Thanks Scott for finding and bumping this thread. 😎
When I was looking for a Nikon Z mount UWA to replace my beloved Nikkor AF-S 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G ED, I had a couple of choices; the Z 14-30mm f/4 S, or the Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S. The price of the 14-30mm certainly spoke to me, but I didn't want to buy something I wasn't going to be happy with, so I read and watched a lot of comparisons. Long story short, I bought the 14-30mm f/4 S.
- I liked the slightly extended focal length of 30mm, giving me a little more leeway with compositions.
- The difference between the 14-24mm and 14-30mm in IQ was hard to see without major pixel-peeping.
- The size and weight of the 14-30mm is amazing for what it is, which makes it easier to travel with.
- It is sharper and seems slightly better in the corners than the F mount 14-24mm f/2.8G ED.
- I usually shoot wide angle scenes at f/5.6 and beyond and I now have wide angle fast primes for night skies if need be.
- Very filter friendly, although it does vignette quite a bit in the corners at 14mm with circular ND filters attached.
- The relatively low price for what you get.
I'm using it on a Nikon Z8 and am very happy with the lens so far. I haven't had a ton of opportunity to shoot with it, but I did take it on a road trip last year. Below are some sample shots and if you want to see more examples, they can be found in my dedicated 14-30mm photo gallery.
Grand Teton National Park - 14mm - f/8 - 1/1250s - ISO64
Glacier National Park - 14mm - f/8 - 10s - ISO64
Yosemite National Park - 30mm - f/8 - 1/500s - ISO100
Yellowstone National Park - 30mm f/8 - 1/500s - ISO80
Not the absolute sharpest, but plenty good enough for me to not want to lug around or spend $$ on the 14-24 (famous last words ). This image is an three image HDR blended in Lightroom.
The 14-30 is "pretty good" indeed. I guess those who aren't fully satisfied have a subpar sample.
The following photos were taken at extreme focal lengths. At intermediate FLs, the performance is even better. Sure, my Zeiss 21/2.8 is better at f/2.8
NIKON Z6 w/14-30/4 S @ 30 mm, f/8, 1/30 s, 400 ISO
NIKON Z6 w/14-30/4 S @ 14 mm, f/7.1, 1/15 s, 3600 ISO
I thought I had contributed to this group, but apparently not. Another lens that I think I should sell given how much I like the 14-24, but the 14-30 is sure handy for hikes, small bag travels and spots where I wouldn't want to risk the 14-24. Anyway, here's a few from over the years:
). This image is an three image HDR blended in Lightroom.
