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Best Landscape Lens For Nikon Z6 and Z7

Nikon’s new mirrorless cameras are exciting for those of us that love landscape photography.

Just about all of the new Nikon lenses are showing up in Z-mount.

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Important SpecsClick To Compare Pricing
Best Overall
14-30mm f/4 S
Aperture: f/4 to f/22
Weight: 485g
82mm filter thread
Min. Focus Distance: 0.28 m/0.92 ft
Angle Of View: FX format: 114° – 72° | DX format: 90° – 50°

Budget Pick
24-70mm f/4 S
Aperture: f/4 to f/22
Weight: 500g
72mm filter thread
Min. Focus Distance: 0.3 m/0.99 ft
Angle Of View: FX format: 84° – 34°20′ | DX format: 61° – 22°50′

Most Versatile
24-70mm f/2.8 S
Aperture: f/2.8 to f/22
Weight: 805g
82mm filter thread
Min. Focus Distance: 0.38 m/1.25 ft
Angle Of View: FX format: 84° – 34°20′ | DX format: 61° – 22°50′

Best For Nighttime Shooting
20mm f/1.8 S
Aperture: f/1.8 to f/16
Weight: 505g
77mm filter thread
Min. Focus Distance: 0.20 m/0.66 ft
Angle Of View: FX format: 94° | DX format: 70°

Whether you prefer the versatility and dynamic range of the Z6 or the 42 megapixels of the Z7, either one will help you create epic landscape images.

If you are using a Nikon DSLR then check out our list of the best landscape lenses for Nikon.

I took a look at Nikon’s entire lens lineup and although it is still a little limited, they have some great options for your next landscape shoot. Plus keep in mind that they are adding new Z lenses on a pretty regular basis now.

All these lenses also work on the less expensive crop-sensor Z50 which made our list of the Best Mirrorless Cameras Under $1000.

Best Overall | 14-30mm f/4 S

If you focus your photography mostly on landscapes then the 14-30mm f/4 is where you should start.

14-30mm is a great range for landscape photography and the impeccable image quality combines with a relatively lightweight and compact package that makes it easy to take on your landscape photography adventures.

Click below to compare prices and check availability…

Specs

  • Aperture Range: f/4 to f/22
  • Weight: 485g
  • 82mm filter thread
  • Minimum Focus Distance: 0.28 m/0.92 ft
  • Angle Of View: FX format: 114° – 72° | DX format: 90° – 50°

On a full-frame camera like the Nikon Z6 or Z7 14mm will give you that classic ultra-wide landscape photography look and 30mm is enough of a range to still narrow in on somewhat smaller scenes when you want to do so.

But what really makes this lens exciting is that it is a 14mm lens that you can use lens filters on. If you shoot a lot of landscape photography then you know how important filters are to creating high quality landscape photos.

This lens uses an 82mm filter thread which is among the more common thread sizes for full frame lenses which means you may already have filters that work with this lens.

The area where this lens falls short of some other similar lenses is with the f/4 maximum aperture.

You can find some ultra-wide zooms in this same range with an f/2.8 max aperture. However, these lenses aren’t capable of having regular filters screwed onto the front. You need specially designed (and expensive) filter systems for these types of lenses.

In addition, most of the time when shooting landscape photography, you’ll be using smaller apertures like f/8 to f/12 anyway. So the lack of that f/2.8 maximum aperture is unlikely to become an issue unless you shoot a lot of night photography.

I think that the ease of use with filters and portability more than makes up for the lack of an f/2.8 maximum aperture. You can always add a lens like the 20mm f/1.8 later on to use specifically for night landscapes.

Budget Pick | 24-70mm f/4 S

Until the third-party lens makers like Tamron or Sigma start making Nikon Z Mount lenses, you really aren’t going to find too many budget-friendly options. However, compared to some of the other, the 24-70mm f/4 slightly less expensive.

Click below to compare prices and check availability…

Specs

  • Aperture Range: f/4 to f/22
  • Weight: 500g
  • 72mm filter thread
  • Minimum Focus Distance: 0.3 m/0.99 ft
  • Angle Of View: FX format: 84° – 34°20′ | DX format: 61° – 22°50′

The 24-70mm f/4 Z-mount less is basically a smaller, less expensive version of the f/2.8 version below.

24-70mm is a great range for landscape photography.

While it is not as wide as the 14-30mm above, 24mm on a full frame camera is still pretty wide and works great for landscapes.

While you may be giving up 10mm on the wide end, you gain 40mm on the long end compared to the 14-30mm. This is great if you also like to shoot family photos, street photography, or portraits.

Compared to the f/2.8 version below, you’ll save over $1000 with this lens.

Like I mentioned above, you won’t often find yourself using the maximum aperture very often when shooting landscapes.

Even if you want to shoot low light landscapes like night photography or astrophotography, the Nikon Z6 and Z7 handles low light very well. So you’ll see less need for the 2.8 max aperture even when shooting that kind of shot.

Unless you are using the camera to make money, it’s hard to justify the cost difference between the f/4 and the f/2.8, especially since there is very little noticable difference in image quality.

These are the reasons that our top pick and our favorite budget pic are both f/4 lenses.

Most Versatile | 24-70mm f/2.8 S

If you want a lens that can handle landscape photography and a wide variety of other photography situations, then the 24-70mm f/2.8 can do it all. But that does come at a price.

The 24-70mm f/2.8 is the middle component of what professional photographers call the “trinity” of lenses consisting of a wide angle zoom, mid-range zoom, and a telephoto zoom.

Click below to compare prices and check availability…

Specs

  • Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/22
  • Weight: 805g
  • 82mm filter thread
  • Minimum Focus Distance: 0.38 m/1.25 ft
  • Angle Of View: FX format: 84° – 34°20′ | DX format: 61° – 22°50′

Being the mid-range zoom, the 24-70mm can handle many different situations. The 24mm end is ideal for landscape images.

Another added benefit of this lens is the maximum f/2.8 aperture. This is also what makes it so expensive.

The constant f/2.8 aperture will allow you to blur the background quite effectively at all the focal lengths. Most of the time you will find yourself shooting landscapes at smaller apertures like f/8 to f/12 to ensure more of the scene is in focus, but there are situations where the f/2.8 comes in handy, even for landscape photograpahy.

You may want to isolate focus on a compelling foreground element like a flower and blur out the background. You will also find the f/2.8 aperture very helpful if you want to try shooting astrophotography.

Although, if you want to do a lot of astro photos, check out the next lens below…

Best For Nighttime Shooting | 20mm f/1.8 S

The sensor quality in the Nikon Z6 and Z7 are perfect for shooting night landscapes and astrophotography. Pair them with the 20mm f/1.8 and you’ll have one of the best night photography combinations around.

Click below to compare prices and check availability…

Specs

  • Aperture Range: f/1.8 to f/16
  • Weight: 505g
  • 77mm filter thread
  • Minimum Focus Distance: 0.20 m/0.66 ft
  • Angle Of View: FX format: 94° | DX format: 70°

When you are shooting at night, having a wide maximum aperture is much more important than the versatility of a zoom lens. That is the main reason I’m recommending the 20mm f/1.8 for night photography but not the only one.

It also handles coma very well. Coma is when small points of light get stretched out in the corners

Why the Nikon Z system is great for landscape photography

To start with, Nikon cameras in general are known for their image quality, durability, weather sealing, and ergonomics. When you are out in nature, those last three things are of the utmost importance.

The current full frame Nikon Z cameras (Z6, Z7, and the new Z5) all are very well built with great ergonomics and durability.

When it comes to image quality, the Z5/6 and the Z7 use different sensors, but they are both exceptional. The Z7 is more popular among landscape photographers because of the 42-megapixel sensor. The Z6 has fewer megapixels at 24.5, but that means better low light performance and easier to handle files (By most accounts, the new Z5 will have a similar or same sensor as the Z6).

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