Nikon Z 28-75mm F2.8 Gallery: Nikon’s affordable full-frame F2.8 zoom makes a good first impression
posted Wednesday, March 16, 2022 at 3:00 PM EDT
Click here to view our Nikon Z 28-75mm F2.8 Nikkor Gallery
A few months back, Nikon announced the Nikkor Z 28-75mm F2.8 full-frame standard zoom lens. We've spent some hands-on time with the lens and so far, it's proven to be an interesting alternative to the Z 24-70mm F4 S kit lens and the Z 24-70mm F2.8 S professional zoom lens. The Z 28-75mm F2.8 is about $200 more than the 24-70mm F4 S lens despite being a full stop faster. And compared to the 24-70mm F2.8 S, the Z 28-75mm F2.8 costs $1,100 less and is 240g lighter. That's a big difference in terms of cost and weight. Nikon now offers three full-frame zoom lenses with similar focal length ranges, and each offers distinct advantages over the others.
In addition to lacking the 24mm wide focal length, the Z 28-75mm F2.8 also lacks 'S line' designation, something both the 24-70mm F4 S and 24-70mm F2.8 S deliver. As Nikon describes it, the S Line branding is a 'badge of honor for Nikkor Z lenses.' S line lenses promise impeccable sharpness when shooting wide open and across the entire image frame. Many S line lenses include the latest Nikon optical technologies, including Nano Crystal coating, ARNEO coating, improved build quality and a multi-focus system. The Nikkor Z 28-75mm F2.8, on the other hand, lacks these high-end features.
Does that mean that the Z 28-75mm F2.8 delivers subpar optical performance? No. So far, the lens has been quite impressive. It doesn't offer the same fantastic control over aberrations and top-of-the-line sharpness of the Nikon Z 24-70mm F2.8 S lens, but that would be an unfair expectation. What the Z 28-75mm F2.8 does deliver is good sharpness, pretty good control over aberrations and generally nice bokeh. The Z 28-75mm F2.8 has 15 elements across a dozen groups and includes a Super ED element, an extra-low dispersion element and three aspherical elements. By the way, you know what other 28-75mm F2.8 lens has this exact same optical construction? The original Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD lens. We'll discuss that more in our full hands-on review.
The lack of 'S line' designation also doesn't mean that the Nikon Z 28-75mm F2.8 has poor build quality. The lens feels good in the hands and its zoom ring, which features markings at 28, 35, 50 and 75mm, rotates smoothly while offering a nearly perfect amount of resistance. The lens also includes a control ring, which can be used to control various camera settings or for manual focus. That's it. There's no dials or switches, nor the OLED info panel found on the 24-70mm F2.8 S lens. In total, the 28-75mm F2.8 weighs 565g (1.2 lbs), which is pretty light for a lens in its class. It's not compact, but it's not large either.
So far, so good with the Nikon Z 28-75mm F2.8 lens. It's an interesting addition to the Nikon Z lens lineup and provides users with a fast, full-frame standard zoom lens that doesn't break the bank. For demanding photographers, the 24-70mm F2.8 S still reigns supreme, but not everyone wants to spend well over $2,000 for a lens. I think that the more interesting comparison is between the Nikon Z 24-70mm F4 S and the new Z 28-75mm F2.8 lens. I'll spend quite a bit of time discussing this head-to-head battle in my upcoming Z 28-75mm F2.8 Hands-on Review. But for now, please head over to the Nikon Z 28-75mm F2.8 Gallery.
