Sharpness at 50mm

Our sharpness tests are carried out by photographing a real-world subject rather than a test chart. The Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S Lens Review was attached to a Nikon Z 7, 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 50mm

At this focal length, sharpness is very good when shooting wide open (f/2.8) in the centre. But it rises to excellent at f/4, before becoming sharpest at f/5.6 and f/8. It remains impressively sharp at f/11 before dropping off slightly at f/16 and showing the softest results at f/22. Overall impression of sharpness is good throughout the aperture range. Just like the other focal lengths, the best sharpness at the edge can be seen between f/8 and f/11.

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