Our Recommendation
The Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S is a strong lens for the Nikon Z system. Even though it’s a “kit lens,” it’s definitely one of the best kit lenses available today – small, portable, well-built, and optically strong for such an inexpensive zoom.
That said, the value of this lens only comes through if you buy it as part of a kit. The lens-only price of $1000 is too high for what you get, but the kitted price of approximately $600 is a serious bargain. Also, considering how many photographers have bought this lens over the years, there are a lot of them available on the used market at excellent prices (around $400 last I checked).
As for negatives, it all depends upon how picky you want to be. The Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S has fairly high vignetting and especially distortion, but those can be corrected with relatively minor side effects in post-processing. Probably the main negative of the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S is that it only reaches 70mm on the long end, so a lens like the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S is a more versatile choice for many uses.
Finally, the sharpness of the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S – though strong – is not quite at the level of today’s best zooms and prime lenses. If you use perfect technique, you could improve your image quality by choosing the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S, Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S, or a Nikon S-Series prime lens instead (increasing steadily in sharpness in that order).
Here’s a quick list of the pros and cons of the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 lens:
Pros
- Good sharpness throughout most of the zoom and aperture range
- Fast and silent autofocus with exceptional accuracy
- Good close-focus capabilities
- Extensive weather sealing and high-precision build quality
- Impressive flare performance even against the sun
- Low to nonexistent chromatic aberration
- Minimal sample variation from lens to lens
- Small and lightweight design
- Relatively low price of $600 when bought as a kit
Cons
- Collapsible lens design can be ergonomically awkward
- Two-tiered telescoping barrel increases potential points of failure
- No vibration reduction – a potential frustration on Nikon Z cameras that don’t have IBIS
- High levels of distortion in uncorrected RAW files
- Moderately strong vignetting, especially wide open at 24mm
- Somewhat weaker sharpness at the longer focal lengths, especially in the corners
- Unusual starburst appearance that won’t appeal to some photographers
- 70mm on the long end can be a bit limiting
Conclusion
Nikon has created a very strong kit lens with the Z 24-70mm f/4 S. Even though its performance is not perfect, it does better than we had expected. Considering the low price of $600 as a kit, or sub-$400 on the used market, it’s worth considering for any photographer who is on a budget.
That said, if you can afford to get the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S, I think you should pick that lens instead. It has a similar level of performance (arguably a bit better), plus a more versatile zoom range up to 120mm. Even the weight difference isn’t huge, with 500 grams versus 630 grams (1.1 versus 1.4 pounds). You can think of it as essentially a longer version of the 24-70mm f/4 S, so there’s a lot to like about that lens.
The question, however, is the price difference, and that depends upon whether you buy these lenses as part of a kit or not. Lens-only, the Z 24-70mm f/4 S costs $1000, and the Z 24-120mm f/4 S costs $1100 – a small enough difference that I would get the Z 24-120mm f/4 S every time. But if you’re planning to buy either lens as part of a kit, the prices you’ll find will be totally different. I’ve been quoting the $600 kit price for the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 throughout this review, but the reality is that not all Nikon Z cameras are even offered as a kit with the 24-70mm f/4 S, and the same thing is true of the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S.
Either way, I hope you can use this review – and my Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S review – to figure out how much you’re personally willing to pay for either lens, and then make an informed decision if you’re buying either one as part of a kit. I personally would be willing to spend about $300 more to get the longer focal length capabilities of the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S, but that dollar amount is going to be different for everyone.
If you’re planning to buy the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S, you can support our lens testing efforts and check the lens’s current prices at the following affiliate links:
- Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S (lens only) at B&H, Amazon, and Adorama
- Kits with Nikon Z5, with Nikon Z6 II, or with Nikon Z7 II
- Used/International: Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S on eBay
You can also read more about this lens on Nikon USA’s website.
The following page of this review has more sample photos from the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S, followed by reader comments on the final page. Click the menu below to jump to any section of this review:
Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S
- Build Quality and Handling
- Size and Weight
- Sharpness Performance
- Other Optical Quality
- Value
Photography Life Overall Rating
Table of Contents