Nikkor Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR Quintessential All-rounder

The Nikkor Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR is the third Z mount DX lens, and meant to be a one-stop solution for travel shooters or casual photographers. K Madhavan Pillai puts it to the test.

- K Madhavan Pillai

There are plenty of previous Nikon DX 'superzoom' iterations for the F-mount all the way from 2006, from the 18-135mm and 18-140mm, to the 18-200mm and 18-300mm. а Tamron and Sigma also had similar zoom lenses for Nikon APS-C sensor DSLRs, including Tamron's rather extraordinary 18-400mm for the F mount. This is a popular kind of lens for Nikon DX DSLR cameras.

Made for mirrorless Z-mount DX cameras, the new Nikkor Z DX 18-140mm f3.5-6.3 VR offers a choice of buying a single, all-in-one lens rather than the paired duo of the 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR and the 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR, the only other native lenses for Z DX. Essentially, the new 18-140mm would take advantage of the larger diameter of the Z-mount, the shorter flange distance, and the more constrained zoom range for a smaller, lighter lens with better optical performance. And this is exactly what it is all about.

Features

The 18-140mm provides a 7.8x zoom range, of a full-frame equivalent of 27-210mm. This covers most use-case scenarios for beginners or for everyday, casual photography, or for travel, without the need for multiple lenses.

Optically, the lens has 17 elements in 13 groups. Two of these elements are aspherical, and two use ED glass to correct aberrations. The maximum aperture, especially at 140mm is a relatively small f/6.3. All lenses in this category have this issue. On the positive side, the lens features VR to counter camera shake at slower shutterspeeds by up to 5 stops (CIPA rated). The Nikon Z 50 and Z fc both don't have sensor-based stabilisation. However, a new VR algorithm called Dual Detect Optical VR can be enabled by both cameras with this lens for more effective VR calculations. And both cameras have good high ISO capabilities that will help with the lower maximum apertures.