Nikon Z 28-75mm F2.8 Nikkor hands-on review: A good all-around performer at a great price
posted Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at 3:30 PM EDT
Click here to read our Nikon Z 28-75mm F2.8 Hands-on Review
We've gone hands-on with Nikon's new Nikkor Z 28-75mm F2.8 full-frame zoom lens, and it has proven to be a competent F2.8 zoom lens at a compelling price. With a suggested retail price of $1,200, although it's currently $1,000, Nikon's new lens is an interesting alternative to the company's existing Z 24-70mm F4 S and Z 24-70mm F2.8 S zoom lenses. A combination of factors sets the Z 28-75mm F2.8 apart from those other two lenses, apart from the slightly different focal length range. The new zoom is faster than the Z 24-70mm F4 S and the Z 28-75mm F2.8 is much lighter, smaller and more affordable than the Z 24-70mm F2.8 S. Nikon's latest lens also isn't part of the 'S-Line' series, meaning that, unlike the 24-70mm lenses, the 28-75mm doesn't include Nikon's most advanced optical technology.
Speaking of optics, the Z 28-75mm F2.8 includes 15 elements across 12 groups. That's the same number of optics as Tamron's 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD lens. It's worth mentioning that the Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD is not the newest version of the Tamron 28-75mm lens, but rather the original version. We reviewed the newer 'G2' version of that lens earlier this year, although it's currently available only for Sony E-mount cameras. Back to Nikon's new lens. It doesn't include 'S-Line' tech, like Nano Crystal or ARNEO coatings, but does it nonetheless deliver good image quality? Yes, with some caveats. The lens is somewhat prone to distortion, although that's relatively well-controlled by lens profiles. The Z 28-75mm F2.8 doesn't offer quite the same level of sharpness across the frame as Nikon's two 24-70mm lenses, but the Z 28-75mm F2.8 is still sharp and capable of capturing highly-detailed images, even when shooting wide open. Lacking some of Nikon's sophisticated coatings, the lens is slightly more prone to flare than I'd like, but that's a small complaint.
In terms of overall usability, there's a lot to like about the Z 28-75mm F2.8. It weighs only 565 grams (1.2 lb.), which is barely heavier than the Z 24-70mm F4 S lens despite being a full stop faster. The Z 28-75mm F2.8 is also 240g lighter than the 24-70mm F2.8 S lens. The Z 28-75mm F2.8 has a basic design that omits an AF/MF switch on the lens barrel, L.Fn buttons and an OLED information display, but you can't have it all when trying to cut size, weight and cost. An area of little compromise is autofocus. The lens delivers quick and quiet autofocus and offers a max magnification of 0.34x, which is pretty good.
There's much more to discuss about the Nikon Z 28-75mm F2.8 lens and plenty of images to download in our Gallery, so head on over to our full review for much more and to learn if the Z 28-75mm F2.8 is a worthwhile addition to a Z photographer's kit.