Best Lenses for Nikon Z6 in 2023
Best Lenses for Nikon Z6. Here is the guide for you to get the top recommended Z-mount lenses for Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera.
Have you picked up a Nikon Z6 (Amazon, B&H, Adorama) recently? If so, then you might be thinking about which lenses are also worth adding to your gear bag. I have read and watched hundreds of Z-mount lens reviews and I also own quite a collection myself. So I have a pretty good idea about which are the best lenses worth investing in and which should be avoided.
Delivering higher image quality, more advanced optics and 4K video, the Nikon Z6 is an all around amazing mirrorless camera. Boasting an impressive 24.5MP BSI FX-Format image sensor along with Nikon’s signature EXPEED 6 processor, the Nikon Z6 supports up to 12 fps fast continuous shooting with a native sensitivity range of ISO 100-51200, UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) video recording at up to 30p as well as full HD 1080p video recording at up to 120p for slow motion playback. In addition, the Nikon Z6 features multiple displays and screens for ease of use, including a 0.80x 3.6m-dot EVF with NIKKOR optics and a Fluorine coating, ensuring clear viewing, and it is equipped with a 3.2″ 2.1m-dot tilting touchscreen LCD while the top offers a dot-matrix OLED for quickly checking settings. And the Nikon Z6 achieves an excellent 89% overall score and Silver Award from the experts at DPReview and it is suggested for everyday shooting and video.
Speaking of the lenses, the Nikon Z6 features the Z lens mount, which supports Nikon’s line of Z-mount lenses, and it has full compatibility to existing Nikon F-mount lenses via an optional FTZ Mount Adapter. So, if you have some Nikon F-mount lenses, you can just get the Nikon FTZ Mount Adapter to make full use of your Nikon F-mount lenses. In this post, in order to help you get a professional-like shot, I creat this guide – “best lenses for Nikon Z6” – to help you find the most suitable native full-frame Z-Mount lenses for Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera. My guide covers the best choices for portraits, wedding, landscapes, street, macro, videos, sports and wildlife and more. You can just choose the one you need!
Best Lenses for Nikon Z6 Mirrorless Camera
To help you decide on the best lens for your intended use, I 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.
- Top 10 Lenses
- Kit Lens
- All-in-one Lens
- Standard Zoom Lenses
- Wide-angle Prime Lenses
- Wide-angle Zoom Lenses
- Portrait Lenses
- Macro Lenses
- Sports and Wildlife Lenses
Nikon Z6 Top 10 Lenses
Here are my top 10 recommended lenses for the Nikon Z6.
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S Lens
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S Lens
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S Lens
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S Lens
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 24mm f/1.8 S Lens
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S Lens
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S Lens
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S Lens
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S Lens
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR Lens
Nikon Z6 Kit Lens
Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S
Ideal for travel, street photography, weddings, ceremonies, press conferences and video productions.
For $600 more than the cost of the Nikon Z6 camera body alone, you can get an all-purpose versatile standard zoom lens covering wide-angle to normal length zoom range that can deliver uncanny sharpness, vibrance and lighting across the entire frame. 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. Its constant f/4 maximum aperture maintains a consistent exposure throughout the zoom range and also helps to realize a more compact and lightweight alternative to an f/2.8 zoom. The optical design features 14 lens elements in 11 groups, including aspherical extra-low dispersion glass elements that minimize coma, chromatic aberrations, and other types of lens aberrations. Complementing 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. The downsides of this lens are the distortion when shooting at the wide, and the f/4 aperture will be not big enough when in the low light condition. But overall, the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S is an ideal travel companion. But overall, the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S is an ideal travel companion. So, if you are in the process of buying the Z6 body, we really love the value of the Nikon Z6 with 24-70mm f/4 lens kit. If you already own the Z6 body, there are some other attractive options below.
Nikon Z6 All-in-one Lens
Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR
A versatile all-in-one zoom lens that is ideal for immersive landscapes, arresting architecture, captivating portraits, candid street photography and everything in between.
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. 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. Adoption of a stepping motor (STM) and control ring ensures quiet operation that makes it an excellent choice for video recording. Nikon’s exclusive anti-reflection coating, ARNEO Coat, has also been adopted to effectively reduce ghost and flare effects. 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.
Nikon Z6 Standard Zoom Lenses
Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S
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. Characterized by its bright f/2.8 constant maximum aperture, this NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens is suitable for working in a variety of lighting conditions and also offers increased control over depth of field for isolating subjects and working with selective focus. 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. 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.
Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3
A budget option for everyday shooting, street photography, travel, portraits, landscapes, 4K video and more.
Featuring a sleek design and versatile 24-50mm focal length range, the NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 packs big optical performance into the shortest, lightest full frame standard zoom lens in its class. With 24-50mm focal length, this lens is the perfect choice for everything from street photography, interiors, and landscapes to capturing beautiful portraits, product images, and everyday snapshots. This Nikon 24-50mm lens also allows you to shoot your subject from a distance of as close as 13.7 inches at any zoom position making it an amazing choice for tabletop photography. A stepping motor provides quick, quiet, and precise autofocus performance along with full-time manual focus override to suit both stills and video applications. Its optical design incorporates three aspherical elements and a pair of low dispersion elements, which help to control a variety of aberrations for high sharpness and clarity. This Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 lens is also extensively weather sealed against dust and moisture, making it ideal as a walk around, do-anything lens.
Nikon Z6 Wide-angle Prime Lenses
Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S
Perfect for architecture, landscapes, wide interior shooting, unique environmental portraiture, as well as vlogging.
Combining the unique, ultra-wide perspective of a 20mm prime with the speed and low light capabilities of an 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 low light shots that are sharp and clean with faithful point light reproduction. An advanced optical design uses aspherical and ED elements to produce sharp, well-corrected imagery with high clarity and color accuracy, and both Nano Crystal and Super Integrated Coatings are also used to suppress flare and ghosting for greater color fidelity and higher contrast. Complementing the optical design, a multi-focus system, which employs two stepping motors, helps to realize impressively fast, accurate, and quiet focus performance, along with full-time manual focus override, to suit both stills and video needs. 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
An ideal lens for indoor photography, wide-angle snapshots, landscapes and starscapes, as well as video recording.
Presenting a wide field of view and an optimized design, the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24mm f/1.8 S is a versatile wide-angle lens well-suited to a range of subjects, including landscape, architecture, and reportage. 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. Featuring an advanced optical layout, this prime lens incorporates a series of aspherical and extra-low dispersion elements, which produce sharp, well-corrected imagery with a high degree of clarity. Also, both Nano Crystal and Super Integrated Coatings are used to suppress flare and ghosting for greater color fidelity and higher contrast. The NIKKOR Z 24mm f/1.8 S handles wide-angle applications with gorgeous resolution throughout the entire frame and naturally soft bokeh. 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.
Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S Lens
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. Furthering its merits, the optical design features two extra-low dispersion elements and three aspherical elements, which reduce a variety of aberrations and distortion to produce imagery with high sharpness, clarity, and accurate color rendering. Both Nano Crystal and Super Integrated Coatings are used, too, to suppress flare and ghosting for greater color fidelity and higher contrast. The NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S Lens is ideal for landscapes, street photography, weddings, environmental portraits, and more.
Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D
Perfect for astrophotography, landscapes, extreme sports, interiors, and real estate imagery.
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 construction also incorporates a pair of aspherical elements and three extra-low dispersion elements to control both spherical and chromatic aberrations for improved sharpness and reduced color fringing. The ultra fast aperture can effectively shorten the exposure time required and help to achieve more details of the night sky. A Frog Eye Coating has been applied, too, to repel dust and moisture from the front element of the lens to benefit working in trying environmental conditions. 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. Great lens for landscape and architecture photography.
Lens | Buy Now |
Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S | Amazon | B&H |
Nikon NIKKOR Z 24mm f/1.8 S | Amazon | B&H |
Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S | Amazon | B&H |
Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D | Amazon | B&H |
Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D | Amazon | B&H |
Rokinon MF 14mm f/2.8 | Amazon | B&H |
Nikon Z6 Wide-angle Zoom Lenses
Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S Lens
An ideal lens for landscape, travel, event, and architecture photographers and videographers.
With its ultra-wide angle of view and truly compact dimensions, the Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens is especially well-suited to landscape, architectural, and astrophotography applications, and the constant f/4 maximum aperture maintains a consistent exposure throughout the zoom range. Four extra-low dispersion (ED) and four aspherical lens elements help reduce aberrations and distortions to produce sharper, clearer, and more accurate image details. Nano Crystal and Super Integrated Coatings on the lens also suppress flare and ghosting, resulting in higher contrast images with greater color fidelity. Complementing 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. It’s 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
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. Its sleek size and versatile range of wide-angle focal lengths make it ideal for landscape, nature, and architectural shooting as well as astrophotography applications. Its optical design incorporates both extra-low dispersion and aspherical elements in order to correct a variety of aberrations and distortions for sharper, clearer image quality and accurate color rendering. A Frog Eye Coating has also been applied to repel dust and moisture from the front element of the lens to benefit working in trying environmental conditions. 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.
Nikon Z6 Portrait Lenses
Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S Lens
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 lens offers extreme sharpness, stunning bokeh, unwavering focus and lifelike accuracy compensation, and its 85mm perspective is within the sweet spot for portraits and fashion, rendering faces naturally and beautifully, free of distortion. The bright f/1.8 maximum aperture strikes a balance between size, weight, and speed, offering suitable speed for working in difficult lighting yet remaining sleek enough for handheld use. In terms of optics, two extra-low dispersion elements are featured, and help to reduce color fringing and chromatic aberrations in order to achieve high clarity and color fidelity. Also, both Nano Crystal and Super Integrated Coatings are used to suppress flare and ghosting for greater color fidelity and higher contrast. In addition, it has Eye-Detection autofocus, ultra-quiet focus motors, a control ring, and minimized focus breathing, making it a suitable lens for portraits, headshots, and videos. 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
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. It also features Nano Crystal and Super Integrated lens coatings to minimize reflections – which typically result in flare and ghosting – and to deliver higher contrast images and greater color accuracy. Capable of delivering striking, decisive images in nearly any light and ideal for all manner of videos.
Nikon NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct
Incredible f/0.95 maximum aperture. Probably the best lens that Nikon have ever made, but extremely heavy and expensive, and manual focus only.
The NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct combines an extra large f0.95 focal ratio with excellent optical performance and it is positioned at the very top of the S-Line. 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. The down-sides of this lens? It’s super expensive, very large, uber-heavy, and manual focus only.
Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 III
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 | Buy Now |
Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S | Amazon | B&H |
Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S | Amazon | B&H |
Nikon NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct | Amazon | B&H |
Mitakon Speedmaster 50mm f/0.95 III | Amazon | B&H |
Rokinon MF 85mm f/1.4 | Amazon | B&H |
Nikon Z6 Macro Lenses
Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO
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. Featuring a pair of low dispersion elements, color fringing and chromatic aberrations have been virtually eliminated throughout the focusing range in order to achieve high clarity and color accuracy. 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″. 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. The bright f/2.8 and circular aperture renders softly diffused bokeh and isolates the subject from its background. Additionally, a 13-blade diaphragm contributes to a pleasing bokeh quality. 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 | Buy Now |
Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO | Amazon | B&H |
Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro | Amazon | B&H |
Meike MK-85mm f/2.8 Macro | B&H | Adorama |
Nikon Z6 Sports and Wildlife Lenses
Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S
Ideal for sports, concerts, weddings, wildlife, portraiture and so much more.
A popular zoom among sports, event, and portrait photographers, the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S is an impressively versatile telephoto lens characterized by its bright f/2.8 design. The NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S captures astoundingly sharp images with captivating resolution and glorious clarity all the way to the edges of the frame, and the constant f/2.8 maximum aperture offers consistent performance throughout the zoom range and also benefits working in difficult lighting conditions and using selective focus techniques. It’s superior VR performance ensures exceptional sharpness when shooting handheld. And to combat color fringing while close focusing, an all-new multi-focusing system delivers fast, accurate autofocusing while drastically reducing aberrations. The optical design incorporates a series of ED, fluorite, and SR elements, which help to reduce color fringing and chromatic aberrations throughout the zoom range for improved clarity and color accuracy. 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. So, 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.
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 | Buy Now |
Nikon NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S | Amazon | B&H |
Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x | Amazon | B&H |
Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-2x | Amazon | B&H |