparable sharpness numbers, so long as the charts in both reviews share the same graphic design. (Only a handful of our old lens reviews have different-looking charts, and it’s obvious when you see it; I’m working on updating those reviews to be comparable as well.)

Given everything I’ve covered so far, you can probably tell that I’m a fan of the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S. On the next page of this review, I’ll summarize my thoughts and recommendations for anyone who may be considering this lens. So, click the menu below to go to the following page, “Verdict.”