This week, we’ll cover a slew of camera and lens announcements, and offer our thoughts on what these products mean for the photo industry.
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This week Nikon announced two Z-mount macro lenses, in 105mm and 50mm focal lengths. We take a look at the specs, pricing, and whether we’ll consider replacing our F-mount 105mm VR micro-Nikkor lenses. We also take a quick peek at DXO’s newly updated Nik Collection 4, which we’ll review more in depth next week.
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Some lenses change their apparent focal length as you move from infinity to near focus. This phenomenon is called “focus breathing.” In the video above, I demonstrate what this looks like using the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G and Nikon 50mm f/1.8S lenses on a Nikon Z7 mirrorless camera.
I recently converted a Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera to capture infrared images. Along with my Image Doctors co-host Rick Walker, I tested most of the new Nikon Z-mount lenses to see how well they performed for infrared photography, including sharpness and the appearance of hot-spots. We also tested a slate of F-mount lenses using the Nikon FTZ adapter to see how well they performed on the Nikon Z6 in infrared.
Read: Nikon Infrared Lens Performance with Nikon Z-mount cameras
Earlier this year, Nikon announced the 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR zoom Nikkor for full-frame (FX) Z-mount mirrorless cameras. Despite its variable aperture design, I was intrigued by the idea of having a native Z-mount lens for travel and general purpose photography. During my international photo tours, I typically used my 24-120mm f/4 VR zoom Nikkor as my primary lens.
When I moved to the Nikon Z mirrorless camera system last year, one of the challenges I faced was coming up with an appropriate travel kit. When I’m traveling, especially internationally, the size and weight of my kit are more important than superior optical quality. The Nikon 24-70mm f/4 S lens, which is the Nikon Z “kit” lens, is very good but has a limited zoom range, meaning I’d need to add a longer telephoto zoom to my bag.
I considered using my 24-120mm f/4 with the FTZ lens mount adapter, but I found that it was a little clumsy to use and frankly, quite heavy. That left me with the following travel kit:
This kit worked well on my photo tour of Scotland in the fall of 2019, but it was still a bit cumbersome compared to having a good all-purpose zoom lens. With the addition of the 24-200mm to the Nikon Z lineup, I could theoretically have a two-lens kit, with the 24-200mm being my go-to lens in most situations. This change would save me nearly a kilogram of weight from my bag!
Continue reading Nikon Z 24-200mm Lens Review