Built to Impress, Designed to Endure

The Sony E-mount ecosystem has an incredible lineup of lenses and is by far one of our favorite systems to adapt to. We’re not alone in this, our numbers tell us that Sony E is the most popular system for lens adapting. It has been this way for a decade despite Sony’s extensive native lens catalog.

If you’re a Sony user, or anyone with a full-frame mirrorless camera, in the market for a wide-angle zoom, we have a lens recommendation for you. It’s a lens we simply love.

In this “lenses we love” feature, we are highlighting the Nikon AF-S 14-24mm F2.5G ED which was released in 2007 for the Nikon F-mount DSLR system. This bulbous lens is as heavy as it looks, nothing our Nikon G PRO lens adapters cannot handle. There are many reasons why we love this lens and why we are recommending it as a recommendation for your collection.

The Nikon AF-S 14-24mm has amazing optical performance throughout its zoom and aperture range. This is achieved through the Nikon’s signature nano crystal coating and extra-low dispersion glass elements. The barrel of the lens is stamped in gold to highlight this optical engineering feat. This translates to a very sharp lens with low chromatic aberration and very low blur falloff. If you photograph landscapes, you’ll notice very little color fringing on the the outlines of foliage. It is a clinically sharp lens that feels made for the digital age, a design philosophy that Nikon, and even Canon, slowly adopted in a post film world.

Being a premium lens also means having a premium build, this lens is encased in metal and has an integrated plastic hood that protects the bulbous front element. The rubber grips on the focus and zoom elements feel robust and after years of heavy use, are still intact. Both the focusing elements and the zoom elements of the lens move internally to keep dust out. However, if you want to use filters with this lens you will need a specialized filter system such as our WonderPana. These are a series of custom fitted filter holders that enable use with our 145mm filters.

The Nikon AF-S 14-24mm F2.5G ED lens is by far one of the best premium zooms you can buy on the used market right now. Sony retails their equivalent for $2,299.99, Nikon sells their mirrorless version for $2,099.95, and Canon sells an equivalent lens for $1,9999.00. The Nikon AF-S 14-24mm can be bought for as low as $460 on eBay and around $700 on reputable marketplaces such as KEH or MPB (as of 02-27-2026).

As a team, we’ve used this lens for product and landscape photography all around the world. Owning a lens like this is a testament of Nikon’s engineering and it is no wonder so many of their vintage products still function like new to this day.

Some drawbacks of using this lens is the weight and bulk it introduces to your kit. This lens is a brick and will probably weigh more than you camera. But take it from us, our adapters can absolutely handle all two pounds just fine. Aside from this, the Nikon AF-S 14-24mm F2.5G ED is a must have lens for your collection. It is also considered a part of “Nikon’s Holy Trinity” of lenses, a name backed by the craftsmanship of Nikon. The sharpness it offers for the price is the absolute best value for a wide angle zoom. We hope this years lens highlight offer some food for thought. Super wide angle lenses may not be the most popular choice when it comes to focal lengths, but we can assure you that using these ranges offers a fun challenge!

Happy Photographing.