A “superzoom” lens used to be scorned by serious photographers, because it was originally a terrible compromise. Most early superzoom SLR lenses were not sharp, and their build quality was, well, junky. Why? Because it was assumed that only an amateur would think it a good idea to have an “all-in-one” lens. Today, in this Nikon Z 24-200mm review, I’m going to demonstrate just how outdated that myth is.

Admittedly, today’s lenses have a couple of major, game-changing advantages compared to the SLR/DSLR era. In the Nikon ecosystem, for example, the SLR F-mount had a very constricting diameter, and had to accommodate the extra distance required for a viewfinder prism mirror. Also, the older superzoom optical formulas did not have the advanced computer-aided design.

Things are completely different now, indeed. The Nikon mirrorless Z mount is the biggest (widest diameter) mount on the market, and optical engineers have amazing new design tools to harness the newfound unfettered potential.

Spoiler alert: The Nikon Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR is an incredible lens. In fact, it might be the only lens you need, depending on the photo/video content you create! With that in mind, let’s dive into this review…

Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR Specifications

FOCAL LENGTH & ANGLE OF VIEW: 24-200mm, 84° to 12° 20′
LENS MOUNT(S): Nikon Z-mount (FX full-frame)
APERTURE & RANGE: f/4-6.3, f/22-36
STABILIZATION: Yes, optical VR
AUTOFOCUS: Near-silent stepper motor
MANUAL FOCUS: Yes, electronically controlled using customizable control ring
OPTICAL CONSTRUCTION: 19 Elements in 15 Groups, 2 aspherical, 2 ED elements, ARNEO & Nano Crystal coatings
MECHANICAL BUILD: Metal & Plastic, weather-sealed
MAGNIFICATION & FOCUS DISTANCE: 0.28x magnification, 1.64 ft (50 cm) close focusing
FILTER THREADS & HOOD: 67mm filter threads, plastic 1-piece petal hood
SIZE: 3.01 x 4.49 in. (76.5 x 114 mm)
WEIGHT: 1.25 lbs (570g)
PRICE: $896.95

Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR Review | Who Should Buy It?

The focal length range from 24mm to 200mm is pretty much all-encompassing. I know innumerable wedding & portrait photographers who do 100% of their work using a 24-70mm and 70-200mm lens!

Of course, the main difference is that those are f/2.8 zooms, whereas this all-in-one full-frame mirrorless zoom lens is f/4 at the wide end, and f/6.3 at the 200mm end. This does indeed create some restrictions for anyone who is looking to work in low light.

Honestly, though? If you’re mostly working in “decent” light, or if you’re using a tripod at times when the light is dim, you might just be able to get away with the 24-200mm.

I’m not making that recommendation to working professional portrait or wedding photographers, mind you. I strongly recommend the “professional standard” of f/2.8, if clients are trusting you to deliver high-quality results in any lighting.

If you’re at 200mm, the light loss between f/2.8 and f/6.3 will force you to increase your ISO from an acceptable ~3200 to beyond ISO 12800, and I simply don’t recommend that for paid portrait or wedding work.

Travel & Adventure Photography

First and foremost, the advantage of “never” having to switch lenses is my top reasons why I’d choose the Nikon 24-200mm f/4-6.3 Z. Maybe you’re with family on a special vacation and you have a packed schedule. Or, maybe you’re off in the mountains or desert with your adventure friends. There are just some scenarios in which it’s very convenient to just slap one lens on your camera and never have to think about changing it.

The zoom range from 24-200mm is perfect for all kind of travels & adventures; 24mm gives you that classic view of a landscape, and 200mm gives you the “reach” you need for candid portraits of people, close-up details, and even wildlife. (More about “serious” landscape & wildlife photography next!)

Landscape Photography

Of course, the category of “travel and adventure” might imply that a content creator isn’t a “serious” landscape photographer. What if traditional landscape photography is your main passion, or even your full-time job? Don’t think twice about this superzoom; it’s more than capable of professional results.

For those dedicated landscape photographers who really pixel-peep the extreme corners of their image frames, you might notice a bit lower resolution at 24mm, especially on 45+ megapixel sensors. Honestly, though, the image detail is still very impressive, and nobody is going to notice.

At the very least, I’d call the Nikon 24-200mm a great all-around landscape photography lens for more active, fast-paced things like hiking, backpacking, road trips, etc. Having a superzoom on your camera is going to result in more photos captured, and one of those images might end up being a portfolio-worthy shot.

Ideally, yes, I would choose a dedicated landscape photography lens such as the Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S or the Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S. Still, this 24-200mm is the lens I’d “leave on my camera” while hiking, driving, or any sort of exploring as an outdoor & nature photographer.

Action Sports & Wildlife Photography

From here, most of the other genres of photo & video that I’m going to talk about are in a category that I can best describe by saying, “you’ll probably want at least one other specialized lens, but this 24-200mm makes a perfect all-around zoom.”

Sports & wildlife photography is a perfect example of this: you want at least one zoom lens that can cover as big of a range as possible. This 24-200mm might be on your 2nd camera body, while your main camera has a dedicated wildlife/sports lens. Still, having the versatile zoom range could save you from missing a moment.

Architecture & Real Estate Photography

Similarly to landscape photography, you’ll probably want a dedicated wide-angle lens for these types of photography. Whether you just love to do cityscapes, or you’re a full-time real estate photographer, a 24-200mm could be the perfect 2nd lens to go with something like the Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S.

Vloggers & Video Content Creators

Last but not least, if you do video, this all-in-one superzoom is a great choice for all your B-roll needs, or any time you need a long zoom sequence. For vlogging, I’d likely opt for a lightweight, fast-aperture lens such as the Nikon 20mm f/1.8 S as my main lens, or the Nikon 17-28mm f/2.8. Then, this 24-200mm would be the all-around lens for everything else besides selfie compositions.

If you’re a more cinematic movie-maker, then you might opt instead to save up for a high-end pro zoom like the Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ. However, at $2596 compared to the $896 price tag of the 24-200mm, we are absolutely getting into apples VS oranges territory there.

Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR Review | Pros & Cons

Image Quality

Sharpness is excellent throughout the whole zoom range. (You won’t have to worry about there being a random range of softness somewhere in the middle, like many old superzooms used to have!) There is some loss if resolution in the extreme corners, when the aperture is wide open, regardless of which focal length you’re at. However, stopping down 1-2 stops really helps add sharp detail to the corners, indeed.

Overall, the rest of the many aspects of image quality are quite pleasing. I don’t even have to say, “pleasing for a superzoom”; the image characteristics such as bokeh are just plain beautiful, period!

Colors and contrast are beautiful. Flare is aesthetically pleasing, without those annoying flare dots. Sunstars are easy to achieve at tighter apertures such as f/16.

Even the most technical aspects of image quality, such as color fringing, chromatic aberration, and coma/astigmatism, are relatively minimal. There is some faint color fringing if you’re using the aperture wide-open to photograph high-contrast subjects in harsh sunlight, but that is understandable.

With an aperture of f/4 at 24mm, this lens wouldn’t be my top choice for nightscapes or astrophotography, of course. Having said that, if it’s a nearly full moon, you’ll easily capture beautiful results. One thing to keep in mind is that there is a built-in lens profile being applied, to correct distortion and vignetting. I recommend leaving this on at all times, unless you’re doing very challenging work at extremely high ISOs, in which case it’s best to turn off the distortion correction to avoid noise banding patterns.

Last but not least, despite is relatively tight aperture at the longer focal lengths, and the modest magnification of 0.28x, the close-up capabilities of this lens are quite impressive for those who want to dip their toes into the world of macro.

Design & Durability

The Nikon Z 24-200mm VR is a rather sturdy, durable lens. The design is minimalistic; the zoom ring is large and easy to operate and the focus / control ring is easy to find as well. All in all, considering the price point I would expect this lens to last as long as any professional Nikkor, as long as you take decent care of it.

Autofocus Performance

As both a casual everyday lens, and as a telephoto wildlife/sports lens, I wasn’t disappointed in the autofocus speed & precision. The glass that’s moving when focusing is likely not very heavy, since the aperture is relatively tight, so it’s not surprise that autofocus is snappy and consistent. Also, for those who do video work, autofocus is basically silent.

Focus Breathing & Zoom Balance

Speaking of video, if you do a lot of work on a gimbal, or any sort of high-end cinematic imagery, then you’re concerned about these two aspects of a lens review. Thankfully, although the lens barrel does extend substantially when zooming from 24mm to 200mm; it doesn’t put the lens off-balance on a gimbal, especially if you balance the gimbal for a middle-of-the-range zoom position.

Racking focus does bring out a bit of focus breathing, but it’s barely noticeable.

Ergonomics & Portability

When compared against any other lens options that cover the whole range from 24mm to 200mm, the Nikon Z 24-200mm VR has a massive advantage in terms of portability. It’s 1.25 lbs, which is a fraction of the weight (and size) of any 2-lens combo.

When paired with a relatively compact full-frame camera such as the Nikon Z5 II, you’ll have a lightweight, portable setup that is capable of professional results.

Features & Customizations

I do have a couple of complaints that I could nit-pick about, but these aren’t deal-breakers, to be sure. Mainly, I do wish that there was an AF/MF switch on the side of the lens; this is always something I wish for.

The lens does extend quite a bit when zooming in to 200mm, so there is a zoom lock switch on the side. Honestly, I felt like the zoom was dampened perfectly and a lock switch wasn’t necessary. However, maybe after many years of heavy use, the dreaded “zoom creep” might become a thing.

I don’t really miss an L-Fn button, though; I haven’t found much use for that customizable button yet. The only other thing I can note is that the manual focus ring is also the “control” ring. This means you can re-program the ring to do things like aperture control or EV comp. However, I’ve always found that hard to do because it messes with my brain when it comes time to actually manual focus.

Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR Review | Value

At under $900, you’re not going to find a better value that covers this whole zoom range. We’ll talk about the competing alternatives next, but, suffice it to say, the Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.4 VR is not just more affordable than the obvious 2-3 lens duo/trio you might consider instead; it’s also the most affordable superzoom currently available on the Z mount.

Considering the image quality and build quality, I think it’s no understatement to call this one of the best values in Nikon’s entire Z-mount lens lineup! Think of it this way: compared to any other options that cover this range, with the 24-200mm you’ll have plenty of money left over to add a faster prime such as the incredibly affordable Nikon Z 40mm f/2, (currently just $196, thanks to a generous $100 savings) …or the Nikon Z 50mm f/1.4. (Currently $496; no savings available at present…)

Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR Review | Compared To The Competition

If you’re looking for a superzoom, the other main option you might be considering is the Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR. Personally, I value 24mm much more than I value 400mm, so I’d prefer this zoom without hesitation. However, if you do a lot more wildlife or action sports than landscapes, you might feel differently and be more attracted to that 400mm end. (There is a HUGE difference, as you might imagine, between 200mm and 400mm!)

There is also the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S. As an S-line lens, it gains certain advantages such as a dedicated focus ring, an L-Fn button, and AF/MF switch. However, it forfeits VR stabilization, and of course the telephoto end is limited to 120mm. As an S-line lens, it ought to deliver better image quality. Honestly? Yes, the S-line does have better optics, but it’s just not a noticeable deal-breaker for me. I would rather have 200mm.

The bottom line is that all three lenses are excellent choices, so you can just pick whichever zoom range suits your needs. They all have the same drawback, which is, their apertures are a bit slower. (The 200mm and 400mm options get very slow at the telephoto ends.)

Personally, I prefer to have optical stabilization in any lens longer than 85mm; it’s superior to sensor stabilization.The only other thing to note is that the 28-400mm is quite a bit more expensive than the 24-200mm, at around $1300 compared to the ~$900 for the 24-200mm. (The 24-120mm f/4 S is about $1000.)

For video work, the alternative is rather expensive, as I mentioned earlier. The Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ will set you back about $2600, however, the power zoom and geared control ring features will be worth it if you’re doing serious cinematography.

If you’re on a DX camera, then the Nikon Z 18-140mm is your equivalent crop-sensor superzoom. However, at 18mm it only equates to about a 27mm focal length, so you’ll likely feel yourself wishing to have something else to cover the wider angles, especially if you like dramatic landscape photography. The Nikon Z 12-28mm makes an excellent pairing. Then again, honestly? If you’ve got the 12-28mm wide-angle covered for a DX camera, you might as well go with the 24-200mm FX lens instead of the 18-135mm.

For those who are shopping across all brands, I can say that Canon, Sony, and the Panasonic/Sigma mounts do have some solid alternatives. None of them stand out above the rest as being particularly superior.

Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR Review | Conclusion

All in all, I really like that Nikon has a wide range of options for all types of photographers & videographers. If you’re looking for a name-brand super-zoom lens, Nikon’s trio of choices are collectively the best, most versatile.

Of the bunch, I like the Nikon Z 24-20mm VR the most. The balance of performance and portability is excellent. The price truly impressive, especially for such a well-made lens that includes the one feature I really want; VR.

Its tighter, variable aperture can be a constraint for low-light work, admittedly. If you’re a portrait or wedding photographer, don’t try to rely on this lens beyond 70mm in low light. Get yourself the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S, or the 70-180mm f/2.8 if you’re on a budget.

Other than that caveat, for almost all types of photography or videography, this is the best all-around zoom that I’ve ever reviewed!

Check Pricing & Availability

The Nikon Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR is currently priced at $896.95, which does not include any instant savings or rebates. (This probably means that you might expect to find it for $50-100 less, once or twice a year!)

Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR Specifications