Everyone knows that vlogging is the new cool thing to do, and Nikon really jumped on this trend with the Nikon Z30, but there is a bit of a gap in their DX lens lineup. That is until now! The new Nikkor Z DX 12-28mm f3.5-5.6 PZ VR is the zoom lens you didn’t know you needed! To show you how great this ultra-wide lens is, Dave took it for a spin to give you his thoughts and show you how this lens performs in the latest TCSTV Episode, The Zoom Lens You Didn’t Know You Needed: Nikkor Z DX 12-28mm!
The Nikkor Z DX 12-28mm is purposely designed for vlogging, and right off the bat, Dave noticed how light it was at only 205 grams. Size-wise, it is about 7 centimetres long and 6.5 centimetres wide with a 67-millimetre front filter thread. It has a minimalistic design with no buttons and only two rings, one for focusing and the other one for power zoom. The power zoom is interesting because it is now actually physically moving anything, but the servo motor moving one way or another.
The optics of the Nikkor Z DX 12-28mm consist of 12 elements in 11 groups, which include an aspherical element and an ED element to help with image quality. It also has a seven-blade adapter which will give you decent background blur, however, it is a wide-angle lens so there won’t be background blur like what you’d get with an 85-millimetre, for example. Also inside the lens is a stepless motor which is excellent for shooting video and taking photos. As suggested in its name, the Nikkor Z DX 12-28mm f3.5-5.6 PZ VR has VR (Vibration Reduction). With four and a half stops of image stabilization, vloggers are going to really appreciate this.
Now, one of the reasons why this lens is so affordable, at $499.00 CAD, is because the body is made of plastic, including the rear lens mount. There is some basic weather sealing, however, Dave would be cautious when taking the lens out in less-than-ideal weather. Despite the mainly plastic construction, Dave was surprised by how good the lens felt. He thought there was really good dampening on both of the rings, making them easy to use and giving the lens an overall higher-quality feel.
Of course, we have to get into what it’s like to actually shoot with this lens. It’s an 18-millimetre equivalent on a full-frame body which is nice and wide. This means that when Dave is vlogging, his head doesn’t take up the whole frame and he can really show off the environment around him. Now you won’t want to get too close if you’re shooting the wide angle as it’s not the most flattering view. On the still side of things, a 12 to 28 on a crop sensor gives a really great wide angle that is wonderful for cloudscapes, cityscapes and so on. Overall it is a very versatile lens, and Dave was pleasantly surprised by the sharpness and how much he likes this lens, given how much of a lens snob he is!
Now, you have to see it to believe it! Check out TCSTV’s The Zoom Lens You Didn’t Know You Needed: Nikkor Z DX 12-28mm! review and let us know what you think!
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