Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S

£899/$997 Compactness meets convenience in this lens

Although it retains a retractable design, this full-frame Z-mount lens is much larger than the DX format Z 16-50mm. On an FX mirrorless body, it has a similar range of viewing angles but an f/4 aperture rating that remains constant throughout the zoom range. That makes it 2.33 f-stops slower than the Z 35mm f/1.8 prime but, what you lose in speed, you gain in zoom versatility.

Optical finery includes one aspherical ED element, three further aspherical elements and one additional ED element. Nano Crystal Coat is employed, and there’s a fluorine coating on the front element to repel moisture and grease. The stepping motor AF system works with speedy precision in almost complete silence, and the customizable focus ring is a useful addition.

Performance

This is the first Z-mount lens that we ever tested and it impressed us. Despite a number of top-drawer Z lenses that have followed, image quality and performance continue to be spectacular for a kit zoom lens.

N-photo verdict

35mm primes are the tool of choice for street photography, but this zoom lens makes a viable alternative.

Sharpness

Centre-sharpness is scintillating across the entire zoom range, although it drops off a bit towards the corners.

Fringing

There’s essentially no colour fringing to be seen here, even in the extreme corners of the frame.

Distortion

As with colour fringing, there’s pretty much zero distortion to be seen at any zoom setting – a very impressive feat.