- Nikon announces two new Z-mount lenses for its APS-C cameras
- These are both firsts for the ‘DX’ series – an f/2.8 zoom and a macro lens
- Both optics are designed for video and still 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 good news if you’re an avid user of Nikon’s entry-level models with an APS-C sensor, such as the newer Z50 II.
It really is about time – the majority of Nikon’s lens announcements over the last few years have been for full frame, leaving APS-C users largely out in the cold.
Back in the DSLR days 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 provided two great-looking mirrorless lenses for the format.
The smaller image circle enables diminutive lens designs and lower weight, but it does not result in lower image quality. In fact, the Nikon Z DX 24mm f/1.7 even made it onto our list Best Nikon Z Lenses 2025.
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 lens (‘FX’ in Nikon terminology).
Thanks to the crop factor of the smaller APS-C sensors in DX cameras such as Nikon Z50 IIis it possible to achieve a longer effective focal length (EFL) with a much shorter physical focal length design, as is the case with the new macro and f/2.8 zoom lenses.
Two new DX players enter the scene
It is for all the above reasons that Nikon users will welcome the news that two lenses have been added to the lineup. The Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/2.8 VR is the first to be the first f/2.8 zoom lens in the DX range. This series offers an equivalent focal length range of 24-75mm in full-frame terms, placing it firmly within the realm of a professional standard zoom. After all, the 24-70mm f/2.8 is considered an essential pro lens, finding a place in the camera bags of many working photographers, from landscape shooters to travel specialists and portrait experts.
One concern with using an APS-C camera for portraits is that depth of field is automatically extended at a given focal length compared to the same setting on a larger sensor model. It is an inevitable matter of physics rather than something that the manufacturer can control. However, the Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/2.8 VR has a trick up its sleeve in the form of a very close minimum focus distance of just 0.15m at 16mm and just 0.25m at the 50mm end. This means the user can move up close to the subject to help push the background out of focus for a more advanced look.
The lens also has a useful Optical Vibration Reduction (VR) system, which Nikon says 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.
Meanwhile, the Nikkor Z DX MC 35mm f/1.7 macro is the Z system’s debut DX-format macro optic. Unlike some other lenses that claim to offer a ‘macro mode’, this lens is a true close-up offering life-size magnification. Technically, the lens itself only reproduces the subject at 0.67x, but when you factor in the 1.5x crop factor, you get the equivalent view of a life-size 1:1 lens on a full-frame camera such as Nikon Z f or Nikon Z 5II.
The 35mm f/1.7 (equivalent to 53mm) can focus all the way down to 0.16m, which can actually prove impractical when shooting quirky subjects like insects, but once again, it will provide super-shallow depth of field when shooting wide open at f/1.7. Sharpness and distortion should hopefully be taken care of with the aspherical ED glass element.
Both lenses are ultralight. The 16-50mm weighs just 330g, and the 35mm macro is a feather-like 220g, approx. They’re also designed to be video-friendly, according to Nikon, with fast and quiet autofocus and controlled focus breathing. I’ll be interested in testing how effective this is when I get my hands on review samples.
With both models likely to be useful for everyday shooting, as well as more specialist features, they should appeal to beginners and enthusiasts alike, who should be more confident that Nikon intends to invest in developing this end of their product range.
“Our customers have been asking for more DX Z lenses and we’ve 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 are given two great options to take the next step in their creative journey.”
Both lenses will be available from 30 October 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 price TBC).
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