If you had told me only a few years ago that Nikon would release a video-focused power zoom lens, I’d have called you all kinds of names. But since the release of the Z9, it has become abundantly clear that Nikon intends to capture the hearts of videographers and cinematographers, a strategy which has become even more clear since it acquired RED about a year ago. Now we have the first Z-Mount video-first product from Nikon, the Nikkor Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ.
Our time with the lens was with a pre-production model and as such, we were unable to shoot charts with the lens and therefore can’t provide any definitive statements about image quality. However, I shot our entire Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S episode on this lens, so I have some real-world experience and opinions. You can also watch that recent episode on YouTube to get an impression of the image quality this lens delivers.
Nikkor 28-135mm f/4 PZ Z: Power Zoom for the Ages
The 28-135mm looks distinctly like a traditional video lens. The large square hood, geared focus ring and power zoom rocker are dead giveaways about this lens’ intended audience. I was slightly disappointed that there is not a mechanical focus clutch to assist with precise focus pulls but the focus ring is very well damped and, more importantly, responsive. Just remember to set the manual focus response to “linear” in the camera’s menu.
The power zoom can be controlled several ways. The first with the power zoom rocker which I did find a bit fiddly. I wish there was a bit more resistance as it is easy to suddenly start zooming faster or slower than intended. I preferred instead dedicating a couple of buttons on the body (I like the front custom buttons around the lens mount) to enable a smooth zoom at a continuous rate. For the fastest zoom response, and the fun “crash-zoom” effect, you will need to use the zoom ring around the barrel. Just like the focus ring, this is extremely responsive, with none of the lag we saw in the much older Sony 28-135mm f/4 PZ for E-Mount. Additionally, zoom can be controlled through Nikon’s mobile or desktop software and with the MC-N10 video grip.
There are also custom buttons, a control dial I like to set to aperture (iris for my cinematographer friends), and manual/autofocus selector switch. The lens has been sealed to resist dust and moisture. One possible point of concern is the use of a massive 95mm filter thread. This means screw-on filters will be expensive and difficult to find, so I recommend a matte-box with drop-in filters for the users of this lens.
Nikkor 28-135mm f/4 PZ Z: An Optical Wonder
Bokeh on the lens is quite lovely. While there is a bit of a soap bubble effect with a bright outer ring in the highlights, most out of focus details fall off into a pleasing soft blur. I loved the look of tight shots on our host’s face, with a shallow depth of field. This is in stark contrast to many power zoom lenses I’ve used previously, which were prone to distracting out of focus regions.
Breathing, or the distracting change in field of view when focus shifts, is a major concern for many video shooters. This lens acquits itself nicely in that regard, with very minor breathing at 28mm and almost none at 135mm. For a lens with such a wide zoom range, this is an excellent performance.
Close up performance is standard for this class of lens, neither poor or terribly exciting. At the 28mm wide angle 0.15x magnification can be achieved at 34 cm or 13.4” from the sensor plane. The 135mm telephoto delivers a more useful 0.25x magnification ratio at 57 centimeters or 22.4 inches from the sensor. This should be sufficient for many product and nature shots but a separate macro lens will be required to capture the finest details.
Nikkor 28-135mm f/4 PZ Z: At Long Last
I truly enjoyed my short time with the Nikon Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ, and look forward to shooting future projects on it when the lens becomes available in the Spring. While the $2,600 price puts this lens out of reach for many amateurs, it is in line with competitive offerings like the aforementioned $3,100 Sony 28-135mm f/4 PZ. A power zoom is a creative tool that has long been missing from Nikon’s optical lineup, and the addition of this lens means there’s even more reason for videographers and cinematographers to give a long hard look at Nikon’s Z-Mount lineup.
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