Best Lenses for Nikon Z5

Best Lenses for Nikon Z5 full frame mirrorless cameras. Looking for recommended lenses for your Nikon Z5? Here are the top recommended Nikon Z5 lenses.

The Nikon Z5 is an entry-level full-frame mirrorless camera that looks and handles a lot like the Z6, and offers a lot of the same features.

The Nikon Z5 (AmazonB&HAdorama) uses a 24MP CMOS sensor, paired with an Expeed 6 processor, but it is not the same BSI-CMOS chip that we’ve seen in the Z6. The Z5’s sensor is probably closely related to the last-generation sensors in the likes of the Nikon D750. Despite its entry-level positioning, the Z5 offers a minimum exposure time of 1/8000sec, which enables wide-aperture shooting in bright conditions.

In this post, in order to help you get a professional-like shot, here we list the top recommended and most suitable native full-frame Z-Mount lenses for Nikon Z5 mirrorless camera including leading prime and zoom options from wide-angle to telephoto, which helps you choosing the exact lens of your demanding situation.

Best Lenses for Nikon Z5 mirrorless camera

To help you decide on the best lens for your intended use, we have categorized the lenses into the following groups. This should hopefully make it much easier for you to find the lens that you are looking for. You can click any of the below links to jump to the type of lens that interests you the most.

Full List of Recommended Nikon Z5 Lenses

Kit Lenses | Wide-angle Zoom Lenses | Wide-angle Prime Lenses | Street Lenses | Standard Zoom Lenses | Portrait Lenses | Macro Lenses | Sports and Wildlife Lenses | Night Landscapes and Astrophotography Lenses

Nikon Z5 Kit Lenses

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 ($1,696.95 for the kit or $396.95 Separately)

Great for everyday shooting, street photography, portraits, 4K video and more.

Featuring a sleek design and versatile 24-50mm focal length range, the NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 comes as a traditional kit lens and it packs big optical performance into the shortest, lightest full frame standard zoom lens in its class. At its widest, 24mm, it’s great for street photography, interiors and landscapes. Zoom in to 50mm and capture beautiful portraits, product images and everyday snapshots. Its retractable design helps to achieve the slim form factor that is suitable to walkaround and travel shooting applications. In addition, the NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 uses a fast, quiet stepping motor for autofocusing and diaphragm control, ensuring camera noises never disturb a moment or ruin a video. For $300 more than the cost of the Nikon Z5 camera body alone, you can get a compact and easy to use standard zoom covering wide-angle to normal focal lengths that is great for everyday shooting, street photography, portraits, 4K video and more. So, if you are in the process of buying the Z5 body, we really love the value of the Nikon Z5 with 24-50mm lens kit. If you already own the Nikon Z5 body, there are some other attractive options below.

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR ($2,196.95 for the kit or $896.95 Separately)

The Best All-in-one Lens for Nikon Z5.

A one-lens solution for working in a wide variety of shooting situations, the NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR from Nikon is an all-in-one 8.3x zoom covering wide-angle to telephoto focal lengths that is ideal for immersive landscapes, arresting architecture, captivating portraits, candid street photography and everything in between – all with a single compact, lightweight lens. At just 570 g, the compact NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR is the perfect grab and go lens for all-day versatility and convenience. From stunning wide landscapes to close-ups of the animals that inhabit them, every shot is captured with staggering resolution, impressive clarity and minimal distortion. Beyond its incredible flexibility and convenience, the NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR is designed to take full advantage of the Z mount’s impressive light-gathering capability, so photos and videos are sharp, clear and evenly illuminated throughout the entire frame. The impressive zoom reach is also benefitted by Vibration Reduction image stabilization, which minimizes the appearance of camera shake by up to 5 stops for sharper handheld shooting. A stepping motor provides quick, quiet, and precise autofocus performance along with full-time manual focus override to suit both stills and video applications. Plus, it accepts 67mm filters such as neutral density filters for greater creative exposure control. With its high zoom range, portable design and beautiful image quality, the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR is perfect for anyone wanting a single lens that can help them step up and capture any moment that comes their way.

Lens Price Buy Now
Nikon Z5 with 24-50mm Lens $1,696.95 Amazon | B&H
Nikon Z5 with 24-200mm Lens $2,196.95 Amazon | B&H
Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 $396.95 Amazon | B&H
Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR $896.95 Amazon | B&H


Best Wide-angle Zoom Lenses for Nikon Z5

Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S Lens ($1,296.95)

An essential lens for travel, adventure, events, video and everything in between.

This compact and lightweight Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S Lens was designed for photo and video shooters looking for a sharp ultra-wide zoom lens with which to seek out gorgeous landscapes or cityscapes on their next travel adventure, and is an excellent choice for capturing interiors, architecture or events. Spanning an impressive 14-30mm wide-angle range and a fixed f/4 aperture, the NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens offers top-notch NIKKOR image quality and sharpness throughout the entire frame, as well as impressive aberration correction, smooth, quiet autofocus and breakthrough performance, all inside the first filter-attachable full-frame ultra-wide NIKKOR lens ever. Its an ideal tool for capturing breathtaking landscapes, architecture, astrophotography, and other photographic scenes and subjects that require broad fields of view.

Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 ($849)

The world’s widest zoom lens for Nikon Z full frame cameras.

Providing a wide range of perspective from 130° (10mm) to 102° (18mm), the Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 from Venus Optics is currently the world’s widest zoom lens for Nikon Z full frame cameras. Although designed primarily for travel photography (compact and lightweight), the Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 is also ideal for landscape, nature, and architectural shooting as well as astrophotography applications. The Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 comprises of 14 elements in 10 groups with 2 pcs of aspherical elements and 1 pc of Extra-low dispersion elements. The patented optical design successfully minimizes the distortion and chromatic aberrations to its lowest but still can delivers a superb optical performance from corners to corners at the same time. Manual focus design permits working with subjects as close as 5.9″ away with a maximum magnification ratio of 1:4. Additionally, the manual aperture ring can be de-clicked for smooth, silent aperture changes to suit video applications, and the rear of the lens is threaded to accept 37mm screw-in filters.

Lens Price Buy Now
Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S $1,296.95 Amazon | B&H
Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 $849 Amazon | B&H


Best Wide-angle Prime Lenses for Nikon Z5

Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S ($1,046.95)

Perfect for architecture, landscapes, wide interior shooting, unique environmental portraiture, as well as vlogging.

With an ultra-wide 20mm field of view and a brilliant f/1.8 maximum aperture, the NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S is a versatile prime well-suited to a range of subject types, from architecture to interiors to landscapes. Its angle of view excels at landscape and wide interior shooting, while its speed makes it superb for environmental portraits with lush, soft backgrounds, and for low light shots that are sharp and clean with faithful point light reproduction. And the NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S is truly cinematic with video enhancements that ensure silent autofocusing without breathing, and smooth aperture and ISO control. Its advanced optical design produces sharp, well-corrected images with great clarity and color accuracy using its aspherical and ED elements. The design also features Nano Crystal and Super Integrated Coating technologies for minimizing flare while achieving ghost control and higher color fidelity. With its gorgeous artistic qualities and natural, wide perspective, the NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S is embraced by pro photographers for expansive landscapes, scene-setting interiors, unique environmental portraiture, as well as 4K video recording.

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24mm f/1.8 S ($996.95)

An ideal lens for indoor photography, wide-angle snapshots, landscapes and starscapes, as well as video recording.

The new NIKKOR Z 24mm f/1.8 S was designed for photographers and videographers looking to capture gorgeous wide-angle landscapes or vivid street photography, a travel adventure or a stunning starscape. For videographers and content creators, this popular focal length is a staple for production due to its natural perspective. The lens takes advantage of the most advanced NIKKOR technologies to deliver optical superiority, exceptional sharpness, beautiful bokeh and high-resolution across the entire frame, even at maximum aperture. This system synchronizes two separate AF drive units to deliver fast and accurate focusing. It uses stepping motors for smooth and quiet autofocusing, making it suitable for shooting stills and videos, and has a full-time manual focus override. With its 24 mm focal length and fast (bright) f/1.8 maximum aperture, the wide-angle NIKKOR Z 24mm f/1.8 S is well suited to a wide variety of scenes – from indoor photography and wide-angle snapshots, to landscapes and starscapes – all of which can be beautifully recorded as high-resolution stills or movies.

Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D ($949)

A great lens for landscape and architecture photography.

With an ultra-wide 122° angle of view (12mm) and bright f/2.8 maximum aperture, the Nikon Z-mount Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D from Venus Optics is an ideal lens for landscapes, interiors, and architectural photography. The optical design features a 16 lens elements in 10 groups with 3 Extra-Low Dispersion Elements and 2 Aspherical Elements. This patented optical design delivers a high resolution from corner to corner, even in a wide open (f/2.8) situation. Chromatic Aberration has also been controlled to the minimal. Bright f/2.8 maximum aperture is well-suited to working in low and difficult lighting conditions. The ultra fast aperture can effectively shorten the exposure time required and help to achieve more details of the night sky. Benefitting the optical attributes, this lens also features a precise manual focus design along with a floating optical system to maintain accurate rendering throughout the focus range, from 7.09″ to infinity. Additionally, a petal-shaped lens hood is also incorporated into the lens’ design to reduce flare and ghosting when working in strong lighting conditions.

Rokinon MF 14mm f/2.8 ($499)

Perfect for astrophotography, landscapes, extreme sports, interiors, and real estate imagery.

Provideing a dramatic rectilinear 116° view, a sophisticated optical layout with a robust and intuitive design, the Nikon Z-mount Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 is an ultra-wide prime well-suited for landscape, architecture, and astrophotography applications. Incorporating 14 elements in 10 groups, this lens utilizes a series of aspherical, low dispersion, and high refractive index elements to reduce color fringing, aberrations, and distortions for sharp, clear, and color accurate imagery. An Ultra Multi-Coating is also featured, as well as a built-in petal-shaped lens hood, to suppress lens flare and ghosting for improved contrast when working in bright, direct lighting conditions. Complementing the imaging assets, a manual focus design is employed that permits working with subjects as close as 11″ away, and the metal housing is weather-sealed to permit working in inclement conditions.

Lens Price Buy Now
Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S $1,296.95 Amazon | B&H
Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 $849 Amazon | B&H
Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S $1,046.95 Amazon | B&H
Nikon NIKKOR Z 24mm f/1.8 S $996.95 Amazon | B&H
Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D $949 Amazon | B&H
Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D $849 Amazon | B&H
Rokinon MF 14mm f/2.8 $499 Amazon | B&H

Best Street Lenses for Nikon Z5

Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S Lens ($846.95)

Ideal for landscapes, street photography, weddings, environmental portraits and more.

A favored focal length for everything from landscape to street shooting, the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S is a prime wide-angle lens characterized by its versatility and bright f/1.8 maximum aperture. With a maximum aperture of f/1.8, this impressive NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 wide-angle lens helps capture well-exposed images with stunning background bokeh even in challenging shooting situations. Its optical design features three aspherical and two extra-low dispersion elements, all of which work together in reducing distortion and aberrations to deliver clearer and sharper images with spectacular detail. Benefitting the optics, a stepping motor provides quick, quiet, and precise autofocus performance along with full-time manual focus override to suit both stills and video applications. Additionally, a programmable control ring can be set for intuitive adjustment over a variety of camera and exposure settings.

Lens Price Buy Now
Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S $846.95 Amazon | B&H

Best Standard Zoom Lenses for Nikon Z5

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S Lens ($2,296.95)

Ideal for environmental portraits, landscapes, weddings, events, studio and street photography.

The Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S Lens is a powerful standard zoom lens that’s indispensable for a wide range of photo and video applications, from landscapes and street photography to full-length and environmental portraits, all with stunning clarity, high resolution and natural bokeh. Elevated by a new Multi-Focus System, next generation lens flare correction and advanced S-Line features and functionality, the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S is a must-have lens that marks the sweet spot of performance, precision and optical superiority. Constant f/2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range delivers the subject separation, speed and gorgeous bokeh professionals demand and also benefits working in difficult lighting conditions and using selective focus techniques. The optical design incorporates a pair of extra-low dispersion elements along with four aspherical elements, which help to control chromatic and spherical aberrations throughout the zoom range for improved clarity and sharpness. Additionally, ARNEO and Nano Crystal Coats, as well as a Super Integrated Coating, have been applied to suppress flare, ghosting, and surface reflections for improved contrast and color fidelity.

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S Lens ($996.95)

Ideal for travel, street photography, weddings, ceremonies, press conferences and video productions.

If you can’t afford the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, and want to get a more compact and lightweight one, you can try the Z 24-70mm f/4 S version. With a highly versatile zoom range for both stills and video, yet a wonderfully compact, lightweight design, the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S is a great travel and walk-around lens and perfect for landscapes, portraits and weddings. The fixed maximum aperture of f/4 enables a brighter, more consistent exposure all throughout the zoom range and allows the lens to have a more compact and lightweight body. The fast, silent, and precise AF performance, as well as the full-time manual focus override, allow for more creative control and extremely sharp results. Meanwhile, to ensure professional imaging, it features an aspherical extra-low dispersion lens element and three aspherical elements for significantly reduced aberrations and distortions throughout the full zoom range, resulting in exceptional sharpness and clarity. A great lens for travel, street photography, weddings, ceremonies, press conferences and video productions.

Lens Price Buy Now
Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S $2,296.95 Amazon | B&H
Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S $996.95 Amazon | B&H

Best Portrait Lenses for Nikon Z5

Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S Lens ($796.95)

A perfect lens for portraits, headshots, fashion, weddings, tight video shots, street photography or any situation that highlights the human form.

Popular for portraiture, the NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S’s 85mm perspective is within the sweet spot for portraits and fashion, rendering faces naturally and beautifully, free of distortion, and it can offer extreme sharpness, stunning bokeh, unwavering focus and lifelike accuracy compensation. Bright f/1.8 maximum aperture suits working in difficult lighting conditions and also offers increased control over depth of field for isolating subjects and working with selective focus. In addition, it has Eye-Detection autofocus, ultra-quiet focus motors, a control ring, and minimized focus breathing. These features make it a suitable lens for portraits, headshots, and videos. Two extra-low dispersion elements greatly reduce color fringing and chromatic aberrations in order to produce greater clarity and color rendering. Its nine rounded aperture blades give defocused points a consistent and rounded shape, rendering pleasing bokeh. Superior control, efficient operability, and a robust build make the new NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S Lens a must-have for photographers and videographers alike.

Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S Lens ($596.95)

The NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S Lens is a powerful and compact prime lens that offers a fixed “normal” field of view at 50mm and a bright maximum aperture of f/1.8. Its natural perspective is ideal for capturing portraits and reducing image distortion, making this handy “Nifty Fifty” variation a must-have in every photographer’s bag. Meanwhile, the wide aperture and its nine rounded blades allow the lens to perform remarkably well in low-light shooting conditions while enabling greater control over depth of field so you can produce images with beautiful, creamy bokeh. The optical design includes two aspherical elements and two extra-low dispersion elements, which greatly reduce both spherical and chromatic aberrations for increased sharpness and clarity. Really a compact, well-versed prime lens for Nikon FX-format mirrorless cameras.

Lens Price Buy Now
Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S $796.95 Amazon | B&H
Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S $596.95 Amazon | B&H
Rokinon MF 85mm f/1.4 $379 Amazon | B&H

Best Macro Lenses for Nikon Z5

Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO ($449)

Characterized by its close-focusing capabilities and apochromatic design, the Nikon Z-mount Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO from Venus Optics is a unique and versatile short-telephoto prime that is ideal for macro photography. Featuring an apochromatic designation, this lens uses a pair of low dispersion elements to effectively eliminate chromatic aberrations and color fringing for greater clarity and accurate rendering. The lens’s manual focus design also suits its macro capabilities, which permit working with subjects as close as 2:1 with a minimum focusing distance of 9.7″ to suit working with close-up subjects. Additionally, a 13-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality. Not only it is an exceptional macro lens, the Laowa 100mm f/2.8 is also a very decent portrait lens when focus to infinity. The 12 elements in 10 groups optics design delivers a crystal sharpness image in both macro and infinity distances. Combining a short-telephoto field of view and close-focusing performance, the Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO is a well-rounded lens for a range of subjects, from portraits to macro subjects.

Lens Price Buy Now
Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO $449 Amazon | B&H
Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro $399 Amazon | B&H
Meike MK-85mm f/2.8 Macro $269.99 B&H | Adorama

Best Sports and Wildlife Lenses for Nikon Z5

Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S ($2,596.95)

The NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 represents a pivotal lens for the Z series and a must-have for those shooting sports, action, weddings, events, news, wildlife and portraits. Equipped with a versatile focal range, fast f/2.8 aperture and an impressive 5 stops of built-in optical VR image stabilization, the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm gives mirrorless shooters the flexibility to capture astoundingly sharp images and videos in a variety of scenarios. Like other S line lenses, the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 boasts a premium optical design complete with a 9-blade diaphragm as well as Anti-Reflective Nano Crystal and ARNEO coatings for maximum image quality in any light, with a Fluorine coating that resists dirt and smudges. And, multimedia and content creators using the lens will appreciate the stepping motor (STM) for extremely quiet autofocus operation and reduced focus breathing. In addition, this NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S Lens is compatible with the new Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x & 2x. These lightweight teleconverters are great tools for those photographing sports, wildlife and aviation, reducing the need to crop images and allowing for tighter compositions with maximum resolution. When the teleconverters are used with the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S, the focal length on the telephoto end is extended to 280mm (1.4x) or 400mm (2.0x) producing a significant expansion of this telephoto lens’ shooting range.

Lens Price Buy Now
Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S $2,596.95 Amazon | B&H
Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x $546.95 Amazon | B&H
Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-2x $596.95 Amazon | B&H

Best Night Landscapes and Astrophotography Lenses for Nikon Z5

Nikon NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct Lens ($7,996.95)

The NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct is positioned at the very top of the S-Line, and serves as the symbol of the superior optical performance achieved with NIKKOR Z lenses. Noct is a specialized lens that delivers the ultimate in fine details, sharpness, bokeh and point-light rendering. Characterized by its advanced optical design and exceedingly bright f/0.95 maximum aperture, this lens excels in low-light conditions and also affords extreme control over depth of field for isolating subject matter. Made possible by innovations of the Z mount, it achieves a new dimension of performance – vast depth-of-field control and elaborate bokeh for portraiture and video, superb point-image reproduction and low-light performance for night landscapes and astrophotography, outstanding resolving power for industrial and scientific applications – all in an immaculately constructed lens with precision feel and brilliant operability. From stunning portraits to landscapes or astrophotography, all images are rendered beautifully thanks to its vast depth-of field control, seductive bokeh and superb point-image reproduction.

Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 III ($799)

A cheap alternative to the NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct lens.

Offering a natural 50mm perspective along with an ultra-fast f/0.95 maximum aperture, the Nikon Z-mount Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 III from Mitakon-Zhongyi is an exceptionally fast normal-length prime with enhanced flare resistance. Obviously distinguished by its f/0.95 maximum aperture, this lens excels in low-light situations and affords a great degree of control over depth-of-field for isolating subjects from the background and producing selective focus effects. Its optical design incorporates one high refractive index element along with five ultra-low dispersion elements to produce well-corrected imagery void of spherical and chromatic aberrations. The lens’s manual focus design permits working with subjects as close as 1.6′ away and an 11-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality.

Lens Price Buy Now
Nikon NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct $7,996.95 Amazon | B&H
Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 III $799 Amazon | B&H

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