I've been shooting with my Z7 II for about a year now, mostly focusing on hiking trips and mountain landscapes. I'm looking for a wider perspective—I've been reading up on the Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S and the Z 17-28mm f/2.8. The 14-24mm is clearly the optical king, but it's pretty bulky for long treks (my shoulders aren't what they used to be!). I also briefly looked at the Viltrox 16mm prime, but I'm worried about losing the flexibility of a zoom while on the trail. Is the weight savings on the 17-28mm worth the dip in edge-to-edge sharpness compared to the 14-24mm? Oh, and I definitely need something that takes filters easily. Which one would you pack?
^ This. Also, if you're watching your budget, I'd suggest looking into the Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD with an adapter—just double-check the firmware compatibility first. It's often cheaper than the native S-line glass.
- Always pack a protective rain cover.
- Keep your gear insured.
- Buy used from reputable shops to save big. Just make sure you're careful when swapping lenses on a windy trail, dust is a nightmare for that sensor.
I am no expert but I just finished looking into this exact dilemma last week for my own Z7 II kit. Since you are concerned about weight and filter compatibility, I looked closely at the Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S and the Viltrox 20mm f/2.8 for Nikon Z. If you really want to save your shoulders, the Viltrox 20mm is incredibly small and cheap, but the optical performance is noticeably softer in the corners compared to the S-line glass. It is fine for casual social media posts, but maybe not for a high-resolution sensor like the Z7 II if you plan on doing large prints. I ended up leaning toward the Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S instead. It is significantly lighter than the 14-24mm, takes standard 77mm filters without needing a massive, heavy adapter system, and is razor-sharp across the frame. You lose the zoom range, but the consistency of the prime lens performance makes up for it when you are cropping in post-processing. Carrying a single prime lens completely changed how I move on the trail—my setup feels much more balanced now. If you are dead set on a zoom, the weight of the 17-28mm is manageable, but the 20mm prime will save you nearly 100g more and give you better light gathering for those sunrise shots.
If you are hiking long distances, the Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 is the better choice. It weighs 450g compared to the 650g of the Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S. You lose some corner sharpness, but it accepts 67mm screw-on filters directly, which saves massive weight on filter systems. The 14-24mm is incredible but requires a bulky adapter for filters. Don't carry the extra 200g if you value your shoulders.
Re: "If you are hiking long distances, the Nikon..." — I get where you're coming from, but honestly, have you considered the Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S? I know you were worried about losing zoom flexibility, but when you're trekking miles in, every ounce counts, and a prime is just so much sturdier. There's less to break out in the middle of nowhere, which is always my biggest fear—I'd hate to be stuck with a broken zoom mechanism miles from the trailhead. Just make sure you double-check your focal length needs, though; 20mm is plenty wide for most mountain vistas. TL;DR: Go with the Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S for peace of mind and weight—it's sharp, reliable, and way lighter than those heavy zooms.
To add to the point above: idk, maybe look into the Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD if you can snag an adapter? Not 100% sure but it feels super versatile for hikes...
Look, listen, you're overthinking the glass. If you're hauling gear up a mountain, you don't want a boat anchor around your neck. I've spent twenty-five years in the shop—if a tool is too heavy, you stop using it, plain and simple. Forget the heavy zooms. Get the Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S. It's light, it's sharp enough to cut yourself on, and the f/1.8 aperture means you can actually shoot when the sun dips behind the ridge. You lose the zoom, yeah, but you gain your back health and better light gathering. If you absolutely need a zoom, just pick up the Nikon NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 and stop worrying about the edge sharpness—you're shooting landscapes, not testing glass on a bench. The Z 14-24mm is a beast, but you're a hiker, not a studio photographer. Keep it simple. Don't over-engineer it.
oh man this is exactly my thing, spent way too many weekends testing landscape setups on the Z7 II. tbh everyone sleeping on manual focus glass for hiking. if your shoulders are killing you, ditch the autofocus weight entirely.
- Laowa 15mm f/4.5R Zero-D Shift for crazy wide perspective without distortion
- Voigtlander 15mm f/4.5 Super Wide-Heliopar Aspherical III if you want something literally pocket-sized you just zone focus at f/8 and everything from three feet to infinity is sharp. plus zero electronics to fail in the cold... anyway, bottom line is save your back and try a tiny manual prime.
My buddy told me the exact same thing last week. Guess he was right lol.
Been using this for years, no complaints
Same setup here, love it
Commenting to find later
Lol I was literally about to post the same thing. Glad someone else brought it up.
Solid advice 👍
Good to know!