Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm F4S lens review: Compact and capable performer

This is what you’ll get if you buy one of the mirrorless Nikon Z 6 or Z 7 cameras as part of a kit, but as one of Nikon’s S series of primes it’s meant as a ‘premium’ model. While we’ve yet to see what one of the 'standard' models is like build-wise, this sober-looking lens is a step or two above the DX equivalent zooms in the company’s range. It’s nicely made but it’s not quite up to the pro-oriented build of the Nikkor Z 24-70mm F2.8 S (reviewed here). Still, with a part-plastic part-metal outer, this is intended as lightweight and compact design. It even has a retractable mechanism to keep it small when not in use - like the later Nikkor Z 14-30mm F4. Nikon has added a thin, serrated control ring designated for manual focusing but it can be customised from the camera menu to perform aperture selection or EV correction instead. Autofocus using a single stepping motor is practically silent too. All of which are very useful, especially if you intend to use it for o