A Look at the New Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-105mm f/4-7.1 Lens

A new kit-style zoom always raises the same question: will it stay on the camera or will it end up in a drawer? The Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-105mm f/4-7.1 lens is pitched as the kind of light, compact choice that makes carrying a full frame body feel less like a commitment.

Coming to you from Matt Irwin Photography, this practical video takes a hard look at the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-105mm f/4-7.1 lens. Irwin starts by putting it next to the NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S, and the size difference is the first real headline. You see the filter size gap right away, and you feel the weight gap even more once the lens is in hand. The range overlap is close enough that you might assume they’re interchangeable, right up until you remember the 24-105mm hits f/7.1 at the long end. That variable aperture can force a choice you won’t love: slower shutter, higher ISO, or a different framing than you planned.

Irwin then shifts to who this lens is really meant for, and the answer is blunt: people buying a kit and keeping it simple. He contrasts it with the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S, which has been a common full frame kit option, and he frames the 24-105mm as Nikon’s attempt to add practical reach without pushing price and weight into “upgrade lens” territory. He also calls out a detail that will spark opinions fast: the lens mount is plastic, not metal. You may not care if the lens rarely leaves the camera, but you probably do care if you swap lenses often or tend to work quickly in tight spaces. The control layout is deliberately minimal too, with a simple ring setup instead of a bunch of switches.

Key Specs

• Focal length: 24 to 105mm

• Maximum aperture: f/4 to f/7.1

• Minimum aperture: f/22 to f/40

• Lens mount: Nikon Z

• Format coverage: full frame

• Minimum focus distance: 7.9" (wide) to 11" (tele)

• Maximum magnification: 0.5x (1:2)

• Optical design: 12 elements in 10 groups

• Diaphragm blades: 7

• Focus: autofocus

• Image stabilization: none

• Filter size: 67 mm

• Dimensions: 2.9" diameter x 4.2" length

• Weight: 12.3 oz / 350 g

Once the sample images start rolling, the video becomes less about spec math and more about what you can actually get away with. Irwin shows that the lens looks sharp in the middle, with some falloff toward the edges in a few frames, which is exactly the kind of detail that matters if you crop often or place key subjects near the corners. He also hunts for purple fringing and comes up with very little in the examples he shows, including harsh point lights at night. Flare control gets a real-world test as well, including shots made without a hood, and the look is calmer than you might expect from a small, affordable zoom. Distortion shows up in at least one scene, but you’ll often rely on in-camera correction or software profiles once the lens is fully supported.

There’s also a practical section on handling that’s easy to skip until you’ve been burned by a lens that creeps while you walk. Irwin describes a zoom ring that’s firm enough to avoid creep, so there’s no lock switch, and he compares that design choice to the NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR, which uses a lock to manage movement. He spends time on the customizable control ring too, including how quick manual focus override can be when autofocus is close but not quite right. The close-focus examples are where you’ll probably pause, since he’s getting near-macro framing and still pulling a soft background at everyday distances, even with a lens that isn’t built around creamy blur. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Irwin.