Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR
£959/$899 Full-featured Canon RF superzoom £949/$897 An epic superzoom for Z-mount
Lens mount Canon RF
Canon has long made an EF 28-300mm superzoom for its full-frame DSLRs, but it’s enormous at 1,670g, and pricey. By contrast, this RF-mount lens is under half the weight at 750g.
The 10x zoom range kicks off with a wide-angle 24mm focal length. Attractions include a fast and virtually silent Nano USM autofocus system, 5-stop optical stabilisation and an electronically coupled control ring, switchable for manual focus.
Performance
Although the autofocus and stabilisation systems work well, optical performance could be better. Sharpness is good, but colour fringing and distortions are dire at some focal lengths. Arguably, that’s a moot point, as many mirrorless lenses rely on automatic in-camera corrections. Taking these into the equation, this lens’s image quality is very good.
Lens mount Nikon Z ( FX)
The Z 24-200mm naturally gives you a greater maximum viewing angle, but loses out for telephoto reach.
Although it’s not from Nikon’s acclaimed S-line stable, build quality is good. Premium glass includes two ED elements, one aspherical ED element, and two further aspherical elements. Top-quality ARNEO Coat is applied to minimise ghosting and flare. Performance of the 4.5-stop optical VR system is enhanced when used with the in-body stabilisation of FX Z-mount cameras, and even more essential when mounted on the Z 50 or Z fc.
Performance
Along with fast, quiet autofocus and excellent handling, the lens delivers superb image quality. Sharpness remains impressive throughout the entire zoom range and across the whole image frame.
Lens mount Mi c ro Four Thirds
The two main choices of superzooms for Micro Four Thirds cameras are this lens and the Olympus 14-150mm. We prefer the Panasonic – it doesn’t give such powerful telephoto reach, but there’s little in it, the 2x crop factor giving a zoom range of 28-280mm. It’s smaller and lighter than the Olympus lens, and compact for a superzoom at 265g.
Ideal for stills and movie capture, the lens features an autofocus system based on a stepping motor. As with all but the Sigma 18-300mm and Tamron 18-400mm lenses on test, the focus ring is stationary during autofocus, but enables manual override.
Performance
Sharpness is good at both ends of the zoom range, but less impressive in the middle sector. Good dustand splash-resistance boosts confidence for travel shooting.
Lens mount Sony E
For close-ups, the minimum focus distance is impressive for a superzoom lens, ranging from 0.19m to 0.8m.
Optical highlights include GM (Glass Moulded Aspherical), hybrid aspherical, LD (Low Dispersion) and XLD (eXtra Low Dispersion) elements. Tamron’s BBAR (Broad-Band AntiReflective) coating is applied to minimise ghosting and flare.
The RXD (Rapid eXtra-silent Drive) autofocus system is based on a stepping motor and is compatible with Sony’s Fast Hybrid AF, Eye AF and DMF (Direct Manual Focus) modes.
Performance
The speed and accuracy of the autofocus system is very good, and near-silent in operation. Image quality is decent, but the zoom range is modest compared with the competing Canon and Nikon lenses.