Nikon Z System News and Commentary
Nikon Announces Development of “Video” Lens
Nikon today issued a press release officially describing its intention to produce a 28-135mm f/4 PZ lens. The PZ stands for power zoom.
Nikon has done power zoom lenses before, including for Z DX. And the MN-10 Remote Grip has the ability to remotely trigger zoom. However, you might have noted my use of quotes in the headline.
Nikon’s view of the “video market” is a bit different than a dedicated videographer probably thinks. You’ll note the lack of some significant mechanical gearing in Nikon’s supplied image. In the video world, geared focus, zoom, and aperture rings are common, and for good reason: doing managed “pulls” can be precise.
Moving the zoom to a lever or remote lever is more of a broadcast type design, where you go for minimal external rigging to stay nimble. The PZ design would appeal more to the camcorder crowd than the dedicated videographer.
Thus, all those stories you see today on other sites linking this lens to part of Nikon’s purchase of RED seem a bit of a stretch to me. The RED cameras are not really designed as run-and-gun cameras, where you’d want power zoom. I see the 28-135mm f/4 PZ as more a step towards video as opposed to an immersion in it. Moreover, since Sony has had 28-135mm f/4 since 2014, the impetus for launching a Nikon version probably is more due to that than RED. I should also note that the Sony version has geared rings and image stabilization.
No real details were made available about Nikon’s version, though from the photo we would say “removable, rotatable tripod mount, multiple LFn buttons, and probably no lens VR.” The gold mount ring and lettering seems to imply a new series of lenses.
As to why a development announcement today, I take this to mean that Nikon has some of these lenses in the field at the moment for late testing. In the past, Nikon development announcements have tended to come when prototypes are circulating in pro hands where someone might be able to spot them (though in a couple of cases they were clearly FUD [fear uncertainty doubt] marketing initiated).
Magic 8 Ball Answers Future Z Questions
"Where are the tilt-shift lenses for the Z-mount?"
In China. (at Atralab, Astrhori, Laowa, TTArtisan, et.al.)
I really don't expect to see new Nikkor tilt-shift lenses until they can autofocus (both Canon and Nikon have been rumored to be working on that). The reason is that these are really low volume products that take a lot of resources (both in development and production). Nikon tends to reserve that kind effort for "statement lens," the type of lens that doesn't currently exist (e.g. Noct), and for which some new design hurdle must be overcome. Moreover, I'd say that if someday we're going to be tilting and shifting—to the dismay of IBIS—that should come with a statement camera, too. Last time around, Nikon didn't link the 19mm f/3.5 PCE release with the D850 release, and that was a marketing mistake (great combo, by the way, as it gave you even higher megapixel count via shifting, near medium format look via tilting, and was about the best ~20mm lens optically at the time). My prediction: we’ll get at least one Z-mount PC-AF about the time of the Z8 II or a higher resolution camera appears.
“Where are all the F-mount lenses converted to Z-mount?
In animated suspension. (Nothing yet committed to that I know of.) I suspect that one of the issues here is that if Nikon simply put a Z-mount extension on the back of a lens like the 120-300mm f/2.8E VR, Nikon marketing would complain that this invalidates one of the needs to move from DSLR to mirrorless (e.g. better lenses). Moreover, users can already do that themselves (by buying an FTZ Adapter). It’s also kind of an affront to someone who just paid US$9500 for the F-mount version less than four years ago to tell them to buy another nearly identical one now, just because they moved to the Z-mount. Nikon has been careful so far not to exactly duplicate the F-mount telephoto lenses—other than the 70-200mm f/2.8—in the Z lineup.
Indeed, Nikon got a lot of flack about that 70-200mm f/2.8 S VR because it was, well, about the same size/weight as the F-mount one and not particularly optically “better.” I’d guess that Nikon will eventually get around to dealing with the four missing telephoto lenses (120-300mm f/2.8E, 180-400mm f/4E, 300mm f/4E PF, and 500mm f/5.6E PF), but each might get a new feature or spin when it comes to the Z-mount.
Note that’s been the theme so far: the 400mm and 600mm exotics got a built-in teleconverter; the 800mm moved to PF for size/weight; the 200-500mm f/5.6E was replaced by the 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR, offering more range. So a rough guess at what Nikon might produce: 100-300mm f/2.8 S TC VR, 300mm f/3.5 S PF VR, and 500mm f/4 S TC PF VR?
However, at some point Nikon has to ask “just how many telephoto exotics will we sell overall?” Which introduces a second question: “do we already have enough?” My prediction: we’ll get something in that 100-300mm range because Nikon has a “fast” gap there, but also something 1000mm or greater to extend the telephoto focal range.
"Where is the higher resolution camera?"
In Tokyo. (At a sensor development lab). I'm not quite sure why, but the "new" sensor techs coming out of Nikon have been progressing slower than expected. It's not that Nikon isn't working on a high pixel count sensor, but new tech appears to be slow in getting to final fab, and Nikon is also apparently not in a hurry to create additional new bodies.
So if you think about it for a moment, anything 61mp or greater—I'm betting greater based upon what I've heard—really needs some shuffling of Nikon's camera lineup. The only shuffle that makes sense to me is that the Z8 II becomes a megapixel camera (as the Z9 II moves closer to global shutter). That's because the Z7 III can't really be a top megapixel camera without some upsetting the apple cart.
My prediction: We’re a ways off from anything above 45mp. Seems like that would more likely be in the “next generation” Z. Right now we’re still in the Z9 generation as its tech pushes down into the lower cameras.
"Where are the firmware updates?"
Also in Tokyo. (Still being sorted.) There's disagreement about what those firmware updates might entail. The known known is that the Z6 III and Z9 should be getting Adobe Content Initiative updates, and the Z6 III, Z8, and Z9 should be getting Frame.io capabilities (may be already in firmware, but needs documenting). The known unknown is that a bunch of cameras should be getting Nikon Imaging Cloud updates (some number of cameras on this list: Z5, Z7 II, Z8, Z9, Zf, Zfc, Z30, but possibly only EXPEED7 ones). The unknown known is an update to the focusing system training (e.g. subject detection extensions or revisions) for the current generation cameras (e.g. Z6 III, Z8, Z9, Zf). The unknown unknowns are, well, unknown, but I believe we’ll have another surprise. My prediction: Nikon will try to launch some of those updates right into the frenzied holiday buying season, confusing users even more.
"Where is the RED with a Z-mount?"
LA. (In development). This time the known unknown is when. I'd be a little surprised if a launch didn't happen coincident with a video lens (or two) announcement, but Nikon has muffed on statement camera/statement lens combos before (see above). The only gating element will be RED mastering Nikon AF. I don’t believe RED uses phase detect on sensor, and the technology they’d get from Nikon is based upon that, so how fast can that be consolidated? The implication is that either RED goes EXPEED, or RED figures out how to put Nikon-like AF into their current SoC. My prediction: RED is nimble, so a new Z-mount camera will probably arrive sooner rather than later.
More Lens Nuggets
One thing I didn't mention in the previous Nikkor Nuggets article is the "congestion" in certain focal lengths. Okay, some would say alternative choices, but this notion is something worth paying attention to.
Of the (now) 96 autofocus lenses available for the Z-mount, here's the telling statistic:
- goes below <24mm in focal length — 7 FX, 3 DX 10 total
- stays within 24-200mm in focal length — 45 FX, 17 DX 62 total
- goes higher than >200mm in focal length — 11 FX, 2 DX 13 total
You're pretty much covered in the mid-range, as you have what's quickly becoming an overwhelming set of choices to achieve some focal lengths (24, 35, 50, 85, 200; see chart below).
While many think we have plenty of telephoto options now, that really boils down to two makers providing >200mm: Nikon and Tamron. It's difficult to imagine Nikon doing a lot more in this realm, though the two pro F-mount zooms (120-300mm f/2.8 and 180-400mm f/4 TC) are conspicuously missing, as are the two F-mount PF lenses (300mm f/4 and 500mm f/5.6). If Nikon and Tamron both round out their telephoto offerings as much as we can expect, we might get to 20 choices above 200mm, which should be more than enough. Should Sigma ever decide to come and play in the FX mount, we could go above 20 choices.
It's the wider-than-24mm end that I think needs attention. Nikon themselves only gets to 14mm, with two zooms. There's a higher burst of activity beginning at the 24mm mark, but below 20mm we're talking about only two third party FX primes and one DX prime. Yes, one could argue that we should throw in the manual focus lenses into the extreme wide angle end judgment, as you often either aren't focusing on moving targets or are relying upon depth of field when you're framed that wide. Still, it seems to me that wide angle is the current Z-mount hole: more useful autofocus lenses that go below 24mm, particularly primes, are needed.
For me, for instance, I want a small very wide angle prime to go with my safari kit when I want to go Galen-esque; the zooms start getting a bit on the big and slow side for that, as my packing is getting tighter and tighter with weight and size limits imposed by airlines and small plane hops to dirt airstrips.
Just for the heck of it, I also made a graphic look at the autofocus lens choices. Basically, if you needed a lens at a number of common focal lengths, how many choices would you have? Well, this:
Granted, the zoom lenses distort the situation a bit, as we have such things now as a 24-200mm, 28-400mm, and even 50-400mm. I'm not sure any of those lenses are the ones you'd pick if you needed 85mm (the second highest peak in the graph). However, the graph does confirm that for FX there's now a reasonable amount of choice in that 24mm to 200mm range, as noted above.
Where's the Beef? (Or Maybe When?)
Nikon has developed a strange affliction: at Adobe Max conferences—taking place this week in Florida—Nikon announces things that don't yet exist.
Back at Max 2022, Nikon showed support for Adobe's Content Authenticity Initiative with a modified version of the Z9. Despite some pros that want function, and despite the perfect opportunity of the Paris Olympics came and went without the Z9 CAI support being officially announced, today Nikon announced at Max 2024 that the Z6 III will get a firmware update with the same C2PA Content Credentials support. Once again, a camera with said support showed up at Adobe Max. This time Nikon stated that said firmware "is scheduled for release to some news and other agencies in mid-2025." I guess independent freelancers and the rest of us don't need authenticated content.
As if that weren't enough, Nikon also announced—via press release that some of us on the press list have yet to receive—that Nikon hopes to add Frame.io integration to NX Mobile Air sometime in 2025. Frame.io is a cloud-based shared workflow organizer that Adobe bought for US$1.28B back in 2021. Essentially, a mobile device with NX Mobile Air installed and connected to a Z6 III, Z8, or Z9 should be able to upload files directly into Frame.io, where your other team members and/or clients can access, organize, prioritize, and even share your files. Frame.io had its origins in independent video, where remote teams recording video could push their dailies to a central server where editors and producers could begin working with them. Frame.io does have a free "basic" plan where up to two people can share two projects and 2GB of storage, though I'm not sure you wouldn't be served better by other possibilities now (NX Mobile Air to your ftp server, or Nikon Image Cloud to your personal NAS, for instance).
Nikkor Nuggets
In working on future site updates and design, I built a few tools that allow me to look at things a little differently. One of those was to put all the Z lenses into a database I can work from. This led me to play around a bit—I like play, as it often informs work—and to discover a few bits and pieces that are amusing, if nothing else.
I'm going to do this just for Z-mount autofocus lenses. Here are some things you can learn by playing with a database like this:
- Widest lens — Laowa 10mm f/2.8 (130° diagonal)
- Narrowest lens — Nikkor 800mm f/6.3 (3° diagonal)
- Current total AF lenses —
93now 94 (I don't count SE models or other duplicate models as different) - Number of DX lenses —
32now 33 (another introduced as I published this) - Most complex optical construction — 600mm f/4 TC VR S (26 elements in 20 groups)
- Highest number of ED elements — 6 (tie between 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S and 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S)
- Highest number of aspherical elements — 7 (24-120mm f/4 S)
- Best non-macro magnification — 1:2 (Nikon 70-180mm f/2.8, Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-5.6)
- Smallest length — 26mm f/2.8 (24mm)
- Longest length — 600mm f/4 TC VR S (437mm)
- Lightest weight — TTArtisans 27mm f/2.8 DX (100g)
- Heaviest weight — 600mm f/4 TC VR S (3260g)
- Lowest price — Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 DX (US$120)
- Highest price — 600mm f/4 TC VR S (US$15,499)
So by the powers vested in me by the Nikkor gods, I hereby proclaim the 600mm f/4 TC VR S the winner, taking four categories in a rout over the competitors.
Another amusing thing to do is to consider the Nikkor model numbers as indicative of when they were approved to go to production (something I believe to be true) versus their announce date. The first lens that got a model number appears to be the 24-70mm f/4 S. Any lens model number introduced out of order after that becomes conspicuous. The big surprise there was the 24mm f/1.8, introduced a year after the next number in the series (35mm f/1.8). Another curiosity is the missing numbers. We seem to be currently missing 20121 (the 40mm), 20124, and 20127.
Okay, I'm done playing. Back to work.
