High quality on a budget
When it comes to affordable Z-mount lenses that deliver, there’s plenty to be had
Nikon makes a great collection of S-line lenses for the Z-series cameras, but prices can be steep and the f/2.8 ‘trinity’ zooms aren’t everybody’s idea of what a ‘compact system camera’ outfit should comprise. It can pay to shop around for smaller, affordable glass that still delivers.
Kicking off in the DX camp, there are two Nikon zooms, in the diminutive shapes of the Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR and Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR. Working in tandem, the pair give an expansive overall zoom range, equivalent to 24-375mm in full-frame terms. The 16-50mm couldn’t be any smaller or lighter, with a retracted length of just 32mm and a weight of 135g. Indeed, there’s a lot to be said for using this as a standard zoom, in preference to the relatively bulky Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR, which is more than twice as heavy and costs £599/$597. The 16-50mm gives a wider max viewing angle, whereas switching to the 50-250mm lens, if and when you need to, gives much greater telephoto reach than the 18-140mm ‘superzoom’.
The new Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8 and Nikon Z 40mm f/2 are also compact and lightweight, despite being full-frame compatible. And they come with fast aperture ratings, compared with most zoom lenses. Pop them on a DX body and you get still-useful ‘effective’ focal lengths of 42mm and 60mm. The Z 28mm is also available in an ‘SE’ version, with retro styling that’s perfectly matched to the Z fc camera.
All of the other lenses on test are FX format ‘manual’ primes, that lack any internal electronics. You therefore need to focus manually, as well as setting the aperture via the lens’s on-board control ring, rather than from the camera. It might seem like a drawback but, in practice, it’s not a bitter pill to swallow and can give you a genuinely more hands-on shooting style.
The ‘focus peaking’ option in Nikon’s mirrorless cameras makes it easy to focus manually with speed and accuracy, whether you’re using the electronic viewfinder or the rear screen to compose images. You can also narrow the aperture without incurring a dark viewfinder display, thanks to the electronic nature of the viewfinder in mirrorless cameras.