Power Zoom (PZ) lenses are growing in popularity these days, and for good reason! Both video creators and photographers alike can now appreciate these types of lenses. Today in this Nikon Z 12-28mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ VR Review, I’m going to show you exactly why you should probably make this your next Nikkor purchase!
Of course, it does depend on your subject matter, and your creative style. Spoiler alert, however: a wide-angle zoom is an incredible tool that many creative folks can use, for photo and video imagery alike.
There are a few key strengths, and a few drawbacks as well. Simply put, I’m thrilled with the excellent image quality; the Nikon 12-28mm definitely offers professional results. Having said that, as its nomenclature makes clear, this is a variable aperture lens, and with its APSC crop, the 12mm wide end is equivalent to a relatively modest 18mm full-frame equivalent. Honestly? At under $300, (currently with a small instant savings) …I can’t complain, and I highly recommend this lens. But, don’t take my word for it; read on, check out the imagery, and see for yourself!
Nikon Nikkor Z DX 12-28mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ VR | Specifications
- FOCAL LENGTH & ANGLE OF VIEW: 12-18mm, APSC DX crop, 18-42mm full-frame equivalent. (99° to 53°)
- LENS MOUNT(S): Nikon Z-mount, DX (1.5x) crop factor
- APERTURE & RANGE: f/3.5-5.6 maximum aperture, f/16-25 smallest aperture
- STABILIZATION: Yes, optical VR (Vibration Reduction) 4.5 stops effective stabilization
- AUTOFOCUS: Yes, silent stepper motor
- MANUAL FOCUS: Yes, electronically controlled
- OPTICAL CONSTRUCTION:
- MECHANICAL BUILD: Plastic & metal, electronic zoom control, internal focus & zoom movements
- MAGNIFICATION & FOCUS DISTANCE: 0.21x, 7.5″ (19 cm) close-up distance
- FILTER THREADS & HOOD: 67mm filter threads, no hood included
- SIZE: 2.8 x 2.5″ (72 x 63.5 mm)
- WEIGHT: 7.2 oz (205 g)
- PRICE: $296.95 (Instant savings $60)
(B&H | Adorama | Amazon)
Nikon Z 12-28mm PZ VR Review | Who Should Buy It?
I’ll get right to the point for you: the Nikon Nikkor Z DX 12-28mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ VR is a great little lens. It’s not an exotic, professional optic, obviously. However, the results are stunning, and the package is an excellent value for the money.
So, who should buy it? First and foremost, it’s a no-brainer for any beginner content creator who likes the idea of having a sweeping wide-angle view. Whether you do photo or video, whether your subject is yourself, other people, events, landscapes, or nature, …you could really use a wide-angle zoom.
Having said that, this is definitely an ultimate vlogging lens. The zoom range is perfect, and provides an ample wide angle even if you’re using one of the slightly cropped video formats on the Nikon Z30 or Nikon Z50 ii. The optical stabilization is very impressive, so if you want, you don’t have to use the electronic stabilization on the Nikon Z30, which means you get the full width of that sensor at your disposal for excellent, crisp video quality. (Or, if you do use digital stabilization for whatever reason, the 12mm focal length still allows for a “plenty wide” angle despite the 1.23X crop factor.
One of the biggest benefits of this lens is its compactness, combined with the electronic control of the zoom. This makes it a great choice for any video creators who are going to be using a gimbal such as the Hohem iSteady MT2, or a selfie grip such as the SmallRig grip for the Nikon ML-L7 wireless remote.
The DX 12-28mm PZ VR is also an awesome travel, adventure, & landscape or cityscape lens for your Nikon Z50 II, too. In my experience, the f/3.5 aperture at the wide end is just barely enough to get stunning quality nightscapes, thanks to Nikon’s incredible DX sensor. (Which is currently found in each of Nikon’s DX Z-mount cameras, including the one I haven’t mentioned yet, the retro style Nikon Z fc.)
I’ll also emphasize that this makes a great choice for things like real estate, architecture, and cityscapes, of course. Here’s the thing, though: for things like real estate interiors, and nightscapes, I do wish it was just a bit wider. I would have loved to see this as a 11-24mm lens, or even a 10-20mm. It would have still been a perfect vlogging lens, and it would have been immensely more versatile for those other subjects, too.
For now, this wide-angle zoom range doesn’t have much competition on Nikon’s (native) Z-mount, so it’s easy to recommend this lens, despite its shortcomings. It’s incredibly affordable; less than half the price of any third-party ultra-wide that I might like to one day see arrive on the DX Z-mount.
Nikon Z 12-28mm PZ VR Review | Pros & Cons
I was very skeptical about testing this lens too rigorously, mainly because of its tiny size and tiny price. Well, let’s just say that considering the performance, I’m surprised Nikon didn’t charge $500+ for the DX 12-28mm! It is an excellent performer.
Nikon Z 12-28mm PZ VR | Image Quality
One thing I had to keep in mind is that Nikon’s DX cameras currently all have 20-megapixel sensors. This doesn’t place too high of demands on an optic, especially considering that competitors in the APSC market are hitting 30 and 40 megapixels. (Honestly, though, that’s total overkill for most photographers & videographers, and I’ve loved Nikon’s various iterations of its 20 megapixel sensor since the days of the D500.)
Sharpness
The Nikkor glass in the 12-28mm f/3.5-5.6 is doing an incredible job of easily out-resolving Nikon’s DX sensor. In other words, I think that if/when Nikon ever bumps up their DX sensors to 24, 30, or more megapixels, this lens will have absolutely no problem resolving such dense pixels.
Even with the aperture wide open, and even in the corners of the images, the results are very impressive. Not just for a beginner-oriented “kit” zoom with a variable aperture, but even for the standards of a serious landscape or nightscape photographer. I was thoroughly impressed by both the wide-open and stopped-down sharpness.
Bokeh, Colors & Contrast
If you get really close-up with some of your subjects, you’ll enjoy nice, smooth background blur. However, as a 12-28mm lens with a relatively small aperture range, don’t expect much discernible background blur at all when working at normal distances. That’s just the nature of being “stuck” at f/5.6 at the long end of your zoom range. (This is the full-frame equivalent to 42mm and an f/8 aperture, basically)
The images in general are gorgeous, and all the dramatic, beautiful views you may see on your travels, vacations, and everything else will be rendered with vibrant colors, crystal-clear contrast, etc.
Sunstars & Flare
These more subtle nuances of image quality also deliver as expected. That is, the sunstars are quite decent when you stop down the aperture to f/8 or tighter, and flare dots are virtually nonexistent except maybe a little bit in extreme backlighting conditions.
On some rare occasions, if you literally let full sun shine directly into the image frame, you might catch a glimpse of the RGB sensor pattern, but that’s a relatively dramatic example of what you generally shouldn’t do with your camera anyways.
Vignetting & Distortion
Now it’s time for me to say the same thing about almost every mirrorless lens, especially the wide-angle lenses: This lens’ correction profile is undoubtedly hiding quite a bit of distortion and vignetting that you probably don’t want to see. For most folks, this is totally fine.
However, here is where things get VERY interesting: This particular Nikkor, for reasons unknown, has completely “baked in” the correction profile. Toggling the profile button on and off in Adobe Lightroom does nothing, and the “Built-in Lens Profile applied” notice lingers. In other words, this means Nikon has no desire to let you see “under the hood” of this lens’ optics!
Why should you care? Well, usually, the lens profile can cause horrible banding patterns if you’re applying excessive editing to extremely high-ISO images. In the case of this lens, there is no such problem.
Even if I crank the Texture, Clarity, and Dehaze sliders all the way to +100, this lens exhibits ZERO banding patterns, and that is very impressive. Honestly? I hope that whatever Nikon decided to do with this lens, they do it with more lenses. I understand that some pros may not want this “baked in” system with the most exotic lenses. But, maybe, for all DX lenses in the future?
Color Fringing, Aberration, Coma & Astigmatism
Surprisingly, yes, the Nikon Z DX 12-28mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ VR makes a decent nightscape photography lens. I would obviously rather have an f/2.8 zoom at the very least, or preferably something like an f/1.8 DX prime in the 10-12mm range.
Having said that, things like aberrations, coma, & astigmatism aren’t that bad. (The image corners are more likely to be plagued by noise due to the ISO limitations of the camera sensor, and the vignetting correction that is being applied.)
Nikon Z 12-28mm PZ VR | Design & Durability
Nikon engineers did an impressive job making this lens. As I’ve said before, the size is very impressive, considering the zoom range and the image quality. Overall, the design is minimal yet sturdy. I did not feel hesitant to take the lens out in dusty or rainy weather, although I would have liked to have a lens hood included!
Ergonomics & Portability
Obviously, portability is one thing that I can’t talk about enough. Just to give you an idea, (Although this is totally apples to oranges) …the Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S weighs 1.4 lbs, while this little thing weighs just 7 oz; less than half a pound. I only mentioned that for dramatic effect; it’s more fair to compare this lens against, say, the Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4, (1.07 lbs) or the Nikon Z 17-28mm f/2.8 (~1 lb).
Autofocus Performance
Nikon’s stepper motor technology is excellent, and especially on the Nikon Z50 ii which has Nikon’s latest AF system that includes subject detection and 3-D tracking, I had zero complaints about this lens’ autofocus performance.
Features & Customizations
As I hinted, this is a relatively bare-bones lens; no AF/MF switch, no custom function button; just a zoom ring and a focus / control ring.
I do appreciate that Nikon’s “command ring” can be programmed to do other things, however. Unlike Sony lenses’ aperture ring, which is just an aperture ring, you can program the Nikkor’s ring to do other things such as ISO control or EV compensation. This makes for a very easy way for a vlogger to bump their exposure up or down with just a bump from one finger.
Value
Currently priced under $300, this lens is well into “cheap” kit lens territory. Honestly, though, don’t let the price fool you. Nikon delivered a real gem with the 12-28mm DX. I do want to complain about the fact that a hood is not included, though.
Nikon Z 12-28mm PZ VR Review | Compared To The Competition
There isn’t really any direct competition that is native to the Z mount. If you want a Z DX lens that goes this wide, this Nikkor is your only option.
However, just for fun, we could consider some other competitors, since I think you will find it interesting. (Translation: this Nikon 12-28mm is quite attractive!)
For example, Sony makes a 10-20mm f/4 PZ, and it is similarly tiny, plus it goes significantly wider. However, it costs nearly $1000! It’s a “G” lens, though, with nifty features like a wide/tele zooming lever, an AF/MF switch, and a custom function button.
Or, how about Canon’s RF-S system? Their 10-18mm lens costs only $330, has stabilization, and also goes to 10mm. Not a bad deal, but I haven’t reviewed that particular lens yet so I can’t speak to its results.
Honestly, what I’m more interested in is, if/when Tamron, Sigma, and other third parties may be allowed to make a Z-mount DX lens. Sigma has already made their 16mm f/1.4 lens for Nikon Z DX cameras; it’s about $500. Unfortunately, the excellent Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 is not yet on the Nikon Z mount, (a ~$600 lens) …nor is the Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 (a ~$660 lens).
As you can see, there isn’t really a better way to go about this. Nikon really hit the sweet spot in terms of value and performance. So, although this is basically the only option unless you’re interested in using the FTZ adapter and a DX DSLR lens, …this is your best (and only) choice.
Nikon Z 12-28mm PZ VR Review | Conclusion
All in all, I’m really happy with what Nikon did with the DX 12-28mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ VR. It’s not perfect, but it’s excellent. It’s incredibly portable, and yet delivers professional results in most conditions.
If you’re a content creator who does any amount of vlogging, selfies in general, or just adventurous travel photo/video, you must own this lens. It pairs beautifully with a Nikon Z30 for those who do nothing but vlogging, and it also goes great on the Nikon Z50 ii, or a Z fc.
Personally, as someone who does a ton of nightscape photography, as well as portrait photography for work, I honestly would have liked to see the focal length be just a touch wider. An 11-24mm, or 10-20mm focal range would have been great. However, having the 28mm long end does make this a much more versatile B-roll lens, and I appreciate that.
Similarly, I wish it had an f/2.8 aperture, at least at the wide end. We know from at least a couple other lenses that it shouldn’t necessarily blow out the weight scales to do so, although it likely would have put the lens in a $400 or $500 price range.
So, such as it is, I highly recommend the Nikon Z 12-28mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ VR. It’s well worth the investment for many different types of content creators.
Check Pricing & Availability
The Nikon Nikkor Z DX 12-28mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ VR is available currently for $296, which does involve a $60 instant savings.
