A quick guide to the NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S
Explore a world of possibilities with this hugely flexible zoom lens
When you want to travel light and still have the flexibility to take a range of images, from wide-angle vistas to long-reach telephoto details, the NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S is the all-day partner your Nikon Z camera has been looking for. Read on for some projects and ideas to try with this super-capable Z mount NIKKOR lens.
1. Get down and dirty
As an S-line NIKKOR lens, the NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S is extra tough when it comes to sticky situations. Solid in the hand, it feels like a workhorse. And with excellent weather sealing and lens coatings, it performs brilliantly across a range of climates. Take the opportunity to learn that there’s no such thing as bad weather – only different lighting conditions! Take it out on a rainy day and you’ll be rewarded with fantastic images of brooding skies, raindrops dancing in puddles and great street scenes of people rushing by.
2. Nail those movie zooms
Zooming in (or out) during filmmaking can really make a scene work. Try pulling back from your subject to reveal a background or closing in on a face at a dramatic moment. The constant f/4 aperture on the NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S means you can zoom smoothly without having to alter exposure.
3. Close in on the action
With a minimum focus distance of just 35cm at all zoom positions and a reproduction ratio of 0.39x, you can take fantastic close-up shots with the NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S. At longer focal length, you can experiment with compression effects, where the background appears closer to the subject in the foreground.
4. Make a one-lens story
A good photo story often combines a range of different views – wide establishing scenes, close-ups of detail and mid-ground, natural focal lengths – all of which can combine to create a powerful narrative. For travel or street photography, think about the story you want to tell rather than just the individual images you want to take. And when editing, choose a variety that hang together as a whole.
5. Vary your portraiture
With its 24-120mm focal range and constant f/4 aperture, the NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S makes for a very versatile portrait lens, especially on street photography outings. Combining many classic portrait lengths, from 35mm for subjects in their environment, to a tighter 50mm view to classic lengths such as 85mm and 105mm for head portraits, it can cover all your bases on a people-watching day trip. The f/4 aperture means you’ll get great subject separation and wonderful bokeh, too. Try all the various lengths with one subject to see the differences. Combining different viewpoints can really tell a story of one person through a variety of images and video.
The key stats: NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S
Type: Nikon Z mount
Format: FX
Focal length: 24-120mm
Maximum aperture: f/4
Minimum aperture: f/22
No. of diaphragm blades: 9 (rounded aperture opening)
Minimum focus distance: 0.35m (1.15ft) at all zoom positions (measured from focal plane)
Weight: approx. 630g (1lb 6.3oz)
Want to see it in action? Check out our 90-Second NIKKOR video below.
NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S in action
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