Introduction
This hands-on review covers everything you need to know about the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR, a versatile superzoom for Nikon DX mirrorless cameras. With full-frame equivalent focal lengths of 27-210mm, this lens allows wide-angle photos at 18mm, telephoto pictures at 140mm, and anything in between.
Nikon is no stranger to making DX zoom lenses that reach 18mm on the wide end. The Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR is just the latest example. In the DSLR era, there were 18-55mm lenses, as well as 18-70mm, 18-105mm, 18-135mm, 18-140mm, 18-200mm, and even 18-300mm lenses.
Although these lenses have proven to be quite popular, they aren’t necessarily very good. Their popularity is mainly due to low prices (and the fact that they’re included as kits with a lot of cameras) rather than anything performance-related. They usually don’t have great build quality, handling, or low-light capabilities.
Optical performance, however, is a different story. It strongly depends on the lens, with some cheap zoom lenses performing a lot better than expected. The best among them can offer a great balance between price, weight, and image quality.
One example of an inexpensive, yet optically strong zoom lens is the Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 – the most common kit lens for Nikon Z DX photographers, and one that only costs $310. Paired with the Nikon Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 (a $380 lens that is also surprisingly good), it makes a formidable dual-lens kit that doesn’t break the bank.
By comparison, the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 costs $640 on its own, so it faces some steep competition to prove that it’s worth the money. Is the Nikon Z 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR good enough to be the go-to lens for Nikon Z DX photographers? This review will answer that question and more!
Build Quality
The Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 is a little cheaply made. Part of this is due to the materials Nikon used – for example, the focusing ring and telescoping barrel of the lens are made of lower-quality plastic than on other Nikon Z lenses. The lens mount is also made of plastic rather than metal, and there is no rubber seal around the mount.
Unsurprisingly, as you zoom toward 140mm with this lens, the barrel of the lens extends. In this case, it’s a single-barrel telescoping mechanism that increases the length of the lens as follows:
While a telescoping barrel is not a problem in and of itself, I found that my copy of the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 had some noticeable “play” or wobble in the barrel of the lens when zoomed into 140mm. Other Nikon Z lenses tend to be more solid in this regard. (Even the Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR that I’m currently testing, which is the longest superzoom available for Nikon Z, has hardly any wobble at 400mm.) Although some wobble won’t substantially affect the lens’s image quality, it can make it easier for dust or grit to get into the zoom mechanism over time.
The good news is that despite all this, the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 actually is weather-sealed, according to Nikon. There are a total of five weather-sealing rings inside the barrel of the lens to prevent the ingress of dust and moisture. This isn’t as much sealing as you’ll find on higher-end Nikon lenses, but it’s better than nothing.
Also, the rest of the lens is not badly made. The main barrel uses the same high-quality plastic as most Nikon Z lenses, and the rubber zoom ring is well-damped and smooth. The result is a lens that feels more reassuring than most cheap kit lenses out there. Still, it has room for improvement.
Handling
This section will be quick, because there isn’t much to discuss with regard to this lens’s handling! There are no buttons or switches found on the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3, nor any controls at all apart from the zoom and focusing rings. I wish that Nikon had at least included an auto/manual focus switch, but apparently it was not meant to be.
Apart from the lack of controls, my biggest complaint here is that the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 does not ship with a lens hood. In my opinion, this should be a standard inclusion with all lenses, especially considering the $640 price of the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3.
On the bright side, this lens does have a very effective vibration reduction system, which makes it much easier to use in low light. Vibration reduction is not a magic bullet, but it really helps out on the margins. As long as your subject is completely still, you can use shutter speeds longer than what is normally implied by the reciprocal rule with this lens.
Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 Specifications
- Full Name: Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR
- Mount Type: Nikon Z Mount (DX only)
- Focal Length: 18mm to 140mm zoom (7.8× zoom)
- Angle of View (DX): 76° to 11°30′
- Maximum Aperture: f/3.5 at 18mm; f/6.3 at 140mm
- Minimum Aperture: f/22 at 18mm; f/40 at 140mm
- Aperture Blades: 7, rounded
- Filter Size: 62mm
- Lens Elements: 17
- Lens Groups: 13
- Special Elements: 2 aspherical, 2 ED glass
- Super Integrated Coating: Yes
- Fluorine Coated Front Element: No
- Electronic Diaphragm: Yes
- Vibration Reduction: Yes
- Internal Focusing: Yes
- Control Rings: Zoom, focus
- Function Buttons: No
- Internal Zooming: No
- Focus Motor: Stepping motor
- Minimum Focus Distance: 20 cm (7.9 inches)
- Maximum Magnification: 0.33× (1:3)
- Mount Material: Plastic
- Weather/Dust Sealing: Partial
- Dimensions (Length × Diameter): 90 × 73 mm (3.5 × 2.9 inches)
- Weight: 315 g (0.69 lbs)
- MSRP: $640 (check current price)
Here is the lens’s construction diagram, courtesy of Nikon:
The next page of this review covers the optical characteristics of the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3, including focusing performance and sharpness tests in the lab. So, click the menu below to go to “Optical Performance”:
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