Nikon Nikkor Z DX 18-140mm F3.5-6.3 VR Review - PCMag

The Nikon Nikkor Z DX 18-140mm F3.5-6.3 VR ($639.95) is the midrange zoom enactment for the company's Z bid camera system. It provides much telephoto scope than the basal Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm that's disposable bundled with the Z 50 and different entry-level Nikons, and offers a tighter telephoto space for portraits and close-up absorption for macros. It's a bully lens, but not a stunning worth fixed its midrange pricing and integrative bayonet mount. We tin urge it for DX Z camera owners who privation thing amended than the 16-50mm, but it's unfortunate that Nikon doesn't connection a discount erstwhile buying it on with a camera, similar Canon does with its likewise minded RF-S 18-150mm.

Standard Zoom, Extended

The Z DX 18-140mm covers a longer zoom scope than the Z DX 16-50mm, though it sacrifices a spot of wide-angle sum successful the process. Many photographers volition beryllium blessed to marque the trade, though—you tin instrumentality 2 steps backmost and get a wider presumption of a scene, aft all.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The main vantage of other zoom powerfulness is obvious, you tin get tighter views of subjects that are further distant from the camera. The zoom scope handles subjects similar kids oregon pets astatine play without a problem, and has the compression needed to blur backgrounds erstwhile making macros oregon representation photos. It's inactive abbreviated for astir wildlife, though, arsenic its 140mm scope (210mm successful full-frame terms) is conscionable not enough. Consider the Nikkor Z DX 50-250mm if your photograph interests thin successful that direction.

The longer zoom makes for a larger lens than the basal 16-50mm. The 18-140mm measures 3.5 by 2.9 inches (HD) and weighs 11.1 ounces, dwarfing the 16-50mm (1.3 by 2.8 inches, 4.8 ounces). The 16-50mm meets its slim signifier by mode of a retractable design—to usage it you archetypal person to twist the zoom ringing to enactment its optical artifact successful the close position. On the different hand, the 18-140mm is acceptable to usage arsenic agelong arsenic it is mounted connected the camera, though similar astir zoom lenses its interior tube telescopes outward erstwhile the lens is acceptable to longer focal lengths.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

Build prime is simply a disappointment, particularly fixed the midrange pricing. We don't expect particulate and splash extortion connected this benignant of zoom, but are a spot enactment disconnected by the integrative lens mount. You besides don't get accessories with the zoom, conscionable beforehand and rear lens caps. You'll request to bargain a compatible hood if you privation to usage one. The beforehand constituent omits anti-smudge fluorine, but supports 62mm beforehand filters if you'd similar to adhd 1 for extortion oregon originative effects.

Handling and Autofocus

The DX 18-140mm matches good with the company's APS-C cameras; it balances good connected some the Z fc and Z 30, the 2 cameras I was capable to brace it with. The zoom ringing takes up astir of the barrel; it turns with immoderate invited resistance, truthful the lens stays successful spot erstwhile you've acceptable the focal length. The ringing is covered successful rubber ridges and includes marks astatine the 18, 24, 35, 50, 70, 100, and 140mm focal lengths.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

The hybrid focus-control ringing sits person to the lens equine and is rather narrow. Its aboveground is bare plastic, but has a unsmooth knurled texture truthful you tin find it by touch. Manual absorption offers nonlinear response, meaning that dilatory turning enactment makes for subtle absorption adjustment, and a speedy twist moves absorption aggressively.

Videographers thin to similar linear focus, however. Autofocus for video is simply a viable enactment here, the STM centrifugal is practically soundless and supports smooth, dependable shifts successful focus. There's nary blooming successful the space of presumption (focus breathing) erstwhile mounting focus, truthful you tin usage the lens for video shots that displacement absorption from 1 taxable to another. For video, the lens performs good with Nikon's Z 30 vlogging camera.

Z fc, 24mm, f/3.8, 1/160-second, ISO 100 (Credit: Jim Fisher)

The manual absorption ringing serves treble work for a fewer vulnerability settings. If you’ve got your camera acceptable to autofocus it tin set aperture, EV, oregon ISO, depending connected however you configure your camera body. You besides person the enactment of turning it off.

We similar the power ringing facet successful concept, and person lauded akin features for different systems, but Nikon falters successful its implementation here. The ringing is ultra-sensitive, and with current-generation DX bodies, there’s nary mode to set the response. Nikon includes power ringing sensitivity accommodation successful conscionable 1 camera, the $5,500 Z 9. We anticipation the diagnostic yet comes to consumer-grade cameras; for now, the power ringing of this lens is excessively touchy to beryllium utile for thing different than mounting focus.

The macro capableness is rather good. The 18-140mm focuses arsenic adjacent arsenic 7.9 inches and does its champion macro enactment astatine the 140mm setting, netting 1:3 life-size results. That's coagulated for a zoom and adds immoderate versatility to the 18-140mm that you don't get with the Z DX 16-50mm and its much humble 1:5 macro focus.

Z fc, 140mm, f/8, 1/250-second, ISO 4000 (Credit: Jim Fisher)

Optical stabilization, oregon if you talk Nikon, Vibration Reduction, is simply a beneficial feature. The optics displacement to compensate for shaky hands, a positive if you privation to marque longer exposures without reaching for a tripod. I was capable to get blur-free results from the lens astatine 1/4-second erstwhile zoomed each the mode successful and a 1/2-second astatine 18mm.

Nikkor Z DX 18-140mm: In the Lab

I paired the DX 18-140mm with the 20.9MP Z fc and Imatest(Opens successful a caller window) bundle to cheque its optical show successful the lab. In presumption of sharpness, the lens shows its champion results astatine the 18mm setting, delivering outstanding marks (2,800 lines) averaged crossed the frame. Edges are a small brushed astatine wide apertures, but photos are crisp from country to country from f/5.6-11.

Z fc, 18mm, f/11, 1/40-second, ISO 100 (Credit: Jim Fisher)

Resolution drops disconnected a spot astatine longer focal lengths, but the lens manages precise bully marks astatine 75mm (2,300 lines) and bully results astatine 140mm (2,100 lines). You tin usage the lens astatine maximum aperture without worry, but beryllium alert that utilizing it successful its f/16-40 scope volition effect successful softer photos. 

The zoom doesn't bash a large occupation drafting prima stars (a starburst effect you tin induce by utilizing a constrictive aperture and incorporating a agleam constituent of airy into your image), truthful there's not overmuch crushed to spell beyond f/16. At wider apertures it does a bully occupation suppressing flare erstwhile a agleam airy root is prominently successful framework oregon conscionable disconnected camera, adjacent without the payment of a lens hood.

Z fc, 18mm, f/22, 1/100-second, ISO 100 (Credit: Jim Fisher)

Distortion isn't a interest with the lens, arsenic Nikon applies a correction illustration to some Raw and JPG photos. That means there's nary discrete illustration for the lens successful Adobe Lightroom Classic, truthful you whitethorn privation to use immoderate other vignette accommodation arsenic corners are a small dim erstwhile utilizing the lens with the aperture acceptable wide open.

Defocused backgrounds are achievable, particularly erstwhile zooming successful oregon focusing close. The prime of the inheritance blur is simply a mixed bag; highlights are mostly soft-edged, and successful the close concern backgrounds tin melt into nothing. On the different hand, defocused points of airy amusement the bulb tegument effect, a acceptable of concentric circles caused by the molded aspheric lens elements.

Z fc, 18mm, f/3.5, 1/800-second, ISO 100 (Credit: Jim Fisher)

The aspheric elements are portion of an different beardown optical formula, however. The lens doesn't amusement immoderate signs of lateral oregon longitudinal chromatic aberration, truthful you won't person to contend with mendacious color.

Zoom Power Is the Selling Point

If you've bought (or are considering) a Nikon Z camera with an APS-C (DX) representation sensor, you've lone a brace of purpose-made modular zoom lenses to take from, astatine slightest astatine property time. That leaves you mulling the prime betwixt starting with the low-cost Z DX 16-50mm, a $300 lens connected its own, but lone $140 erstwhile bought on with a camera, oregon budgeting a much sizable $640 for the Nikkor Z DX 18-140mm F3.5-6.3 VR.

Z fc, 140mm, f/6.3, 1/640-second, ISO 100 (Credit: Jim Fisher)

Even though the Z DX 18-140mm is the much susceptible lens, with much zoom power, fantabulous stabilization, and utile 1:3 macro focus, it's not rather arsenic charismatic successful presumption of worth for photographers buying a caller camera. The afloat retail terms is simply a agelong for budget-minded photographers, particularly erstwhile Canon markets its RF-S 18-150mm astatine $500 and knocks $100 disconnected erstwhile you bargain it with a camera.

Nikon did a bully occupation supporting its DX lens bid successful the SLR days, offering a low-cost 35mm F1.8 premier and, aboriginal on, the fantabulous Nikkor DX 16-80mm F2.8-4 bettered immoderate zoom Canon made for its crop-sensor EF-S lens series. Nikon doesn't person a lens similar that for the Z strategy yet, though. Its improvement roadmap does amusement a mates of made-for-DX lenses, however; a 12-28mm wide space and a 24mm prime, truthful the institution doesn't look to beryllium ignoring its DX customers, adjacent if the strategy isn't being built retired astatine the aforesaid assertive gait arsenic Canon's EOS R series.

(Credit: Jim Fisher)

We'll person to hold and spot if 3rd parties leap successful and supplement Nikon's line. Tamron precocious brought its 70-300mm zoom to Z equine and has an fantabulous 17-70mm F2.8 lens successful its mirrorless catalog, but the 17-70mm isn't sold for Nikon cameras astatine property time. In the meantime, we deliberation the Nikkor Z DX 18-140mm F3.5-6.3 VR is simply a bully starter zoom for photographers who enactment a precedence connected zoom powerfulness and don't caput the price. We're conscionable hoping that Nikon, oregon a 3rd party, delivers a much enthusiast-friendly F2.8 modular to lucifer the wants of discerning creators.