Expanding the Possibilities of NIKKOR Lenses with Mirrorless Cameras
From DSLR to mirrorless cameras — unlocking new potential for lenses.
In 2018, Nikon cameras and NIKKOR lenses underwent a major transformation. With the shift from DSLRs to mirrorless cameras, Nikon adopted the new Z mount, featuring a larger diameter and shorter distance from the lens mount to the image sensor. This marked the beginning of NIKKOR Z lenses. The possibilities for lenses expanded, enabling the delivery of sharper, more beautiful images, while also realizing lighter designs, better meeting the demands of our users. At the same time, our engineers and designers became even more attuned to the needs and wishes of photographers.
Every lens is designed with the users in mind — from planning and designing to manufacturing and quality assurance.
It takes several years for a single lens to go from the planning stage to being on sale. During this period, we experiment with the design, thinking from the user's perspective, asking, "What kind of lens will excite photographers?”; "How can we inspire them to take more photos?” and "How can we provide lenses that lets users fully concentrate on the shooting experience?” We aim to satisfy a wide range of users, from professionals to first-time camera users, for both stills and video. To achieve this, we work together as one team, from planning and designing to manufacturing and quality assurance.
Lens designs dictated by dedication to our users
NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S
A suggestion from the mechanical design team to the optical design team made filter attachment at the mount possible.
A small, lightweight f/2.8 wide-angle zoom lens featuring a large aspherical lens element at the front. Attaching a filter on the front side of wide lenses was usually a difficult process due to the bulb-like front surface of the lens. However, our engineers made it possible with this lens1. As another option, the mechanical design team suggested to the optical design team to have a filter attachment frame at the mount side since some users prefer to use sheet-type soft filters, and this idea was adopted after passionate discussions. The mount filter frame shape was designed in a way that makes the attachment process simple2.
NIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ
A new frontier for NIKKOR Z, responding to the needs of video creators.
This power zoom lens, which is a lens that enables smooth zooming at a constant speed, is designed with video production in focus. While all NIKKOR Z lenses are designed for shooting both stills and video, this lens was developed to meet the growing demands of video creators, covering the most frequently used focal lengths in a single lens. We meticulously examined and tested the knurling pattern, texture, and feel of both the focus and zoom rings, ultimately achieving ring designs that allow you to distinguish them both visually and by touch without sacrificing operability.
1 Nikon’s original 112-mm screw-in filters can be attached to the front of the lens via the supplied bayonet lens hood.
2 Sheet-type filters can be attached simply by cutting them into squares and trimming the corners.
