The Nikon Z5II is an upgraded version of the Z5 and is designed to be the entry point into full-frame shooting with the Nikon Z system. So the ideal lens to pair with this camera is one that has decent image quality but stays within a reasonable budget.
If that sounds like what you’re looking for, then my top pick, the Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2, will be perfect for you. Keep reading to see more options depending on the type of photography you plan on using your Z5II for the most.
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1. Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8
This lens is an affordable version of the pro-level 24-70mm f/2.8 and gives you similar image quality in a much smaller and lighter body at less than half the cost.
The 28-75mm f/2.8 lens in the Z mount lineup is quite impressive for its cost. It packs a wide max aperture and a good mid-range focal length into a compact body while still delivering exceptional image quality.
While it does lag behind the much more expensive and larger 24-70mm f/2.8 Z lens in terms of pure sharpness and image quality, you really won’t be able to notice that difference when shooting a Z5II. That plus the the size and cost make this lens the top pick and a great option for Z5 shooters.
If you are familiar with the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 for Sony cameras, this is basically the same lens. It seems likely that Nikon collaborated with Tamron to adapt the lens to its Z-mount lineup while maintaining the Nikon branding. However, it happened, it’s a great option for Z5 shooters.
If you add the 17-28mm f/2.8 lens below then you have the perfect combo of lenses for the Z5 that covers a huge focal range with an f/2.8 max aperture. This makes for a perfect small and lightweight kit for the Z5 that covers 90% of the focal ranges you would use for most shooting.
2. Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8
This compact 28mm lens has a nice wide f/2.8 max aperture and its size pairs nicely with the compact Z5 for a great walk-around combo.
This might be my personal favorite lens to carry around with me on a regular basis.
It’s small and lightweight enough that pairing it with the Z5II makes for a very small kit that is perfect for everyday shooting.
The biggest benefit of this lens is the size. It’s tiny enough that you feel comfortable taking the camera with you to dinner, parties, or just going out walking around. Sometimes a lens that makes it easier to simply have your camera with you will help you get more great photos than a big expensive professional lens.
28mm is a wide enough focal length on the full frame Z5II that you can get a decent amount of scenery in the frame but isn’t so wide that photos of people will be distorted.
In addition, the f/2.8 max aperture makes it easier to get shots in low light, especially compared to the kit lenses often found bundled with cameras that have max apertures in the f/4-6.3 range.
However, if the compact size isn’t as important to you and you want a similar focal length with a wider max aperture then this next option will be perfect for you…
3. Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S
The 35mm prime is an often overlooked but extremely useful and versatile prime lens that is small and compact but gives you excellent image quality.
The 35mm f/1.8 is the lens I recommend for many photographers as the next one to get after they get frustrated with their kit lens. It’s inexpensive and compact, and the f/1.8 aperture opens up an entire world of possibilities compared to most kit lenses.
The f/1.8 aperture is often a massive difference for anyone that’s never used a lens with a wide maximum aperture like that before. It will allow you to experiment with shallow depth of field as well as shoot in low light.
If you plan to use your Z5II for everyday photography like photographing your kids or get-togethers with friends and family, you’ll be thankful to have the option to use f/1.8, especially in indoor situations. You’ll find that indoor lighting is often far darker than you perceive it with your eyes.
So if you want a little more low light capability than the two options above, then I highly recommend checking out this 35mm lens.
4. Nikon Z 17-28mm f/2.8
This lens is a great companion to the 28-75mm above and shares the same great quality in a small and compact package.
This lens is the wide-angle companion to the top pick above. It’s lighter, more compact, and less expensive than the other wide-angle Z mount options. These things all make it a solid option for your Z5.
The reasons it works well with the Z5 are the same as the top pick, just with a wider angle of view that is perfect for the landscape shooter.
While this lens is quite sharp overall, the place where it falls short of the other wide-angle Z-mount options is around the edges but depending on what you shoot, it may be worth saving a lot of money.
If you’re looking to build out the perfect Z5 kit…I highly recommend combining this lens with the 28-75mm f/2.8 lens above to cover a large focal range without adding much weight to your bag. This combo may be one of the best travel kits you can put together.
5. Nikon Z 70-180mm f/2.8
Just like the 28-75 f/2.8 above, this is a less expensive version of the classic 70-200 that still delivers excellent image quality.
Nikon made a really great decision in creating this lower cost “trinity” of lenses for those of you that don’t want to spend the $2,399.95 MSRP for the 70-200 f/2.8 or use an FTZ Adapter with an older F-mount lens.
This lens has some slight loss of sharpness around the edges compared to its much more expensive cousin. But for most photographers with a Z5 camera, the difference is negligible and saving over $1000 means you could get a second lens.
But if you’re not comparing it to the 70-200 (which might be one of the most optically impressive lenses I’ve ever used) then this lens really does deliver pretty excellent image quality.
The autofocus is fast enough to use for fast moving sports or wildlife and the lighter more compact design means you won’t fatigue as easily when you’re out in the field shooting.
This, like some of the other f/2.8 options above are probably the best value in photography right now.
6. Tamron 150-500 f/5-6.7
A more affordable super telephoto lens that pairs great with the Z5II.
With the improvement in frame per second from its predecessor to 11fps for RAW images, the Nikon Z5II is fast enough to shoot some sports and wildlife.
So if you want to use your Z5II for your kid’s next little league game, you may need a little more reach. But you’re not shooting for the Yankees so the Nikon Z super telephoto lenses are a little out of your range. That’s what makes this Tamron 150-500 lens perfect for the Z5II.
You may be surprised to see a Tamron on this list, but thankfully Nikon has opened up the Z mount system for third party lenses and this is one of the best Tamron options out there.
The 150-500 range is plenty for shooting all kinds of sports. I’ve shot plenty of soccer games with a 400mm lens and that extra 100mm is a big help when the action is on the other side of the field.
Just keep in mind that you may have a little trouble keeping a high shutter speed in low light because the f/5-6.7 max aperture of this lens isn’t necessarily the fastest. Which is why I’d recommend the 70-180 above before investing in this lens.
7. Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S
The Z version of the popular 85mm f/1.8 is a lens that should be in the bag of every photographer that likes to photograph people.
The Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 has all of the same benefits as the 50mm version, but if you are shooting a lot of portrait photography, then the 85mm is a perfect focal length for portraits.
By using a longer focal length, you’ll be able to stand farther away from your subject while still filling the frame. This adds something called compression in photography, which helps to give a more flattering look to people.
Of course, the longer focal length also can be somewhat limiting for everyday use. So keep that in mind. This lens is great as a second or third option for the Z5 while the ones at the top of this list are more versatile and good for everyday use.
Lenses To Avoid
The truth is that there really aren’t any bad Z-mount lenses. Nikon hasn’t opened up the specs to third-party manufacturers to create their own lenses and they’ve done a great job at making high-quality lenses even at the lower price ranges.
You can also use the adapter to put F-mount lenses on this camera so be sure to check out my complete guide to the best Nikon lenses.
But there are a couple I wouldn’t recommend for the Z5…
Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S
This is an exceptional lens when it comes to image quality, sharpness, and contrast. But I’m not listing it here because it’s bad, I’m actually listing it here because it’s a little too good.
The reality is that you can get almost the same performance for half the price with the 14-30mm f/4 listed above.
The f/2.8 maximum aperture is less useful on a wide-angle lens like this than it is on mid-range and telephoto lenses. At a 14mm field of view, you aren’t going to get much bokeh even when shooting at f/2.8.
If you want a lens for shooting wide-angle portraiture or need the wide maximum aperture for astrophotography, you would probably be better off with either the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 or the Nikon Z 24mm f/1.8, both of which are prime lenses with a wide max aperture and excellent image quality.
You will also need 112mm screw-in lens filters if you use them in your photography, compared to the 14-30mm f/4 that will take 82mm filters that you can use on all your lenses.
Overall, it is admittedly a great lens but wildly overkill for a 24.3-megapixel camera like the Z5.
Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR
I am not a fan of “super-zooms” like this that cover a huge focal length range.
Yes, you can get a “do everything” lens but you’re making sacrifices on the image quality and the aperture to get such a huge focal length range.
In general, I think you will get better results and open up more creativity if you instead get lenses without such a wide focal range but with a wide constant aperture, like the Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8 I recommend above.
