Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S Sample Images: Real-World Examples
A gallery of real-world sample images shot with the Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S on a Nikon Z8, meant as a companion to my full hands-on review of the lens. All shots were taken in RAW with default in-camera corrections applied, so you can see exactly what this smaller, filter-friendly alternative…
I’ve previously posted a detailed hands-on review of the Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens. These sample images are designed to go alongside that review.
The short version of what this lens is: an ultra-wide zoom that holds f/4 all the way through, covering 114 degrees at 14mm on a full-frame body. What sets it apart from most lenses that reach 14mm is the nearly flat front element, which allows a normal 82mm screw-in filter thread instead of a bulky slot-in holder. The barrel retracts for storage, which brings the length down to 85mm, and it weighs 485 grams. Worth knowing before you buy filters for it: a polarizer will screw straight on, but at 14mm it still darkens the sky unevenly across such a wide frame, so it’s far more useful toward the 30mm end.
With the supplied lens hood attached.
Technical notes on these photos
These were all taken on a Nikon Z8. They were shot in RAW and have been lightly processed in Lightroom.
With a couple of exceptions noted below, I haven’t applied any of Lightroom’s editing fixes here for optical flaws. But that’s not to say there aren’t any. Newer lens and camera combinations like this often have built-in corrections. And that’s the case here. I’ve left the settings in the camera at their default settings (vignette control: normal; diffraction compensation: on; auto distortion control: on). And unlike many other in-camera processing tools that only apply to JPGs or HEIFs, these apply to the RAW files as well.
One practical thing if you’re coming to this lens fresh: it has to be extended before it will take a picture. Twisting the zoom ring back past the 14mm mark collapses the barrel for storage, and if you switch the camera on with it still retracted you get a warning on the display and no shot until you twist it back out. Every frame here was shot with it extended somewhere between 14 and 30mm, which is the only range it will fire in.
Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S sample images
You can click on each image for a full-size version for a closer look, and if you’re comparing Nikon’s Z-mount zooms, I’ve also posted sample images from the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S.
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/4 and a zoom setting of 14mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/4 and a zoom setting of 14mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/11 and a zoom setting of 17mm. I deliberately used a smaller aperture here to create the star shapes from the spotlights in the ceiling. But they’re also pointing straight at the camera, which greatly increases the risk of ghosting and flaring. But the lens’s coatings do a great job here of preventing that. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/4 and a zoom setting of 14mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z at an aperture of f/8 and a zoom setting of 17.5mm. This one has had more post-processing done than others on this page. Among the edits was making the verticals true, as is usual with architectural shots. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/4 and a zoom setting of 14mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/4 and a zoom setting of 14mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/4 and a zoom setting of 19mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/8 and a zoom setting of 14mm. I cropped and straightened this one in post because I didn’t do a very good job of straightening the shot when shooting it (it’s shooting straight up). Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/11 and a zoom setting of 19.5mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/4 and a zoom setting of 16.5mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/4 and a zoom setting of 14mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/8 and a zoom setting of 14mm. Lots of lines here to test out the aspherical elements. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/4 and a zoom setting of 30mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/7.1 and a zoom setting of 14mm. I often use this shot as a good way not just to show a wide-angle, but because it includes corner-to-corner details that are good for revealing any sharpness issues. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/4 and a zoom setting of 14mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/8 and a zoom setting of 18.5mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/4 and a zoom setting of 14mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/4 and a zoom setting of 14mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/4 and a zoom setting of 19.5mm. Another shot where there’s a strong risk of ghosting and flaring from the direct spotlight just over and behind the elephant’s eye. There’s also little in the way of problematic chromatic aberration here in the contrasty windows at the top of the frame. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/4 and a zoom setting of 14mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/6.3 and a zoom setting of 14mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/4 and a zoom setting of 14mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
Taken with Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S zoom lens on a Nikon Z8 at an aperture of f/4 and a zoom setting of 14mm. Photo by David Coleman / Have Camera Will Travel
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I take photos for a living. Now based in Washington, D.C., I have spent the last 30+ years shooting across seven continents — from underwater environments to mountain peaks. My images and time-lapses have appeared in major newspapers, magazines, museums, professional sports stadiums, and even on massive architectural scrims covering world-famous buildings.
I started this site in 2009 to field-test gear, share problem-solving solutions, and share what I've learned in shooting around the world. I only review gear and services I have personally used. No armchair opinions — just real-world experience. Because, for me, the fun is in the making of the photo.
