Nikon’s Z-Series of mirrorless cameras are fantastic, fully capable tools for landscape photographers. They offer high-resolution imaging, are relatively compact and very ergonomic, have excellent video modes, and come in either Full Frame or APS-C formats.
You can find a camera suitable for entry-level, intermediate, prosumer, and fully professional photography, too. And to go with your camera is a fine selection of Nikon Z-Mount lenses. Options include wide-angle, telephoto, various zooms, super sharp primes, and ultra-fast lenses.
So, what Nikon landscape lens options are available?
This guide examines three different lenses, each one being a great choice as a landscape lens for Nikon Z-Series cameras. The examples discussed are from MPB, my favorite online platform for fantastic deals on the latest Nikon landscape lenses and also older equipment, including camera bodies, other lenses, and accessories.
After looking at the choices for Nikon landscape lenses, I’ll highlight why I love shopping for cameras, lenses, and other equipment MPB - and why you should too!
Table of Contents:
- Wanted Features of a Nikon Landscape Lens
- A Good Nikon Landscape Lens - 40mm f/2
- A Better Nikon Landscape Lens - 24-70mm f/4
- The Best Nikon Landscape Lens - 14-30mm f/4
- Other Nikon Landscape Lens Options
- Why I love MPB
Wanted Features of a Nikon Landscape Lens
What features should a landscape lens for Nikon Z-Series cameras have?
While we can use any focal length ranges, including normal and telephoto, for landscape photography, I tend to gravitate towards wide-angle lenses. Also, I have used both single focal length prime lenses and zooms with good results, so I find that modern zoom lenses are often quite versatile while having exceptional sharpness.
Optical quality is more involved than image sharpness, though I require all of my landscape lenses to be sharp. Superb image contrast and color fidelity are also necessary for a lens to be truly exceptional. The lack of internal flare, solid construction, and silent focus motors round out my wanted features.
Other lens features that are nice to have in a landscape lens for Nikon cameras are fast apertures, close focusing, round apertures, and image stabilization. Round apertures are a function of having enough aperture blades to make a hole closer to a circle as opposed to a geometric shape like a rhombus.
Image stabilization is an interesting subject with mirrorless cameras since many newer cameras have in-body image stabilization (IBIS) and don’t need the lenses to have it. And if you’ve set up your camera on a tripod or other camera mount, you don’t even need to have stabilization turned on.
Reducing or eliminating internal flare is a function of multi-coated lens elements and proper use of included or built-in lens hoods. Faster apertures are nice, but a moderately fast lens of f/2.8 or f/4.0 is a great choice, too. Silent focus motors are nice when including any wildlife in our landscape photography.
Those are my wants and needs for a great Nikon landscape lens. Being well made and sharp are top priorities, but you never really have to worry about that with any Nikon or Nikkor brand landscape lens for Nikon cameras.
Learn More:
40mm f/2 Nikon Landscape Lens - Good
All of the lenses I’m showcasing are top quality. There is nothing subpar in any of them - the quality or feature-wise. I’m listing them as good, better, and best in relation to how I shoot most of my landscape photography images. Your experience may differ, but you’ll get a superb imaging tool any way you cut it.
A very compact lens for the Nikon Z-Series Full Frame cameras and a very good Nikon landscape lens is the Nikon Nikkor Z 40mm f/2.0 S normal range single focal length prime lens. A little wider than the Nifty Fifty focal length, 40mm is actually closer to the diagonal of the Full Frame image area, or 43mm.
This lens is an awesome landscape lens for Nikon Z-Series cameras for several reasons. It is nicely compact, matching up well with the compact and lightweight form factor of cameras such as the Nikon Z6 II and Nikon Z5. It will have a 1.5X crop factor of 60mm on any of the APS-C format cameras.
In Full Frame format, this focal length is a good all-around lens for any outdoor photography since it has that slightly wide field of view and it has a pretty fast maximum aperture of f/2.0. If compactness and a faster aperture are most important for your needs, this lens will fill them.
24-70mm f/4 Nikon Landscape Lens - Better
My better choice option for a Nikon landscape lens is the all-around Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4.0 S wide to short telephoto zoom lens. This lens covers the most used focal lengths for many photographers and also includes close focusing as near as just under 1 foot or 0.33 meters.
Outstanding sharpness and contrast are maintained by the Nano crystal multi-coating, ED glass element, and three aspheric elements in the 14 elements in 11 groups. A stepping motor provides silent and quick focus for still photography and video recording.
The maximum aperture of f/4.0 is constant throughout the zoom range, and the lens is nicely compact and lightweight for a lens that covers a wide angle of 84 degrees through normal and short telephoto.
There is a faster f/2.8 version of this focal length range, but it’s almost twice the weight and over twice the price, making this f/4.0 lens worthy of the Better label for Nikon landscape lenses.
14-30mm f/4 Nikon Landscape Lens - Best
As my best option for a Nikon landscape lens for the Full Frame Nikon Z-Series mirrorless cameras, I chose the Nikon Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4.0 S ultra-wide to wide zoom lens.
The widest field of view on this lens covers 114 degrees which is an awesome capability for many landscape photographs. This lens is also wonderful for real estate photography, architectural photography, astrophotography, interior images, or large groups of people or products.
Though a little heavy, this lens balances nicely on cameras such as the Nikon Z7 II and Z9 full-fledged professional cameras. It’s half the weight and half the price of the equivalent focal length f/2.8 version.
It has four ED lens elements providing exceptional sharpness and contrast, and it has a front filter mount of 82mm for adding filters and filter kits, making this lens an easy choice for me as the best Nikon landscape lens.
Other Nikon Landscape Lens Options
Some other great options for a Nikon landscape lens include:
- Nikon Nikkor Z 24-50mm f/4.0-6.3 - ultra-compact wide to normal focal length.
- Nikon Nikkor Z 28mm f/2.8 - compact and fast prime wide angle.
- Nikon Nikkor Z MC 50mm f/2.8 Micro - flat field ultra close focusing normal focal length.
- Nikon Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4.0-6.3 VR - an all-in-one zoom lens for everything.
Why I love MPB
MPB is a trustworthy and reliable online platform selling all sorts of used photo and video gear at amazing prices. Buying big-ticket items such as cameras and lenses as pre-owned gear can save you a lot of money for your photography gear budget.
All of MPB’s cameras, lenses, and other equipment are meticulously hand-inspected by highly-trained product specialists and backed by a six-month warranty and seven-day return/exchange window. This allows you to make your purchases confidently and worry-free.
I have bought, sold, and traded countless pieces of photography gear throughout the years using MPB’s easy-to-use online platform, and I have never been disappointed by the results. You can trust MPB for your next purchase of a Nikon landscape lens, just as I have many times before!