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May 18, 2023

The best lenses for the Nikon Z30 in 2023

It's Nikon's cheapest mirrorless camera and a great way to get into vlogging, but what are the best lenses for the Nikon Z30? At a time when mirrorless cameras seem to be getting more and more

It's Nikon's cheapest mirrorless camera and a great way to get into vlogging, but what are the best lenses for the Nikon Z30?

At a time when mirrorless cameras seem to be getting more and more expensive, the Nikon Z30 is like a breath of fresh air. This may be Nikon's most basic camera but it has everything you need to get started in vlogging, and it makes a great camera for regular stills photography too.

Being a mirrorless camera, it takes interchangeable lenses, which makes it very adaptable for many different kinds of photography. But what are the best lenses for the Nikon Z30? Well, not lenses costing thousands, obviously. We've chosen a selection of lenses that reflect the modest cost of this camera and the possibly restricted budgets of its users. The Z30 is one of the cheapest and the best cameras for vlogging, not to mention one of the best cameras for beginners.So while these are probably not the best Nikon Z lenses you can get, we think they are the best lenses for the Nikon Z30, balancing cost, features and versatility to bring out this camera's true potential.We're not just looking at price. We're also looking for lenses that open up new subjects, new ways of shooting and new vlogging styles. We've also picked lenses of a size and a weight that's going to match the Z30's compact body.Ideally, lenses for the Z30 should have VR (Vibration Reduction) built in, since the Z30 doesn't have in-body stabilization. Nikon has though of this and includes VR in all its zoom lenses for this camera – though Nikon's Z-mount prime lenses don't have it and rely instead on a wide maximum aperture to keep shutter speeds up and ISO settings down in low light.Keep in mind that the DX format APS-C sensor in the Nikon Z30 is smaller than the full frame sensors in Nikon's larger mirrorless cameras – so while you can use full frame Nikon Z lenses on the Z30, they will be heavier and more expensive than the DX format lenses Nikon has designed for its smaller cameras. There will also be a 1.5x 'crop factor' that reduces the angle of view of full frame lenses.However, Nikon has been very busy building up its range of Z DX format lenses for this camera (and also the Nikon Z50 and Nikon Z fc), so all but one of the lenses in our list are designed (and priced) for the smaller DX format.So without further ado, here's our list of the best lenses for the Nikon Z30 right now...

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Our expert review:

This is the standard kit lens for the Nikon Z30, but just in case you don't have this already, or are deciding whether it's worth getting, here's our opinion – it's such a great little lens, it's practically a must-have for any of Nikon's DX format mirrorless cameras. Much of the Nikon Z 30’s appeal is its small size and the Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR (24-75mm in full frame terms) doesn’t hamper that in the slightest. It’s tiny, it’s featherweight and it’s sure to prove popular with travel and street photographers alike. Its ability to focus down to 0.2m is mighty impressive and although its plastic build may lack that premium feel, the addition of a silent control ring is a welcome mod con. Even if you get other lenses to extend your Z30's capabilities, this one is sure to remain a favorite for general 'walkaround' photography.

Our expert review:

At the time of writing, this is one of the newest additions to the Nikon Z DX lens range and one of the most important. Its 18-42mm equivalent focal range is perfect for extra-wide shots of landscapes, architecture, interiors and more, but this is a lens also designed with vlogging in mind. Its extra wide angle of view will make it easier to film yourself with the camera at arm's length and also gives a bit of leeway if you use digital image stabilization, which brings a small crop factor. This lens also has an electric power zoom mechanism, another feature designed with video in mind. It’s travel-friendly too, being particularly compact and lightweight. Good image quality, handling and all-round performance make it well worth the highly competitive asking price – ultra-wide lenses normally command a hefty price premium, but this one is very reasonable indeed.

The Nikkor Z DX 24mm f/1.7 is very new and very interesting. It's a fast, semi-wideangle priime of a size and a price that makes it a very attractive buy for the Nikon Z30. Its 35mm equivalent focal length offers the classic angle of view for street photography, but it's also popular as a general walkaround lens for photographers who find a 'nifty 50' (50mm equivalent lens) offers too narrow an angle of view. What's great about this new DX 24mm f/1.7 is not just its fast maximum aperture and compact size, but its price! We're used to seeing fast prime lenses at higher prices than this, so while Nikon is still building up its Z DX lens range, we like what we've seen so far. At this price, the DX 24mm f/1.7 would be a great buy for any Nikon Z30 owner looking to try out the different experience of shooting with prime lenses, but also the opportunity to experiment with shallower depth of field and low light shooting – though this lens does not have Nikon's VR stabilization built in.

Our expert review:

The Nikon Z30 is designed primarily as a portable vlogging camera, and if you're interested in long-range sports and wildlife, it's likely you'll have gone for the Nikon Z50 or perhaps the Nikon Z fc instead (this lens sometimes comes as part of a twin-lens bundle with the Z50). Nevertheless, if you do decide to try some longer range shooting with your Z30, this is the lens to get! It offers an effective focal range of 75-375mm in full frame terms, so it's practically a super-telephoto. At the same time, it's remarkably light and even more remarkably cheap to buy! The versatile focal length range means that you can capture anything from portraits, to sports, to wildlife without skipping a beat. Although the build is plastic, it means that this lens is so lightweight you might find yourself checking the end of your camera to make sure it's still there!

Our expert review:

If you think the regular 16-50mm kit lens might not offer you the focal range you need, this could be the answer. The Nikkor Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR offers an effective focal range of 27-210mm in full frame terms, so it can work as both a regular walkaround kit lens and a telephoto. But while most of the Nikkor Z DX lenses we've looked at are priced very keenly, this one is the exception. It does seem rather a lot to pay compared to other Z DX lenses. Even so, it makes a conveniently compact travel lens and is good for everyday shooting with a Nikon Z30 body, with good image quality and nice handling, enhanced by a 5-stop optical stabilizer and customizable control ring.

Our expert review:

Normally we would not recommend a full frame lens for an APS-C format camera, mainly on the basis of cost and size. The Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 is an exception! This low-cost full frame prime lens is also very compact, despite its f/2 maximum aperture, and this makes it a great buy for the Nikon Z30 too. Thanks to the crop factor of the Z30's smaller APS-C sensor, this lens will give a narrower angle of view of a 60mm lens on this camera, but that's only a little longer than the classic 'nifty fifty' and gives more scope for playing with shallow depth of field effects. This is a useful and affordable optic that delivers good sharpness and smooth bokeh, along with quick and virtually silent autofocus, making it eminently suitable for shooting both stills and movies.

See alsoNikon Z lens roadmapBest Nikon flashgunsBest Nikon camera bags

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Rod is an independent photography journalist and editor, and a long-standing Digital Camera World contributor, having previously worked as DCW's Group Reviews editor. Before that he has been technique editor on N-Photo, Head of Testing for the photography division and Camera Channel editor on TechRadar, as well as contributing to many other publications. He has been writing about photography technique, photo editing and digital cameras since they first appeared, and before that began his career writing about film photography. He has used and reviewed practically every interchangeable lens camera launched in the past 20 years, from entry-level DSLRs to medium format cameras, together with lenses, tripods, gimbals, light meters, camera bags and more. Rod has his own camera gear blog at fotovolo.com but also writes about photo-editing applications and techniques at lifeafterphotoshop.com