Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR

£329/$297 It’s practically a pancake lens

Launched as a kit lens for the DX format Z 50 mirrorless camera, this tiny zoom weighs in at just 135g and, when retracted for stowage, measures a mere 32mm. As such, it almost classifies as a pancake lens. Even when extended for use, the overall length is only 55-60mm, depending on zoom setting. The only real minus point is the f/6.3 aperture rating at long zoom settings.

The design includes four aspherical elements and one ED (Extra-low Dispersion) element. New-generation optical VR has 4.5-stop effectiveness, beating that of every other stabilized Nikon standard zoom lens.

Build quality feels pretty good and, although the mounting plate is plastic (contributing to the lightweight construction), it is pretty durable.

Performance

Sharpness is excellent, even when shooting wide-open at the shortest zoom setting, beating the AF-P DX 18-55mm in this respect. However, both lenses deliver very similar levels of sharpness throughout the rest of the zoom and aperture ranges.

N-photo verdict

A perfect match for the svelte Z 50 body, it’s great for street photography where discretion is the ideal. Sharpness Considering the generous wide-angle coverage, sharpness remains excellent at the shortest focal length. Fringing Automatic corrections in the Z 50 essentially eliminate the appearance of chromatic aberrations. Distortion Distortions are mostly eliminated by auto corrections, and there’s only a touch of barrel at 16mm.