- Nikon announces two new Z-mount lenses for its APS-C cameras
- These are firsts in the ‘DX’ range: an f/2.8 zoom and a macro lens.
- Both optics are designed for video and still photography.
Nikon just announced its latest two Z-mount lenses, the Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/2.8 VR wide-angle zoom and the Nikkor Z DX MC 35mm f/1.7 macro lens, which is great news if you’re an avid user of Nikon’s entry-level models with an APS-C sensor, like the recent Z50 II.
Actually, it’s about time: most of Nikon’s lens announcements in recent years have been for full frame, largely leaving APS-C users out in the cold.
In the days of DSLRs, there were a significant number of ‘DX’ optics for the F-mount, but mirrorless equivalents have proven slow to appear. It’s a shame too, because DX doesn’t necessarily mean second best. Fortunately, Nikon has delivered two great-looking mirrorless lenses for this format.
The smaller image circle allows for tiny lens designs and lower weight, but does not result in lower image quality. In fact, the Nikon Z DX 24mm f/1.7 even made our list of The best Nikon Z 2025 lenses.
The great aspect of the DX format is that wider maximum aperture settings and more complex optical designs can be incorporated at a fraction of the weight of a comparable full-frame (“FX” in Nikon terminology) lens.
Thanks to the crop factor of smaller APS-C sensors in DX cameras like the Nikon Z50IIIt is possible to achieve a longer effective focal length (EFL) with a much shorter physical focal length design, as is the case with the new f/2.8 macro and zoom lenses.
Two new DX players enter the scene
It’s for all of the above reasons that Nikon users will welcome the news that two lenses have been added to the line-up. The Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/2.8 VR is the first to be the inaugural f/2.8 zoom lens in the DX range. This range offers a 24-75mm equivalent focal range in full-frame terms, putting it firmly in the territory of a professional standard zoom. After all, the 24-70mm f/2.8 is considered an essential professional lens that finds a place in the bags of many working photographers, from landscape photographers to travel specialists and portrait experts.
One concern when using an APS-C camera for portraits is that the depth of field is automatically extended at any given focal length, compared to the same setup on a larger sensor model. It is an unavoidable physical issue and not something the manufacturer can control. However, the Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/2.8 VR has a trick up its sleeve: a very close minimum focusing distance of just 0.15m at 16mm and just 0.25m at the 50mm end. This means the user can get very close to the subject to help blur the background for a more sophisticated look.
The lens also features a useful optical vibration reduction (VR) system, which Nikon says can reduce camera shake by up to five stops. Combined with the bright f/2.8 constant aperture, this should make the new 16-50mm ideal for low-light photography, such as in the dim light of a church wedding, for example.
Meanwhile, the Nikkor Z DX MC 35mm f/1.7 macro is the Z system’s first DX-format macro optic. Unlike other lenses, which claim to offer a “macro mode,” this lens offers true close-up performance and provides life-size magnification. Well, technically the lens itself only renders the subject at 0.67x, but once you take that 1.5x crop factor into account, you get a view equivalent to a 1:1 life-size lens on a full-frame camera like the Nikon Zf either Nikon Z5II.
The 35mm f/1.7 (53mm equivalent) can focus down to 0.16m, which might actually be impractical when photographing skittish subjects like insects, but again will result in a very shallow depth of field when shooting wide open at f/1.7. Sharpening and distortion will hopefully be addressed with the aspherical ED glass element.
Both lenses are ultralight. The 16-50mm weighs only 330g and the 35mm macro weighs approximately 220g, like a feather. They’re also designed to be video compatible, according to Nikon, with fast, quiet autofocus and controlled focus breathing. I’ll be interested to test how effective this is once I get my hands on review samples.
Given that both models are likely to be useful for everyday photography as well as more specialized functions, they should appeal to beginners and enthusiasts, who should be more confident that Nikon intends to invest in developing this end of its product range.
“Our customers have been asking for more DX Z lenses and we have been listening,” says Dirk Jasper, Product Manager at Nikon Europe. “With the introduction of a high-performance f/2.8 zoom lens and a fast macro lens, DX camera owners have two great opportunities to take the next step in their creative journey.”
Both lenses will be available from October 30, 2025. The Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/2.8 VR will cost $899.95 / £779, and the Nikkor Z DX MC 35mm f/1.7 will cost $449.95 / £399 (Australian price TBC).
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