The engine's answer
Best zoom lens for landscapes, under €1,800
Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S
93% match
The travel zoom other mounts envy
Why it wins here
The Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S takes this question at €1,300 — €500 under the €1,800 ceiling — with a 93% match against 65 current lenses. For landscapes the engine leans on sharpness and build & sealing: it scores 88/100 and 78/100, where the pool averages 82/100 and 68/100. At 630 g it is lighter than the average lens here (633 g). Asking for a zoom lens alone ruled out 28 of the 65 lenses before scoring began.
The dimensions where it beats the rest of the field by the most, for this question specifically.
- Prime/zoom
- Use
- Budget
What's good
- 5× range with near-prime sharpness
- The one-lens answer for Z travellers
What to watch
- No VR — leans on body IBIS
- f/4 across the range
What came close — and what each gave up
- Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR II93%The X-system workhorse, slimmed downThe Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR II (93% match) matches it on every weighted measure and loses only on the sum: 93% to 93%. Check price: B&H Photo Adorama MPB (used) eBay (used)
- Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II Art93%The L-mount standard, sharpened againThe Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II Art (93% match) weighs 115 g more (745 g against 630 g). Check price: B&H Photo Adorama MPB (used) eBay (used)
- OM System M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO II92%The rainproof standard zoomThe OM System M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO II (92% match) trails on sharpness — 86/100 against 88/100. Check price: B&H Photo Adorama MPB (used) eBay (used)
Questions this answer raises
- Is the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S within a €1,800 budget?
- Yes. At €1,300 it leaves €500 of the ceiling unspent; the Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR II costs €1,250 and the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II Art costs €1,250.
- How good is the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S for landscapes?
- On the use question it scores 81%, 18 points above the average of the 65 lenses ranked. Its strongest numbers for this use are sharpness (88/100) and build & sealing (78/100).
- Is the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S a zoom lens?
- Yes — type: Zoom. 28 of the 65 lenses in the pool are not, and were never in contention here.
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