Nikon Z 28‑135mm f/4 PZ
Power Zoom! (2025 ~ today)
Z9 Z8 Z7 II Z6 III Z6 II Z5 II Zƒ Z7 Z6 Z5
DX (APS-C): Zƒc Z50 II Z50 Z30
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications USA Version Performance
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ (95mm filters, 42.4 oz./1,204g with foot as shown, 39.3 oz./1,114g without, 1.1~1.9'/0.34~0.57m close focus, 0.25× macro ratio, $2,497). bigger. I got mine from B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Nikon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, non-USA, store demo or used lens — and all of my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new lens. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
May 2025 Better Pictures Nikon Z Z Lenses All Nikon Lenses All Nikon All Reviews
Sample Images top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications USA Version Performance
More samples throughout this review at Bokeh, Falloff, Macro, Sharpness, Spherochromatism and Sunstars.
These are just snapshots; my real work is in my Gallery.
These are all shot hand-held as BASIC ★ JPGs; no tripods, NORMAL or FINE JPGs or RAW files were used or needed. Bah!
Pelican Hood Ornament, 1934 Packard Eight Convertible, 10:13 AM, Sunday, 03 May 2026. Nikon Z5 II, Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ at 135mm at f/5.6 at 1/500 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.9), Radiant Photo software to add light, flipped in Photoshop so the pelican looks to the right (forwards). bigger or camera-original 24 MP © 2.9 MB BASIC ★ JPG file.
Neon Behind Glass Block, The Red Onion, Canoga Avenue, Woodland Hills, California, 2:19 PM, Saturday, 02 May 1986. Nikon Z5 II, Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ at 72mm wide-open at f/4 hand-held at 1/30 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 8.9), Radiant Photo software to add light, perspective correction in Photoshop. bigger or camera-original 24 MP © 3.4 MB BASIC ★ JPG file.
Victoria, The Winged Goddess of Speed, 1934 Packard Model 1104 Super Eight Convertible, 10:14 AM, Sunday, 03 May 2026. Nikon Z5 II, Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ at 135mm wide-open at f/4 at 1/2,000 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 15.0), Radiant Photo software to add light, Skylum Luminar Neo software to add vignetting for emphasis on Victoria, flipped in in Photoshop so Victoria is facing right (forwards). bigger or camera-original 24 MP © 3.1 MB BASIC ★ JPG file.
Red Jeep, 10:46 AM, Sunday, 03 May 2026. Nikon Z5 II, Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ at 130mm at f/8 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.0), Radiant Photo software to add light. bigger or camera-original 24 MP © 4.0 MB BASIC ★ JPG file.
(Focus is on the radiator and headlights; the winch is out-of-focus.)
1970 Signal Orange Porsche 911T, 11:14 AM, Sunday, 03 May 2026. Nikon Z5 II in square-crop mode, Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ at 101mm (equivalent to a ZEISS SONNAR 250mm f/5.6 on HASSELBLAD 6 × 6cm) at f/11 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100, +0.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 13.9), Radiant Photo software to add light. bigger or camera-original 16 MP © 3.4 MB BASIC ★ JPG file.
Introduction top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications USA Version Performance
I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below. |
This is a surprisingly marvellous lens for still photography. While Nikon pitches it for video, its electronic power zoom makes it a pleasure to zoom with just a fingertip and makes it easy to set precise cropping.
It looks and feels like the hellaciously expensive Eye of God Z 58mm f/0.95 Noct with its precise mostly metal construction and deeply engraved markings filed with warm yellow paint, yet it costs less than the Z 24-70mm f/2.8 II with only half the zoom range.
28~135mm is far more useful for general photography than the stunted zoom range of any 24-70mm lens. Getting to 135mm means you often can leave your telephoto zoom at home where it belongs.
The Z 28-135 f/4 PZ looks like a cinema lens from ARRI or ZEISS, at a tiny fraction of the price.
The Z 28-135mm PZ is very practical and affordable for people who appreciate fine cameras and lenses. It is much larger than the Z 24-70mm f/2.8 II, and far better made and more useful.
I love the 28~135mm range for general photography. I shot Route 66 on my EOS R5 II and EF 28-135mm IS USM. 24-70mm, 24-105mm and even 24-120mm lenses just don't go long enough for general photography for me; getting to 135mm makes a huge difference and lets me carry fewer lenses.
I got my 28-135mm f/4 PZ from B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ. bigger.
New intro top
Power Zoom. While intended for shooting video, it makes it so much more pleasant to use all day for shooting stills.
11-speed motorized zoom.
Internal focus and zoom with a reasonably constant center-of-gravity.
Good intro top
Ultraprecise and easy zoom settings.
Ultrasharp at every setting.
Constant f/4 aperture is ideal for soft backgrounds while keeping it hand-holdable.
Wonderfully neutral bokeh with almost no "onion rings" on point sources.
Big, beautiful and deeply ribbed focus and zoom rings are easy to feel, identify and move with but the gentlest touch.
Immensely useful zoom range.
9-blade diaphragm keeps blur circles circular even when stopped down.
Removable tripod foot (collar does not come off).
Two programmable L-Fn (usually focus lock) buttons.
AF/MF switch.
Surprisingly low priced for such an exotic, high-performance lens.
Bad intro top
Lots of metal everywhere, but sadly only a plastic filter thread.
No clicks on rear control ring, which makes it just plain weird setting things that go in steps — which are every setting on a digital camera.
Missing intro top
No Stabilizer switch for in-camera stabilization.
No clicks on rear control ring.
Tripod collar does not come off; only the foot is removable (exactly like The Eye of God).
No trunk case as included with the Eye of God, which helps keep costs down.
No mechanical aperture ring like the NIKKOR✻ED 50~300mm f/4.5s, but you can use the function ring for this.
No focus scale.
No depth-of-field scales.
No infra-red focus indices.
Specifications top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications USA Version Performance
I got my 28-135mm f/4 PZ from B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
Compatibility specifications top
This lens only works on Nikon's Z cameras.
I don't know of any adapters to run it on anything else, and with a 16mm flange focal distance, I doubt that you'll have much luck trying to use it on anything else.
Even if you could mount it, it only focuses and zooms electronically, making it useless for any use other than when its being controlled by a Nikon Z camera.
It does not work with either of the Nikon Z TC 1.4× or 2× teleconverters.
There is not enough room in the back of the lens to accommodate the protuberances from either.
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.
Internal focusing, nothing moved externally as focused.
Internal zoom, nothing moves externally as zoomed.
The zoom ring appears to be able to shift the zoom in increments of a about a half of a percent (0.5%), or about a sixth of a millimeter at the wide end and half millimeter the tele end.
Nikon Super Integrated multiCoating (SIC).
Fluorine coating to resist dirt and smudges.
Diaphragm specifications top
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ. bigger.
9 rounded blades.
Electronically actuated.
Stops down to f/22.
Filters specifications top
95mm plastic 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 foot pops off, but the tripod collar can't be removed.
There are 90º indices and a nice drag-adjusting screw, but no clicks at 90º:
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ. bigger.
Foot: ¼″ × 20" TPI and ⅜″ × 16" TPI threaded metal inserts. No Arca-Swiss grooves.
Captive collar without foot: single ¼″ × 20" TPI threaded metal insert.
Size specifications top
4.2" ø maximum diameter × 7.0" extension from flange.
105 mm ø maximum diameter × 177.5 mm extension from flange.
Weights specifications top
42.460 oz. (1,203.7 g) actual measured weight with foot.
39.300 oz. (1,114.1 g) actual measured weight without foot.
Foot alone: 3.160 oz. (89.6g).
Rated 42.7 oz. (1,210g) with foot.
Rated 39.5 oz. (1,120g) without foot.
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."
Packaging specifications top
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|
Box. bigger. |
Box End. bigger |
Microcorrugated cardboard box with internal corrugami formers.
No silica gel.
Model Number specifications top
20127.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
01-05 May 2026 ($100 off)
$2,497 at B&H, at Adorama, at Crutchfield and at Amazon,
About $2,100 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
February 2025
$2,597 at Adorama and at B&H.
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ on the Z5 II. bigger.
Getting a Legal U. S. A. Version top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications USA Version Performance
I got my USA version 28-135mm f/4 PZ from B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
This section applies in the U. S. A. only.
You must have a USA Warranty Card sitting on top as you open your box, and the serial number must match the one on the bottom of your lens, otherwise you have no warranty.
U. S. A. Warranty Card. bigger.
If you don't have this card, if the card doesn't say "VALID IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES" or the serial number on the card doesn't match the one on your lens exactly, you got ripped off with a gray market version from another country. All legitimate cameras and lenses come with printed warranty cards, even if you prefer to register online. (The serial number on the outside of the box doesn't have to match, but if it doesn't it means you bought from a shady dealer who took lenses out of boxes and then resold these used lenses as new.)
The U. S. A. warranty card comes from "Nikon, Inc.," the U. S. A. office; the Japanese headquarters is "Nikon Corporation."
The warranty is also valid only if you are the original purchaser and only if it was purchased from an authorized dealer. All because a store or someone claims to be authorized doesn't mean they are. That's why I only buy from my personally approved sources.
Shifty dealers may include copies of a card from a legitimate U. S. A. product in a gray-market box, hoping you won't check serial numbers and catch their fraud. A card with the wrong serial number means nothing other than that you have no warranty coverage.
Nikon stopped offering 5-year lens warranties in 2021 in an effort to save themselves money at our expense.
Did you notice the clever nod to ancient computer technology? This is printed on tractor-fed paper with tear-off sides and dot-matrix printing of model and serial numbers! If your card lacks these side perforations, beware. Everyone counterfeits laser holograms, but few people have dot-matrix printers floating around to fake these.
Always be sure to check your box, warranty card and serial numbers while you can still return it, or just don't buy from unapproved sources or at retail so you'll be able to have your camera serviced and get free updated firmware as needed.
This is why I never buy anyplace other than from my personally approved sources. You just can't take the chance of buying elsewhere, especially at any retail store, because non-USA versions have no warranty in the U. S. A., and you may not be able to get firmware or service for it — even if you're willing to pay out-of-pocket for it when you need it!
Nikon U. S. A. enforces its trademarks strictly. It's unlikely, but possible that US customs won't let your camera back in the country if you bought a gray-market version in the U. S. A., carried it overseas, and try to bring it back in. (If you take the chance of buying one overseas, be sure you have a receipt to prove you bought it overseas and be prepared to pay duty on it.)
If a gray market version saves you $1,000 it may be worth it, but for $200 or less I wouldn't risk having no warranty or support.
Get yours from the same places I do and you won't have a problem, but if you take the risk of getting yours elsewhere, be sure to check everything while you still can return it.
Performance top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications USA Version Performance
Overall Autofocus Manual Focus Breathing
Distance Recording Bokeh Distortion
Ergonomics Falloff Filters Flare & Ghosts
Flash Lateral Color Fringes Lens Corrections
Macro Mechanics Sharpness Spherochromatism
Stabilization Sunstars Video Cinema
I got my 28-135mm f/4 PZ from B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
Overall performance top
This is a chunky lens with exquisite performance at a very reasonable price. I love using it handheld, and it's not that big a deal to carry it around my neck all day.
Autofocus performance top
Autofocus is fast and almost silent.
It's instantaneous at the wide end and immediate at the long end - as fast as my own eyes.
Manual Focus performance top
Manual focusing is entirely electronic; the manual focus ring isn't connected to anything other than a digital encoder.
Just grab the front focus ring at any time for instant manual-focus override anytime the camera is awake.
Better than any other brand, even if you're in AF-C and grab the manual-focus ring, it just swaps to manual focus instantly and stays locked in manual focus if you let go. Other brands will try to fight you for focus if you're in continuous AF, while this lens just does what you tell it to do.
Bravo!
Focus Breathing performance top
Focus breathing is the image changing size (growing and shrinking slightly) as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers that the image not breathe (change size) as focus gets pulled back and forth between different actors as they speak. The image is said to breathe because it expands and contracts as the focus follows the dialog back and forth.
The image from this lens shrinks slightly as focused more closely at 28mm, and doesn't change size at the longer settings.
Overall I doubt anyone will ever notice it, even without any correction.
I'm amused that Nikon didn't program correction into the lens so it zooms electronically to compensate as focused electronically, but tough, this isn't a $75,000 lens and none of us are Cecil B. DeMille.
Focus Distance Recording performance top
The focused distance is not displayed in the lower left of my screen in Photoshop's lens correction filter.
Bokeh performance top
Bokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is beautiful and neutral.
There are little to no visible "onion rings" which tend to appear in other lenses due to how the aspherical elements are manufactured, bravo!
Pelican Hood Ornament, 1934 Packard Eight Convertible, 10:13 AM, Sunday, 03 May 2026. Nikon Z5 II, Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ at 135mm at f/5.6 at 1/500 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.9), Radiant Photo software to add light, flipped in Photoshop so the pelican looks to the right (forwards). bigger or camera-original 24 MP © 2.9 MB BASIC ★ JPG file.
Victoria, The Winged Goddess of Speed, 1934 Packard Model 1104 Super Eight Convertible, 10:14 AM, Sunday, 03 May 2026. Nikon Z5 II, Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ at 135mm wide-open at f/4 at 1/2,000 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 15.0), Radiant Photo software to add light, Skylum Luminar Neo software to add vignetting for emphasis on Victoria, flipped in in Photoshop so Victoria is facing right (forwards). bigger or camera-original 24 MP © 3.1 MB BASIC ★ JPG file.
Next are photos from headshot distance wide-open at f/4. I'm focused on the DAVIS logo.
Click any for the camera-original 24 MP © 2.5 MB BASIC ★ JPG files:
Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6357 Vantage Vue Wireless Sensor Suite (use with WeatherLink console), Friday, 10 April 2026. Nikon Z5 II at 1/2,000 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 15.0).
Click any for the camera-original 24 MP © 2.5 MB BASIC ★ JPG files.
As always, if you want to throw the background as far out of focus as possible, shoot at 135mm at f/4 and get as close as possible.
Distortion performance top
This lens uses electronic distortion correction as an integral part of its optical design. Therefore this correction cannot be turned off.
With this integral distortion correction, there is no visible distortion.
If you shoot raw data rather than JPG images, whatever software you use to create visible images from raw data may or may not correct the distortion as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
For more critical scientific use, use these corrections in Photoshop's lens correction filter to JPG images.
These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting data.
On Full-Frame at 30' (10m) |
Correction factor to use with images made with correction ON in Z5 II |
28mm |
+0.60 |
35mm |
+0.20 |
50mm |
+0.20 |
70mm |
+0.20 |
85mm |
±0.00 |
105mm |
±0.00 |
135mm |
+0.30 |
© 2026 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
Ergonomics performance top
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|
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ. bigger. |
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ. bigger. |
Other than being a potential handful for smaller users and the fact that there is a sharp stump left on the tripod collar while the foot is removed, handling is great for handholding as I shoot mine.
I ignore the variable-speed zoom slide switch (marked T/W), which is mostly for smooth zooms while rolling video:
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ. bigger.
The big front rubbery ring is focus, which is easy to find by feel and only takes a gentle fingertip to glide.
The other big ring with even bigger rubber ribs is the electronic zoom ring. It also glides with a fingertip, and the huge nubs make it a joy to find by feel and manipulate.
The electronic zoom system has a slight delay. Once you feel how smoothly and precisely it lets us zoom for exact composition, you'll prefer it to old-style mechanical zooms.
The finder usually shows the focal lengths, and you'll see it's easy to zoom more precisely between the single millimeters read in the finder.
Manual focus override works great!
I remove the foot for hand-holding. There is a sharp stump left on the non-removable collar. I rotate the collar to avoid the stump.
The small bare-metal control ring has no clicks, which I find difficult to use to set a digital camera on which everything sets in steps. This ring only works to set aperture; I never could figure out how to get it to set the shutter speed in S exposure mode. Cameras will vary, and you ought to be able to have it set ISO etc.
Falloff performance top
Falloff on FX and 35mm is negligible with correction set to NORMAL.
It's barley visible wide-open at f/4 at 28mm, and it's gone at other settings.
I've greatly exaggerated the falloff by shooting a gray field and placing these on a gray background; it will not look this bad in actual photos of real things:
Falloff on full-frame at infinity, Vignetting correction at its default of NORMAL:
© 2026 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
If you save only raw data rather than create JPG images in-camera, whatever software you use to create visible images from that raw data later may or may not correct this as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
If you go out of your way to turn off the correction, or possibly in some raw software, this is what you get.
I've greatly exaggerated the falloff by shooting a gray field and placing these on a gray background; it will not look this bad in actual photos of real things, and in actual shooting I doubt you'd see it except at f/4:
Falloff on full-frame at infinity, Vignetting correction deliberately turned OFF:
© 2026 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
Filters, use with performance top
I only can use one or two standard 95mm filters with no vignetting at 28mm on full-frame.
Go ahead and use your standard rotating polarizers and rotating grad filters, but be careful if you want to use anything else at the same time.
For video most people will use a matte box, which uses larger rectangular fillers so nothing vignettes as more filters are stacked.
Avoid polarizers at 28mm; the sky's natural polarization can appear as a dark band across the sky.
Flare & Ghosts performance top
Flare and ghosts are well controlled.
See examples at Sunstars.
Flash, Use with performance top
This is a huge lens, so with a tiny flash like the SB‑400 as I prefer one can get a dark shadow at the bottom of the picture when set wider than 40mm.
If this bothers you (it doesn't bother me), use a larger flash like the SB‑700 or SB‑5000 that puts the flash tube well above the camera rather than sitting right on top of the hot shoe as does the SB‑400.
Lateral Color Fringes performance top
There are no lateral color fringes as shot on Nikon cameras as JPG, which by default correct for any that may be there.
If you shoot raw and then use non-manufacturer software to process that data into images then there is the possibility that there might be some, but I doubt it.
There is nearly no spherochromatism to cause color fringes on things that aren't in perfect focus at large apertures. Spherochromatism is a completely different aberration in a different dimension than lateral color fringes.
Lens Corrections performance top
Distortion correction is always ON; it's part of the lens' design to correct it electronically rather than optically. This gives the designers more freedom to make the lens smaller, sharper and less expensive than if distortion had to be corrected optically, as we had to do with film.
The Z9, Z8, Z7 II, Z6 III, Z6 II, Zƒ, Z7, Z6, Z5 II, Z5, Zƒc, Z50 II, Z50 and Z30 correct for any or all of distortion, diffraction and falloff (vignette control). Diffraction and falloff correction may be turned ON or OFF as you like.
The Z9, Z8, Z7 II, Z6 III, Z6 II, Zƒ, Z7, Z6, Z5 II, Z5, Zƒc, Z50 II, Z50 and Z30 always correct for lateral color fringes (lateral chromatic aberration). This is part of Nikon's secret sauce and never appears in any menu.
If you shoot raw data rather than JPG images, whatever software you use to create visible images from raw data may or may not correct these as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
Macro Performance performance top
It gets pretty close, and it's super sharp.
Wide-Open at f/4
I'm impressed; its super sharp even at wide-open f/4, something few other lenses can do this close:
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, Friday, 10 April 2026. Nikon Z5 II, Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ at 135mm at f/4 at 1/4,000 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 16.0), Radiant Photo software to add light. bigger or camera-original 24 MP © 2.5 MB BASIC ★ JPG file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original 24 MP © 2.5 MB BASIC ★ JPG file.
The texture you're seeing is the watch face solar cell.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
At f/8
It's so sharp at f/4 that all f/8 does is increase the depth of field. Bravo!
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, Friday, 10 April 2026. Nikon Z5 II, Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ at 135mm at f/8 at 1/500 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 15.0), Radiant Photo software to add light. bigger or camera-original 24 MP © 2.7 MB BASIC ★ JPG file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original 24 MP © 2.7 MB BASIC ★ JPG file.
The texture you're seeing is the watch face solar cell.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
Mechanical Quality performance top
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ. bigger.
This is more exquisitely well made than any Nikon Z lens, except "The Eye of God" Z 58mm f/0.95 Noct.
Exterior Finish mechanics performance top
Mostly black anodized or epoxy-spattered aluminum, if not black plastic.
Hood mechanics performance top
Plastic bayonet.
Front Bumper mechanics performance top
None.
Filter Threads mechanics performance top
Plastic 🤮.
Hood Bayonet Mount mechanics performance top
Plastic.
Gold ED Band mechanics performance top
None.
Front Barrel Exterior mechanics performance top
Black anodized aluminum.
Focus Ring mechanics performance top
Rubber-covered.
Mid Barrel Exterior mechanics performance top
Section between focus and zoom rings: plastic.
Zoom Ring mechanics performance top
Rubber-covered metal.
Second Mid Barrel Exterior mechanics performance top
Section between zoom and third control rings: plastic.
Programmable Control Ring mechanics performance top
Hard bare metal.
Third Mid Barrel Exterior mechanics performance top
Section with L-Fn buttons: plastic.
Slide Switches mechanics performance top
All plastic.
Tripod Collar & Foot mechanics performance top
All solid alloy.
¼″ × 20 TPI and ⅜″ × 16 TPI threads on the foot.
The collar doesn't come off the lens, but the foot does come off from the collar.
If you lose the foot, the collar's stub has a standard ¼″ × 20 tripod thread.
Rear Barrel Exterior mechanics performance top
Metal.
Identity mechanics performance top
Engraved and filled with paint on both sides of the front barrel, like a ZEISS Supreme Zoom.
Also printed around the front of the lens with nearly invisible dark gray paint on black plastic.
"28 - 135 / 4 PZ" engraved and filled with paint on the top back of the barrel.
Internals mechanics performance top
Seem like mostly metal.
Dust Gasket at Mount mechanics performance top
Yes.
Mount mechanics performance top
Seems like aluminum.
Markings mechanics performance top
All is engraved and filled with paint.
Serial Number mechanics performance top
Laser engraved on bottom of barrel:
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ. bigger.
Noises When Shaken mechanics performance top
Mild clicking.
It uses stepper, rather than voice-coil motors, so things aren't flopping around inside when off the camera.
Truth & Ethics mechanics performance top
Made in Thailand, not domestically Japan
Never disclosed in any advertising, marketing or online offers for sale.
Sharpness performance top
Super sharp wide-open at every setting!
Here's a sample shot wide-open at f/4 at 135mm:
United States Postal Service Totes, 9:55 AM, Saturday, 25 April 2026. Nikon Z5 II, Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ at 135mm wide-open at f/4 at 1/250 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 12.0), Radiant Photo software to add light. bigger or full-resolution 24 MP, 2.5 MB JPG file.
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 ultra 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. Sagittal (radial) shown as solid lines. Meridional (tangential) shown as dashed lines.
Sunstars performance top
With a 9-bladed rounded diaphragm, I get good 18-point sunstars on brilliant points of light only at the smallest apertures.
Ignore the purple smear on the left at large apertures. This is a sensor artifact and not a lens defect.
Likewise ignore the crazy rainbow dots at small apertures; these are sensor artifacts caused by interference among the divisions between pixels on the sensor. These are made visible because we're using enough exposure to show the dark underside of a huge palm tree, and then putting the blinding disk of the mid-day sun in it. Doing this will show everything due to the insane lighting range.
Click any to enlarge:
Click any to enlarge.
Spherochromatism performance top
Spherochromatism, also called secondary spherical chromatic aberration or "color bokeh," is an advanced form of spherical and chromatic aberration in a different dimension than lateral chromatic aberration and therefore cannot be corrected with software or automatic corrections. It happens mostly in fast normal and tele lenses when spherical aberration at the ends of the color spectrum (red and blue) are corrected differently than in the middle of the spectrum (green).
Spherochromatism can cause colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights, usually seen as green fringes (the middle of the spectrum) on background highlights and magenta fringes (the red and blue ends of the spectrum added together make magenta) on foreground highlights.
Spherochromatism is common in fast lenses of moderate focal length when shooting contrasty items at full aperture. It goes away as stopped down.
Spherochromatism is a completely different aberration from lateral color fringes.
This Z 28~135mm f/4 PZ is almost completely free from spherochromatism, with only the slightest cool fringes behind and warm fringes ahead of the plane of perfect focus, which is superb:
Mondaine A132.30348.11SBB at close-focus distance, Friday, 10 April 2026. Nikon Z5 II, Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ at 135mm at f/4 at 1/4,000 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 16.0), as shot. bigger or camera-original 24 MP © 2.2 MB BASIC ★ JPG file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original 24 MP © 2.2 MB BASIC ★ JPG file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
Image Stabilization (VR) performance top
This lens has no Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)), and works with in-camera stabilization if you have it.
While it works well at normal distances, it doesn't work very well with a subject only a few feet away.
Use in Video performance top
Video is the whole purpose of this lens. While I love it for stills, a huge feature for video is its variable-speed motorized W/T zoom control slider on the left side for smooth zooms anyone can master.
If you have to rack the zoom all the way in or out, it's faster to use the zoom ring rather than the zoom lever.
Use in Cinema performance top
This lens isn't for cinema.
Its control rings look impressive, but they only work in relative rather than absolute terms so I doubt they'd make any sense for use on dedicated follow-focus rigs. In other words, there's no way the focus puller or 1st assistant camera operator can place marks and return to them as you run through your scenes.
Ditto for the zoom control; I don't see any way to have it go repeatedly between marked focal lengths — since there are no markings and it does different things depending on how you move the ring!
The power zoom is swell for video, but can't go as slow as some want for an imperceptibly slow zoom-ins to add emphasis to a character. Yes, it can zoom slowly, but not so slowly that it's nearly invisible as some DPs and directors often use.
Its focal length range on full-frame is better suited to B-roll, covering wide to medium tele.
For the main camera, the classic NIKKOR✻ED 50~300mm f/4.5s (image) is a better full-frame 24 × 36mm format lens because it covers a more useful cine focal length range and has three dedicated traditional mechanical rings: each always sets the same focus, aperture and focal length based its absolute position.
The amazing NIKKOR✻ED 50~300mm f/4.5s was among Nikon's most expensive and exotic lenses in its day, while today it sells for a bargain price at eBay to those of us who know How to Win at eBay.
User's Guide top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications USA Version Performance
I got my 28-135mm f/4 PZ from B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ. bigger.
Zooming
The lens zooms faster the more you move the T/W slider away from the center.
If you turn it fast enough, the big zoom ring zooms faster than the slider.
The zoom ring appears to be able to shift the zoom in increments of a about a half of a percent (0.5%), or about a sixth of a millimeter at the wide end and half millimeter the tele end.
The lens resets to 28mm whenever the camera is off or goes to sleep.
The camera always turns on set to 28mm, regardless of where the lens was set when you turned off the camera.
Sneaky is if you let the camera go to sleep. When you wake it, the finder stays dark for a few moments while the camera wakes, and then zooms to wherever it was set when the camera went to sleep! Therefore, try to let the camera fall asleep on its own to save yourself from always having to motor it out past 28mm each time.
AF - MF Switch user's guide top
AF: Auto Focus, with instant manual focus override.
MF: Manual Focus only.
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ. bigger.
Recommendations top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications USA Version Performance
I got my 28-135mm f/4 PZ from B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
If you don't mind the size and weight, I find this far superior in build quality, ergonomics and usefulness to the primitive-by-comparison and mostly plastic Z 24-70mm f/2.8 II, and this work of art costs less!
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 got my 28-135mm f/4 PZ from B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Crutchfield or at Amazon, or get it used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay, or get it used at KEH.
Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ on a Z9. bigger.
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