I am so sick of carrying around three different lenses every time I go out like my bag is literally killing my shoulder and I keep missing shots while I'm fumbling to swap. I just got the Z6ii and I'm super hyped for my trip to Tokyo next month but I need one lens that does everything. My logic was the 24-200mm since it covers everything but then I saw people saying it's slow and now I'm looking at the 24-120mm f4 instead. But is that long enough? Budget is like $1100-1300 max and I just want to stop overthinking this and buy one thing that stays on the camera forever...
> I saw people saying it's slow and now I'm looking at the 24-120mm f4 instead. Adding my two cents... over the years I have learned that slow usually means missed memories. I once took a superzoom to Japan and half my evening shots were grainy messes tho. The Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S is the safer bet for Tokyo because those narrow alleys get surprisingly dim. Trust me, 120mm is plenty for most stuff. Its just more reliable.
I went with the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S and honestly couldnt be happier. Its just a safer, more reliable piece of glass than the superzoom. Having that constant aperture really helps when the light starts to fade in the city. The build quality is solid and I have had no complaints about the range... 120mm is usually plenty for street photography anyway.
Ive been considering your situation. What subjects do you plan to prioritize? If you intend to shoot at night, you might want to consider the limitations of the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR since f/6.3 is quite restrictive.
- Constant aperture provides more exposure consistency
- Consider the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S for a lighter alternative Make sure to verify if 120mm provides sufficient reach for your style before spending $1100...
@Reply #3 - good point! i remember being in your shoes and stressing so hard about which glass would actually survive a month of travel without me regretting it. basically i eventually found a setup i am super happy with but i only got there by ignoring the noise here and doing some deeper digging on my own...
- ngl you should just head over to youtube and search for something like nikon 24-120 vs 24-200 tokyo street photography.
- there are a few really great creators who have done side-by-side walks in the exact spots you are going.
- seeing the actual video quality and how the lens handles the weight in a real vlog is way more reliable than just taking our word for it. i felt so much more confident once i saw the real-world samples instead of just reading specs. definitely worth the 20 minutes to just go search for it yourself and see what works well in that light.
