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Home โ†’ Reviews โ†’ Cameras and Lenses โ†’ Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR Review

Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR Review

By Spencer Cox 31 Comments
Published On April 24, 2024

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Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 vs Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3

This is probably the most obvious comparison to make, since these are the two main kit lenses currently available for Nikon Z DX cameras. How do they compare? We’ll start with the widest focal lengths, which are 18mm and 16mm respectively:

Nikon-Z-DX-18-140mm-f3.5-6.3-MTF-Performance-18mm

Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR MTF Performance 16mm

Both lenses do a great job here! The Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 is sharper in the corners, while the Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 is sharper in the center and (to a lesser extent) the midframes. As you stop down, any differences start to become harder to notice, as expected.

Next, let’s look at 24mm:

Nikon-Z-DX-18-140mm-f3.5-6.3-MTF-Performance-24mm

Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR MTF Performance 24mm

Keep in mind that the aperture values are different in the charts above this time, since the 16-50mm can only reach f/4.2, while the 18-140mm can reach f/3.8 at 24mm.

Looking at the same apertures, we see that the Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 is a little sharper throughout the frame this time. The difference is never huge – it teeters on the edge of what is visible or not (AKA about a 10% difference in the numbers above). Both lenses remain nice and sharp.

Here’s 35mm:

Nikon-Z-DX-18-140mm-f3.5-6.3-MTF-Performance-35mm

Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR MTF Performance 35mm

The story is pretty much the same at 35mm. While the Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 is a little sharper at shared apertures, it is never by too much.

And finally, 50mm:

Nikon-Z-DX-18-140mm-f3.5-6.3-MTF-Performance-50mm

Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR MTF Performance 50mm

As before, make sure that you’re comparing the same apertures against one another! Things can get a little confusing otherwise, since the lenses have very different maximum apertures at 50mm (f/4.8 and f/6.3 respectively).

Just like at 24mm and 35mm, the Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 is a little sharper here at 50mm. The differences aren’t significant enough that I would worry about them, but they do exist.

All in all, I would rate the Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 as being the slightly sharper of the two lenses. However, the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 has the advantage at 18mm in the corners, which could be significant to landscape photographers. Either way, the two lenses are not far apart in sharpness overall.

Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f3.5-6.3 VR Sample Image 5
NIKON Z fc + NIKKOR Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR @ 21.5mm, ISO 100, 1/30, f/8.0

Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 vs Nikon Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3

I already said on the previous page of this review that the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 is strongest from 18mm to 50mm. At 70mm onward, it gets a little less sharp. Where does this place it relative to Nikon’s Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3? Here’s how they measure up, starting at 50mm:

Nikon-Z-DX-18-140mm-f3.5-6.3-MTF-Performance-50mm

Nikon Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR MTF Performance 50mm

Here, the sharper lens corner-to-corner is the Nikon Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3. It really is an impressive telephoto lens! It’s not that the 18-140mm is bad at 50mm by any stretch, however. The two lenses aren’t terribly far apart (at least, not yet).

Next is 70mm:

Nikon-Z-DX-18-140mm-f3.5-6.3-MTF-Performance-70mm

Nikon Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR MTF Performance 70mm

This time, the difference is starting to look pretty pronounced. The Nikon Z DX 18-140mm definitely loses some sharpness at 70mm, while the Nikon Z DX 50-250mm is even stronger than it was at 50mm (especially in the midframes and corners). It’s a really impressive performance by the telephoto zoom.

And finally, 140mm and 135mm:

Nikon-Z-DX-18-140mm-f3.5-6.3-MTF-Performance-140mm

Nikon Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR MTF Performance 135mm

The difference this time is the most significant yet. While the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm is still totally usable, the Nikon Z 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 is seriously sharp. I definitely would rather have the 50-250mm lens in my bag if I often used such long focal lengths.

Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f3.5-6.3 VR Sample Image 8
NIKON Z fc + NIKKOR Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR @ 18mm, ISO 100, 1/15, f/8.0

Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 vs Nikon Z DX 24mm f/1.7

How does the 18-140mm perform compared to a prime lens (albeit a tiny one, which usually implies worse performance) – the Nikon Z DX 24mm f/1.7? Here’s how we measured both lenses in the lab:

Nikon-Z-DX-18-140mm-f3.5-6.3-MTF-Performance-24mm

Nikon-Z-DX-24mm-f1.7-MTF-Performance

As before, please make sure that you compare the same aperture values against one another!

When you do that, I’m personally surprised at how well the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 holds up by comparison. The two lenses are at an extremely similar level. While I do think the 24mm f/1.7 holds a small advantage overall (especially in the corners and midframes at the narrower apertures), the two lenses are close to being interchangeable, at least where sharpness is concerned.

The Nikon Z DX 24mm f/1.7 has the advantage of being smaller, as well as offering a brighter maximum aperture of f/1.7. However, the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 has the obvious advantage of being able to zoom, and it also has vibration reduction while the 24mm f/1.7 does not. So, the real winner of this comparison is not based on sharpness, but which other characteristics you prefer in a lens.

Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f3.5-6.3 VR Sample Image 15
NIKON Z fc + NIKKOR Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR @ 23.5mm, ISO 100, 1/3, f/16.0

The next page of this review sums up everything and explains the pros and cons of the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR. So, click the menu below to go to “Verdict”:

Table of Contents

  • Introduction & Build Quality
  • Optical Performance
  • Lens Comparisons
  • Verdict
  • Reader Comments
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