Sharpness at 18mm

Our sharpness tests are carried out by photographing a real-world subject rather than a test chart. The Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S was attached to a Nikon Z6 II, which in turn was mounted on a sturdy tripod. Self-timer mode was activated to steady the camera completely. Any slight tonal changes you may see across the crops are a result of slight changes in natural light during the shooting session.

The full frame at 18mm

At the widest aperture of f/2.8 at this focal length, centre sharpness is very good at f/2.8, before becoming sharpest between f/4 and f/5.6.

Sharpness drops off ever so slightly at f/8 and slightly again at f/11, again at f/16, before showing the softest results at f/22.

Overall impression of sharpness is very good throughout the aperture range, with f/22 displaying the softest results.

At the edges of the frame, the sharpest results can be seen between f/11 and f/16.

Aperture	Centre Crop	Edge Crop
f/2.8
f/4
f/5.6
f/8
f/11
f/16
f/22