What lenses to use with the Nikon ZR

 The classic 35mm

Cinematographers throughout the ages have loved the look you get from a fast 35mm prime lens. It gives a balanced frame of subject and surrounding context to immediately establish a scene, tell the audience who is there and what’s going on. It’s also a natural ‘human’ view of the world with a little extra width, giving an immersive sense of space in a moving clip. The NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 is a great choice here with the ZR, as a compact, fast lens that’s perfect for handheld footage with a classic look. For immersive detail and the finest subject separation, the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S ups the specs and is a documentary-maker’s dream, especially when it comes to low-light performance. For more on why 35mm is a cinematic sweet spot, read here.

The ‘nifty fifty’ goes cinematic

The ‘nifty fifty’ isn’t just for stills. Conversations between two subjects, realistic scenes, low-light scenarios, pushing narrative forward – all things that a fast 50mm prime does incredibly well. With its natural viewing angle, it’s a lens that brings your audience into the action and lets them connect quickly with the story. It’s the focal length beloved by street photographers for its ability to tell stories that feel real, and it’s the same with video. Again, there are a couple of top recommendations in the NIKKOR Z catalogue. The NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.4 gives you great flexibility in low light, lovely subject separation and is lightweight, so perfect for long days on foot and interviews. It’s also incredible value. The NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S is a weightier pro tool that gives exceptional sharpness, while that extra stop opens up a lot of creative choices in any light situation. Plus, the focus has superb smoothness and minimises focus breathing. For more on the advantages of using fast prime lenses for video, read here.

The workhorse power zoom

Prime lenses are fantastic for video, but there’s one thing they can’t do – zoom! A power zoom lens gives you not just the flexibility of an array of different focal lengths to use, but also enables you to use creative zoom techniques to add to your story. The NIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ is a workhorse of a video lens – ideal for solo filmmakers or small crews who want flexibility and quality in one package. With 11 different zoom speeds to choose from, ease-in, ease-out and linear manual focusing, you’re always in control of what you want to create. Designed specifically as a video lens, it’s easy to attach to matte boxes when needed, works with standard follow focus systems, can resolve 8K footage straight from the camera and is hugely customisable for ultimate control.

The internal zoom 24-70mm

A 24-70mm is one of the most popular lenses out there, with good reason. With a range that goes from wide angle, through classic natural focal lengths to short telephoto, all with a constant aperture, it’s a ‘go-to’ for a lot of videographers. Nikon’s latest version, the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II, is a great partner for the ZR, giving you run-and-gun capability with top-class optics. Focus breathing is near zero and the internal zoom mechanism means it stays balanced in the hand or on a gimbal and works well with front-mounted accessories. Autofocus is also five times faster than the previous version and bokeh is fast prime-like. Add in the declickable control ring for smooth, silent operation and the increase weather sealing afforded by the internal zoom and you’ve got a package that will keep up, whatever the conditions.

The wildlife and sport supertele

Filming wildlife or sport is going to require a supertelephoto lens to bring the viewer into the heart of the action, and 400mm is probably the most used focal length in these scenarios. The NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S is just 1245g in weight and 234.5mm long – light and short for a supertele – so can live on your ZR all day long. With Vibration Reduction of 5.5 stops built in, any camera shake is minimised on handheld clips, although for longer scenes a tripod is probably going to be your friend. And if you need a little extra reach without losing resolution, the lens is compatible with the 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters.  

The ultra-wide zoom

An ultra-wide zoom lens lets you introduce an audience to sweeping landscapes and city vistas, establishing clips that set the scene and create the mood. But ultra-wide zooms are much more versatile than that. The NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 can also go in close for the details and make small spaces seem more expansive. Its constant f/2.8 aperture makes easy work of low light, while also providing you with creative options using depth of field. Lightweight, fully sealed and well balanced on the ZR, it’s a smart choice.

The bang-for-buck character prime

Most affordable on the list, and getting a lot of love from ZR users, is the NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2. With its ‘halfway house’ focal length between a 35mm and 50mm prime, silent focus, great subject separation, reduced focus breathing and close up capabilities, it’s a tiny lens that’s full of character.

The retro bonus!

Why let the new Z lenses have all the fun? If you’re after a retro feel, you can always attach F mount lenses to your Nikon ZR with the FTZ II adapter. Around 360 F mount lenses are compatible with the adapter, 94 of which retain full AE/AF capabilities.