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

£329/$297 Not very wide-angle, but very tiny

Barely more than half the weight of the AF-P DX 10-20mm on test, which itself is lightweight, this lens tips the scales at 135g and, when retracted for stowage, measures just 32mm. Even when extended for use, the overall length is only 55-60mm, depending on zoom setting. Coupled to a Z 50 or Z fc, it makes a really go-anywhere landscape package.

With a minimum effective focal length of 24mm in full-frame terms, it’s a lot less ‘wide-angle’ than the other lenses here, but choices of native Z DX lenses are limited. The design includes four aspherical elements and one ED (Extra-low Dispersion) element, plus 4.5-stop optical VR. Build quality feels pretty good, although the mounting plate is plastic.

Performance

Sharpness away from the centre of the frame is better than from the AF-P DX 10-20mm, although the max viewing angle is more restrictive. As with a number of other Z-mount lenses, it relies on auto in-camera corrections for distortion, which can’t be switched off, but the net results are impressive.

N-photo verdict

This Z DX zoom’s tiny, lightweight build won’t weigh you down but the maximum viewing angle is quite small.

Sharpness

Even at its shortest focal length, sharpness remains ace across the whole frame at most aperture settings.

Fringing

Automatic corrections in the Z 50 essentially eliminate the appearance of chromatic aberrations.

Distortion

There’s virtually no distortion at the short end of the zoom range, thanks to automatic in-camera correction.