A simple A/M switch enables easy switching between the two. The design is typical of Nikon’s Z-mount primes, with a large, well-damped focus ring that can be assigned to other functions when you’re in autofocus mode. The 35mm lens is great for street photography and the 24mm gives a more generous viewing angle, but the 20mm has the obvious advantage of going even wider than a standard 24-70mm zoom. Nikon currently makes three wide-angle Z-mount primes, all of which have an f/1.8 aperture rating. Ultimately, it’s the best wide-angle zoom for Z-series cameras, but you can’t beat the Z 14-30mm for value. Image quality and all-round performance are spectacular and, unusually for such a ‘fast’ ultra-wide-angle lens, it comes with two hoods, the larger of which enables the fitment of oversized 112mm filters without the need for a specialist filter holder. There's also a handy customizable Lens Function button. It also has handling extras shared with Nikon’s other ‘trinity’ zooms, including a multi-function OLED display that can show aperture, focus distance, depth of field and the exact focal length. It really boils down to how much you want that extra f/stop of aperture, the larger lens making f/2.8 available throughout the zoom range. This Z 14-24mm costs around twice the price but is it twice as good? It has a compact, lightweight and space-saving retractable design, an 82mm filter thread, and delivers superb image quality.
Even the Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR is a standout lens, without the usual compromise in image quality that you’d normally associate with a ‘superzoom’ lens.įor most of us, the thoroughly excellent Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S should be all the wide-angle zoom that we’ll ever need. We’ve been thoroughly impressed, not only with all of Nikon’s up-market S-line lenses for Z-series cameras, but also by the levels of image quality and all-round performance from the more budget-friendly range. One resulting improvement is superior sharpness across the whole image frame, compared with anything we’ve seen from Nikon’s F-mount lenses. Compared to Nikon's historical range of F-mount 35mm and digital SLRs, the larger-diameter 55mm flange for Z-mount mirrorless cameras and its closer proximity of just 16mm to the image sensor means greater freedom in lens design.
Initially, the native lens options were a little lacking, but it's now been fleshed out thanks to new options like a pair of new macro options, which join a lengthy list of S-line primes.Įven if you already own a Nikon DSLR, there's good reason to upgrade to the new mirrorless system and invest in the best Nikon Z lenses.
Nikon was a bit late to the full-frame mirrorless party, but it's got a firm foothold now thanks to the arrival of the Nikon Z6 II, Nikon Z7 II and the retro-flavored Nikon Zfc.