Nikon unveiled its first full-frame mirrorless camera system just a few months ago, launching with three autofocus lenses—a 24-70mm zoom and 35mm and 50mm prime options. Early adopters are left to fill the gaps with adapted SLR lenses.
That's not always a bad thing—with the FTZ Adapter, you get the same level of performance with F-mount lenses on the Z 7 as you do with the D850 SLR.
But one of the advantages of a mirrorless system is the ability to create smaller ultra-wide angle lenses. Because there's no mirror assembly, the rear element can sit very close to the image sensor. The advantages are palpable, as we've seen with lenses like Sony's 12-24mm, which weighs half as much as Sigma's chunky
Nikon's first wide zoom for the Z doesn't capture quite as epic of a view as a 12-24mm, but the Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S is still plenty wide. It extends just 3.5 inches from the camera body and weighs about 1.1 pounds—compared with 1.2 pounds for the Sony 12-24mm or 2.5 pounds for the Sigma 12-24mm.
The lens maintains an f/4 design throughout its zoom range, and while it doesn't offer its own optical stabilization system, it benefits from the in-body stabilization included in the Z 6 and Z 7 camera bodies. The system is rated for five stops of compensation when paired with the 14-30mm.
While we haven't had a chance to test the lens yet—the images included in this story were provided by Nikon—the company promises the lens will deliver exceptional image quality. Its design incorporates four Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) elements and four aspherical elements. Nikon promises that it controls both distortion and chromatic aberration effectively. The Z system does apply in-camera corrections to compensate for both, so it's not clear how much of this is the lens itself. We'll take a close look at it when we test the lens.
The front element is flat, which means you can use lens filters without having to attach an external mounting system. The 14-30mm has an 82mm thread. This is big news for photographers who love to shoot wide, but don't want to deal with bulky and expensive square filters.
As with the other Z lenses, it features a customizable control ring and is protected against dust and moisture. The exposed front element features fluorine coating to repel grease and moisture, and Nikon's Nano Crystal Coat is also applied to reduce internal reflections and flare. Finally, the autofocus is driven by a quiet STM motor, a big plus for video use.
Speaking of video, the company's other CES announcement is the Z 6 Filmmaker's Kit. It includes the 24MP full-frame Z 6, the 24-70mm zoom lens, the Mount Adapter FTZ, an Atomos Ninja V field recorder, the Rode VidoeMic Pro+, the Moza Air 2 gimbal, an extra EN-EL15b battery, a coiled HDMI cable, a year membership to the Vimeo Pro service, and access to The Art of Making Music Videos, an online course hosted by Nikon Ambassador Chris Hershman. It hits store shelves at the end of this month and is priced at $3,999.95.
The Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S is priced at $1,299.95 and will ship in this spring. If you're waiting for more lenses for the Z system, be patient. Nikon outlined its plans for 2019 at the time of the camera's launch, and we expect to see a 20mm f/1.8, 58mm f/0.95, a 85mm f/1.8, a 24-70mm f/2.8, and a 70-200mm f/2.8 later this year. In 2020, you can expect a 50mm f/1.2, a 24mm f/1.8, and a 14-24mm f/2.8.