Nikkor Z DX 24mm F/1.7 Lens Review

Nikon presents a new, fast, bright 24mm f/1.7 lens designed for the DX crop format APS-C camera bodies. This is the widest small prime lens yet and offers a “35mm equivalent” field of view of 36mm. This is as close to the classic reportage/street focal length of 35mm as makes no difference, often referred to as a “wide standard”. This has advantages for small groups and architecture, allowing for a little more to be included in the frame. Alternatively, it also allows for a closer approach to fill the frame in street photography, making the images more intimate and including the photographer in the ongoing action rather than outside it, looking in. A trip down to the re-enactment of the Battle of Evesham gave us an opportunity to try this out, so, armed with the new lens on the 20.9MP Nikon Z30, let’s see how the lens works out in the field as well as running the usual studio tests.

Nikkor Z DX 24mm F/1.7 Handling and Features

The front element of the lens is very well shielded by the chunky screw-in lens hood, and there is no reason why the hood cannot stay permanently in place as it does not make the whole too bulky. The hood has a 46mm filter thread at the front, although using a filter in this way would make it very vulnerable to damage and potential flare. The dust and moisture-resistant lens is chunky, but not over-large at 70mm x 40mm. It weighs in at a featherweight 135g, revealing its extensive use of plastics. This is not a criticism, as small plastic lenses can be pretty good performers, as has been proven many times.

There is only one control on the lens, the manual focusing ring. This is electronic, very smooth as it should be, and is active when using AF. A distance scale appears on the screen when manual focusing in any form is being used. There are no other controls on the lens, everything else is controlled via the camera. Focus breathing is suppressed.

Close focusing brings us down to 0.18m, or 0.59 feet, for a maximum magnification of 0.19x. This is reasonably close, certainly close enough to be useful, even if not in the realms of macro shooting. AF is driven by a stepping motor and is quiet, fast and accurate.

Optical construction is 9 elements in 8 groups, including 2 Aspherical. The diaphragm comprises 7 blades. One unusual point is that the aperture range runs from f/1.7 to only f/11, rather than the virtually universal norm of at least f/16 and perhaps f/22 as well. This will restrict the amount of depth of field available but will limit the amount of softening that will occur due to diffraction. It is true that some smaller format cameras might well have the aperture restricted to f/8, again due to potential diffraction softening. Those photographers who routinely use f/16 will need to look elsewhere, but the lens is a fast wide standard and it may be that for the majority of users, this will not be an issue.

Finally, the lens mount is plastic, and with a light lens such as this, there is no problem with that. Plastic mounts have been around for a few years now, and although not heavy-duty they serve perfectly well. Handling is sweet and simple, there being nothing to impede the photographer with complications of operation.

The one thing which is missing is VR (Vibration Reduction), although to be fair this is less critical with wider lenses and the very fast maximum aperture does mean that faster shutter speeds can be used.

Nikkor Z DX 24mm F/1.7 Performance

Central sharpness is very good at f/1.7 and f/2 and then excellent from f/2.8 all the way through to f/11. The edges are good at f/1.7 and f/2, very good at at f/2.8, excellent from f/4 to f/8 and very good at f/11. Given that there is little sign of diffraction problems at f/11 makes the omission of f/16 as a setting rather odd.

Nikon Nikkor Z DX 24mm F/1.7 MTF Charts

CA (Chromatic Aberration) is well under control, and this is clearly a cooperation between lens and camera. However it is achieved, the result is clean images free of colour fringing.

Nikon Nikkor Z DX 24mm F/1.7 Chromatic Aberration Charts

Distortion measures at just -0.1% barrel, virtually rectilinear, making the lens ideal for architectural subjects. Again, this is the lens and camera working in harmony, and the net result is no bending of straight lines.

Bokeh is rather smooth, especially, as we would expect, at wider apertures. The wide, fast maximum aperture enables reduced depth of field and enhanced bokeh.

Flare is not generally a problem, but the most severe testing does reveal reflections within the lens. In normal use, this is not a problem, although backlighting can reveal a slight amount of flaring at the edges in particular. It is not a major issue.

Vignetting is really very modest, even at open aperture, so this is unlikely to be a problem. Further correction in software would be possible, but it is highly unlikely that it would be thought necessary.

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Nikon Nikkor Z DX 24mm F/1.7 Sample Photos

Nikon Nikkor Z DX 24mm F/1.7 Aperture range

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Value For Money

The [AMUK]Nikkor Z DX 24mm f/1.7|Nikon+lens[/AMUK] lens is priced at £289, which looks like a real bargain for such a fast, bright optic.

We could also look at:

• [AMUK]Nikkor Z 20mm f/1.8S|Nikon+lens[/AMUK], £1149
• [AMUK]Nikkor Z 24mm f/1.8S|Nikon+lens[/AMUK], £1099
• [AMUK]Nikkor Z 26mm f/2.8|Nikon+lens[/AMUK], £529
• [AMUK]Nikkor Z 28mm f/2.8|Nikon+lens[/AMUK], £259
• [AMUK]Nikkor Z 28mm f/2.8 SE|Nikon+lens[/AMUK], £309
• [AMUK]Samyang MF 14mm f/2.8|Samyang+lens[/AMUK], £359
• [AMUK]Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary|Sigma+lens[/AMUK], £449

Clearly, the new lens hits the spot and extends the low-cost Nikkor Z range options into the widest field of view and fastest aperture prime yet.

Nikkor Z DX 24mm F/1.7 Verdict

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