At a time when mirrorless cameras seem to be getting more and more expensive, the Nikon Z30 is like a breath of fresh air. It 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.
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. 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'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 thought 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 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.
Rod Lawton
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. He has used practically every interchangeable-lens camera launched in the past 20 years, from entry-level DSLRs to medium-format cameras, so he has the expertise to select the best Nikon lenses for you.
Thanks to the Z30’s crop factor, you get a massive reach from a lens that’s remarkably light and affordable. Read more below…
Best lenses for the Nikon Z30 in 2024
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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.
One of the best things about the Z30 in everyday use is its small size, and the Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR (24-75mm in full frame terms) is the ideal complement. It’s very small and light, which makes it a great choice not just for general walkabout shooting, but also for travel or street photography.
It also handles low light well, despite not having a particularly wide maximum aperture; we were also mightily impressed by its fast, quiet autofocus when we tested it.
This is one of the more recent 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 for video.
Very good sharpness in images and a customizable control ring make it well worth the competitive price tag – you’d normally expect to pay quite a bit more for an ultra-wide lens.
The Z DX 24mm f/1.7 is a fast, semi wide-angle prime of a size and a price that makes it a very attractive buy for Nikon Z30 owners. Its 35mm equivalent focal length offers a classic angle of view for street photography, but it's also good 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. The DX 24mm f/1.7 would be a great buy if you’re 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 – although this lens does not have Nikon's VR stabilization built in.
Normally we would not recommend a full-frame lens for an APS-C format camera like the Z30, mainly on the basis of cost and size. The 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.
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.
If you think the regular 16-50mm kit lens might not offer you the focal range you need, this could be the answer. The Nikon 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 Nikon 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 with other Z DX lenses.
Even so, it’s small for a lens with this amount of reach, and delivers good images. Handling is also accomplished, aided by a 5-stop optical stabilizer and a control ring with a custom function facility.
The Z30 is designed primarily as a portable vlogging camera, so 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 inexpensive.
The Z30 uses the Nikon Z mount and is compatible with all lenses designed for that mount. Nikon’s own Z-mount lenses all have Z at the start of their model names.
You can can use any Z-mount lens on the Z30, although some Z-mount lenses are designed for use with APS-C format cameras such as the Z30, rather than full-frame cameras. Nikon lenses that fall into this category have DX as part of their model names. These lenses are typically smaller, lighter and cheaper than the equivalents designed for full-frame cameras.
If you buy a DX lens and later upgrade to a full-frame Nikon Z camera, the image you get through the DX lens will be cropped compared with a full-frame lens.
The Z30 is also able to use F-mount lenses, which are made for use with Nikon’s DSLR cameras. For this, you need an adaptor such as the Nikon Mount Adapter FTZ II. The idea is that owners of older DLSR cameras can buy a Z camera and still use their old lenses.
How do I know which lens to get for my Z30?
The reason there are so many types of lens in the first place is that different scenes demand different lens designs, particularly when it comes to focal length and aperture rating.
Usually, you will decide what you want to photograph, then get a lens with the focal length that suits the situation. For example, to shoot landscapes you will need a wide-angle lens, while for sports and wildlife you will need a telephoto.
The lens experts in our testing lab run a range of tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.
We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the centre of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths.
There's more to it than just the technical side, though! Beyond the lab, our reviewers test lenses in real-world environments – and sometimes on professional shoots! We work with lenses both indoors and outdoors, in studio conditions and in natural light, with as many different subjects as is possible (or appropriate – there's no point testing a landscape lens' ability to shoot a portrait!).
We take into account everything from handling and ease of use to speed of autofocus and the overall quality of the images produced.
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
