is no big deal. The world has never had a really sharp 14mm before, but we have had sharp 24mm lenses for decades. All of my other lenses have a UV filter permanently attached for protection, but not this guy. More on filters a bit later. I love ultrawide lenses like this 14-24mm. I use this 14-24mm because I'm crazy and love 14mm lenses. It replaces my 14mm f/2.8. It does not replace a regular wide lens like the 17-35mm. When I say I use the 14-24mm most of the time on my D3, it's because it replaces a fixed 14mm lens for me.

The zoom ring is very well spread out, which makes precise zooming and composition a breeze. It has perfect logarithmic spacing, which I love. The performance of the uncorrected D3 testing in relation to chromatic aberration is very similar to that of the test results for the D200, though as you zoom in further towards 24mm, there is a greater presence of CA, especially at the larger apertures. The uncorrected D3, at 24mm and ƒ/2.8, shows 9/100ths of a percent of frame height, while the D200 shows just 4.5. Our sample pictures don't reflect this, as they are showing the CA-corrected versions of the test chart.It works great on every pro camera since the F4. Even on the 1988 F4 you get super fast autofocus, Matrix metering and P and S automatic exposure modes. Similarly, levels of distortion are incredibly low for this class of lens. Indeed, distortion is barely perceptible throughout the entire zoom range, even when shooting straight-sided buildings in architectural photography. Another real achievement is that chromatic aberrations are practically impossible to spot, even around high-contrast edges towards the extreme corners of the frame. All in all, the compatibility with Canon’s in-camera corrections are somewhat academic. Closest focus distance is 0.24m (0.92ft.) at 24mm focal length with a magnification of 1:5.8 which is not much. This results in a working distance of around 10cm. The F-Nikkor is similar with a magnification of 1:6.2 at 0.27m object distance, the Z 14-30mm f4.0 S goes to 1:5.1 from 0.25m. A magnification of 1:10 is reached at 0.35m focus distance similar to the F-Nikkor. The Z 14-30mm f4.0 S achieves 1:10 at 0.41m due to its longer focal length. [0]

Watch any Terry Gilliam film (The Fisher King, 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, etc.) and you’ll see that almost every shot is a wide shot, which gives the work a striking sense of otherworldliness. These comments are using the 14-24mm on a full-frame FX or film camera. It's foolish to use this 14-24mm on a DX camera like the D300, because the 12-24mm DX is a much smarter choice for its wider zoom range, smaller size, lower price and ability to use normal filters, if you're using a smaller-format camera. (see Crop Factor.) Closest focus distance/max. magnification: 0.23m (0.75ft) / 1:5. The Sigma 24/1.4 reaches 1:5.3 at 0.25m.[0] Resistance to chromatic aberration is excellent, much improved over the Nikon 12-24mm ƒ/2.8 DX lens. The 14-24mm ƒ/2.8 never exceeds 5/100ths of a percent of frame height in the corners, and 3/100ths in the center - we're talking barely perceptible results here.There is a pretty visible amount of barrel distortion on the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G at 14mm (Imatest measured 4.00%), which gets reduced to roughly 2.35% at 16mm and barely unnoticeable 1.10% at 18mm. By 20mm, distortion completely disappears, as seen from the below chart: Chromatic Aberration Price: 2630 EUR (incl. 16% VAT) / 2400 USD / 2500 GBP. The F-Nikkor currently goes for 1500 EUR / 1600 USD / 1500 GBP the Z 14-30mm f4.0 S is at 1140 EUR / 1300 USD / 1130 GBP. I’d consider the price of the new lens relatively fair for a professional ultra-wide angle f2.8 zoom from a camera manufacturer. [0] Or you go for a standard 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom that lets you comfortably shoot when more reach is necessary. Two of those are also stabilized: The Tamron SP AF 24-70mm 2.8 Di VC USD (800 EUR, see my Tamron 24-70/2.8 VC review) and Nikon’s new AF-S VR 24-70mm 2.8E ED. But that is the most expensive alternative at 2400 EUR (see my Nikon 24-70/2.8E VR review). This isn’t something I’d worry about unless you constantly shoot in dusty or sandy conditions. If you do, it’s possible that some grit can land in the lens barrel and make it harder to zoom the lens over time (though it’s unlikely to reach or damage the internal optics themselves). My recommendation for photographers who are concerned is touse a 112 mm UV or any other filter in combination with the HB-97 lens hood in sandy conditions. At that point, there won’t be any external moving lens elements when you zoom, and dust has nowhere to collect. NIKON Z 7 II + NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S @ 21.5mm, ISO 100, 1/4, f/5.6

Being a wide-angle lens, the 14-24mm ƒ/2.8 does exhibit some corner darkness, but in keeping with the excellent quality of this optic at its worst it shows up as a half-stop darker, at that's with the lens set to 14mm and ƒ/2.8. At any other focal length / aperture combination, corner darkness doesn't exceed a quarter-stop. The Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 is the sharpest 14mm and 18mm lens I've ever used, by far. I know, because I've shot it head-to-head against my 14mm f/2.8, 18mm AF and 18mm f/3.5 AI-s on the D3. I give Nikon very high marks for this. Few photographers would have been surprised if this lens had weighed at least a couple hundred grams / half a pound more. Yet somehow Nikon found a way to make it the lightest lens in its class by a substantial amount. The Display button, which is closer to the OLED panel itself, cycles through three different display modes: focal length (to the nearest 0.5mm), aperture or focus distance. The aperture value is only shown in aperture-priority or manual modes, and in these modes the focus display also gains a depth-of-field indicator beneath the distance scale.This is the first Nikon ultrawide on which Nikon has removed the aperture ring to save money. These G lenses are useless with manual focus cameras. There’s little reason to ever need to turn Auto distortion control off, but doing so reveals the lens exhibits prominent barrel distortion at 14mm, which is accentuated the closer you get to subjects. There’s also some pincushion distortion at the 24mm end, however the distortion correction that’s applied to JPEGs and the automated lens correction profile that’s applied to Raws does help to keep the distortion at either end of the zoom under control. Nikkor Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S: Verdict

The HB-96 lens hood is the smaller and lighter of the pair, and is compatible with the standard lens cap. The HB-97 lens hood is much bulkier, especially if you're using its huge lens cap, but it does accept 112mm screw-on filters. It's not a particularly standard size (and will prove to be a very expensive one), but both Nikon and B+W do make filters in this size.I would imagine most buying this will be operating it around the 14mm end for much of the time. It is hands down the sharpest lens I have ever seen or owned. Shoot 14mm @ f/5.6 on a tripod and prepare for an eye feast. The short answer is that it’s one of the best lenses we’ve ever tested. Nikon has managed class-leading performance in almost every measure, while also bringing the lens’s weight down to a remarkable 650 grams (1.43 pounds). By comparison, the F-mount version weighs 1000 grams (2.20 pounds), which is more than 1.5 times as heavy. The Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S However, if I had no choice and nothing was coming to the market and I had a big hike coming up, then I would absolutely splurge for this lens brand new. Wow. Although it's very compact for what it is – and Nikon is certainly correct in calling it both the world's shortest and lightest full-frame F2.8 zoom lens with a 14mm field of view – it's still not a small lens by any means.