Lens Recommendation for Nikon Z7 II ?

Question

I recently purchased the Nikon Z7 II and am looking to build out my lens kit for this amazing camera. I'll be using it primarily for landscape, portrait and travel photography. What would you recommend as the best native Z-mount lenses to pair with the Z7 II to cover those needs? I'm open to both zoom and prime lenses. Bonus points for any hidden gem lenses that really shine on this high-res sensor. Looking forward to hearing your suggestions for the ideal Z7 II lens kit!

9_ddd_8 · Accepted Answer

Like someone mentioned, that 24-70 f/2.8 is a beast, but in my experience lugging it around all day for travel gets old fast. If you want to really leverage the resolution on the Z7 II for landscapes and portraits, I've found a few others that basically live on my camera now.Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S: This is the one. I swapped my 24-70 for this and never looked back. It's way more versatile for travel and surprisingly sharp for a zoom.Nikon NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S: My hidden gem. Yeah its a macro lens, but honestly it takes some of the best portraits I've ever seen. Super crisp.Nikon NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S: For landscapes, having that reach to pick out details on distant peaks is huge. It handles the 45MP sensor without breaking a sweat. You're gonna love that sensor, just make sure you've got plenty of storage space because those RAW files are massive... lol. The detail is worth it tho.

Veeeemp · Answer

Here are several lens recommendations across various categories to help you get the most out of your Nikon Z7 II:

1. Standard Zoom Lens

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S
- Description: This professional-grade lens offers excellent image quality, fast autofocus, and a constant f/2.8 aperture, making it perfect for a wide range of photography, including events, portraits, and landscapes.

2. Wide-Angle Zoom Lens

Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S
- Description: An ultra-wide zoom lens that’s compact and lightweight. Ideal for landscapes, architecture, and astrophotography, it provides sharp images and a versatile focal length range.

3. Prime Lenses

Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S
- Description: A fast and sharp lens perfect for portraits and low-light photography. The wide aperture allows for beautiful bokeh and excellent subject isolation.
Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S
- Description: This lens excels in portrait photography, delivering stunning image quality and beautiful background blur. Its focal length is great for isolating subjects.

4. Telephoto Zoom Lens

Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S
- Description: A high-performance telephoto zoom lens, great for sports, wildlife, and portraits. Its fast aperture ensures sharp images even in lower light.

5. Macro Lens

Nikon NIKKOR Z 105mm f/2.8 VR S Micro
- Description: This dedicated macro lens allows you to capture stunning close-up images with excellent detail and sharpness. It’s also a great choice for portraits with a longer focal length.

6. Super Telephoto Lens

Nikon NIKKOR Z 200-400mm f/4 VR S
- Description: For wildlife and sports enthusiasts, this super telephoto lens offers versatility and excellent image quality. Its fast autofocus and VR capability make it perfect for capturing fast-moving subjects.

7. Specialty Lens

Nikon NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct
- Description: A unique ultra-fast lens designed for low-light conditions and creating stunning bokeh effects. It’s a luxury choice for advanced users looking for exceptional image quality.

8. Wide-Angle Prime Lens

Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S
- Description: This wide-angle prime lens is great for landscapes, astrophotography, and environmental portraits. Its fast aperture creates a shallow depth of field and excellent low-light performance.

Menley · Answer

Here are my top recommendations:

For an everyday walk-around zoom, the Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S is a fantastic choice. While it's "only" f/4, it's super sharp, has a brilliant compact retractable design, and is very reasonably priced compared to the f/2.8 version. The in-body stabilization in the Z7 II compensates well for the slower aperture.

If you want a versatile ultra-wide zoom, check out the Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4 S. Again it's f/4, but the optics are superb, it's lightweight and compact, and uniquely for a lens this wide it still allows front filters.

For primes, the Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S is spectacular - razor sharp and a very useful focal length for landscapes, architecture and interiors. The Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S and Nikon Z 50mm f/1.8 S are both optically excellent, lightweight and relatively affordable.

For portraits, the Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S gives you that perfect short telephoto perspective and beautiful background blur at a much lighter weight and lower cost than the f/1.2 version.

Lastly, if you need a fast telephoto zoom, the Nikon Z 70-180mm f/2.8 gives you nearly the range of a 70-200mm, a constant f/2.8 aperture, and saves you some money and weight compared to the flagship 70-200mm f/2.8.

And if you're into macro, the Nikon Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S is virtually flawless - incredible sharpness, 1:1 magnification, pro-grade build, and optical VR. A bit pricey but worth it for serious macro work.

Ds_110 · Answer

1 wide angle lens: Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S Type: Zoom lens Focal Length: 14-30mm Aperture: f/4 Key Features: Compact design, versatile zoom range, excellent sharpness, and minimal distortion. This lens is perfect for landscape, architecture, and astrophotography. 2 Standard lens: NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S Type: Zoom lens Focal Length: 24-70mm Aperture: f/2.8 Key Features: Fast and constant aperture, exceptional image quality, and weather-sealed body. This is a great all-purpose lens suitable for portraits, street photography, and events. 3 Telephoto lens: NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S Type: Zoom lens Focal Length: 70-200mm Aperture: f/2.8 Key Features: Superior optical performance, fast autofocus, and effective vibration reduction. This lens is ideal for wildlife, sports photography, and portraiture.

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