- Nikon announces two new Z-mount lenses for its APS-C cameras
- These are two firsts for the “DX” range: an f/2.8 zoom and a macro lens
- Both optics are designed for video and photography
Nikon has just announced its two latest 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 a frequent user of Nikon’s entry-level models with an APS-C sensor, like the recent Z50 II.
It’s about time, really: the lion’s share of Nikon lens announcements over the past two 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” lenses for the F-mount, but mirrorless equivalents proved slow to appear. It’s a shame too, because DX doesn’t necessarily mean second best. Fortunately, Nikon has delivered two superb mirrorless lenses for this format.
The smaller image circle allows for smaller lens designs and lower weight, but this does not result in lower image quality. In fact, the Nikon Z DX 24mm f/1.7 even makes our list of Best Nikon Z Lenses 2025.
The advantage of the DX format is that it allows the incorporation of wider maximum aperture settings and more complex optical designs at a fraction of the weight of a comparable full-frame lens (“FX” in Nikon terminology).
Thanks to the crop factor of the 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 is for all of the above reasons that Nikon users will welcome the announcement of the addition of two lenses to the range. The Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/2.8 VR is a first by being the first f/2.8 zoom lens in the DX range. This range offers a 24-75mm equivalent focal range in full-frame terms, placing it firmly in professional standard zoom territory. After all, the 24-70mm f/2.8 is considered an essential professional lens that finds a place in the camera bags of many working photographers, from landscape photographers to travel specialists and portrait experts.
One of the problems with 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 setting on a larger sensor model. This is a matter of inescapable physics rather than 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 their subject to help blur the background, for a more premium look.
The lens also features a useful optical vibration reduction (VR) system, which Nikon claims can reduce camera shake by up to five stops. Combined with the bright constant f/2.8 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 first DX format macro lens in the Z system. Unlike other lenses, which claim to offer a “macro mode”, this lens is a true close-up tool, offering life-size magnification. Well, technically the lens itself only reproduces the subject at 0.67x, but once you factor in that 1.5x crop factor, you get a view equivalent to that of a 1:1 life-size lens on a full-frame camera like the Nikon Zf Or Nikon Z5II.
The 35mm f/1.7 (53mm equivalent) can focus down to 0.16m, which might prove impractical when shooting finicky subjects like insects, but again it will achieve a very shallow depth of field when shooting wide aperture at f/1.7. We hope that sharpness and distortion should be taken into account with the aspherical ED glass element.
Both lenses are ultra-light. The 16-50mm weighs just 330g, and the 35mm macro weighs around 220g, feather-like. According to Nikon, they’re also designed to be video compatible, with fast, quiet autofocus and controlled focus breathing. I’ll be interested in testing its effectiveness once I get my hands on some review samples.
With both models likely useful for everyday shooting, as well as more specialist features, they should appeal to beginners and enthusiasts alike, who should take more reassurance that Nikon intends to invest in developing this part of its product range.
“Our customers were asking for more DX Z lenses and we listened,” 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 benefit from 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 set you back $449.95 / £399 (Australian pricing TBC).
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