Lens Review: Nikon Z 26mm f2.8
The ultra-compact full-frame Nikon Z 26mm f2.8 is a technical wonder targeted directly at travelers, street photographers, and those seeking a small, lightweight carry. This pancake mirrorless prime lens has a strong capability for its size. Can this tiny wonder genuinely do it all?
I try to keep my gear as light and compact as possible and have struggled for years to find ation that I like. When this 26mm Z lens was released, wide-angle solu I went straight out to buy one and have been thrilled with it.
Well, I’m 90% thrilled… and that’s pretty good!
There were some question marks amongst the Z series crowd, considering that Nikon has made a similar lens that serves the same niché for a few years… The Z system 28mm f2.8. This might make the 26 seem like a strange offering, especially at twice the price, but hear me out before you call the 26mm redundant and overpriced.
I’ve read some reviews that put the 26mm on par with the 28mm but I disagree entirely on several fronts. At least for this photographer, the 26mm works, and the 28mm doesn’t. I have owned the 28mm twice and also sold it twice. It never did it for me. Enter the 26mm. It is so small, sharp, and well-designed that it transforms a full-frame Z system mirrorless camera into something more akin to a rangefinder in size and usability, with fidelity that is more than ample.
The Nikon Z 26mm f2.8 is impressive in many ways, but it does have some weak points. Pancake lenses are most often marginal and while this lens is not perfect, it’s easily the best pancake I’ve shot with and very capable in most situations. It is a technological wonder boasting exceptional usability and surprisingly good image quality.
ExaMple Photos
I shot with this lens regularly while exploring Lisbon, Portugal during the rainy off-season. I’m not particularly happy with my images from the trip, but the 26mm performed admirably. I particularly like the square in-camera crop format with this focal length. It’s fun to shoot at waist level with the LCD, bringing me back to my 120mm medium format film days. The maximum aperture of f2.8 is by no means ideal for low light or night photography but given the capability of modern backlit sensors it’s enough to get by.
WHY THe 26mm focal length?
Because it’s popular.
It is so popular that nearly every one of us has a 26mm camera, or close to it, in our possession all day every day. Smartphone default lenses hover right around the 28mm or 30mm mark in an equivalent field of view. While the Nikon Z 26mm is a bit wider, it isn’t far off. The high 20s range has become how we most often see the world and what most people expect to see through their cameras. The downside is that shots taken at this focal length can feel boring or typical. In the case of this particular lens, I think the slightly wider 26mm, along with the inherently higher fidelity and shorter depth of field than a smartlens, help to keep that feeling at bay.
26mm is also versatile. It’s great for landscape photography, street photography, travel photography, and indoor shots. When you need to reach for a subject it won’t help you, but it’s perfect for capturing most of what you see right in front of you.
It’s also easy. A wide angle of view keeps the average photographer from having to use their feet or make decisions in order to compose a decent picture. The smartphone itself also cheats its way out of having to manage its small apertures and gains an assist at stopping action from the broad field of view.
test method
You certainly won’t see test targets or comparisons of “corner sharpness at every aperture” in this review. I’ll touch on the technical aspects but this review is more about capturing a broad range of images out in the real world and providing you with an idea of what to expect in, image quality, usability and whether or not I like it.
As someone with a BFA in photography and photographic science and decades of experience, I can tell you that test target sharpness isn’t all that important. Of course, we need a certain amount of image quality, but lenses are really good nowadays. Gear either makes pictures that have a certain something or lack that something. Besides, do you really want to sit at your computer and look at lab images?
Also, I don’t shoot video. This is a still image photographer’s review, though I’ve read that this lens performs marginally for video, mostly due to the autofocus shortcomings.
workflow
Nikon Z6 > Lightroom is my simplest and most frequent process. (CC or Classic – ipad or macbook pro – sync’d)
For what I shoot with a lens like this (General photography), I most often apply a film simulation with an Adobe Lightroom profile + basic adjustments.
For black-and-white, I use my own custom in-camera Nikon Picture Control presets modeled after TMAX and Tri-X films and make basic adjustments in Lightroom.
The images here are shown at 2000 pixels on the long edge. They are not full resolution, but they are enough for you to see what matters.
MORE EXAMPLEs
I chose the 26mm for a very freezing cold trip to the DeCordova Sculpture Museum just outside of Boston.
availability
It costs just under $500 at the time this article was written. Not particularly inexpensive for a pancake lens, however it shows in the quality and capability.
You can buy it from any of your favorite photography retailers including B&H Photo & Video, Adorama, or directly from Nikon.
PRODUCT SHOTS & build quality
This pancake prime lens has been designed and built with integrity despite its diminutive size and ultralight 125g. It has a metal lens mount and is weather-sealed (when using the detachable filter ring with a filter attached), and the control/manual focus ring has a smooth, quality action with appropriate resistance. Overall it feels well-made. Build quality far surpasses Nikon’s other compact Z system prime lenses, the 40mm f2 and 28mm f2.8.
technical specs
| Lens Mount | Nikon Z |
| Focal Length | 26mm (39mm DX) |
| Maximum Aperture | f 2.8 |
| Minimum Aperture | f 16 |
| Aperture Blades | 7 |
| Construction | 8 elements (3 asph), 6 groups |
| Mount Material | Metal |
| Weather Sealing/Resistance | Yes |
| Vibration Reduction | No |
| Focus Motor | Step Motor |
| Controls | 1 ring, No function buttons |
| Close Focus Distance | 20cm (.066′) |
| Magnification | 0.19x |
| Filter Size | 52mm |
| Weight | 125g (4.5 oz) |
| Dimensions | 23.5 x 70mm |
handling & ergonomics
It’s tiny, and so is the control ring, but design and usability have been very well executed within the constraints of being a low-profile pancake-style lens. It is so small that it effectively transforms my full-frame Z series camera into something more akin to an APS-C rangefinder-style camera or a micro 4/3 system in size. I put my Fuji X100v up for sale the day after I bought this lens and haven’t looked back.
Controls
This is a basic lens featuring a single focus/control ring and no buttons or switches. The ring has a smooth, quality action with appropriate resistance. As with any Z system lens, the focus ring (control ring) can be programmed for a variety of uses.
One minor complaint is that when the control ring is programmed for settings such as f-stop, ISO, or exposure compensation it moves through those settings far too quickly when rotated. This I strue across the Z system line. I wouldn’t expect anything different here. I’d like to program the ring for another purpose other than manual focus, but it’s too touchy for that. For manual focus it works just fine.
Handling
The integrated hood, 52mm filter threads, slip-on lens cap, and impossibly small size all lend fantastic handling and usability.
Rotated to reach a firm click, the filter ring attaches securely and boasts Nikon-friendly 52mm filter threads. Being a vintage Nikon enthusiast I am well stocked for 52mm filters, and 52mm is Nikon correct. Additionally, the filter mount acts as a low-profile hood and helps to keep your fingers from blocking the glass.
Another outstanding design element is the press-on lens cap. How I love a good press-on cap and this one holds on securely even with a filter mounted. Bravo!
Good slip-on caps add portability to a camera. They stay on in your jacket pocket, or with your camera uncased in your day bag, and they come off easily to grab an unexpected moment. I am baffled by the fact that most lens designs lack quality caps, integrated hoods, or anything beyond plain filter threads. Design circa 1950, but what Nikon did with the business end of this lens is smart-on-smart.
On-camera
It only barely protrudes past the grip on a full-frame Z system body, and being so light, it feels like it isn’t there.
Aesthetics
It looks boring, but that’s just fine. It perfectly matches the modern design of the Z6, Z6ii, Z7, Z7ii, Z9, Z8, Z50, and Z30 camera bodies. However, when mounted to the retro-styled Zf or Zfz bodies, it clashes.
image quality
Artistic attributes & the subjective
This lens is an aperture chameleon. Sometimes, I feel vintage vibes shooting wide open, yet when stopped down, it becomes very sharp with increasingly modern image quality.
In my opinion, that’s all good for a compact and versatile lens. I appreciate the slightly more organic quality at f2.8 for street scenes, indoors, and low light, yet I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot a big landscape with the type of fidelity available stopped down.
Sharpness
Outstanding fidelity for its niché. Nothing but wow for a wide-angle pancake. Previously, the quality within this class was unheard of.
Chromatic Abberation
I haven’t seen any yet, but I haven’t hunted for it either. Considering three aspherical elements, it shouldn’t be a concern.
Distortion
…is automatically corrected in Z system cameras, but unlike vignette control, Nikon does not offer the ability to fine-tune or turn off distortion correction. Surely they don’t want consumers to know how much distortion occurs naturally. Curiosity is the only reason to know, and the in-camera correction is flawless.
Close Focus
In 1977 Nikon revolutionized wide-angle lenses by engineering the 24mm f2.8 Ais which is so good that it is still sold today, virtually unchanged since it’s release.
It was the dawn of Nikon’s ”close-range correction,” which utilized a floating element allowing a very short minimum focus distance, along with eliminating the majority of the optical problems that occurred when close-focusing wide-angle prime lenses. Nikon’s engineering prowess continues with the Nikon Z 26mm f2.8. It focuses to a scant 20cm and photos generally look great.
Check out the Glossary of Nikon Lens Technology to learn more about CRC Design.
Here a couple of boring snapshots from my yard to give you an idea of the close focus range of 20cm.
Autofocus
AF is the most glaring weakness here. It is slow to shift, slow to commit, and audible. For the type of photography that I do, this isn’t critical, but for those who are keen on high-performance AF, this lens will let you down. Even with my relative apathy toward autofocus performance, I find this lens hunts around too much.
Bokeh
….f2.8 at 26mm isn’t quite “bokeh”, but with a close-focus distance of an amazing .66” the background can be thrown out substantially in a close-up shot. I find the look of it pleasant; certainly unoffensive at a minimum.
Vignetting
…is present, but only sort of. Nikon has it controlled in-camera. It can be dialed to your liking by setting the level of “vignette control” in your Z series menu. I add vignettes to almost every photo I process anyway, so most of the time, I’m pleased when a lens vignettes naturally.
Flare
Be careful, but no need to be too worried.
Speed
Nikon’s fast f1.8 20mm and 24mm are fantastic lenses, but they are bigger, heavier, and more expensive. You can’t expect that level of performance from a pancake, and the maximum aperture of f2.8 is excellent for a compact wide-angle. If you were shooting with a zoom lens, 2.8 would be the absolute best! Furthermore, it’s a usable f2.8. If you’re seeking truly fine detail, go to f4 or slower, but 2.8 still looks really good, especially for the style of photographs you are likely to be shooting at 2.8!
I enjoy shooting at night. This lens holds me back in that regard, but in a well-lit city, it’s enough.
I used a Tiffen Glimmer Glass 1 filter to give these night shots from Austin extra mood…
conclusion
A magnificent, tiny, well-designed artistic companion for travel and daily snaps, while still being strong enough for big landscapes and high fidelity shots when stopped down. It’s a joy to use, especially considering the smart design of the hood/filter holder and slip-on lens cap. This one is a winner. I particularly enjoy this lens in square crop mode where it lends a 120mm medium format feel.
The only glaring flaw is its marginal autofocus capability. Refinement in other aspects of performance such as flare and coma is middle-of-the-road, however very good for a lens of this niché.
Combine the factors of size, image quality, build quality, and expert attention to usability, and this lens is worth the $500 price tag over its 28mm sibling.
Jim Hill
Travel, landscape & urban photographer with a BFA in Photographic Illustration & Process from RIT.
Formerly a product & advertising studio photographer, and a fine-art darkroom printer, I have recently reconnected with the spirit that attracted me to photography to begin with: The moments and scenes I find outside of studios and photo labs while travelling or exploring the Boston and New England area.
I value the art of printing and finishing photos for the wall, just as I do sharing my images and adventures on the screen.
@bnw_by_jim
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