In this article, we provide detailed advice on how to choose a Nikon Z mount lens. To take photos that reflect your vision, it is important to be familiar with the various characteristics of lenses, such as differences in angle of view depending on the focal length range, bokeh qualities, and differences in resolving power. If you are looking for your first lens, or adding a new lens to your camera bag, this article is a good reference to help you make your selection.
What you will learn in this article:
- The differences between Nikon Z mount and F mount systems, and why mount compatibility matters.
- Key criteria to consider when selecting a Nikon Z mount lens, including sensor format, focal length, and aperture.
- The pros and cons of prime lenses versus zoom lenses, and how each suits different photography styles.
- How to choose the ideal lens for specific scenarios like landscapes, portraits, wildlife, and sports.
- The impact of features like autofocus (AF), Vibration Compensation (VC) image stabilization, and lens resolving power on image quality.
What is Nikon Z mount?
The mount is unique to each camera manufacturer and is the part that connects the lens to the camera. Generally speaking, items with different mounts cannot be connected together, so you should choose a lens that has the same mount as your camera.
The Nikon Z mount in this article refers to the mount developed for Nikon mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. The inner diameter of this mount is designed at 55mm and is larger than other full-format mirrorless mounts.
And various types of lenses are available. Some lenses with different mount specifications can be attached to the camera with the use of a mount adapter; but generally speaking there is no compatibility between different mounts, so we recommend that you choose a Nikon Z mount compatible lens for your Nikon Z mirrorless camera.
What is the Difference Between Nikon Z Mount and F Mount?
The Z mount and the F mount, the two main mount types used for Nikon digital interchangeable lens cameras, each have different specifications. The F mount has been used for Nikon film cameras and digital SLR cameras for many years, while the Z mount is a new specification designed by Nikon for its mirrorless cameras. Even though these are both Nikon mount standards, caution is required when selecting lenses as these mounts are not interchangeable. An F mount lens cannot be used on a Z mount camera without the use of a mount adapter.
How Should You Choose the Best Nikon Z Mount Lens?
There are several key points to consider when choosing the best Nikon Z mount lens. First, it is important to check the sensor size used by the camera body and choose a lens that is compatible with it.
Next, you should check the differences between prime lenses and zoom lenses. A prime lens has a fixed focal length, while a zoom lens has a variable focal length. In addition, depending on the subjects you want to photograph, the type of lens you choose, such as a wide-angle, standard or telephoto lens, is also important.
F-numbers, AF (Auto Focus) performance, VC (Vibration Compensation) mechanism and resolving performance are also important factors you should check.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these key points.
Point 1: What is Full-frame Sensor and APS-C Sensor?
For digital SLR cameras and mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, the imaging elements (sensors) come in two main types in size: full-frame sensors and APS-C sensors. In the case of Nikon’s digital interchangeable lens cameras, these are expressed as either the FX format or DX format, which correspond to full-frame sensors and APS-C sensors, respectively.
If you take the same subject from the same distance, with the FX format, using the same focal length lens, you can photograph a wider range due to the larger sensor size, which means you can capture a wider angle of view than with the DX format.
Thus, it’s typically advised to choose an FX format lens for an FX format camera and a DX format lens for a DX format camera. Yet, DX and FX format lenses can be used interchangeably on DX and FX camera bodies. For further information, visit the official website of your camera manufacturer.
Point 2: Choosing Between a Prime Lens and Zoom Lens
Lenses for digital SLR cameras and mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras are broadly divided into two types: prime lens and zoom lens.
As prime lenses have a fixed focal length, they often tend to have a simple construction and have compact, lightweight housings. They are also appealing as they allow you to take photos with a large amount of bokeh. However, when determining the composition of an image, you need to move back and forward in relation to the subject.
Zoom lenses let you adjust the focal length. For instance, the Tamron 35-150mm F2-2.8 (Model A058) lets you change the focal length from 35mm to 150mm. This means you can capture wide-angle and telephoto shots using just one lens. One of the biggest advantages of a zoom lens is that it can handle various angles of view with a single lens.
Point 3: Choosing the Best Lens Based on Your Shooting Scenario
As the angle of view of a lens (the range captured by the camera expressed as an angle) changes depending on the focal length, it is important to choose a lens with a suitable focal length based on the shooting scenario and the subject you want to photograph. The relationship between focal length and angle of view is shown below.
Next, we will highlight the subjects and shooting scenarios at which each type of lens excels.
Wide-angle Lens: Landscape
Wide-angle lenses have a large depth of field (a range in which items are in focus) and can capture a wide view in high detail. That is why wide-angle lenses are used for dynamic landscapes, starry skies, and for shooting portraits that incorporate the background.
Additionally, as wide-angle lenses emphasize perspective (making near things appear larger, and faraway things appear smaller), you can use them to take dynamic photos by getting creative with composition, even for landscapes that seem monotonous at first glance. In this way, wide-angle lenses produce unique visual effects and give a wide range of expressiveness to photos.
Tamron Z mount lenses to consider for landscape photography:
Standard Lens: Portrait and Everyday Shooting
A standard lens has an angle of view that approximates human vision, and it can capture subjects with a natural perspective and angle of view. That is why a standard lens works well for photographing landscapes just as they appear, portraits, casual snapshots and table photos. As it is easier to imagine how the photo will turn out, this type of lens is recommended for beginners.
Tamron Z mount lenses to consider for portraits and everyday shots:
Telephoto Lens: Wildlife and Sports
A telephoto lens lets you enlarge distant subjects. It demonstrates those effects in situations where you cannot get physically closer to a subject, for example when shooting wildlife or at sporting events.
In addition, telephoto lenses produce compression effects (where the sense of distance between subjects appears compressed, making distant objects look larger), as well as giving a large amount of bokeh due to the shallow depth of field. You can use these effects to take impactful photos, such as portraits set against a natural landscape or buildings, animals, and flowers.
With an ultra-telephoto lens, which has a focal length of around 300mm or greater, you can close in on subjects that are even farther away. These lenses can be used for photographing timid animals, wild birds, aircraft, and other subjects.
Tamron Z mount lenses for to consider wildlife and sports photography:
- 50-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD (Model A067)
- 70-300mm F/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD (Model A047)
- 150-500mm F/5-6.7 Di III VC VXD (Model A057)
- 90mm F/2.8 Di III VXD (Model F072)
Size and Weight
If your shooting style is carrying a camera with you all the time, the weight of the lens will be important. That’s because a lens that is lightweight and easy to handle lets you shoot without missing any chances for a good shot. A lens that is easy to carry around also prevents fatigue during lengthy shooting sessions.
For example, when you are traveling, engaged in outdoor activities such as hiking, or shooting at an event for many hours, a lightweight lens with a compact size can be very useful.
Point 5: F-number (Aperture) and Bokeh Quality
The brightness (exposure) of a photograph is determined by the F-number, shutter speed and ISO. A lens that has a small F-number, when its aperture is wide open, takes in a lot of light, and it is regarded as a “bright lens (or fast lens).” As a bright lens makes it easier to ensure adequate exposure even at a fast shutter speed and low ISO, a lens with as small an F-number as possible is useful when shooting fast-moving subjects, or when shooting in dark environments such as indoors, at night or when looking at a starry sky.
Another characteristic of lenses with a small F-number is the large and beautiful bokeh they produce thanks to their shallow depth of field. With things like portrait photography, this lets you utilize a large amount of background bokeh to get your subject to stand out. As you can see, a bright lens with a small F-number offers a number of benefits.
Point 6: AF (Autofocus) and VC (Vibration Compensation) Mechanism
AF can be especially effective when shooting fast-moving subjects. In addition to checking whether an AF can smoothly focus in on subjects, you should also check the quietness of its operation for when shooting in quiet environments. For example, many Tamron lenses employ AF technologies that allow high-speed and precise performance, enabling stress-free focusing.
On top of that, if your lenses are equipped with image stabilization like Tamron’s renowned VC mechanism, you’ll be able to prevent camera shake and take sharp images even at slower shutter speeds or when shooting with a telephoto lens.
Learn more about TAMRON Auto Focus technologies
Learn more about TAMRON VC mechanism
Point 7: Bokeh Quality and Resolving Performance
The resolution and rendering performance of camera lenses varies depending on the glass elements, coatings and shapes used. For example, by using special glass elements or appropriately combining aspherical lens elements, you can obtain high resolving performance with minimal aberration or distortion. The lens coating is also an important element to suppress flaring or ghosting.
As these qualities are hard to understand just by looking at specifications or product catalogs, we recommend that you check things like sample images to make sure a lens can produce the expressions you envisage. On Tamron’s lens pages and in our Daily Inspiration Gallery, we post a wide range of sample pictures for each lens type and model, and we strongly recommend referencing that information when choosing a lens.
Conclusion
As you can see, cameras and lenses come in various types. That’s why it is important to check sample pictures of a lens that you’re interested in beforehand to learn if the lens provides the image quality you need and can produce expressions that match what you envisage in terms of bokeh and other qualities. Acquiring the best lens for the images you want to capture could take your photography to the next level.
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