Best Flagship Lenses for Full-Frame Nikon Z Mirrorless Cameras

The so-called "wide" Nikon Nikkor Z 24mm f/1.8 S lens is suitable for shooting various scenes: landscapes, architecture, interior, street photography, etc.

The model uses a dust- and moisture-resistant design with rubber seals near the bayonet mount and other vulnerable parts. Inside the lens is an optical scheme consisting of 12 elements in 10 groups. It includes two aspherical lenses to minimize distortion and one ED element to combat chromatic aberrations. The Nano Crystal Coat is applied to some of the lenses to ensure anti-reflection protection.

The lens features a fast and silent autofocus system driven by two stepper STM motors. The user is free to rely entirely on automation, and manual focus adjustment is also available at any time using a wide control ring on the lens body. This ring can be reassigned to other functions from the camera menu.

The aperture of the "wide" lens is 9-bladed, with a filter diameter of 72 mm, and the model weighs 450 g. Although the model can't be called compact, using the lens is pure pleasure — both in terms of ergonomics and high image quality.

Professional photography almost always starts with 24-70 mm optics. In Nikon's portfolio under the Z-system there are two lenses with this set of focal lengths: the cheaper option Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4.0 S and a more expensive zoom with an f/2.8 aperture.

The more solid version of the lens is assembled in a dust- and moisture-resistant body weighing just 805 g. That's a good quarter less than its equivalent for Nikon DSLRs. The lens body contains a complex optical scheme with 17 elements in 15 groups, along with a stepper autofocus drive for smooth and fast focusing. The lens produces sharp images without any distortion or aberrations right from the wide-open aperture at any focal length. Proprietary Arneo and Nano Crystal Coat lens coatings are used to eliminate reflections.

The Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S is equipped with three rings, an informational OLED display, and a programmable L-Fn button. Let's break it down. The ring closer to the lens mount is used for manual focus adjustment, the wide middle ring is for zooming, and the one near the bayonet mount is for aperture or exposure compensation. The display on the model shows the aperture values, selected focal length, and focus distance. Finally, the L-Fn button can be assigned quick access functions to a variety of shooting parameters.

In terms of bokeh quality, the lens is on par with many primes — circles in the defocused area are round and neat, thanks in part to its 9-blade aperture. The model is suitable for getting the most out of a Nikon Z system mirrorless camera. However, it does come with a correspondingly high price tag.

Wide-field zoom lenses with a constant high aperture of f/2.8 are not cheap pleasures. This is confirmed by the example of the top-of-the-line widescreen Nikon Nikkor Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S.

The model belongs to the segment of advanced optics for mirrorless cameras of the Nikon Z system. Compared to its DSLR equivalent, it's noticeably more compact and lighter — the lens dimensions are 89x125 mm, and it weighs 650 g. The wide-angle zoom is geared for landscape, architectural, and interior shooting, performing equally well in photography and video recording.

Inside the lens is an optical scheme consisting of 16 elements in 11 groups with proprietary Arneo anti-reflection coating (including 3 aspherical lenses and 4 low-dispersion ED glasses). During focusing and zooming, the lenses move within the housing, so the model doesn't change in size. A silent STM stepper drive is responsible for automatic focusing. Manual focus correction is available using the control ring, complemented by smooth diaphragm rings, another customizable ring, and a programmable button.

On the top of the wide-angle lens housing is an informational OLED screen displaying key shooting parameters. The model comes with a petal hood, designed for large-diameter 112 mm filters. Smaller and cheaper filters can also be installed on the back. The Nikon Nikkor Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S delivers excellent image quality with minimal geometric distortion, superb sharpness across the entire frame, and a complete absence of aberrations.

The heavyweight lens Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S is the flagship telephoto lens for the Nikon full-frame mirrorless camera family.

The model covers the most sought-after range of focal lengths from 70 to 200 mm. At the same time, the maximum aperture remains constant throughout the zoom range at f/2.8. Optical stabilization helps achieve sharp images at such "long" focal lengths, providing compensation for up to 5 stops of shutter speed or exposure. The stabilizer is also useful in video recording mode.

The telephoto lens is large and quite heavy — being almost 1.5 kilograms. Inside, it features an optical scheme with 21 elements in 18 groups. Proper lens selection allows for razor-sharp images even when the 9-blade aperture is wide open. At the same time, the lens creates a beautifully refined bokeh. Proprietary Arneo coating is applied to some optical elements to minimize glare.

Ergonomically, this lens raises no questions. It has three knurled rings (for zooming, manual focusing, and a programmable ring) as well as two customizable buttons. Moreover, the L-Fn 2 button is replicated in three other places on the lens body. A removable tripod foot attaches to the telephoto lens body. Another argument in the model's favor is its reliable dust and moisture protection.

The Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S is one of the priciest portrait lenses among all bayonet systems. However, in terms of drawing, the model is also in a league of its own.

The lens has the ideal focal length of 85 mm for portrait photography. Its 11-blade diaphragm opens to a maximum value of f/1.2. An additional control ring is provided for aperture adjustment in the lens design. The model also features a manual focus adjustment ring that can be reprogrammed for other functions (such as exposure compensation).

The f/1.2 aperture is usable for the lens — Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S produces a sharp image in the center of the frame and beautifully blurs the background behind the main subject. Its soft and flexible bokeh will delight portrait photography enthusiasts. The optical formula consists of 15 elements in 10 groups, including two aspherical lenses and one ED glass. Additionally, Super Integrated Coating and specialized Nano Crystal Coating are applied to the lenses to eliminate glare and halos.

The model is dust and moisture resistant, fitted with a thread for 82 mm diameter filters, and equipped with a dual autofocus drive with STM motors. The focusing system here is internal, so the lens doesn't change size, measuring 102.5 mm in diameter and 141.5 mm in length. The portrait lens weighs 1.16 kg.