The best lens for the Nikon Zf  depends on your specific photography needs, but there are several outstanding choices to consider for various types of photography. Here are three best lenses:

1. Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S: This versatile zoom lens is great for a variety of shooting situations, offering excellent image quality and a fast constant aperture.

2. Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S: A fantastic prime lens that offers sharp images with beautiful bokeh. It's great for portraits, street photography, and low-light situations.

3. Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S: This lens provides a classic focal length that works well for street and environmental portraits. Its wide aperture ensures good performance in low light.

Each of these lenses performs exceptionally well on the Nikon Zf and will help you achieve excellent results in your photography. Make sure to choose a lens that fits your specific style and needs.

If you're looking for the best lenses to pair with your Nikon Zf, here are some great options across various categories:

Best Everyday Lens: Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S The Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S is a fantastic walkaround kit lens for the Zf. Its retracting design makes it compact and portable, while still delivering great optics. The constant f/4 aperture may be a stop slower than the pricier f/2.8 version, but it's often sufficient, especially with the Zf's excellent in-body stabilization. Other kit lens options include the even smaller Z 24-50mm and the longer-range Z 24-120mm and Z 24-200mm, but the 24-70mm f/4 is a well-rounded choice.

Best Wide-Angle Zoom: Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S For ultra-wide shots, the Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S is an excellent pick. It's compact, lightweight, and features a retractable design. The 14mm minimum focal length provides an expansive field of view on the full-frame Zf, while the 30mm maximum makes it versatile for walkaround use, particularly for travel photography. The constant f/4 aperture keeps the size and cost down compared to the f/2.8 pro lens, and the optics are superb.

Other Top Picks:

• Best Portrait Lens: Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S
• Best Telephoto Zoom: Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S
• Best Macro Lens: Nikon Z MC 50mm f/2.8

These lenses cover a range of focal lengths and use cases, offering excellent image quality and performance on the Nikon Zf. Choose the ones that best suit your needs and shooting style.

Nikon Zf, known for its classic design and modern capabilities, pairs well with several excellent lenses. First, Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S is versatile for various photography styles, offering sharp images and fast aperture. Second, Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S provides outstanding low-light performance and beautiful bokeh, making it ideal for portraits. Lastly, Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S is perfect for landscape and architectural photography, with a compact design and superb wide-angle capabilities.  

If you are looking for lenses for your Nikon Zf, you could choose the lens below, including a prime lens, a zoom lens, and a telephoto lens:

1. Prime Lens: Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S

   • This lens offers excellent sharpness, beautiful bokeh, and great low-light performance. The 50mm focal length is versatile for portraits, street photography, and general use.

2. Zoom Lens: Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S

   • This professional-grade zoom lens is ideal for a wide range of photography styles, from landscapes to portraits. It delivers outstanding image quality with constant f/2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range.

3. Telephoto Lens: Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S

   • This telephoto zoom lens is known for its sharpness and edge-to-edge clarity. It's perfect for sports, wildlife, and portrait photography, offering versatility and exceptional performance in various lighting conditions.

Just catching up on the thread. I have been shooting with Nikon gear for over a decade now, and honestly, the Zf feels different than the chunky DSLRs I grew up with. In my experience, you really want glass that is gonna hold up in the rain during travel without making the whole setup feel too front-heavy. I have tried many third-party options but I always come back to native S-line glass for the peace of mind and reliability. If you want fast and reliable, these two have lived on my camera for a long time:

• Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S is just a workhorse. It is sharp as a tack and the weather sealing has saved me more than once in the field when the weather turned.
• Nikon NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 SE is what I grab when I want that classic aesthetic. It is not quite as bright as the f/1.8 primes but for a walkaround lens, the size is just perfect for the Zf body. Ngl, I used to be a zoom-only guy but these primes really changed how I shoot landscapes. Everything just feels more intentional when you are not constantly zooming in and out...

I use the new Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 G2 lens for Nikon Zf, works well, and hugely love this lens.

Here are two great lenses for your Nikon Zf under $1,000:

1. Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S

   • Type: Standard Zoom
   • Price: Approximately $999
   • Features: This lens offers a versatile focal length that is perfect for a wide range of photography styles, including portraits, landscapes, and street photography. Its constant f/4 aperture allows for consistent exposure throughout the zoom range, and the lens features high-quality optics with excellent sharpness and contrast.

2. Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S

   • Type: Prime Lens
   • Price: Approximately $526.95
   • Features: This is a quintessential prime lens that excels in portraits and low-light conditions. The f/1.8 aperture allows for beautiful bokeh and excellent subject isolation. The build quality and sharpness of this lens are impressive, making it a favorite among Z series users.

For Nikon Zf, the best prime lens is Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S, and the best zoom lens is  Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S.

If you just looking for a compact lens, get the NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2.

For the Nikon Zf, I highly recommend sticking with Nikon's native Z-mount lenses if your budget allows. The Nikkor Z lenses have been outstanding - they really take advantage of the larger Z mount.

That said, it depends a lot on what you like to shoot. For landscapes, the 14-30mm f/4 is incredible. For a walkaround zoom, the 24-70mm f/4 is a solid choice. And the prime lenses like the 50mm f/1.8 offer great quality in a compact size.

If you want to use F-mount DSLR lenses, Nikon's FTZ adapter works quite well in most cases. But the native Z lenses are the way to go for maximizing quality and taking full advantage of your Nikon Z camera.

NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S lens. It is highly regarded for its sharpness, low light performance, and versatility for various photography styles, making it an excellent choice for both portrait and general photography.

The newly announced Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm F1.2 S lens is a key player for your Nikon Zf. It is now first available for pre-order at B&H/ Adorama.

This new lens stands out for its impressive combination of a fast f/1.2 maximum aperture, which allows for exceptional low-light performance and beautiful background blur (bokeh), making it ideal for portrait, street, and architectural photography.

The new announced Z 35mm f/1.4 lens should be a great wide-angle lens for Zf.