Nikon Z 28-400mm vs Nikon Z 24-200mm for Landscape Photography
Introduction
How does the Nikon Z 28-400mm compare to the Nikon Z 24-200mm for landscape photography?
To find out, I compared a series of real-world landscape images captured side by side using both lenses on the 45 megapixel Nikon Z7 II to evaluate sharpness, edge performance, image quality, and overall usability across overlapping focal lengths. While both are versatile superzoom lenses designed for travel and convenience, the Nikon Z 24-200mm offers a wider focal length and lighter weight, while the Nikon Z 28-400mm provides dramatically more reach for telephoto landscape photography.
For this comparison, all images were captured in RAW format and imported into Lightroom using default settings with no post-processing applied. Images were shot at ISO 64 and primarily f/8 to f/9 using focal lengths where the lenses overlap, including approximately 28mm, 45mm, 75mm, 110mm, 150mm, and 200mm. Rather than lab testing, this comparison focuses on practical real-world landscape image quality and how these lenses perform during actual field use.
Watch the Full Comparison
Watch the full side-by-side comparison below, including landscape image comparisons, edge sharpness observations, focal length examples, and real-world image quality testing.
Key Takeaways
Overall Image Quality: The Nikon Z 28-400mm and Nikon Z 24-200mm produced more similar image quality than different. Across most focal lengths, both lenses delivered very strong results for landscape photography with only relatively minor differences in sharpness and edge performance.
28mm Performance: At 28mm, both lenses performed extremely similarly in the center of the frame, with only subtle differences in edge sharpness depending on the example image. In some scenes, the 28-400mm appeared slightly sharper, while in others the 24-200mm had a slight edge.
Midrange Focal Lengths (45mm–150mm): Between roughly 45mm and 150mm, the Nikon Z 24-200mm often appeared slightly sharper, particularly along edges and corners, though the difference remained relatively small and primarily visible during close inspection.
200mm Performance: At 200mm, the Nikon Z 28-400mm appeared to hold a slight sharpness advantage over the Nikon Z 24-200mm, especially near edges and corners. However, both lenses still produced strong image quality overall.
Focal Length Tradeoffs: Beyond image quality, one of the biggest differences between these lenses comes down to focal length flexibility. The Nikon Z 24-200mm allows wider compositions at 24mm and is smaller, lighter, and slightly brighter at the long end, while the Nikon Z 28-400mm offers substantially more telephoto reach for isolating distant landscape subjects.
Bottom Line: If image quality alone is the deciding factor, both lenses perform similarly enough that it likely should not be the main reason to choose one over the other. Instead, the decision largely comes down to preferred focal range, portability, and shooting style. For photographers who enjoy telephoto landscape compositions, the Nikon Z 28-400mm offers significantly more versatility.
RAW Files
Download the original RAW files from this comparison to inspect the images yourself, test your own editing workflow, and evaluate image quality in Lightroom, Photoshop, or your preferred RAW editor.
Check Current Pricing
Check current pricing and availability below:
Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR
View at B&H Photo | View at Amazon
Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR
View at B&H Photo | View at Amazon
Nikon Z7 II
View at B&H Photo | View at Amazon
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