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Rent NowThe Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6 AF Nikkor D Lens is a versatile 5x zoom lens built for Nikon’s F-mount 35mm film and compatible digital SLR cameras, produced from 1996 to 2002 as Nikon’s answer to photographers wanting broad wide-to-telephoto coverage in a single, practical lens. It’s well suited to travel, landscape, and portrait photography, offering wide-angle coverage for architecture and interiors at 24mm along with medium telephoto reach for portraits and travel shots at 120mm.
Optically, the lens covers a 24-120mm focal range with a variable maximum aperture of f/3.5 at the wide end narrowing to f/5.6 at full telephoto, delivering a picture angle of 84° to 20°30′ on full-frame (FX) bodies, or an effective 61° to 13°20′ on DX-format cameras. The 15-element, 11-group optical design includes a molded aspherical element and a hybrid aspherical element to minimize distortion, though some barrel distortion at 24mm and pincushion distortion at 120mm are typical for a zoom of this range and era. A 7-blade diaphragm stops down to a minimum aperture that varies by focal length, from f/22 at 24mm to f/36 at 120mm.
Autofocus relies on Nikon’s screw-drive mechanism, powered by a focus motor built into the camera body rather than an internal AF motor within the lens itself, using Internal Focusing (IF) by moving the second lens group for reasonably fast AF operation. Because this is a D-type lens without AF-S, it autofocuses on Nikon DSLR bodies equipped with a built-in focus motor (including the D70 through D800-series and beyond), but will not autofocus on bodies lacking this feature, such as the D40, D60, D3000-series, and D5000-series, where manual focus is still possible. As a D-type lens, it also transmits distance information to compatible camera bodies for improved metering and flash exposure accuracy.
Build quality feels solid despite its “D” (non-AF-S) designation, with the front element rotating during zoom. The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 0.5m (1.5 ft.) at all focal lengths, and uses an unusual 72mm plastic filter thread, a notable departure from the 77mm size common to most of Nikon’s professional lenses; a 72-to-77mm step-up ring can be used to accept standard 77mm filters, though with some vignetting at the wide end. The lens weighs approximately 550-560g and measures approximately 88.5mm in length. It does not include image stabilization or weather sealing, and is not compatible with Nikon teleconverters.
As an FX-format lens, the AF Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6D delivers its full angle of view on Nikon full-frame F-mount bodies while remaining compatible with Nikon DX-format APS-C cameras at a narrower, equivalent field of view.
Key Features
– 24-120mm standard zoom (5x) for Nikon F-mount
– Maximum aperture f/3.5-5.6 (variable)
– 15 elements in 11 groups, including 1 molded aspherical and 1 hybrid aspherical element
– Internal Focusing (IF) via second lens group
– Screw-drive autofocus (requires camera body with built-in focus motor)
– D-type lens (transmits distance information to camera)
– 7-blade diaphragm; minimum aperture varies by focal length (f/22 at 24mm, f/36 at 120mm)
– Minimum focusing distance of 0.5m (1.5 ft.) at all focal lengths
– 72mm plastic filter thread (rotates during zoom)
– No image stabilization; not compatible with teleconverters
– Approximate weight: 550-560g
– Compatible with Nikon full-frame (FX) and APS-C (DX) F-mount cameras (confirm AF motor compatibility)
