The Nikon Z mount is a revolutionary mount larger than the F mount. There are many significant aspects of investing in a Z mount over the competitor RF or L mount. After many years of waiting for a Nikon mirrorless camera, Nikon finally launched the Z mount mirrorless. There was a 1-inch Nikon 1 mirrorless camera on the market, but that line had been discontinued. Most of the Nikon Z lens is weather-resistant and compact compare to its F mount lens from the DSLR era. I see a bright future in Z mount; maybe Nikon can fit a medium format sensor in the Z mount due to a larger radius than the full-frame sensor requirement.
Nikon FX vs. DX:
If you into photography, you will be aware of FX and DX lenses from DSLRs’ F-mount era. But if you are new to Nikon or switching from Sony E-mount to Nikon Z-mount. Here is a quick rundown of it.
Nikon FX = Full-Frame
Nikon DX = APS-C
Nikon Z mount’s great thing is that you can start with Nikon DX APS-C and later grow to FX Full-Frame. Or you have both Nikon Z FX and DX camera bodies, and can the same lens be used on both cameras similar to Sony E-mount.
Can You Use the FX Lens on DX Camera?
Yes, but you need to multiply by 1.5x due to the crop factor. For example, FX 50mm on DX body become 75mm or 112.5mm in full-frame equivalent.
You can also use the DX lens on an FX mirrorless body but with the crop. If you want to use the DX 35mm F1.8 with FTZ adapter on Nikon 24mp full-frame, it will give you around 10mp image, which is still plenty of resolution. The real magic happens when you use the Nikon Z DX 16-50mm for video on full-frame give a 16mm in full-frame equivalent field of view, which is ultra-wide on budget.
Best FX Compact Lens for Z Mount
14. Nikon Z 24-50mm F4.3-F6.3
The 24-50mm on paper seems a minimal focal range, and you will be right because it’s minimal on the 50mm. But the majority of Nikon photographers using the kits lens shoot images below 50mm. This was one of the reasons why Nikon comes with a cheap Z kit lens for traveling light. The image quality of the Nikon Z 24-50mm is outstanding for a kit lens. But for me, this 24-50mm on FX full-frame is my least favorite due to the small focal length for travel use.
| Format | FX | DX | Length | Weight | WR | Price |
| FX | 24-50mm | 36-75mm | 51mm | 195g | No | $400 |
Best Super Sharp Nikon Z Lens
13. Nikon 24-70mm F4/S
The 24-70mm F4 seems a great lens with its super sharp image quality, then what’s went wrong? Nothing except the weight of 500g, which is a lot for 24-70mm. If it has the focal length of Canon RF 24-105mm, I will have no problem. I Think there better lens available at a similar weight with a more extended reach for your travel purpose. I like the Z 24-70mm for street shooting but not for traveling. Also, the price is a little bit high for whats its offers.
| Format | FX | DX | Length | Weight | WR | Price |
| FX | 24-70mm | 35-105mm | 88.5mm | 500g | Yes | $700 |
Best Nikon Portrait Lens
12. Nikon Z 85mm F1.8/S
If you are into portrait photography, then the Nikon Z 85mm F1.8 will shine on your models and faces. There is something magically about this lens, but an 85mm focal length is not for indoor shooting. If you are outside in Park or want to take random strangers portraits, then it’s for you. For me, the 50mm focal length is the best-suited compare to 85mm. The good thing about the Z 85mm F1.8 is the weather sealing.
| Format | FX | DX | Length | Weight | WR | Price |
| FX | 85mm | 127.5 | 99mm | 470g | Yes | $700 |
Best Nikon Z Wide Lens
11. Nikon Z 24mm F1.8/S
I admire this lens due to my classic 24mm focal length, and I shot over 90% of the images with 24mm. This Nikon Z 24mm F1.8 was a tempting buy for me except for the high price. If you are willing to spend $900 on a Nikon wide lens, I will advise you to look at the Nikon 20mm F1.8 lens. Overall, the 24mm is the right lens with its bright F1.8 aperture.
| Format | FX | DX | Length | Weight | WR | Price |
| FX | 24 | 36mm | 96.5mm | 450g | Yes | $900 |
Best Nikon Bokeh Lens of All Time
10. Nikon Z 50mm F1.2 S
I love the 50mm over the 85mm for people’s photography, as I told you above. If you have the money, you can’t find anything better than the 50mm F1.2 in the Z mount lens collection. But remember it cost a whopping $2000. Sorry, I can’t carry such an expensive lens for traveling with me. If you are running a photography business, you know this is the lens for you. The major downside of the Nikon 50mm F1.2 is weight aside from the price. I can’t carry a 1kg lens on me if I’m gallivanting around the world.
| Format | FX | DX | Length | Weight | WR | Price |
| DX | 50mm | 75mm | 150mm | 1090g | Yes | $2000 |
Best Nikon Safari Lens for Z Mount
9. Nikon Z 70-200mm F2.8 VR S
The classic 70-200mm focal range is mostly used for portraits and Safari trips. There is a vast debate between Nikon wildlife photographers about 70-200mm; is it sufficient for the big five safari animals? Most of the time, while shooting from the Safari vehicle will be station close enough for you to get the animals shots. The Nikon Z 70-200mm produced unique rounder bokeh balls, but the high price is a bit let down for me. The weight of around 1.3kg won’t be a problem for Safari photographers coming from legacy Nikon DSLRs.
| Format | FX | DX | Length | Weight | WR | Price |
| FX | 70-200mm | 112.5-300mm | 220mm | 1360g | Yes | $2600 |
Nikon Best Astrophotography Lens
8. Nikon 20mm F1.8/S
If you are looking for the best ultra-wide-angle prime, you can’t go wrong with Nikon Z 20mm F1.8 lens. You can do your night travel photography with a fully open aperture at F1.8. The 20mm F1.8 doesn’t have any downside, but the bulkiness can be a problem for Nikon travel photographers. I avoid recommending a $1000 Nikon travel lens, but still, it must be on your wish list.
| Format | FX | DX | Length | Weight | WR | Price |
| FX | 20mm | 30mm | 108.5mm | 505g | Yes | $950 |
Best Nikon Pancake Lens
7. Nikon Z DX 16-50mm F3.5-6.3mm VR
The Nikon Z50 is the best travel camera, but it’s most underrated due to self-claimed tech YouTubers bashing the Z50. Nor do they understand what a fantastic Z50 travel camera is, yet need to buy the Kit Z 16-50mm lens at all cost. I love the pancake design of 16-50mm, and it produces very vivid JPEG images straight out of the camera. The only downside is the lack of weather sealing, whereas the Z50 has it.
| Format | FX | DX | Length | Weight | WR | Price |
| DX | 24-75mm | 16-50mm | 32mm | 135g | No | $300 |
Best Z-mount FX Vlogging Lens
6. Nikon Z 14-30MM F4 S
If you are looking for a Nikon travel vlogging lens for the Full Frame, you can’t find a better lens than the Nikon Z 14-30mm F4 S. The good thing about any FX lens is that you can mount it on any DX APS-C body. However, it will give you the 21-45mm focal length. Consequently, there is no VR on the Z 14-30mm, therefore forget to use it for video on DX body cameras such as Z50.
| Format | FX | DX | Length | Weight | WR | Price |
| FX | 14-30mm | 21-45mm | 85mm | 455g | Yes | $1000 |
Best Nikon Z-mount Environmental Portrait Lens
5. Nikon Z 35mm F1.8 S
Since the dawn of travel photography, 35mm is the best focal length for it. At 35mm Full Frame, it’s the same distance from you to the object as it’s from the viewfinder. But at the same time, 35mm can be a very limiting focal length for travel photography unless you only shoot outside. Overall, Nikon Z 35mm F1.8 is an excellent lens since it is sharp to corner. Therefore you can use it for travel landscape photography at F1.8 aperture.
| Format | FX | DX | Length | Weight | WR | Price |
| FX | 35mm | 52.5 | 86mm | 370 | Yes | $600 |
Best Z-mount Portrait Lens
4. Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 S
The only Z lens in every travel photographer’s bag must be a 50mm F1.8 lens. Even if you are not into travel portraits or interested in capturing strangers’ photos on the street. But it would be best if you still had 50mm F1.8. The Nikon Z 50mm F1.8 is the most affordable prime lens in the Z mount lens collection, and it can produce an incredibly shallow depth of field for your travel footage or food photography. Nevertheless, I enjoyed using the Z 50 F1.8 lens.
| Format | FX | DX | Length | Weight | WR | Price |
| FX | 50mm | 75mm | 86.5mm | 415g | Yes | $500 |
Best Nikon Zoom Lens
3. Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S
If money was not an object for you nor carrying weight is a problem for you. Therefore, Nikon Z 24-70mm must-go-to lens for indoor travel photography to outdoor shoots. The price is very high for me at $2000 because I can’t afford to lose such a wide lens on my travel expedition worldwide. Also, the 805g weight is too much for me to carry around my neck. Consequently, the best lens in the world I don’t use for my travel photography.
| Format | FX | DX | Length | Weight | WR | Price |
| FX | 24-70mm | 36-105mm | 126mm | 805g | Yes | $2000 |
Best Nikon All-in-One Lens
2.Nikon 24-200mm F4-6.3 VR
Ultimately we are with the best Nikon travel lens; nevertheless, it’s also the best Nikon All-in-One lens. Let’s welcome the unique lightweight Nikon 24-200mm, which weighs only 570g. The 24-200mm is a Full Frame lens, so the weight under 600g is an engineering marvel. Some travel photographers will argue on the F4 to F6.3 aperture; remember this is full-frame, and still, you will get incredible shallow depth of field. If you need one lens for your Nikon Z FX camera, you can’t find better than Nikon 24-200mm
| Format | FX | DX | Length | Weight | WR | Price |
| FX | 24-200mm | 36-300mm | 114mm | 570mm | Yes | $900 |
Best Nikon Telephoto Lens of All-Time
1. Nikon Z DX 50-250mm F4.5-6.3 VR
The lens sent shockwaves to wildlife photography, yet it’s a super cheap lens. The Nikon Z 50-250mm is a DX APS-C lens, and it also comes bundled with the Nikon Z50 kit for an extra $200. The 75-375mm (Full Frame) focal length is best suited for wildlife and Safari images. The 50-250mm produce the sharpest images globally, yet it’s an APS-C lens and cost fraction of similar focal length in Full Frame equivalent. This is a must-buy lens for any Nikon DX travel photographer with its Z mount mirrorless cameras.
| Format | FX | DX | Length | Weight | WR | Price |
| DX | 75-375mm | 50-250mm | 110mm | 405g | No | $350 |
