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| All images made with a Nikon Z7 and Nikon 24-200mm f/4-6.3 lens. (click to enlarge) |
A couple of weeks ago I borrowed a Nikon 24-200mm f/4-6.3 S Mount lens as a potential candidate to pair with my Nikon Z7. I was wondering if I could make a 'one camera/one all around lens' combination that I could pick up whenever going out of the door. The idea is to somewhat replicate what I have done with my Olympus E-M cameras paired with the outstanding Olympus 12-100mm f/4 lens. Over a couple of days I took the Nikon lens out to some of my usual haunts and made some images with it.
First, the Z7 with the 24-200mm f/4-6.3 lens attached is almost identical in size and weight to the Olympus E-M1 Mark III with the 12-100mm f/4 lens attached. I find that remarkable. The lens has a nice zoom range, is well built (but is in the consumer line of Nikon lenses rather than the ones aimed at advanced enthusiasts or pros—the "S" line) and a nice semi-stiff zoom ring. I found the center sharpness to be excellent at all apertures but, as you might expect with a lens of this design and price, the edge and corner sharpness is a little lacking. Not bad, mind you, but not the acuity and sharpness a much more expensive lens would exhibit. Also, saw a bit of chromatic aberration in my images, but that is easily corrected in Lightroom or another editing program. That said, all this is what I think you would expect from a lens of this nature that is currently selling for just under $800 US. I think it is a good value for what Nikon gives you.
All in all, I don't have anything bad to say about this lens. I certainly could be happy with the image quality it produces but the lens just didn't 'click' with me (pun intended). I can't really put it into succinct terms but I didn't really enjoy using it as I do the comparable Olympus outfit. Funny how things like that work.
I have included a number of images I made with this lens. As I said, it does produce nice images with good contrast and color transmission. It is certainly a step up from the previous generation of 'super zoom' lenses of yesterday.
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If you have a Nikon Z camera and are looking for a small carry everywhere kit, you might want to rent or borrow a copy of this lens and try it for yourself. It performs well, is versatile and is capable of making nice images.
Join me over at my website, https://www.dennismook.com.
Thanks for looking. Enjoy!
Dennis A. Mook
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Greetings Dennis -
ReplyDeleteHave you tried some of the Tamron Zooms? I would compare this to the Tamron 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD zoom lens which has been at $400 on sale recently(50% off its usual price). Spec-wise, I don't see a huge advantage to the Nikon lens vs the Tamron. I have the Tamron on my Nikon D500 for now and it works decently on that body.
The Tamron becomes equivalent to 105-315mm on Nikon APS-C. You would need to upgrade the firmware to 2.0 on this zoom using the TAP system in order to use it on the Z cameras - I have used this on my Z-50 and it works well.
Chris, I have not tried the Tamron zooms but everything I read and see about them indicates they are excellent. As far as the Tamron 70-200 vs. the Nikon 24-200, what about all of those focal lengths from 24mm to 70mm? You don’t get those with the Tamron, therefore, you lose a lot of versatility one would want in an all around one lens kit.
DeleteInteresting physical size comparison. No experience yet with the 24200 but the Olympus feature set with the 12100 would be far and away be my choice. The 12100 is good to the corners and functions well as a moderate macro, with the advantage of an extended lens to subject distance. The f4 constant aperture can be significant in telephoto situations.
ReplyDeleteAfter 3 rentals, I am still searching for justification for adding a Z camera. I like a lot about the camera and would purchase in a heartbeat if Nikon would copy the advanced Olympus features.
Thank you for your comment. I’m in agreement with you in that I prefer the Olympus combination much better.
DeleteHi Dennis -
ReplyDeleteThe Tamron zoom I mentioned does not get into the wider range, but my Tamron Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD Lens on the DX side, offering a 27-600mm equivalent view does cover the entire range. I use this lens on my Nikon Z50.
Owning the Olympus 12-100 + the Em-1, mark II, I still find that lens to be my favorite, but it does not cover the higher end part of the zoom range that the Tamron covers. So I use the Olympus combo more for event and inside photography. I believe the Olympus 12-100 zoom to be a fantastic lens, and a strong player in its range.
Chris, I believe the noted macro photographer, Mike Moats, still uses a Nikon D7000 along with a Tamron 18-400mm lens for some of his professional work. It must be very highly regarded.
DeleteI refer to my Yogi book for why we have multiple cameras.
ReplyDelete“I never blame myself when I’m not hitting. I just blame the bat and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn’t my fault that I’m not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?” – Yogi Berra