Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8 vs Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8
I’ve already mentioned the Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8 several times in this review, and that’s because it’s impossible to escape their similarities. Both lenses have a similar design philosophy – small and light! – with the same maximum aperture and nearly the same focal length. How do their optics compare, though? Here’s what I measured in the lab, with the 26mm followed by the 28mm:
It’s an interesting comparison. At f/2.8, the winner is the Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8, which has a much sharper center, slightly sharper midframes, and very comparable corner performance. As you stop down, however, the Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8 barely improves, while the Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8 gets much sharper. Corner performance in particular is far higher on the Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8 at f/4 and beyond. (Midframe performance on the 28mm f/2.8 doesn’t measure very high due to wavy field curvature.)
If you tend to shoot at f/2.8 most of the time, the Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8 takes the win, thanks to its high central sharpness. Otherwise, this comparison isn’t much of a contest – the Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8 is the sharper lens overall.
Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8 vs Nikon Z 24mm f/1.8 S
How does the Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8 compare to a high-end Nikon Z prime like the 24mm f/1.8 S? It’s probably no surprise that the S-line lens wins. But by how much? Here are the Imatest graphs, starting with the 26mm f/2.8 again:
That’s not a close contest. The Nikon Z 24mm f/1.8 S simply blows away the Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8 in the shared aperture range, especially in the corners. Even at f/11 and f/16 (where most lenses perform very similarly) the corners of the Nikon Z 24mm f/1.8 S are a good bit sharper. Now you see what you’re giving up with a lens that prioritizes portability over all other considerations.
Just for fun, next let’s do a comparison of the Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8 against one of the most popular Nikon Z zooms, the 24-120mm f/4 S.
Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8 vs Nikon 24-120mm f/4 S
I don’t think that very many people will be trying to decide between these two lenses directly, but this section should still be a good reference. If you already have the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S (or the similarly sharp Nikon Z 24-70mm f/4 S), now you’ll know how Nikon’s lightest Z lens compares.
Prime lenses usually beat zooms in terms of sharpness, but not this time. The Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8 is one of the weaker prime lenses I’ve tested, and the Nikon Z 24-120mm f/4 S is a great zoom lens. At f/4 and f/5.6 in particular, it’s really no contest – the 24-120mm f/4 S is a cut above. The two lenses get closer in performance at the narrower apertures, but even at f/16, the corner performance of the 24-120mm f/4 is stronger.
Our Thoughts
Spencer: Based on what we found on the previous page of the review, I can’t say I’m surprised by the results here.
Nasim: As a lens reviewer, I don’t give the 26mm f/2.8 high marks for sharpness. I will say, it could always be worse, and I’ve tested worse lenses before – just not Nikon Z glass.
Spencer: One point in defense of the Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8 is the good central performance at every aperture, including f/2.8. Doesn’t that matter more than corner performance to a lot of photographers?
Nasim: Yes, just because you and I tend to stare at corners when we review lenses, does not make it a popular hobby. Although, it might be popular among some of the people reading this :)
Spencer: But to the broader point, I doubt that most photographers would prefer a weaker lens if given the choice. The Z 28mm f/2.8 is a better performer, it’s less expensive, and it’s almost as light. I think it has more appeal overall.
The next page of this review sums up everything and explains the pros and cons of the Nikon Z 26mm f/2.8. So, click the menu below to go to “Verdict”:
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