First test
PRICE: £949
NIKON.CO.UK
Nikon Z series owners have plenty of choice when it comes to standard zooms – and its latest is f/2.8 all the way through the range Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8
SPECS › Price £949
› In the box Front and back caps, HB-93A hood, CL-C2 lens case › Format Full-frame, APS-C › Compatibility Nikon Z › Filter 67mm › Construction 15 elements in 12 groups › Special lens elements One super-ED element, one ED element, three aspherical elements › Aperture range F/2.8-22 › Diaphragm Nine rounded blades › Magnification 0.34x › Autofocus Internal, silent AF › Minimum focus 19cm at 28mm, 22cm at 50mm, 39cm at 75mm › Weather-sealed Dust and drip resistant. Front lens coated for easier cleaning › Image stabiliser No › Dimensions (dxl) 75x120.5mm › Weight 565g › Contact nikon.co.uk
THERE’S CERTAINLY A wealth of standard zoom options for Nikon Z owners. There are two versions of the 24-70mm: the compact f/4 or the faster f/2.8. While the 24-120mm f/4 offers a wider reach. This new Z 28-75mm f/2.8 delivers yet more choice. It is not S class, but has the selling points of a constant f/2.8 throughout its – admittedly less ambitious – focal length range, and at £949, is the cheapest of the four on offer. The Z 28-75mm f/2.8 has a rugged feel, a metal mount and is dust and
drip resistant, but it’s also lightweight – making a great partner for the Z 6/Z 7. Handling is first rate, with a quarter twist of the broad zoom barrel taking you from one end of the focal length range to the other, and the lens extends by 3cm. There’s no OLED readout – something that you find with several S lenses – and no other switches. You do get a smooth-running manual focus ring that you can set to adjust ISO or aperture. I have thought for some while that Nikon’s manual focusing on its AF lenses is the best
and most responsive around, so no complaints here. Autofocus is handled by a stepping motor, meaning focus is swift and silent – suiting video use. It’s also internal, so there is no change in the physical size of the lens. I think it’s natural to assume that a non-S lens would be a modest performer and the gulf to an S-class lens very obvious. I didn’t have the high-end 24-70mm f/2.8 to do a direct comparison, but I did have the 24- 70mm f/4. It is worth saying that the 28-75mm f/2.8 more than holds its own in the optical department. At 28mm, the wide apertures performed well. Although the f/2.8 lacked a bit of contrast and detail could have been crisper, especially away from the image centre. Stopping down to f/4 brought improvement and the scene got even better at f/5.6 and f/8 – the latter being the best aperture at this setting. Diffraction kicked in at f/16 and f/22. There was a similar showing at 50mm, with a solidly performing centre at f/2.8, and sharpness tapering off gradually as you moved towards the edge of the frame. Closing the lens down to f/5.6 and f/8
brought the edges up to the best level in the centre. For the crispest detail, one of these values should be used. The 75mm setting gave the clearest central sharpness at f/2.8, but it wasn’t as good at the edges. Stopping down even by one f/stop helped. Peak quality was reached at f/8, again. Throughout the range – but most noticeably at 75mm – there was clear vignetting at the wider apertures. This vanished from f/5.6. WC
HIGH STANDARD A fast zoom is always a good thing, especially when it’s constant through the focal length range
BACK TO FRONT Some Nikon Z lenses have plastic lens mounts, but that’s not the case here – the lens is dust and drip resistant, too
TESTPICTURES Test shots with the 28-75mm f/2.8 were taken on a Nikon Z 7II, with the camera mounted on a Gitzo Systematic tripod. The shutter was released with the self-timer. Test shots were processed in Adobe Lightroom with default sharpening.
Verdict The Nikon Z 28-75mm f/2.8 is priced at £949, so in fast aperture, standard zoom terms from a quality brand, there is no disputing its value for money. This makes it an attractive proposition for Z system newbies, and even existing owners who prefer having f/2.8 over their existing f/4 zoom. Either way, there is no denying this standard zoom’s overall appeal – it’s worth checking out. PROS Silent, optical quality, responsive AF, constant f/2.8, versatile, useful close focusing distances, compact, customisable control manual focus ring, video friendly CONS Vignetting at f/2.8 and diffraction at f/16 and f/22
F/4
F/5.6
F/8
F/11
F/16
F/22
28mm
F/2.8
F/2.8
F/4
F/5.6
F/8
F/11
F/16
F/22
50mm
F/2.8 .
F/4
F/5.6
F/8
F/11
F/16
F/22
F/2.8
F/4
F/5.6
F/8
F/11
F/16
F/22
F/2.8
75mm
F/4
F/5.6
F/8
F/11
F/16
F/22
F/2.8
F/4
F/5.6
F/8
F/11
F/16
F/22
46 Photography News | Issue 99
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