Okay so I'm leaving for Tokyo in literally 13 days and I still havent pulled the trigger on a lens for my Z6ii. Its stressing me out because I want to just take one lens and be done with it. I spent hours reading reviews and basically its down to the 24-120mm f/4 S or that 24-200mm superzoom. My logic was that the 24-200 gives me way more range for like street shots or if I see something far away but then I read a bunch of guys on another forum saying the image quality on the 24-120 is way better because its an S-line lens. But then I'm worried 120mm isnt enough zoom for travel?
Budget is about 1100 bucks maybe a little more if it really makes a difference. I saw the 24-70 f/2.8 too but that thing is way too expensive and heavy for walking around Shinjuku all day. So I was thinking maybe the f/4 is enough but what if it gets dark? Does the constant aperture on the 120 make a huge difference compared to the 200 slowing down at the long end? I honestly cant decide and I need to order this by Friday to get it in time. Is the extra 80mm on the 24-200 worth the dip in sharpness or should I just crop the 24-120...
Tokyo is amazing but man, picking the wrong gear can really ruin the vibe. I went through this exact same thing before a trip to Kyoto last year. I thought I could get away with just one do-it-all lens and grabbed the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR because the range sounded perfect on paper. Unfortunately, it was a massive disappointment for me. Once I got into those narrow alleys at dusk, that f/6.3 aperture at the long end became a total liability. My Z6ii was struggling to focus and the images just looked kinda muddy. Heres how those two actually compare from my experience:
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S: This is the real winner. The image quality is night and day compared to the superzoom. Its sharp even wide open and that constant f/4 is a lifesaver when the light starts to fade in Shinjuku or Shibuya.
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR: Great for bright daylight but its just not as good as expected for a big trip. The corners are soft and I really hated how fast it slows down when you zoom in even a little bit. I ended up selling my 24-200 as soon as I got home because it just couldnt keep up with what I needed. I swapped it for the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S and havent looked back since. 120mm is plenty for most street stuff, and you can always use DX crop mode if you really need to reach something far away. Dont risk your trip on mediocre glass... i learned that lesson the hard way.
