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Home โ†’ Reviews โ†’ Cameras and Lenses โ†’ Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S Review

Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S Review

By Spencer Cox 71 Comments
Published On March 1, 2024

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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).

Nikon Z 24-70 Focused at Infinity
NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 24mm, ISO 64, 1/10, f/8.0

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
Salt Formation Reflection
NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 39mm, ISO 64, 4 seconds, f/11.0

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.

Cityscape at Night Nikon Z 24-70
NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 60mm, ISO 64, 25 seconds, f/8.0

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.

Nikon Z6 Image Sample #40
NIKON Z 6 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 24mm, ISO 100, 1.3 sec, f/11.0

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

Photograhy Life Silver Award
4.4

Table of Contents

  • Introduction & Build Quality
  • Optical Performance
  • Lens Comparisions
  • Verdict
  • More Image Samples
  • Reader Comments
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