Honestly I am so fed up with my current setup and I really need a fix before my trip to Acadia next Thursday. I have been using the Z5 with that tiny 24-50 kit lens and it is just driving me insane because the aperture is so slow and the range is basically non-existent for anything interesting. I tried carrying around a couple of primes like the 35mm and the 85mm but honestly switching them out while hiking is a nightmare and I already got dust on my sensor twice which cost a fortune to clean. I just want one single lens that can handle landscape stuff but also take decent portraits of my wife without looking like a cell phone photo. My budget is topped out at about $1200 because I already spent way too much on the body itself. I was looking at the 24-120mm f4 or maybe even a third party thing like Tamron but I dont know if the quality is actually there or if I am just gonna be disappointed again. I'm tired of missing shots because I'm fumbling in my bag while the light is changing. Is there actually a holy grail for the Z mount that I can just leave on the camera forever? What is the best all-around lens for Nikon Z series cameras that wont break my back or my bank account?
Dude, you are literally looking right at the winner already! The Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S is hands down the absolute best lens I have ever used for my Z gear. I took it on a trip to the mountains last year and I legit never took it off the body once. Going from that tiny kit lens to this is gonna blow your mind... the sharpness is just unreal even wide open at f4. Since youre heading to Acadia you really need that 24mm for those massive coastal views but then being able to instantly zoom to 120mm for portraits? Its perfect! It is part of the S-line which is Nikons top tier glass so the weather sealing is gonna be amazing for those misty mornings. Honestly just grab it and dont look back, itll totally save your sanity on the trail!
