Review on Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED Vibration Reduction Zoom Lens with Auto Focus - AF-S FX NIKKOR for Nikon DSLR Cameras by Damien Sg ᠌

Name: Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED Vibration Reduction Zoom Lens with Auto Focus - AF-S FX NIKKOR for Nikon DSLR Cameras
Item: Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED Vibration Reduction Zoom Lens with Auto Focus - AF-S FX NIKKOR for Nikon DSLR Cameras
Rating: 5

September 13, 2022

Full compliance with the manufacturer's assurances, high quality.

I am writing as a rabid fan of fixed optics. A little history so that you can better understand my opinion and perhaps draw important conclusions for yourself. I've been shooting with D300s for a long time. Today I use it mainly as a travel camera for all occasions with 10-24 f/3.5-4.5, 35 f/1.8. Once upon a time I had the opportunity to purchase the D810. I've been shooting with it for over 2 years now with 50 f/1.8, and 85mm f/1.8. I got used to getting by with one fifty dollars.

What is the problem? I adore landscapes and, as you understand, on the D810 I was actually deprived of such an opportunity until I purchased the subject.

Why did you choose this lens and what other options did you consider? My attention did not pass by even the RX100 (Sony) and X100 (Fuji) series. The main lenses considered were: 20 f / 1.8, 24 f / 1.8 and 24-70 f / 2.8. With the first two options, everything is clear - I'm a fan of fixes, the latter can be used in commercial shooting. The option of fixes fell away for a very long time and very hard. I singled out their main drawback for myself in the fact that I really hesitated to juggle lenses - it’s not acceptable when traveling and it’s an additional strain when shooting landscapes: 20 or 24, 50, 85. Yes, the picture is awesome, but there are more minuses. The option with 24-70 turned out to be the most interesting. For commercial shooting, it seems to be better thanks to f / 2.8 and a professional lens hood, but the subject turned out to be more attractive, as it has an excellent stabilizer that allows you to safely shoot handheld at shutter speeds of 1/6 - 24mm and 1/30 - 120mm without any smears (can be longer). When shooting at 24-70, you have to comply with the laws of physics in order to minimize blur on a multi-pixel body: 1/50 - 24mm, 1/125 - 70mm. Accordingly, the ISO values ​​\u200b\u200bare 24-120 lower. For those who like to soap the background, I will say that portraits turn out tastier at 120mm f/4 than at 70mm f/2.8.

As a result, I got not only a bunch of dreams for landscape (for landscapes, not only an ultra-wide angle is needed) and travel photography, but also quite a suitable option for commercial shooting.

Pros

+ Stabilizer. It's some kind of magic! When shooting, for example, on a D810 + 85 f / 1.8 bundle, you have to set the shutter speed to at least 1/125 - 1/160, otherwise it will be guaranteed to be blurry. 24-120 f/4 allows you to safely shoot at 120mm at shutter speeds of 1/30 and slower. If depth of field is not important to you, the stabilizer perfectly compensates for high ISO values with possible shutter speeds. + Range of focal lengths. Probably one of the main criteria that led me to this lens. You can shoot anything without unnecessary juggling with two or more lenses. 120mm - everything is clear here. You can shoot far enough, and 24 is moderately wide. If something does not fit, you can make a simple one-row panorama. + Unexpectedly nice picture and color reproduction. No complaints. Once upon a time, I shot on a non-contrast color-absorbing 18-105. Thought it was zoom disease. Nothing like this! Color rendition and contrast are closer to fixes. At the long end, it is possible to get a quite suitable portrait with a blurry soft background, for whom this is important. To draw an analogy, 120mm f/4 looks almost the same as 85mm f/2.2-2.5. + Resolution. It copes well with the resolution of the D810 already at the minimum aperture value. + Balance. The size and weight goes very well with a SLR camera. Comfortable to hold. I will not write it down as a minus, I will mention it here: the lens is heavy, the bundle is heavy. Carrying such a bandura all day long on a trip is something else. But without compromise in quality. + Assembly. The lens block does not play, everything is assembled firmly, reliably. Do not listen to those who write "plastic". If such optics were metal, it would weigh over 3 kg and the lenses would shatter with minor falls. Plastic makes up for it all.

Cons

- Wild vacuum cleaner! Not expected. In one short shoot, I sucked so much dust onto the focusing screen that I can’t describe it with a decent word. And this is in winter in frost, in calm weather. What will happen in travel, I'm afraid to imagine. I constantly change fixed optics. For 5-6 years of work with SLR cameras, I probably collected less dust than in one shooting with a subject. A little confused. - The travel of the zoom ring depends on the position of the lens. If the camera is directed downwards, the trunk moves out very easily, if upwards, it easily retracts to the 24mm position. In a horizontal position, it rotates quite tightly. - The obvious conclusion from the first minus is the lack of a zoom lock. It would not be superfluous when such a run-up for focal lengths. - Optical distortion. Lightroom certainly copes with them, but vignetting and distortion at 24mm are wild. The corners are more black than darkened at f/4.0.