This lens gets more praise than I think it deserves. It's a quite good lens, but not a great lens, and one with a bit of weakness at both ends when wide open (more chromatic aberration at the wide end, less sharpness at the telephoto end).
This lens gets more praise than I think it deserves. It's a quite good lens, but not a great lens, and one with a bit of weakness at both ends when wide open (more chromatic aberration at the wide end, less sharpness at the telephoto end).
Yes, the Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 is a bit of a conundrum. It's reasonably priced compared to the S-line Nikkors, but that also means it doesn't deliver the same level of optical performance.
At the implied kit price of US$300 in the two-lens bundle Nikon's been running, this lens is a solid bargain.
What are you reading a review for? If you have a Z50 you want this lens.
[T]he 24mm f/1.7 DX is a very good lens, particularly for close-to-mid distances as opposed to infinity distances. Unfortunately, it’s not quite strong enough a performer for me to give it a straight out recommendation.
That doesn't mean this is a bad lens, nor that you should avoid it. But I do think this is one of those lenses where you should "know if you need it." I can see indoor music small venue photographers gushing over this lens, for instance.
There isn't a real size or weight advantage to the Z-mount version. The OLED display is mostly gimmicky.
While it might not seem like I'm praising the 24mm f/1.8 S all that much, let's put that in a bit of perspective: it's a really solid performer, just not the exceptional performer that many were hoping for.
The 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR is hitting above its weight class, particularly if you can stop down even a third of a stop. I wouldn't avoid this lens, at all, and [...] it's clearly up to the job when used well.
Is that worth US$600? It is if you need and use this focal length, in my opinion.
The usual pushback I get on the Nikkor f/1.8 S primes is this: "they're too big for their focal length and they cost too much." Okay, I'm going to push right back at you: so far there's not a Z-mount prime that doesn't blow the F-mount version out of the water.
The implied price of the 24-70mm f/4 S when bundled with a Z6 or Z7 camera is a very modest US$600.
In particular, I tend to use it during events, as it's wide enough to stay closer to subjects but it doesn't have the ugly distortion of people on edges that a 24mm or wider lens does.
The recommendation I will give the 14-30mm f/4 is this: it's one of the three-lens set that those traveling with Z's looking for versatility probably should adopt (14-30mm f/4, 24-70mm f/4, and 70-300mm AF-P on the FTZ adapter).
This lens is simply exceptional, and something we haven't really seen before, from anyone. It not only knocks the Sigma 135mm f/1.8 Art off the pedestal, but the pedestal is still shaking.
I don't think there's currently a better $910 camera on the market. Certainly not one with as broad and deep a feature set, while still capable of pulling off great still and video results.
Like the Z6 before it, the Z6 II is an excellent camera, and as I write this, it's a better camera than the Sony A7 Mark III it competes against. But the problem is this: Nikon's left the Z6 on the market.
The Z5 is often highly discounted now (2025), which makes it a bargain entry-level, full frame camera. I'll just say up front that, unless you're heavy into video, it doesn't feel like you lost much by picking the Z5 over the Z6.
The Z7II is absolutely going to show off the S lenses.
The 50mm f/2.8 MC is probably the most meh lens Nikon has produced in the Z-mount lineup.
Plenty of folk are going to embrace this muffin of a lens. Nikon has priced it well for what it is and does, and the compact nature adds an important capability to the Z-mount offerings that some will want.
The Z9 is a top performer, and a bit of a bargain.
Sometimes the sum of the new, old, and borrowed parts is greater than the sum of the parts. And I believe that's the case with the Zf.
If you need a faster lens (by a stop) and don't want to pay for it with both your wallet and neck weight, the 28-75mm f/2.8 does step in nicely.
