Honestly im just so fed up with carrying around this bag full of prime lenses for my Z6ii. I travel for work a lot and trying to swap glass in the middle of a busy city street in London while rushing to a meeting is making me lose my mind. I keep missing shots because im too busy fumbling with lens caps and worrying about dust hitting the sensor. I swear if I have to change my 50mm for my 35mm one more time during a shoot im going to lose it. Its just not practical for my workflow anymore and im seriously considering selling half my kit just to simplify.
I need one lens that can actually handle everything so I can stop acting like a pack mule. My budget is around 1200 bucks since I dont want to spend a fortune after already sinking so much into this system. I mostly shoot street photography and some occasional portraits for my side business so I need something sharp but versatile enough that I dont feel limited. I dont mind a little extra weight if it means the quality is there but I really dont want another piece of gear that feels like a brick. Ive been looking at the Z 24-120mm f/4 and the Z 24-70mm f/2.8 but the price jump on the 2.8 makes me nervous. Is the 24-120 really good enough for professional portraits or am I gonna regret not having that extra stop of light? I have a trip to Japan coming up in three weeks and I need to get this sorted like yesterday because the thought of lugging my current setup through Tokyo is stressing me out big time. What is the actual best all-around lens that wont make me want to throw my camera in the trash...
To add to the point above: the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S is basically the king of travel versatility. I used it for a Tokyo trip last year and the reach saved me from swapping lenses in the rain. Just be careful with high ISO if you shoot low light, though. Tip: keep a Nikon Z6II 24.5MP Mirrorless Camera profile saved with auto-ISO maxed at 6400 to compensate for the f/4 aperture.
To add to the point above: you honestly cant go wrong with the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S. I ran MTF charts on this vs the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S and the 120mm reach is way better for street work. Sure, you lose that stop of light, but the f/4 aperture is plenty sharp corner-to-corner for portraits. It basically saves your back in Japan without sacrificing the clinical sharpness Z glass is known for.
Honestly, I feel your pain. Swapping lenses in the middle of a city is a total nightmare. If you want to keep your sanity, just grab the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S. It has been my go-to for a while now and I have absolutely zero regrets.
- The reach is perfect for street stuff
- It is way lighter than the f/2.8 glass
- Sharpness is honestly impressive for a zoom For portraits, the f/4 works well enough if you have decent light or just use a bit of separation with that 120mm focal length. You will save so much space in your bag and honestly, you wont even miss the extra stop with the Z6ii sensor. Just get it and enjoy your trip to Japan, its gonna be a total game changer for your workflow.