Nikon Z 28‑135mm f/4 PZ
Power Zoom for Video (2025 ~ today)
Z9 Z8 Z7 II Z6 III Z6 II Z5 II Zƒ Z7 Z6 Z5
DX (APS-C): Zƒc Z50 II Z50 Z30
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Performance Recommendations
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ (95mm filters, 42.7 oz./1,210g with collar, 39.5 oz./1,120g without, 1.1~1.9'/0.34~0.57m close focus, 0.25× macro ratio, $2,597). bigger. I ordered mine from B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
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March 2025 Better Pictures Nikon Z Z Lenses All Nikon Lenses All Nikon All Reviews
Introduction top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Performance Recommendations
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This is a power zoom lens optimized for shooting video on a dedicated follow-focus rig. Of course it also works for stills.
I love the 28-135mm range for general photography. For instance, last weekend I shot Route 66 on my EOS R5 II and EF 28-135mm IS USM. 24-70mm and 24-105mm lenses just don't go long enough for me for general photography; getting to 135mm makes a huge difference.
I ordered mine from B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ. bigger.
New intro top
Power Zoom optimized for shooting video on a dedicated follow-focus rig.
11-speed motorized zoom.
Internal focus and zoom with a reasonably constant center-of-gravity.
Good intro top
Great zoom range.
Removable tripod collar.
Programmable focus lock buttons
AF/MF switch.
Bad intro top
Missing intro top
No Stabilizer switch for in-camera stabilization.
No mechanical aperture ring like the NIKKOR✻ED 50~300mm f/4.5s, but you can try to program the function ring for this.
No focus scale.
No depth-of-field scales.
No infra-red focus indices.
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ. bigger.
Specifications top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Performance Recommendations
I ordered mine from B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Name specifications top
Nikon calls this the NIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ:
NIKKOR: Nikon's brand name for almost all their lenses since 1932.
Z: For Nikon's mirrorless cameras, only.
PZ: Power (motorized) zoom.
It also has:
AF-P: Stepper (Pulse) autofocus motor: silent and ultra fast.
Aspherical: Specially curved glass elements for sharper pictures.
E: Electronic diaphragm.
ED: Magic Extra-low Dispersion glass for reduced secondary chromatic aberration.
G: Gelded; has no aperture ring.
IF: Internal focusing; nothing moves externally as focused.
M: Meso Amorphous Coat, Nikon's newest and most advanced antireflection coating, better than any of Super Integrated Multicoating, Nano or ARNEO coatings.
∅95: 95mm filter thread.
Nikon's Model Number: 20127.
Optics specifications top
Internal Optical Construction. and ED, Aspherical and Aspherical ED elements. bigger.
18 elements in 13 groups.
4 ED elements, one of which is an Aspherical ED element. These are magic Extra-low Dispersion glass for reduced axial secondary chromatic aberration.
4 Aspherical elements, one of which is an Aspherical ED element.
Nikon Super Integrated multiCoating (SIC).
Fluorine coating to resist dirt and smudges.
Diaphragm specifications top
9 rounded blades.
Electronically actuated.
Stops down to f/22.
Filters specifications top
95mm filter thread.
Angles of View specifications top
75º ～ 18⅙º diagonal on FX.
53º ～ 12º diagonal on DX.
Autofocus specifications top
No external movement as focussed, so no air or dust is sucked in.
Focus Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infinity Focus Stop specifications top
No.
You have to focus somehow to get precise focus at infinity, just like at every other distance.
Depth of Field Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infrared Focus Index specifications top
No.
Close Focus (distance from subject to image plane) specifications top
28~ 50mm: 1.1 feet (0.34 meters).
135mm: 1.9 feet (0.57 meters).
Maximum Reproduction Ratio specifications top
1:4.0 (0.25×) from 55~135mm.
Image Stabilizer specifications top
NONE.
Caps specifications top
Nikon LC-95B 95mm snap-on front cap (black NIKKOR logo), included.
LF-N1 Z-mount rear cap, included
Hood specifications top
Nikon HB-116 Hood for Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ. bigger.
Case specifications top
Nikon claims it includes a case, but it's only a CL-C5 cloth sack.
Tripod Collar specifications top
The tripod collar comes off.
Size specifications top
4.2" ø maximum diameter × 7.0" extension from flange.
105 mm ø maximum diameter × 177.5 mm extension from flange.
Weight specifications top
42.7 oz./1,210g with tripod collar.
39.5 oz./1,120g without collar.
Announced specifications top
13 February 2025.
Promised for specifications top
April 2025.
Included specifications top
Lens and collar.
Nikon LC-95B 95mm snap-on front cap (black NIKKOR logo).
LF-N1 Z-mount rear cap.
CL-C5 "case."
Model Number specifications top
20127.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
February 2025
$2,597 at Adorama and at B&H.
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ on the Z9. bigger.
Performance top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Performance Recommendations
I ordered mine from B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Sharpness performance top
Lens sharpness has nothing to do with picture sharpness; every lens made in the past 100 years is more than sharp enough to make super-sharp pictures if you know what you're doing. The only limitation to picture sharpness is your skill as a photographer. It's the least talented who spend the most time worrying about lens sharpness and blame crummy pictures on their equipment rather than themselves. Skilled photographers make great images with whatever camera is in their hands; I've made some of my best images of all time with an irreparably broken camera! Most pixels are thrown away before you see them, but camera makers don't want you to know that.
If you're not getting ultra-sharp pictures with this, be sure not to shoot at f/11 or smaller where all lenses are softer due to diffraction, always shoot at ISO 100 or below because cameras become softer at ISO 200 and above, avoid shooting across long distances over land which can lead to atmospheric heat shimmer, be sure everything is in perfect focus, set your camera's sharpening as you want it (I set mine to the maximum) and be sure nothing is moving, either camera or subject. If you want to ensure a soft image with any lens, shoot at f/16 or smaller at ISO 1,600 or above at default sharpening in daylight of subjects at differing distances in the same image.
People worry waaaaay too much about lens sharpness. It's not 1968 anymore when lenses often weren't that sharp and there could be significant differences among them; ever since about 2010 all new lenses are all pretty much equally fantastic.
This lens is sharp, limited of course by diffraction at the smallest apertures and atmospheric heat shimmer at the longest zoom settings.
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MTF at 28mm at f/4. |
MTF at 135mm at f/4. |
Nikon's MTF charts at 10 cyc/mm and 30 cyc/mm. The solid lines are the sagittal (radial) and the dotted lines are the meridional (tangential) measurements.
Recommendations top
Introduction New Good Bad Missing
Specifications Performance Recommendations
I ordered mine from B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
Nikon's classic NIKKOR✻ED 50~300mm f/4.5s (image) is actually the best full frame lens for video because covers a broader and more useful video/cine focal length range and has three dedicated mechanical rings, one solid metal ring for each of focus, zoom and aperture, also ideal for adaptation to a rig. The amazing NIKKOR✻ED 50~300mm f/4.5s was among Nikon's most expensive exotic lenses in its day, while today it sells for a bargain price at eBay to those of us in the know.
I use a clear (UV) protective filter instead of a cap (exactly like an iPhone) so I'm always ready to shoot instantly. I only use a cap when I throw this in a bag with other gear without padding — which is never. The UV filter never gets in the way, and never gets lost, either.
I'd use a German brass 95mm B+W 010 UV MRC filter or Japanese aluminum 95mm Hoya EVO UV to protect this lens. Both have special dirt, dust and smudge resistant multicoatings to stay cleaner longer, so it's your choice of brass or aluminum. The basic multicoated 95mm Hoya HMC and Nikon's 95mm NC filter are also excellent filters, but lack the fancy crud-resistant coatings of the 95mm Hoya EVO UV and 95mm B+W 010 UV MRC.
All these UV filters are just as sharp and take the same pictures, the difference is how much abuse they'll take and stay clean and stay in one piece. Since filters last a lifetime or more, there's no reason not to buy the best as it will last you for the next 40 years. Filters aren't throwaways like digital cameras which we replace every few years, like it or not. I'm still using filters I bought back in the 1970s!
For a polarizer, I'd get Nikon's superb 95mm Circular Polarizer II.
I ordered mine from B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama or at Crutchfield, or get it used if you know How to Win at eBay.
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