Nikon Dx 12-28mm f3.5-5.6 PZ VR

Ooops, Nikon did it again! Dx 12-28mm f3.5-5.6 PZ VR

My Nikon z30 was mainly intended as a 1-lens 1-body setup, a very compact and cost effective yet high IQ solution at home in my office bag at all times.

After seeing Sony’s Powerzoom 10-20mm f4.0 at a whooping US$ 750 I was quite sure that I wouldn’t buy anything similar from Nikon, even it would be 100 or 200 bucks cheaper. After all I would need another, longer lens to pair it with, and the extreme compactness would get lost as well (my z7 with 14-30 and 70-300E is quite compact, too).

Then there comes Nikon and announces the Dx 12-28mm f3.5-5.6 PZ VR – at US$ 360. Ooops.

z30 with
12-28mm and 50mm MC/85mm 1.8
or
12-28mm and 50-250mm

Two very intriguing 2-lens setups for my z30, and at not much extra cost. Hmmmm. Do I really need it? Nope, my z7 with two zooms (or two primes) is quite compact, as already mentioned. But at that price, why not…? ☺️

At just 205g the Dx 12-28mm 3.5-5.6 PZ VR is a light weight.

So yes, it’s likely to end up in my bag at one point.
Very likely. Used in combination with the 50mm 2.8 MC or the 85mm f1.8 – the 50-250mm is the less likely combination as long telephoto lenses are awkward to use on cameras without viewfinder. My experience with the Nikon j5 showed that finding your subject, framing it and keeping it framed is a cumbersome task with such long lenses.

What do we get?

A fairly small, minimalist, all-plastic zoom lens, at a very reasonable price of just US$ 360 at launch. Comes with VR and features a Power Zoom (for steady zooming speeds when taking vids) and a very useful range from Dx 12-28mm (18-42mm in FF parlance). IQ will be no issue I think – I’m guessing here, but there aren’t any lemons among the Z lenses so far and MTF charts look somewhat better than the surprisingly good 16-50mm Dx kit lens.
It’s weather sealed as well, and internal focus and zoom – the lens does not extend when focusing or zooming.

Zoom and focus does not extend the lens – an advantage when using the lens on a gimbal.

So what’s there not to like?

It’s ‘only’ f3.5-5.6. Well, that was quite the norm for a zoom during film days, when I shot 100iso Fuji Provia. So nope, that’s not a concern for me. The opposite, it keeps the lens fairly compact and affordable, and those two factors are more important to me in this case.

It doesn’t have a metal mount, it’s all plastic. A lens is a tool. I’m interested in the results, it’s capability of getting me the images I want. Plastic is no issue here, it does the job. I don’t wanna win a camera beauty contest, I don’t have a ‘pride of ownership’ (from the internet), it’s all about functionality, and a metal mount doesn’t improve anything here. In particular not with such a lightweight lens. 205g of IQ is what counts here, not metal bits and pieces.

MTF charts look very good for a lens in this class.

There’s no hood included. I don’t carry hoods, they take up too much space. Hands do the job at times when I need one. If you need a hood get the Nikon HB-112 for 40 bucks or wait until someone like JJC makes one for 10 bucks.

Power Zoom is terrible for still photography. Can’t comment on this really as I haven’t handled the lens yet. However, I’ve got the feeling I will do fine, as I don’t remember being annoyed by the 10-30mm power zoom of my Nikon j5. Yes, one will have to adapt to the PZ feature, but after a while you should get the feel when to let go of the zoom button to get the angle of view you want. This is likely more of a personal issue (or non-issue) depending on yourself. Can you adapt to new things easily or do you tend to be with the ‘yesteryears’ crowd? If the latter then PZ is perhaps a deal breaker for you.

How does it fit into the Nikon Z system?

It turns the z30 into an even better vlogging camera. With a very useful range of 18-42mm (in FF), VR in the lens and no crop at 4k/30p it is a very attractive vlogging option at just about US$1000. The comparable Sony ZV-E10 with the 10-20mm f4 (18.5-37mm in FF when using 4k/30p) comes in at US$1450, without VR.

For Nikon Dx users (z30/z50/Zfc) focusing on stills it is ideal for a compact 2/3 lens setup. Combine it with the Z 50-250mm Dx telephoto zoom and throw in later on the upcoming Dx 34mm prime and you’ve got a very capable setup, yet fairly compact and affordable. Other interesting options are combinations with a longer prime. Currently the z 50mm 1.8, z85mm 1.8, z 50mm 2.8 MC or even the z 40mm 2.0 are all possible candidates depending on your preferences and budget.

My 1.7 Baht (5 cents in Thai currency)

Lightweight, quite compact, useful zoom range, VR and PZ – lots of good stuff in a very reasonably priced package. No deal breakers really so far – and I don’t expect this to change. Yes, I’m looking forward to this new Dx wide angle zoom. Very much so, in fact. And that’s coming from a convinced Fx user.