Nikon’s new Z 6 and Z 7 mirrorless cameras arrived in the fall, promising compact performance copious technical trickery thanks to that configuration: digital viewfinders, spot-on image previews, enhanced video performance and more. But they also came with a catch in the form of a new lens mount. This means owners will need an adapter to use their own Nikon glass until the company introduces more options that are native to the Z-mount.
At CES 2019, it brought along a nice new one, the Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S. This lens — a clutch bit of kit for landscape and architectural shooters, but also a solid multi-use lens — is the first 14mm that allows for screw-in adapters. Lenses that wide tend to have wide and bulbous front lenses, requiring awkward attachments for big square filters that are typically best left to studio photographers. Nikon achieved this through a new optical design with four extra-low dispersion elements and four aspherical elements, creating a compact and lightweight lens that also minimizes the distortion typical of wide-angle lenses.
The company also unveiled its Z 6 filmmaker’s kit, which includes the camera body, a 24-70mm f/4 lens, a MOZA Air 2 3-axis gimbal stabilizer, a Rode VideoMic Pro+ and an Atomos Ninja V five-inch monitor, along with other accessories. That package, available this month, will retail for $4,000, while the 14-30mm lens will land this spring at $1,300.
