This is a practical, real life Nikon Z 24-200mm lens review. You will not find technical performance information here but a real life use by a long time professional photographer. This review focuses on three main case scenarios where this lens comes handy, as a travel / walk around lens, a hiking trip where minimal gear is desired and an all around lens for family time.
I tested this lens with both of my Nikon Z cameras, Z6 and Z7. You will find original size, unedited JPEG files later on in this article. The photos here were not taken for the purpose of a test but rather real life shots, from my photo outings, hikes and family days. In other words – the lens was used for the intended purpose, not for theoretical tests.
If you are interested in more technical reviews I recommend checking out Nikon Z 24-200mm lens review by Ricci Talks on Youtube. Very informative.
- Why this lens and use cases
- Nikon Z 24-200mm lens review
- Conclusion
- Sample files – unedited, original size
Why have I purchased Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens?
The main reason is its size and weight. I wanted a light and versatile lens for the above mentioned scenarios (travel, hiking, family). From the beginning I knew that this lens is not gonna replace my other lenses but rather complement my setup. 24-200mm Nikon Z lens is also the first available native telephoto Z lens – this is very important for video use, where one needs silent, smooth focus and minimal focus breathing.
Nikon Z 24-200mm lens for hiking and mountaineering
I wanted something small and light for my mountaineering adventures. When carrying a heavy and stuffed backpack for long hours the weight and size(!) becomes increasingly important. Replacing my current setup of Nikon Z 24-70 f4 + Nikon F 70-200mm f4 with a single, light and small Nikon Z 24-200mm is a huge difference! See the photo above. My new setup consists of only two (!!!) lenses – I usually bring Nikon Z 14-30mm f4 along.
Nikon Z 24-200mm lens for as a walk around lens
This lens was made for this purpose. Its versatility and lightweight make it perfect for the job. My DSLRs go-to walkaround lens was Nikon 24-120mm f4 and now on mirrorless, Nikon Z 24-200mm lens has replaced it. I am genuinely happy with it. I wish I had it on my recent trip to Oman.
Nikon Z 24-200mm lens for family photography
This is another good case where this lens comes very handy. When you need something for very diverse shooting situations, where changing lenses is not an option and where you don’t have the luxury of carrying multiple lenses. I must admit that I very much enjoy Nikon Z prime lenses for my family portraits. So I will bring either 50mm 1.8 or 85mm 1.8 lens with me if possible.
Nikon Z 24-200mm lens review – Performance and issues
Build quality and feel
An important aspect when considering a lens is the build quality and how it fits on the camera. I must say that this lens looks just as sturdy as 24-70 f4 S lens even though it is not classified as “S”. It is more plastic but it seems high quality. Weather sealing seems as good as other zoom Z lenses I have but I haven’t put it to a real test yet. Time will tell if it is as durable as other Nikon lenses I owned. The lock button seems unnecessary but I guess with use, the zoom movement might get looser and the button will come handy. I wish it had focus button too as I like to switch to manual/AF on the lens, when doing video. With 570g this lens is not too heavy and is well balanced on camera, even when fully extended. When in camera backpack, it doesn’t take much space.
Image sharpness
This is the first all-in-one lens where I am happy with image quality. The lens is sharp and is comparable with both lenses it replaces in my backpack, the 24-70 f4 S and 70-200mm f4. This said – corners are noticeably less sharp and if I was doing large prints I would consider cropping about 10% of into the frame. For 95% of uses however, this lens is as sharp as one needs. Period.
Lens performance
Here I talk about AF and image stabilisation. These two factors are very important for everyday use of the lens. The image stabilisation works very well – I had no trouble getting sharp photos at 200mm and shutter speed around 1/10s. I prefer to increase ISO than shooting at these “border” shutter speeds.
The autofocus is indeed silent and I finally have a longer lens I can shoot video with using AF. The AF performance is the usual on Z cameras and lenses. I haven’t noticed any significant difference from let’s say 24-70mm f4 S lens.
Aperture
A zoom lens like this comes with tradeoffs. There is no magic here. The most obvious one is the aperture which is mediocre. The f4 is available only at its widest focal length. At 35mm it is already f4.8, at 50mm it is f5.6 and as soon as you get past 70mm the aperture get to f6.3. The good thing is that the lens is sharp wide open and in low light situation one needs to rely on camera high ISO performance.
Purple fringing, flare, “sunstar” effect
These are the tradeoffs of using this lens against the top of the line zooms and prime lenses. I have seen some youtube reviews that this lens has minimal purple fringing and flare but from my experience this is the worst lens in Z lineup I have tried. This is expected. First the zoom range comes with tradeoffs in optical terms and second, this is obviously not an “S” lens. Here are a few example of what I mean.
Purple fringing – out of camera and corrected in camera raw – also notice less sharpness in the corner 
Lifted shadows to see details better. Good flare control, visible purple fringing and mediocre sunstar
I didn’t expect this lens to produce a great “sunstar” and it turns out my expectations were right. Here are a couple more example of unedited photos.
NIKON Z7 WITH 24-200MM LENS (ISO 64, @37MM, F16, 1/80S) – yes, I know, dust on sensor…. 
NIKON Z7 WITH 24-200MM LENS (ISO 320, @42MM, F16, 8S)
Minimum focus distance test
One thing I really enjoyed with my trusted Nikon 70-200mm f4 was its close MFD – I could photograph small things like alpine flowers or even some butterflies and dragonflies. The new Nikon Z 24-200mm lens can focus even closer, at about 70 cm (2.3 ft). It can focus much closer than the old 70-200mm lens but the reproduction factor is about the same (I believe this is due to focus breathing?). Here is an example of a waterlily photographed with both lenses at their minimum focus distance.
NIKON Z7 WITH 24-200MM LENS (ISO 200, @200MM, F6.3, 1/800S) at 70 cm distance 
NIKON Z7 WITH 70-200MM LENS (ISO 200, @200MM, F6.3, 1/800S) at 100cm distance
After I have done multiple tests like this I can confirm the results are almost identical. Yes, the 70-200mm f4 has a wider aperture and can let more light in but given that 24-200mm lens can focus closer I assume the depth of field is very similar despite shooting at f6.3.
Conclusion
The new NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens is surprisingly capable lens that delivers excellent image quality in most of cases. I purchased it after some initial reviews about its sharpness, silent focus, size and weight. It did not disappoint. Yes, it has its flaws but honestly, this is the first Nikon all-rounder lens that I find acceptable. If you know why are you buying it and if you are using for the purposes that it is intended to do, you will love this lens and it will serve you well. Here below are the scenarios when I am going to use this lens and when not (this is also very important factor one needs to consider before buying).
I will use it for:
- Hiking and mountaineering where size and weight matters
- Walkaround lens on my travels
- Family photography when I can’t bring multiple lenses
- Difficult conditions where I can’t swap lenses (I wish I had this lens in Omani desert)
I will not use it for:
- Portraits. In this case I prefer to use prime lenses like 35m, 50m or 85mm 1.8
- Landscape photography where I can carry my best , heavier and bulkier lenses and I want absolutely best image quality
- Cityscapes and blue hour photography – I prefer to use lenses that give me nice sunstar effect and even less flare
These scenarios above is where I do most of my photography. I am not a sports or wildlife photographer where wide aperture and super fast focus matter.
This is what I have to say about this lens. I hope this is helpful to you and you can make your decision about getting this lens or not.
Sample photos made with NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens
I am finishing this Nikon Z 24-200mm lens review sample photos. You can freely download these original size, unedited JPEGs. Feel free to look at them to see if this lens delivers for you but keep in mind that I am not giving away copyright for any other purposes. Thank you!
RIGHT CLICK -> “Open link in a new tab” to see original files below.
If you found this article useful check out my new post on using Nikon Z prime lenses too.
37 comments
Thanks for this great review, Luka. I’ve been contemplating getting this lens for exactly the same reasons you mention. Fun for me to see that our primariy equipment choices are almost identical – Z7 & Z6, 24-70/4, 70-200/4, 14-30/4
Hi Greg, Yes, exactly the same setup for landscape work. I am enjoying new system very much. I hope you do too!
Great review!
Thank you Sue!
Spot on review Luka. I have only had this lens for a week and am so pleasantly surprised by this it. Sure it has tradeoffs but now I can fly (when safe) with my Z7, Z6, 14-30 f4, 24-200 and the 500 pf.
Thank you Brian! Yes, this is a huge benefit – flying without a hassle and much lighter… I hope it will serve you well.
Very informative review, thank you! The 70-200 f4 is also one of my favorite landscape lenses. Would it be possible to compare these two lenses side-by-side at 70-200 range? I’m very curious as on hiking trips I’m seriously considering a lighter setup, but the sharpness of 70-200 f4 is so outstanding.
Hi YJ I am not a person to do technical reviews and compare lenses in such way. Check out Ricci talks on youtube – he has very informative reviews that I enjoy watching.
Good analysis. I have the Z7, 14-30, 24-70 and latest 70-300 Nikkor. What would you say is the best, sharpest telephoto for landscapes?
At the moment it’s an easy choice for native Z lenses. Either the 24-200mm or 70-200 f2.8 if you really want the best sharpness and IQ. Or you can stick with your 70-300 for a while until Nikon puts out the promised 100-400mm lens.
Thanks very much! I’m really intrigued by the 24-200 and appreciate your detailed review.
Thank you for the honest review, Luka. That was enjoyable and helpful.
Thanks Craig!
Luka, just found you and thoroughly enjoyed your practical comparison. If I get the 24-400, I’ve already decided to sell my 28-300. Having watched and watched Ricci’s technical reviews and other feedback–mostly from pros; I’m still struggling with the need to keep my Z24-70 and FF 70-200 f/4. Not being a pro and finding a need for large prints..or any prints at all!; your observation about cropping 10% to solve any sharpness loss at the corners hit home for me. I generally crop anyway. And, I do have the FF 50mm f/1.8 if I do want special family portraits. I wouldn’t rule out another prime if the need was paramount.Your comparison of MFD also gives me reason to switch.
Most other sites and reviews, who are pros or ‘like’ pros– continually denigrate the 24-200 for it’s lack of constant aperture. You have clearly shown that it is less of an issue, for us non-pros (or even realistic pros) than usually claimed.
Again, thank you. Getting ready to pull the trigger.
Jon
Hi John,
I am glad that this article helped you with the decision. I wrote this in Summer and I can confirm that I like this lens even more now. I haven’t used 24-70 f4 since. When I need to play with shallow DOF or in really low light I use 35mm and 85mm primes – they are small and light enough I always keep them in my bag.
24-200
Hi Luka, thank you for your very informative review. Your photos also brought memories of Ljubljana that I visited in spring 2018. Beautiful city. I bought Z 24-200 lens a week ago and tried it on my Z6 and Z6. I have a feeling, with no proof, that this lens would perform better on Z6, although theoretically it should be sharper on Z7 due to it’s absence of the AA filter. I suspect that 45 Mpix resolution of Z7 might overpower this lens. What is your opinion? Thanks.
I am glad this helped Efraim. I’d say both cameras will give you excellent results with this lens. As I say in the article, only corners at longer focal lengths can be a bit softer so if you print you might consider cropping a little in this case.
Glad I found this review Luka. I’m planning to move from ASP-C to full frame, currently on Canon M50. I’m not really interested in video, only stills. Nikon Z5 looks like what I’m looking for (IBIS, weather sealing, focus bracketing..) but I’m worried about lenses. Kit with Nikkor z 24-200 seems to be good point to start until I can save some money for prime lenses. Seems like this is good enough lens for general hiking, travelling, which is exactly what I’m after. Thank you!
You have nothing to worry about with Z5+24-200. I would add a 50mm 1.8 S for some portraits and shallow DOF – it is the most affordable prime for Z and also the sharpest of all 1.8
Hello Luka,
You were very precise about Portrait photography but what would you use for other two cases:
Landscape photography where I can carry my best , heavier and bulkier lenses and I want absolutely best image quality
Cityscapes and blue hour photography – I prefer to use lenses that give me nice sunstar effect and even less flare
Thank you very much
Alex
Alex, at the moment I usually use 14-30 f4 and 24-200mm. Occasionally prime lenses, also for landscapes and cityscapes but I actually like the quality of 24-200 so I don’t even plan to buy f2.8 lenses anymore. The only lens I am eagerly waiting is 100-400 as I would prefer a native Z lens for a telephoto.
Thank you very much, Luka!
This will help me to pull the trigger on switching from LUMIX to Nikon. Thanks
Hi Tom, It is a wonderful lens that I use daily. Lumix system is nice but I always preferred Nikon for the quality of lenses and colours…
Nice review, thanks.. I got my first Z6 with the 24-70f4, so tommorrow i will order a Z6II with the 24-200!.. hopefully i will go to beautiful Bled soon to make some nice family pics.
Happy to help Rajko. What a wonderful holiday house you have!
Quick question if I may, when I mount this lens on my Z7 I no longer have the ability to change vibration reduction In my camera settings, Is this an error with the lens or am I missing something probably the latter. Thank you very much in advance
James, I never tried to change VR settings in the camera. Why would you want to do that? Maybe turn it off for some specific purpose?
A Great blog post.
Just curious. Would it be the same now after Nikon announced the 24-120S?
Hi Richie, I have ordered 100-400mm lens. I would probably purchase 24-120 with it. But since I already have the 24-70 f4 I don’t think it is worth spending another 1k on this. 24-200mm will stay in my collection when I need light and portable lens. Mainly longer hiking and mountaineering and also family trips where one lens is best…
And what would you do if you have a 24-70/4 and a 70-200 2.8?
Sell the 24-70 and buy a 24-120
Or keep the 24-70 and compliment it with a 24-200
What you have is an excellent combo. Only if you need something lighter for walkaround I would acquire either 24-120 or 24-200. Which one mainly depends on how much does 120-200 range mean to you. To me, this is important so the choice is obvious.
I really love my combo. It‘s just for hiking and vacation where it is a pain in the ass to bring the 70-200 🙂