Nikkor Z-Lens advice

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bwest

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I am about to place an order for Nikon Z6iii in the next couple of days.

The lenses I have been looking at would be the Nikkor Z24-120 f/4S or the Nikkor Z24-200 f/4-6.3 VR.
But can't make up my mind although I think I favor the Z24-120 f/4S.

My photography takes me to landscape, wildlife, architect, people - not really any specific genre.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, thanks
 
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bwest said:
I am about to place an order for Nikon Z6iii in the next couple of days.

The lenses I have been looking at would be the Nikkor Z24-120 f/4S or the Nikkor Z24-200 f/4-6.3 VR.
But can't make up my mind although I think I favor the Z24-120 f/4S.

My photography takes me to landscape, wildlife, architect, people - not really any specific genre.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, thanks
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I went with the 24-120 f/4, but the other contenders were the 24-70 f/2.8 and the Tokina 35-150. A lot of it comes down to tradeoffs. The 24-70 at f/2.8 would be great for shooting indoor sports (e.g. basketball and volleyball). The Tokina got it's good not great reviews. The 24-120 is a bit slow for indoor sports, but I can make it work. The size and focal range work really nice for landscape and lots of general shooting, but probably not wildlife most of the time. The 24-120 got good reviews, and from what I can tell it does well. I never considered the 24-200, though it could be useful in places that restrict you to a 6" lens.
 
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I have a Z50ii on order, and I am also considering the Nikon 24-120mm lenses. At the moment, I am leaning towards the F mount for use with an FTZii. The two factors I am considering are Vibration Reduction (which the Z lens lacks) and price. A Nikon 24-120mm f/4G VR, used, in like new condition, can be had for under $500. For me, this is a real consideration. Any thoughts?
 
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spamalot1950 said:
I have a Z50ii on order, and I am also considering the Nikon 24-120mm lenses. At the moment, I am leaning towards the F mount for use with an FTZii. The two factors I am considering are Vibration Reduction (which the Z lens lacks) and price. A Nikon 24-120mm f/4G VR, used, in like new condition, can be had for under $500. For me, this is a real consideration. Any thoughts?
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If the camera and lens meets your needs and budget, it’s a fine choice. Another lens option would be Nikon Z DX lenses 16-50 and 50-250. Both have VR and together cost under $600.
 
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JAJohnson said:
If the camera and lens meets your needs and budget, it’s a fine choice. Another lens option would be Nikon Z DX lenses 16-50 and 50-250. Both have VR and together cost under $600.
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Thank you for the reply. Lots of decisions will need to be made in the near future. Among other things, the 16-50mm zoom is part of the package I ordered. Additionally, I have read reports that many F mount lenses perform better with a Z series camera + FTZ than they do with F mount cameras. How true this may be, and whether it applies to eh Z50ii, remains unknown to me. Before I make any buying decisions I feel I am going to have to evaluate how the new camera works with my existing collection of lenses. That said, the 24-120mm fills a niche missing in my current kit.
 
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spamalot1950 said:
Thank you for the reply. Lots of decisions will need to be made in the near future. Among other things, the 16-50mm zoom is part of the package I ordered. Additionally, I have read reports that many F mount lenses perform better with a Z series camera + FTZ than they do with F mount cameras. How true this may be, and whether it applies to eh Z50ii, remains unknown to me. Before I make any buying decisions I feel I am going to have to evaluate how the new camera works with my existing collection of lenses. That said, the 24-120mm fills a niche missing in my existing kit.
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The performs better part almost always refers to autofocus precision because (as a simplification) there are more autofocus points and helpers to ensure it’s on the right spot. It doesn’t change anything optically. My reservation with a 24-120 on the Z50ii is the wide angle is no longer really wide. The 16-50 would probably be closer to what you’d want if you’re looking for wide-ish to short telephoto range.

If it works for you, then go for it. But if you’re getting a 16-50 in the package then most of the benefit goes away. I’d suggest (if you have the FTZ) getting a 70-300 instead which would be inexpensive and a very useful range that doesn’t overlap with the 16-50 you’re already getting.
 
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spamalot1950 said:
I have a Z50ii on order, and I am also considering the Nikon 24-120mm lenses. At the moment, I am leaning towards the F mount for use with an FTZii. The two factors I am considering are Vibration Reduction (which the Z lens lacks) and price. A Nikon 24-120mm f/4G VR, used, in like new condition, can be had for under $500. For me, this is a real consideration. Any thoughts?
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I found 24mm was usually not wide enough on an APS-C camera. The kit lenses for the Z50ii - 16-50 and 50-250 - are quite good. I could make a case for longer focal lengths with the FTZ on an APS-C body but not at the wide end.
 
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fcotterill said:
Suggestions for a Minimalist system in DX or FX

KISS Is Your Friend | Thom Hogan

For a new camera's basic lens set, keep it simple
www.zsystemuser.com

The Z 24-120 f4S is significantly improved over the F-mount G model. The many reviews and shared experience etc confirm mine
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If I am not mistaken, this is very true for FX bodies which have IBIS. The Z50ii does not have IBIS, and the Z24-120 does not have VR. The two are not a match made in Heaven.
 
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spamalot1950 said:
I have a Z50ii on order, and I am also considering the Nikon 24-120mm lenses. At the moment, I am leaning towards the F mount for use with an FTZii. The two factors I am considering are Vibration Reduction (which the Z lens lacks) and price. A Nikon 24-120mm f/4G VR, used, in like new condition, can be had for under $500. For me, this is a real consideration. Any thoughts?
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I have the 24-120 f4 on my FF DSLRs and like it. $500 is great value for this lens. PS I also have the 16-80 f2.8/4 for my DX bodies and am well satisfied.
 
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The Z 24-120 f4 S offers the best image quality vs. the 24-200 and, as others have noted, is also better than the F-mount version. It is an S-line lens, with better coatings, weather resistance, and more. If you are looking for a truly one-lens solution and need more reach, you might also check out the Z 28-400. I traded my 24-200 for it to use for travel and walking around. It works best in good light, given the aperture. of f4-8.
 
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For what you want to shoot I don't think there is a one lens solution in fairness.

The 24-120 f4 is the better lens, no question. For landscape and general travel it's a great choice and it has pseudo macro close focusing. The 24-200 isn't a bad lens by any stretch though. If you can only afford one lens at the moment then that is the best bang for buck imo but I don't think it's good for people or architecture (though neither is the 24-120 really). it depends if you need the reach or not. There is also the 28-400 but it's possibly not wide enough and it's f8 I think from 200 to 400mm, some people swear by it though.

Ultimately you will likely want a wide angle for architecture and probably for landscape too so I would look to add the 14-30 or the 17-28. For people you could try the excellent 50mm or 85mm 1.8 S prime lenses which are pretty cheap second hand.

For wildlife you can't get a better deal than the 180-600 really though I will conceed it's too big and heavy to carry for typical landscape shoots. A few have suggested the 100-400 (which is excellent) but I find that is a little too short for wildlife so a TC would be required adding to the cost and making it f8 at the long end. Cropping isn't really a good option on the Z6iii due to the 26mp.

The "Tamrikon" f2.8 trio can all be had for reasonable money too (17-28, 28-75 and 70-180) though I would go for the actual Tamron 28-75mm G2 version over the Nikon as it has VR. A 2.8 trio might do you for landscape, architecture and people but will be lacking for wildlife.

There's loads of other options too! The Nikon range has really filled out these days.
 
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bwest said:
I am about to place an order for Nikon Z6iii in the next couple of days.

The lenses I have been looking at would be the Nikkor Z24-120 f/4S or the Nikkor Z24-200 f/4-6.3 VR.
But can't make up my mind although I think I favor the Z24-120 f/4S.

My photography takes me to landscape, wildlife, architect, people - not really any specific genre.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, thanks
Click to expand...
The 24-200 has the greater reach but its my least favourite Z lens - hate it ... 🦘
 
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My Favorite Z DX lens on my Zfc is the 18-140 for travel and walking around. The range is very good for travel. It has VR which works well for handheld shots. I like its lightweight at 11.2 oz which makes it easy to carry around all day. It focuses quickly, and is sharp enough for the price, it is compact, and available at a low cost.
 

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