When you look at the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S lens, you’ll notice two rotating rings. The broad one is for zoom. There’s also a narrow one closer to the camera. You might think it’s the focus ring, and you’d be right . . . sort of.
Nikon calls it the Control Ring. And the reason for that is that you can customize what it does to some extent.
By default, it’s set up to be the manual focus ring. But you can change that; it can also be set to some other settings. The available options are:
- Focus (M/A) (default)
- Aperture
- Exposure Compensation
- ISO Sensitivity
- None (This disables it)
It’s worth mentioning an exception. That is when you’re shooting in manual focus mode (i.e., you’ve flipped the switch on the side of the lens to A to M). In manual-focus mode, the Control Ring will only work as a focus ring.
How to Customize the Behavior of the Lens Control Ring
If you go looking for how to set that in the lens’s manual, you won’t find it—and that’s not just because you need a magnifying glass to be able to read the manual’s tiny text. The reason is that it’s controlled in the camera’s settings, not with a switch on the lens itself.
For these examples, I’m using the Nikon Z7. It’s the same for the Z6.
You find the setting in two places in the camera’s menu. One assigns the behavior when shooting photos. The other is for shooting video. That means you can set them to different settings for photo and video modes.
Customizing the Lens’s Control Ring for Shooting Photos
You can find the option under:
MENU > Controls > Custom Settings Menu (the pencil icon) > f2 > Custom Control Assignment > Lens Control Ring
After doing that, the section at left will give you a visual representation of what button or control you’re changing. The section at the right of the menu screen is a kind of menu system, with an icon for the button or ring and its currently assigned function next to it.
Using the controls on the back of the camera, navigate down to the bottom right icon that has what looks like a ring with a two-headed arrow showing rotation. If this is the first time you’re doing this, it will have M/A for manual/autofocus.
Click OK to open the choices, and then select the one you want to apply.
Once you’re done, press the MENU button on the back of the camera.
Customizing the Lens’s Control Ring for Shooting Video
It’s basically the same for setting it for video shooting, but it’s a separate menu item. You find it under:
MENU > Movie > Custom Settings Menu (the pencil icon) > g2 > Custom Control Assignment > Lens Control Ring
Once again, the section at left will give you a visual representation of what button or control you’re changing. The section at the right of the menu screen is a kind of menu system, with an icon for the button or ring and it’s currently assigned function next to it.
Choose from the available options. One minor difference you might notice is that here it’s called Power Aperture rather than just Aperture in the photo mode.
Q&A About the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S Zoom Lens
What size lens filters does it take?
The Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S zoom lens has a lens diameter of 72mm. So it takes 72mm screw-in filters.
What lens hood does it take?
The lens hood for the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S zoom lens is model HB-85.
- Country Of Origin: Spain
- Model Number: 4694
What is its minimum focusing distance?
It has a minimum focusing distance of 0.99 ft. (0.3m) from the focal plane. That applies at zoom positions.
What are its maximum and minimum apertures?
It has a maximum aperture of ƒ/4 and stops down to a minimum aperture of ƒ/22.
Price & Availability of the NIKON NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S Zoom Lens
Check the current price and availability at:
- NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/ 2.8 is a compact mid-range zoom that is indispensable for a wide range of photo and...
- With an f/2.8 constant maximum aperture, exposure is consistent across the entire zoom range
You can also rent them at LensProtoGo.
And while it’s still quite a new camera and there aren’t many on the used market, it’s still worth looking at KEH if you’re in the market for a used copy.
Images and product information from Amazon PA-API were last updated on 2023-05-25 at 20:28. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon Site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hi,
On my Nikon Z7 I use the control ring to modify the aperture, but it is available only in M and A modes (control dial). How to setup the camera to use it in U1, U2 and U3 ?
Thanks for help.
Joel