The Nikon 14-24mm is the world's first f/2.8 ultra-ultra wide angle zoom. If we discount the slower discount brands like the 15-30mm Sigma and 12-24mm Sigma, this 14-24mm Nikon is the world's first ultra-ultra wide angle professional zoom ever. (I define ultra-ultra wide angle starting as 15mm and shorter, ultra-wide as 16mm through 21mm and wide as 24mm through 35mm.) While it has little to do with the lens, it's worth noting that the CA correction built in to the D3 really works: on the average you don't see more than 1/100 of a percent of frame height of chromatic aberration, and the worst case numbers of 9/100ths of a percent in the 24mm range reduce to just over 3/100ths. Consensus:The Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S isn't cheap (though this deal seriously helps) but it's a fantastic lens. It made our best lenses for astophotography guide where we said, "For astro, this lens gives premium performance." The zoom ring is very well spread out, which makes precise zooming and composition a breeze. It has perfect logarithmic spacing, which I love. Most people use ultrawides too sheepishly, and get crummy results with a tiny subject dwarfed in the middle of a blank frame. When I use my 14mm I have to force myself to get closer and to pay rapt attention to the sides of my viewfinder, which too often are blank.

It offers superb image quality with minimal distortion and it's absolutely excellent at snapping not just individual objects but whole swathes of sky. Want to capture a whole nebula? The Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S lens is absolutely up to the job. Currently the Nikon Z 14-24mm f2.8 S is the only ultra-wide zoom lens with a large f2.8 focal ratio available in Z-mount. So you either make do with a slower Z-mount lens, wait until Sigma and Tamron solve the mysteries of Nikon’s Z-mount communication, or use F-mount lenses via Nikon’s FTZ adapter adding 30.5mm in length and 133g in weight:

Comments

First and foremost (and this is important): the lens’s portability. This is, without a doubt, the smallest and lightest lens in its class. The old F mount model 14-24mm, the Sigma Art 14-24mm, and even the Sony 12-24mm are no match in size and weight when it comes to this lens. More on that later, as this is a party piece.

My 14-24mm f/2.8 AFS is optically perfect on my D300. I'm not saying "perfect" like I call my wife perfect; I'm saying the 14-24mm is so optically perfect its as if Nikon suddenly exempted itself from the laws of optics which have fettered us for the past 150 years.As for its mirrorless equivalents on other mounts, there's no close alternative on Canon's RF-mount, the nearest equivalent being the longer-ranging, less-wide RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM. The nearest match is the Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN Art, which is available on both Leica L and Sony E-mounts. However, the lens does fall short ever so slightly in a few areas; mainly, in terms of astigmatism and distortion in the corners when compared directly to the Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 Art lens. While the Nikon seems to have the advantage at 14mm, the Sigma looks to perform a little better once you start zooming in. 20mm, in particular, seems to be the Nikon lens’s weak point, and for me personally, this was a bit of a letdown as it is one of my favorite focal lengths to use when shooting the Milky Way. Still, as mentioned before, this lens will not suit everyone. Those who use filters extensively will either have to change the way they shoot, or they won’t find this lens suitable for their needs. This is a shame, as such a focal range lends itself perfectly to landscape shooting. That said, Lee Filters are aiming to have a filter holder available as we reported in News. Plus if one were to consider the AF-S 14-24mm F2.8G ED as an alternative to the Z-mount 14-24mm, you'd need to factor in the weight and size of the Mount Adapter FTZ. That would add another 31mm (1.2") in length and 135g (4.8oz) in weight, giving the mirrorless lens a much more significant advantage over its DSLR sibling. If you don’t mind getting a bigger glass you might as well look for 24/1.4 lenses where the prime alternative is Sigma’s 24/1.4 Art that sells for about the same price and performed convincingly (see my Sigma 24/1.4 Art review). Then there is Nikon’s own 24/1.4G (review coming soon) at more than double the price. And finally there is the Samyang/Walimex 24/1.4 lens which can be had for little more than 500 EUR but is manual focus only.