Nikon Z 26mm F2.8

The Z 26mm f2.8 on a z50 – a great match!

A true pancake – the Nikon Z 26mm F2.8

Wide angle goes tiny – Nikon launched a Z 26mm F2.8 lens. Unlike the Z 28/40mm lenses, which were very much the same size as the old AF-D 2.0/2.8 series, this new Z lens is a real pancake.

Note that I’m not much a fan of pseudo lookalike names for lenses. However, the ‘pancake’ moniker has been around for a long time so that’s fine with me – but I think it’s rather silly that some think they need to come up with new monikers for about everything. That’s why you won’t find ‘muffins’, ‘beer cans’ and ‘Nocts’ here. I leave that up to the ‘cool’ guys.

Back to the 26mm: this little lens is definitely intriguing for someone who likes small lenses for an overall compact setup. But let’s look at the details and how it fits into the Z system – after all there’s already a fairly small Z 28mm f2.8.

Yes, it’s small and light indeed, affordable – but not really cheap.

125g
7.0cm x 2.4cm (ø x L)
US$500

The big thing here is the length of just 2.4cm which is 0.9inch for the non-metric folks. Nikon achieved this by extending the lens elements when focusing. It gets a tad longer when focusing up close. It comes with a very thin lens hood as well, and only this hood can take filters (52mm). There’s a lens cup as well, which goes over the top of the lens, with or without the hood attached. It’s weather sealed and the mount is metal, which will make some folks happy.

How about the noise?

Of course such a small design comes with some compromises, one of them the lens not being entirely silent when focusing. How much this really matters when taking video clips is to be seen, in particular taking into regard the very short focusing distance. Focus won’t run back and forth much to begin with, add an often noisy environment when V-logging and this might be much less of an issue then some think. Plus it likely won’t be the lens of choice for a top quality video production.

Z 26mm f2.8 with the focus group fully extended.

Image quality

In terms of image quality it seems to be a little sharper than the Z 28mm f2.8 in the center looking at Nikon’s computed MTF charts, but falling of a little faster towards the edges and corners. It should be somewhat better than the AF-S 24mm f1.8 G ED, and there’s quite an improvement over the AF 24mm f2.8 D. In fact sharpness in the 25mm diameter center circle – which is quite large on a Fx sensor – wide open should be very good. It will be interesting to see how this lens improves when stepping it down a bit for architecture or landscape. Overall I’m looking forward to this lens, being a happy Z 28mm f2.8 user (on a z7).

If you go really close it should be possible to get some useful background separation at f2.8, albeit likely not the most fantastic results expected by bokeh lovers. However, close-ups such as food images could be a strength of this little lens.

The 26mm should be sharper in the center, but falling off more towards the edges.

To buy or not to buy?

So how to use this lens, for who is it, and how does it fit into the Z system? Pretty much the same as the 28mm – half-body portraits of peeps, food and other medium sized close-ups, street, some scenery and architecture. Pretty much what you take with your cellphone, so rather useful overall.

Plus its the smallest Fx package so far. It does fit in every camera bag, even the smallest ones. Take the handlebar bag on my mountain bike. It fits my 14-30mm, the 50mm NC and the 70-300E with adapter. There’s a little extra space for this and that. I can put in the 28mm, but it’s pushing it, it starts to get cramped. Therefore the 28mm oftentimes stays home, albeit I would love to have it along for somewhat better low-light capabilities and its look. The 26mm on the other hand will slip in handily. Yay!

Looking at the bodies, and really at the Dx ones, this lens currently fits best on the z30 if you like it really compact, or, even better, on the grip-less Zfc. Its pancake length truly shines here. Since I prefer 26/28mm over 36/39mm for me it would be a match in heaven on a Fx z3 or Zf. It might take another year or two (or three, who knows?), but yes, I think at one point we will get such Fx bodies.

I will certainly snap up the Z 26mm f2.8 (and the Z 24mm f1.8 for the z30) at one point, as it’s a cool little lens around my favorite focal length. Don’t mind having several lenses here, but it’s not a priority currently as I do have the 28mm for the time being. That will change real quickly when we get a Fx version of the z30 or Zfc, but I think that moment is still quite a bit away. So yes, it’s on my shopping list as I see a lot of use for this little lens in the long run.

Optical construction of the Z 26mm f2.8.

Nikon Z 85mm F1.2 S

The Nikkor Z 50mm F1 .2 S gets a buddy – the Nikkor Z 85mm F1.2 S has been announced!

It’s going to be heavy, it’s going to be big, it’s going to be expensive.

1.16kg
10.2cm x 14.2cm (ø x L)
US$2800

It’s going to be optically great as well. Nikon designs their top-shelf lenses with the aim of best possible performance, not to make them somewhat lighter or smaller. That’s a good decision in my opinion, as there is the 1.8 series of primes for those who want to carry and spend less.

The Z 85mm f1.2 S – definitely not a light-weight.

But it’s too big, too expensive – where is the Z 85mm 1.4?

The excellent optical quality of these 1.8 primes is the reason I don’t really see Nikon going the f1.4 way this time – at least not for and in-between f1.8 and f1.2. At prices around US$1500 or more such f1.4 primes would be quite a bit more expensive than their f1.8 counterparts, but not offering that much of a step up really.

Where f1.4 lenses would make sense is in focal lengths where f1.2 simply gets too large, heavy and expensive. A 105mm f1.4 or a 24mm and 28mm f1.4, yes, in this range such lenses would be useful as f1.2 designs would likely not be feasible for above reasons.

85mm f1.2 S – What does it mean for the Z System?

Along with the Z 35mm F1.2 S on the roadmap this will lead to the completion of the high-grade f1.2 triplet of primes, with as little as possible compromises in terms of image quality. Going by the Z 50mm f1.2 S and Nikon’s marketing the focus is on very high sharpness already wide open yet beautifully soft background blur. I’m pretty sure they will achieve this as the entire Z lens range has been nothing short of excellent in their respective classes.

With the second such f1.2 lens launched and the third quite likely being released with this year the question about a new high resolution body arises. With three lenses perfected for studio, portrait, fashion and even landscape and looking at Nikon’s history a matching body would make for a perfect fit. The z8 has been in the rumors for some time being, and I think this would fit Nikon’s modus operandi perfectly. Z9, and lots of teles released the same year. This year 85mm f1.2, 35mm f1.2, 135mm (f1.8) along with a 60+ megapixel body? Yes, sounds very plausible, very Nikon.

Plus think of it – there was a time when 12mp was the standard and 24mp was high-res. Then 20-24mp became slowly the standard, high-res crept up to 45mp. With other manufacturers going for 33mp, the z9 and a1 bringing 45-50mp into the flagship range, yes, it all points to another step up in resolution. I think we will see a triple segmentation here, instead of double as before, with around 20-30mp for the lower tier, around 45mp for the mid-tier and fast pro bodies, and +60mp as the new high-res tier.

To buy or not to buy?

Focusing on a smaller and more compact setup, this 85mm f1.2 beast won’t be for me, of course. Still, it’s a great addition to the Z system and will make it more attractive for different kind of users – and even I will profit from this, because a more popular system will result in more lenses for my own use case in the long run.

The optical design of the Z 85mm f1.2 – a lot of glass in there!

Nikon Z 600mm f4 TC VR S

The all new Nikon Z 600mm f4 TC VR S

Nikon added another telephoto lens to their Z line, making it one of the top choices for those who need such lenses.

It’s a pricey lens at US$15,500 but those super-telephoto lenses always were. It isn’t a previous lens design either, like some of Canon’s RF super-telephoto options, and does have some new tricks up its sleeve.

First, there is the inbuilt x1.4 teleconverter. With the flip of a switch it turns into a 840mm f5,6, so essentially you get two very useful primes in one lens. Plus you don’t even need to change lenses or grab another body, a distinct advantage if things are happening quickly. This is arguably the most important addition to this 600mm lens. The added teleconverter doesn’t impact image quality much, if visible at all in many cases. There are enough technical reviews out there with comparisons and test charts zoomed in to 100%, check them out if you wish.
And if 860mm isn’t enough you can use additional teleconverters with the lens or on top of the in-build one.

With the flip of a switch the 1.4x teleconverter can be engaged.

Second, despite adding the teleconverter Nikon managed to shave off 500g compared to the F-mount AF-S 600mm f/4E FL ED VR. A little less weight is always welcome, but at 3.2kg it’s no lightweight, of course. Size stayed about the same as their previous 600mm f4 lens. Combined with the VR system it improves handling when handheld, but that’s not something I would want to do over prolonged periods of time.

Most people, including myself, won’t get such a super-telephoto lens, however, it is still an important addition to Nikon’s Z system. Combined with the already available telephoto lenses the Z system is a great option for professional sports or wildlife photography. Go for it if that’s your thing!

Current Z system super-telephoto lenses:

Nikkor Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR S (October 2021)
Nikkor Z 400mm F2.8 TC VR S (January 2022)
Nikkor Z 800mm F6.3 VR S (April 2022)
Nikkor Z 400mm F4.5 VR S (June 2022)
Nikkor Z 600mm F4 TC VR S (November 2022)

That’s quite impressive, 5 options launched here within about one year!

If none of those suits you or your budget then you might want to wait for the Z 200-600mm lens. It has been on the roadmap for a while and should be released some when this year. Still, it might take quite some time until you get your hands on one as it will likely be in high demand, being a more affordable option.

If their AF-S 200-500 F5.6 ED VR is anything to go by we should get something like a Z 200-600 f5.6-6.3 (or 6.7 or whatever?) VR at perhaps US$ 1600-2000 depending on their design choices. This sure will be a popular lens, so expect waiting lists to be long once it gets released.

The all-new optical design of the Z 600mm f4, with the teleconverter engaged.

The Nikon Dx system – does it make sense?

The Nikon Dx z30 with content creator kit.

The Nikon Dx system – does it make sense?

There are three solid entry level cameras – z30, z50 and Zfc – in the Nikon Z system now, aimed at three different kind of users. However, how about the lenses? Of course, there’s the old and tiresome complaining by ‘buzz buzz’ Hogan that there aren’t enough Dx lenses for the Dx bodies – remind you that’s the guy who still wanted Nikon to release three more high end dSLR’s in 2021. He repeated that stance as recently as October 2021, without reconsidering it. What a disaster that would have been with dSLR’s sales declining year by year and claiming a market value of just 22% of all interchangeable lens cameras, with the lion’s share of 78% taken by mirrorless in 2021 according to the CIPA report.

Nikon Dx in context of the APS-C market

But how do things look like for APS-C, or Dx in Nikon’s parlance? As for total shipments the numbers between 35mm and larger (called FF from now on) and APS-C and smaller – including m4/3 – (called APS-C from now on) are roughly equal, at 4.6 million (FF) and 4.9 million (APS-C). However things look different over a longer period of time:

Year	FF lenses	APS-C lenses
2012	6.6m	23.7m (!!!)
2019	4.8m	9.3m
2020	3.6m (Covid)	5.4m (Covid)
2021	4.6m	4.9m

It seems that the FF market has largely bottomed out, bouncing almost back to the pre-covid level in 2021. The APS-C market did not recover after Covid, however, and is still shrinking – albeit at a slower pace.

It’s worth to note as well that the ratio of zoom versus prime lenses is about 1:1 for FF (2.3m zooms and 2.3m primes sold) while for APS-C this ratio is 6:1 (4.4m vs 0.7m). This shows that the majority of APS-C customers choose mostly zoom lenses while only few will have a setup which includes multiple prime lenses.

When looking at the value of the shipments things look different for FF and APS-C, too. The total value of all FF lenses sold is about 4 times larger than the value of all APS-C lenses – despite an almost even number of lenses sold. This clearly shows that the focus of APS-C buyers is on low-cost lenses.

Furthermore, FF primes are roughly twice as expensive as APS-C primes, while FF zooms are five times more expensive than their APS-C counterparts in average.

Value of the APS-C and FF market

The total value of lenses in 2021 was (in billion Yen):

FF primes	96b	APS-C primes	16b
FF zooms	167b	APS-C zooms	61b
FF total	263b	APS-C total	77b

Indeed there is a large number of APS-C cameras an lenses being sold, however at a much lower average price and mostly zoom lenses. And nope, this isn’t because the camera companies are “trying to force FF upon their customers” as claimed on the internet at times. If this was true the market share of Fuji, Olympus and Panasonic m4/3 would soar as there are full ranges of lenses available for those systems. However, this is not happening.

As a sign of times current mirrorless entry-level bodies cost way more money then their dSLR counterparts. With way less such budget bodies produced than compared with the heydays of digital cameras the unit price goes up. Simple economics of scale.

Data for this section was taken from the often neglected CIPA lens report.

How about the Nikon Dx line?

Looking at all this explains Nikon’s strategy when it comes to their Dx line. There are the most important zooms out there or on the roadmap, but just one prime lens on the roadmap. Yes, Dx zooms still sell in quite large numbers, primes simply don’t.

But that doesn’t mean that there are no useful lenses for the Nikon’s Dx cameras. Let’s take a look what there is:

Zooms:
Nikkor 16-50mm f3.5-6.3 VR (24-75mm FF reach)
Nikkor 50-250mm f4.5-6.3 VR (75-375mm FF reach)

Both zooms perform very well in terms of optics and make for a small, light two lens setup with a great range. As double kit with a body a steal as well. If you want an even smaller one lens setup there’s the:

Nikkor 18-140mm f3.5-63 VR (27-210mm FF reach)

Nikon’s two lens kits are great value – be it with the z30 or z50 series.

And that’s it. Well at least for now, and Dx lenses only. However two more Dx lenses are on the roadmap:

Nikkor 12-28mm PZ (18-42mm FF)
Nikkor 24mm (36mm FF)

This will add a wide angle zoom good for architecture, interiors, scenery – and video/blogging thanks to it being a powerzoom. And the obligatory 35mm equivalent small prime.

How about Fx lenses for Dx?

However, there are other interesting options for Nikon’s Dx system as well, fitting well in terms of size and price. These are:

Nikkor Z 28mm f2.8 (42mm in FF)
Nikkor Z 40mm f2.0 (60mm in FF)
Nikkor Z 50mm f2.8 MC (75mm Macro in FF)
Nikkor Z 50mm f1.8 S (75mm in FF)

More expensive but very interesting would be the:

Nikkor Z 85mm f1.8 S (128mm in FF)

And up on the road map the:

Nikkor Z 70-180 f2.8 (105-270mm in FF)

That’s 11 very interesting and well fitting options so far.
On top of these there are the Viltrox primes:

Viltrox AF 13mm f1.4 Z (20mm in FF)
Viltrox AF 33 mm f1.4 (50mm in FF)
Viltrox AF 56mm f1.4 Z (84mm in FF)

Plus their FF lenses as cheaper options to their Nikkor counterparts above:

Viltrox AF 50mm f1.8 Z (75mm in FF)
Viltrox AF 85mm f1.8 Z (128mm in FF)

So that’s a total of 16 lenses now, either already launched (13) or on the roadmap (3).

The three Viltrox Nikon AF Dx primes can be had for about US$300 as a set!

There’s more, of course

Of course there are more options one might opt for, but they were omitted here as they are either rather expensive or large and heavy and therefore perhaps not the best solution for the Dx bodies. Still, the Nikkor Z 105 MC S and the recently launched Tamron Z 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD will make sense for some, as might some of the other Fx Nikkors.

On top of the lenses mentioned above there are several manual focus lenses (mainly from Voigtländer) but I don’t look into these as they are for folks with a rather special use case.

Overall it can be said that there’s already more choice than most Dx users every buy if taking the CIPA numbers in consideration – and no, the echo chambers of internet forums or comment sections do not represent the the majority of Dx customers as they sample just a small and distinct number of users – however, very vocal.

And yes, of course there will be more options coming in the future, both from Nikon and other lens makers. Enjoy your Nikon Dx, it’s a very capable system, at very competitive prices!

Voigtländer has several manual focus options for Nikon Dx like this 23mm f1,2

New Nikon Z lens -Nikkor Z 17-28mm f2.8

The new Nikkor Z 17-28mm f2.8 wide angle zoom.

New Z lens – Nikkor Z 17-28mm f2.8

Nikon announced a new Z lens today, basically right out of the blue. This lens wasn’t on their lens roadmap, and Nikonrumors posted a possible release just three days (17.9.2022) before the actual announcement by Nikon (20.9.2022). Nikonrumors expected that the announcement would include either the 600mm (f4 ?), 85mm (f1.2 ?) or the 200-600mm. The next day they changed this stance and mentioned the Tamron based Nikkor Z 17-28mm f2.8 for the first time, just two days ahead of its launch. Nobody else among all the ‘experts’ with ‘connections’ and ‘sources’ had any predictions at all. This shows how little is known about upcoming Nikon launches these days – unless Nikon wants us to know.

The Z 17-28mm f2.8 – what is it?

Compared to the Z 14-24mm f2.8 S it is considerably cheaper, a bit lighter, and again lacking the extreme wide point of view of 14mm. Still, for event and street work it should do fine, but it certainly won’t excel at all disciplines. Unlike the 14-24mm f2.8 S you will want to step it down for scenery and architecture, but it’s range makes it actually a bit more suitable for event and street imagery – at a much lower price. The price will be very important here, are you going to spend the big bucks for the excellent all-rounder Z 14-24mm f2.8 S or can you do with the much cheaper Z 17-28mm f2.8 – which might well be the case if you shoot in particular people, events and street.

But back to the new lens, the Z 17-28mm f2.8, based on a Tamron design. It offers f2.8 at a much lower price, size and weight than the top of the line f2.8 Nikkor zooms. Initially priced at US$1200 it might be worth to wait for a moment as we have seen the similar Z 28-70mm f2.8 offered with a US$200 discount not that long after its launch. It comes with a customizable ring, stepper motors for fast and quiet autofocus and is quite compact and light for a f2.8 lens, just a little heavier than its Tamron counterpart. This comes at the expense of a somewhat shorter and less wide zoom range, of course – there’s always a trade off somewhere.

Nikkor Z 17-28mm f2.8 – a perfect fit on the Z bodies.

The internet reaction

Of course there’s the talk about a Nikon “tax” as this lens costs US$300 more at launch than the original Tamron at its launch (US$1200 vs US$900). As mentioned above not before too long this lens might get a good discount if the price development of the Z 28-70mm f2.8 is anything to go by. Add to this having a Z mount lens from Nikon, which ensures it will play nice with Z bodies no matter what firmware or bodies attached to. This alone is worth the extra cash in my opinion, along with a better resell value, perhaps.

How does it fit into the Z line?

As usual the big question is ‘where does this lens fit in the Z system?’ There are already two super-wide zoom lenses in the Z system, and this lens does a bit of both but nothing in particular – or does it?

Compared to the Z 14-30mm f4 it is a bit bigger and offers much less range, in particular at the wide end, at a similar price. However it’s a full stop faster, so if you shoot events and street at lower light, where corner performance isn’t that important, then this lens might be for you. Stepped down to f5,6-11 it should perform quite well across the frame and do a good job for scenery, architecture and interiors, with the caveat of the narrower field of view of 17mm at the wide end compared to the 14mm of the ‘S’ lens. The use case might be the deciding factor here. A preference for people, events, street for the Z 17-28mm f2.8 and scenery, architecture and interior for the Z 14-30mm f4 S.

The big picture

Another aspect not to forget is the ‘big picture’ of course, and that’s this lens fitting into the ‘new trinity’, the Z 17-28mm f2.8, combined with the Z 28-70mm f2.8 and the upcoming 70-180mm, which might well be based on the Tamron 70-180mm f2.8 lens. These three lenses combined will give you 17-180mm at f2.8 substantially lighter and smaller than the top of the line S zooms – no need to mention the massive price difference! Let’s take a closer look at those two sets of fast f2.8 zooms:

Lens	Weight	Price	Lens	Weight	Price
Z 17-28mm f2.8	450g	US$1200	Z 14-24mm f2.8 S	650g	US$2400
Z 28-75mm f2.8	565g	US$1200	Z 24-70mm f2.8 S	805g	US$2300
Z 70-180mm f2.8	850g (est)	US$1400 (est)	Z 70-200mm f2.8 S	1360g	US$2600
Total	1,865g	US$3800	Total	2,810g	US$7300

Preferences and use case

Personally I prefer the Z 14-30mm f4 over the Z 17-38mm f2.8 for the extra mm at the wide end, but them I am a wide angle junkie.

However, the Z 28-75mm f2.8 is a very intriguing option over the Z 24-70mm f4 as it suits my style better in that range – city walks at dusk, people, traffic, whatever. It could even replace two primes for this purpose. Definitely an interesting option and hence on my radar.

The upcoming Z 70-180mm f2.8 is a mixed bag. While I love it’s compact size – just 14.9cm (about the same as my AF-P 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 VR E at 14.6cm) it is for my taste on the heavy side at 805g (not for a 2.8 tele zoom, but for what I prefer!) and it sure is a bit short at 180mm only. I definitely prefer reach up to 300mm over f2.8 for my compact tele, so I will stick to my AF-P 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 VR E for the time being.

Of course it all depends on your preferences, so what suits me best is not necessarily the best for someone else. It’s important to find suitable lenses for each budget and use case, one can’t really go wrong with any of those lenses. Nobody is ever going to say ‘hey, you used a bad lens for this image, it is no good’. Not with today’s lenses.

Either there was an user error, or the wrong lens used for the wrong purpose, or the image was simply boring, it didn’t do anything for the viewer. The latter largely depends on your audience, of course. However, it’s the person behind the camera who affects the outcome, not the lens per se. It always was, in fact, but our possibilities were much more limited during the film days and with the lenses available then. In this sense find out which lenses fit your shooting style – and those new f2.8 zooms might be just the ones!

Even not being an S-line lens there’s extensive weather sealing in the Z 17-28mm f2.8.

Nikon Z primes – the 1.8 series

The Nikkor Z 35mm f1.8 S – one of Nikon’s fantastic new prime lenses.

Nikon Z primes – the 1.8 series

Right with the beginning of the Z system Nikon launched their first f1.8 primes and subsequently added others to an almost complete set; a 28mm prime is the only one missing in this series of common focal lengths between 20mm and 85mm. So far there are:

Prime lens	Launch Date
Nikkor Z 20mm F1.8 S	February 2020
Nikkor Z 24mm F1.8 S	September 2019
Nikkor Z 35mm F1.8 S	August 2018
Nikkor Z 50mm F1.8 S	August 2018
Nikkor Z 85mm F1.8 S	July 2019

At first there was a lot of criticism – and there still is some – because those lenses are fairly large/long and expensive for f1.8 primes when compared to some of the older F designs. Other complaints came from the opposite spectrum, being ‘just’ f1.8 was not good enough. What was ignored however was the excellent performance of those lenses, taking image quality to a new level – at a more affordable price than the previous F-mount f1.4 primes.

The Z 1.8 primes – the ‘new 1.4’?

What Nikon really did with those f1.8 primes was elevating the image quality above the former f1.4 F series, those new primes being extremely sharp from edge to edge already when wide open. Going f1.8 instead of f1.4 allowed them to make those lenses lighter and more affordable. In this sense they are the “new f1.4”, with the premium line seemingly going f1.2. The Z 50mm f1.2 S is now out there, and a very large 85mm (f1.2?) on the Z lens roadmap.

Of course all those who expected f1.8 primes to be cheap and small were disappointed, while for many others they were too slow, forgetting that during the film days – even without the insane usable high ISO of today – there were precious few f1.8 prime lenses, and those were definitely not regarded as slow back then. An Ai-S f2.0 (or even f2.8) prime in the range of 20mm, 24mm, 28mm, 85mm, 105mm or 135mm was a fast lens, with only 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm having faster offerings of at least f1.8 (plus later the first 1.4 AF lens, the legendary AF-D 28mm.) Bottom line is that the Nikon f1.8 Z series are fast lenses, with great image quality across the field wide open, offering great and smooth background separation, at a reasonable size and price. Additionally, they are well suited for video, showing little focus breathing.

Where’s my favorite – the Nikkor Z 28mm f1.8 S

Out of the current range my favorite focal length, 28mm, is still missing. In the F system this used to be my go-to low light setup, combined with an 85mm. For the time being I use the Z 28mm f2.8 combined with the Z 85mm f1.8 S for this purpose. I really like my Z 28mm f2.8, and will likely get more such lenses if Nikon launches them. The compact size combined with the high ISO performance of modern sensors makes turns them into very useful primes. However, as I use my primes so often during dusk and well into the night I really would like to have a Z 28mm f1.8 one day.

All of the S 1.8 prime lenses are weather sealed.

Alternatives and combinations

I won’t get rid of the f2.8 prime then, rather the opposite, add another longer f2.8 prime and have the choice of the faster, bigger setup (used with the z7) or the really small one (mainly used with the z30). The low price of those f2.8 primes makes it quite affordable to have two such sets of primes. I look at it this way: with the Z 85mm f1.8 S you get one of the best 85mm primes made so far, throw in the Z 28mm f2.8 and you’re at US$1200 and 625g combined – against the single AF-S 85mm f1.4 G at US$1650 and 595g! Yes please.

The 85mm 1.8 S – one of the best lenses in its class out there.

The new Nikon Z telephoto lenses

The Nikkor Z 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 VR S can take teleconverters for even more reach.

The new Nikon Z telephoto lenses

Within 8 months Nikon launched the following four telephoto lenses:

Nikkor Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR S (October 2021)
Nikkor Z 400mm F2.8 TC VR S (January 2022)
Nikkor Z 800mm F6.3 VR S (April 2022)
Nikkor Z 400mm F4.5 VR S (June 2022)

All of them have their purpose and all of them bring interesting characteristics to the Z system. While the 400mm f2.8 has an in-build x1.4 converter turning it effectively into a 560mm f4.0 the 800mm f6.3 is perhaps the most compact telephoto lens in this class. With the use of a Phase Fresnel lens element Nikon was able to lower the weight to just 2.4kg and a length of just 385mm. This, combined with the lens being well balanced with the weight more to the rear, enables photographers to shoot this lens handheld for extended periods of time, something that wasn’t possible with previous 800mm lenses.

The versatile Nikkor Z 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 VR S

The versatile 100-400mm zoom has magnification ratio of 1:2.6 (=0.38x) and is an interesting option for close-ups of larger insects such a certain spiders or dragonflies or other similar sized animals. There were reports saying the 100-400mm was “quite good” in terms of image quality at close focus distance, which of course turned into “not-as-good-as-possible” and consequently even into “mediocre” elsewhere. Such internet talk is best ignored, I’ve tried my friend’s Z 100-400 at its close-up distance and you will be able to get images of high quality at close up range. If you don’t it’s you, not the lens.

The new Nikkor 400mm f4.5 VR S prime

Coming in at 1245g and with a length of just 235mm the 400mm f4.5 is similar in size and weight than the Z 70-200mm f2.8 VR S, another relatively compact yet high quality option to reach out beyond 200 or 300mm. Being compatible with Nikon’s 1.4x and 2x teleconverters its reach can be extended further to a very usable 560mm f6.3 or even to 800mm at f9. This makes the 400mm prime more suitable for extended reach than the the slower 100-400mm zoom, albeit it is quite slow at f9 at 800mm when used with the 2x converter.

Nikkor 400mm f4.5 VR S. The foot can be removed.

There are claims on the internet that Nikon has too many options around 400mm with all these lenses, but I don’t think this is the case. As often people only think of their very own use case to come to such conclusions. To find out which lens is right depends on the overall lens setup being used. For those, who want a single telephoto lens with a reach beyond the usual 200 or 300mm the Nikkor Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR S is a good solution, as long as they don’t mind the size and weight. On the other hand Nikkor Z 400mm F4.5 VR S is more suitable for those who want that longer reach – and perhaps even more with a 1.4x converter – combined with another, shorter telephoto option.

Alternatives and combinations

I’m currently using the AF-P 70-300mm VR E lens on a Ftz converter as a part of a compact and light lens setup, combined with the Z 14-30mm f4 S and the Z 50mm f2.8 MC. This is considerably smaller and lighter than carrying the 100-400mm as a single telephoto solution lens at all times – and it will be more so once Nikon gets around to add a native Z version of the AF-P 70-300mm or the AF-S 70-200mm f4.0 VR.

The Z 400mm F4.5 VR S enables such a compact setup to go beyond 200/300mm as an add-on, only to be carried when the circumstances might require it. Another option for such an “compact+extended” setup would be in combination with the Z 24-200mm f4-6.3 VR, of course.

Let’s take a quick look at the weight of such a setup:

Base setup:
Z 14-30mm f4 S – 485g
Z 50mm F2.8 MC – 260g
AF-P 70-300mm VR E – 680g
FTZ – 135g

Total: 1560g

Added:
Z 400mm F4.5 VR S – 1245g

Total: 2805g

Full monty (Base setup, with 400mm and 1.8 wide prime and body)
TC-1.4x – 220g
Nikkor Z 35mm F1.8 S – 370g
Z7 body (with battery) – 675g

Total: 4070g

The whole setup stays at a very reasonable 2605g, including the body, and is highly versatile from 14-300mm.

Add reach up to 560mm and you’re at 4070g. It’s getting heavy now, but not that much more than the three f2.8 zooms combined with a z7 body and the Z 2.0x converter – which totals at 3840g.

Most importantly, the setup with the Z 400mm F4.5 VR S as an add-on is more versatile, there are way more – lighter and smaller – combinations possible, such as my base setup, which fits into the handlebar bag of my mountain bike, including the body.

A more compact alternative: the 70-300mm f4.5-5.6E VR ED with Ftz adapter.

Corner sharpness is not on par with the best of the best, but not exactly bad either. It’s just good, instead of very good. AF is quick and quiet, and a close focus distance of 19cm results in a quite good magnification of 0.34x. Background blur is quite smooth, again not the best, but still very pleasant.

Overall there’s a lot to like, in particular when looking at its price. US$1200 upon launch it is often priced at a very competitive US$1000. It’s quite light as well at 565g as well, and a bit smaller than the two chunkier options above. Overall it compares more to the Z 24-70mm f4 S, and again it’s the intended use that makes up for most of the differences. The collapsible – and therefore even smaller – 24-70mm f4 S definitely has the better range and great S lens edge-to-edge image quality. Yes, those 4mm at the wide end make for much of a difference, way more than the 5mm at the long end. 24mm is definitely wide. 28mm is…not quite wide. In this sense the ‘kit zoom’ is the better all-rounder. Takes up less space and a more useful range.

However, the Z 28-75mm f2.8 does have its use. Much like the Z 24-70mm f2.8 S it is more suitable for low light work, albeit a bit more restricted when it comes to indoors and events due to the difference at the wide end. Still, there’s one task where I does really well – out in the streets when the light goes down. Street photography with one zoom instead of several primes. People, portraits, street scenes, all in one lens, and quite compact as such. Usually edge-to-edge corner sharpness doesn’t matter when shooting in such environments either.

Additionally, carrying two or more small f2.8 primes instead of this 28-75mm f2.8 won’t offer really any advantage, neither in size nor performance. Faster, high performing 1.8 primes sure will, but the size will go up in comparison to this 28-70 f2.8. So yes, this lens looks very appealing for a compact, single lens, yet high performance, street-walking setup.

Since I do shoot a lot of low light street scenes here in Bangkok the longer I look at this lens, the more I like it. Price, performance and size are very well balanced and should suit this particular of my use cases very well. Yes, it is very likely that the Z 28-75mm S will find its way into my setup at one point.

This is the one lens I’m not sure about yet. It’s tiny, yes, and I love tiny lenses. However, it’s range is very limited, to the point where I rather would go out with the Z 28mm f2.8 only. The wider aperture of f2.8 offers more for my style of shooting here than such a limited zoom range.

Perhaps the right body for this diminutive zoom hasn’t been made yet. Once Nikon puts a full frame sensor into a z50 or – even better – a z30 body that little 24-50mm would come into its own. Yes, I do like the idea of an ultra-compact Fx body, serving essentially the same purpose as the z30/50 do for now, but I think we will have to wait for a while until this will happen.

It’s small size makes the 24-50mm f4-6. an interesting option.

New mid-range zooms for Nikon Z

New mid-range zooms for Nikon Z

With the 24-120 f4 and the 28-75 f2.8 Nikon added two zoom lenses to the Z system. So there are four such zooms now, or five if you count the diminutive 25-50mm in as well. Time to take a closer look.

Enter the Nikkor Z 24-120mm f4 S

On one hand this lens is quite like the Z 24-70mm f4 S, very similar in performance, and even in price, but with a longer reach. On the other hand it’s quite different from the Z 24-70 f4 S as it’s certainly not a compact lens anymore. In this regard it is more similar to the Z 24-70 f2.8 S. Both are fairly big lenses and the main question is ‘reach or f2.8’?

If indoor/low light events must be covered the advantage goes to the 24-70 f2.8, if that’s not a priority and the lens serves as a single-lens setup at times the Z 24-120 f4 S has the advantage.

Both are optically very, very good, both are solid, weather proofed lenses, both are chunky, so it is the use case that differentiates those two lenses, plus perhaps the price tag for some. The Z 24-120mm f4 S is very well priced for such a capable lens, while the Z 24-70 f2.8 S sits clearly on the pro-price shelf.

Dual stepper motors in the 24-120mm f4 for fast and accurate focus.

Enter the Nikkor Z 28-75mm f2.8

Made with Tamron optics inside – and not the newest generation ones – this Z Nikkor is often snubbed online. Not a real Nikon, not the latest optics, yet more expensive than the Tamron it is based on.

Despite being an f2.8 lens the 28-75mm lens is size wise a good fit for the Nikon Z bodies.

But that’s the key here, albeit based on a Tamron it still is a Nikon. Firmware compatibility, no need for an adapter, plus build with Nikon weather sealing and using Nikon lens corrections are all points which make this better than an adapted lens. It’s a Nikkor and as such plays nice with Nikon bodies.

How about the Nikkor Z 24-50mm?

Compact primes for the Nikon Z system

Compact primes for the Z system

End of June 2021 Nikon launched two compact – and low cost – primes, the Z 40mm f2.8 and the Z 28mm f2.8 SE. The second one was a SE (Special Edition) lens with a retro look matching the style of the Nikon Zfc body. Since I’m not in the retro thing – I wouldn’t use the dials of the Zfc much apart from the exposure compensation – I waited until the standard Z 28mm f2.8 became available in November 2021. I bought this lens a few months after its launch when it became readily available here in Bangkok.

The AF-S 28mm f1.8 G was one of my favorite lenses on my D3 for city walks late in the afternoon and into the night, combined with my old AF 85mm f1.8. I like the 28mm angle, it’s wider than 35mm and as such is a better fit for those environmental portraits. On the other hand, going all the way to 24mm is a bit too much for those images showing people and what they are going about. This is why the 28mm ended up in my bag, and not the AF-D 24mm f2.8 or the AF-D 35mm f2.0, which I used on the D3 as well.

As Nikon doesn’t make a Z 28mm f1.8 lens (yet?) the Z 28mm f2.8 was the logical stand-in, particularly when looking at its low price

Size, specifications and build

This new compact lenses are about the same size as the AF-D 24/28/35mm f2.8 lenses; check out the table comparing these lenses. I included the Ai-S manual lenses and the 45mm ‘pancake’ as well to complete the comparison. There’s a lot of complaining on the internet that “full frame lenses are too bulky and heavy” these days. We can clearly see that this is not the case. The new compact Z primes are lighter than their older counterparts and about the same size – the few millimeters more in diameter will not make any significant difference, neither in your bag nor mounted on the body. There’s only one lens that is really smaller and lighter – the old Ai-P 45mm – but you will have to wait for that 26mm on Nikon’s roadmap to complete the picture.

Lens	length	width	weight	filter	closeup	magnification
Nikkor Ai-P 45mm f2.8	17mm	63mm	120g	52mm	45cm	0.13x = 1:7.6
Nikkor Z 40mm f2.0	46mm	70mm	170g	52mm	29cm	0.17x = 1:5.9
Nikkor AF 35mm f2.0D	45mm	56mm	205g	52mm	25cm	0.24x = 1:4.2
Nikkor Ai-S 35mm f2.0	52mm	64mm	280g	52mm	30cm	0.18x = 1:5.7
Nikkor Ai-S 28mm f2.8	59mm	63mm	250g	52mm	20cm	0.26x = 1:3.9
Nikkor Ai-S 24mm f2.8	57mm	63mm	250g	52mm	30cm	0.11x = 1:8.8
Nikkor AF 24mm f2.8D	46mm	65mm	270g	52mm	30cm	0.11x = 1:8.9
Nikkor AF 28mm f2.8D	44.5mm	65mm	205g	52mm	25cm	0.18x = 1:5.6
Nikkor Z 28mm f2.8	43mm	71mm	155g	52mm	19cm	0.2x = 1:5

I don’t have any problems with the plastic mount of the new Z lenses and build quality is fine. A plastic mount isn’t an issue for such a light lens in my opinion. Of course many on the internet see this differently, but I don’t see how this could affect the use and performance of the lens really. If your drop your camera and the mount breaks of it’s perhaps better that way – if it doesn’t your body might suffer some serious damage! However, you would be very lucky not to have any serious damage in such kind of accidents, metal mount or not. I experience one such incident, my AF 80-200mm f2.8 D (push/pull) was a total loss, broken in two, damage to the lens mount, barrel heavily dented. The body (F5) suffered damge, too, in form of a visibliy bent lens mount. I was able to unscrew the part and hammer it back into a somewhat flat shape. With those makeshift repairs I could continue to take photographs afterwards. The full repair later on was quite expensive as there had been more damage to the body than just the metal ring of the lens mount.

Likewise the lack of a mount seal doesn’t bother me too much, a plastic mount should seal better than a metal one. Plus some rain should be fine with the other seals, and if it’s raining cats and dogs you won’t be out there shooting without some serious protection anyway. Overall nothing to complain about, not for lens at such a price point. Optics are more important here – and the little 28mm doesn’t disappoint here.

Yes, it’s not in the class of the ‘S’ lenses, but you will have to pixel peak to see the differences. Bit less sharpness towards the corners, some chromatic aberration, some vignetting. Distortion and flare aren’t much of a problem, and I do like the out of focus rendering. Overall a solid performer, nobody is gonna tell you that your image is bad because you used a subpar lens. You can view images on large high res screens and print them large with this lens, no doubt about it, even if technocrats will tell you otherwise.

Use case

While not as fast as the f1.8 S lens series f2.8 is quite capable for low light work – remember that’s what the pro’s use, f2.8 zoom lenses. Small and light those primes are a great addition to slower, smaller zooms. I like my 14-30 f4 combined with the AF-P 70-300E, but when it gets dark those zooms aren’t the best solution. Add some of those small and light primes and there you go. One or two won’t make much difference in weight nor do they take a lot of space. It would be great having something a little longer here as well, perhaps a 70mm f2.8 or even a 90mm, compact and affordable. This way you could add one wide and one short tele to your setup.

Of course two such primes – or even just one, pick your favorite – make for a minimalist walk-around setup as well. Head into town in the afternoon, when the sun goes down, bring just two small(ish) primes, shoot. I do this quite often and it’s a great setup for this kind of street shooting. Going out with friends or family? Grab your favorite lens and body and off you go. In my case this is the Z 28mm f2.8.

Then there’s Dx of course. As 42mm, 60mm (or even 75mm if you count the slightly bigger 50mm Macro in as well) you’ve got some interesting companions for the z30/z50/Zfc bodies. Great performers on these Dx bodies, reasonably fast and a great match in terms of size. As there’s no IBIS in those Dx cameras one needs to pay attention to the shutter speed, but as I usually shoot moving motives with those lenses it’s not much of an issue.

And the bottom line is?

Yes, I’m a big fan of such small, light and affordable primes and hope Nikon will extend this line. I can see myself throwing three or four such primes into my bag instead of two 1.8’s at times. A little less capable in low light but still very usable and more variation in focal length. Yes, why not, they are great fun to shoot, based on my experience with the Z 28mm f2.8 so far.

Nikon z30 – more of the same?

Nikon z30

A few thoughts about the new Nikon z30.

First of all about nobody saw that one coming. Nikon rumors had their first report on June 6 2022. On June 29 the camera was announced, less than a month later, with the camera shipping by July 18. None of the ‘experts’ with ‘connections’ had anything before that report by Nikon Rumors. Perhaps their connections aren’t what they claim them to be, perhaps they don’t really know more than you and I?

What’s is it?

Second, let’s take a quick look at what it is, and how it fits into the Nikon Z line. Yes, it’s the z50 innards, minus the viewfinder, plus a flip screen for selfie recording. And yes, it’s a video focused entry level camera, for US$ 700, or US$850 with the kit zoom. There’s a creators kit as well for US$1000, which adds an external microphone and a remote controlled handgrip.

Focus here is on entry level, people who come from cell phones and want to try a ‘real camera’, but without spending 2000 bucks or more for a body, lens, and whatever else they might need. That’s why there is no IBIS, no log video files, no headphone jack even, to check on your recording.

For IBIS you will have to go upmarket, or get a cheap gimbal, which is likely the preferred solution for those really serious about their videos anyway. Logfiles are another want for advanced users, but does someone who comes from a cell phone really want to jump into serious editing, or perhaps just good video straight from the camera? Same goes for the missing audio jack. You’re not likely using headphones while recording yourself, plus there are visual level indicators on the LCD to help you here. Plus there are external microphones with headphone jack, or microphone splitters. However, does someone who does his first steps away from a cell phone really want all this, or is it getting already to technical – and too costly?

So that’s really the target group, people coming from cell phones, getting their first camera, and start recording, at US$ 1000 at the most. AT the same time this is where the z30 fits in Nikon’s line-up. The z30, z50 and the Zfc really are a triplet, but one with a triple purpose. They are designed to appeal to different entry level users: video creators, photography folks, and…experimental/lifestyle people. Of course all three do everything, but not quite, hence the three. Could you put everything in one body? Not really, and certainly not at US$700. Bottom line is those three ‘same, same but different’ bodies are aimed to bring a wider variation of people into the Z system.

Can it take photos, too?

Third point is usability as photography camera. Yes, it’s there, it good the grip from the z50, with front and rear dials. Ergonomics are excellent for such a small camera. I have it currently earmarked as an replacement for my Nikon j5, which I have used many years as a pendant to my D3 (and later z7) as a secondary camera always in my office bag.

The experience with the j5 has taught me that the lack of a viewfinder wasn’t what bothered me most. I was always able to cope, even here in Bangkok, in the tropics. Most of the times the sun isn’t fully on the LCD to begin with. You hold the camera different than a cell phone, so that’s one reason why you get less direct sunlight on the screen. Plus if it does happen you can shield it with your body, head, or even a hand if really needed. As said during many years with a j5 this has never been a real concern.

There was one real disadvantage not having a viewfinder – composing images with long lenses. 300mm, try to frame that bird at the zoo. Nope, not good. But then I’m trying to keep this setup small, so I won’t carry any long telephoto lenses to begin with. It’s going to be either the kit zoom or, at the most, the upcoming 12-28mm DX wide angle combined with the 50mm MC. I love wide angle photography, and with the 50 MC I will get a light tele with macro capability, very versatile, yet still small.

However, the tiny size of the j5 and its controls were to biggest issue. Simply too small. Yes, I often found myself cursing the little thing while fumbling with the controls. The z30 is heaps better there, with it’s grip, button and dial placement. So yes, I think it will make for a good secondary camera. And yes, that viewfinder bump makes the z50 that bit bigger. It protrudes on top and to the rear, no matter how I put it in the bag it makes it quite a bit thicker and requires that extra space. Plus the cheaper the better, after all this little thing will be in my bag all the time with a chance of loss/theft.

Overall the z30 is currently the hottest contender for my j5. However, I’m still waiting, in particular for the Dx 12-28mm lens to launch, perhaps as a kit with the z30? Plus my j5 still works fine, so no need to hurry.

Last thought about the z30

The z30 was expected to launch about a year ago. Instead we got the Zfc, right out of the blue.

Sometimes I wonder if Nikon changed the sequence of the launch of those two cameras at one point. The cheaper z30, aimed at a wider target audience compared to the Zfc, wouldn’t be what you want to launch during the peak time of the chip shortage, would it?

In this light launching the Zfc first and the z30 later does make sense. Look at the Sony ZV-E10, a very similar camera. It launched about a year earlier, but wasn’t really available for almost a year, due to the chip shortage. So yes, the Nikon z30 is ‘one year late’, but perhaps that was a wise decision?