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

Our Recommendation

Something interesting about the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR is that it is not technically a kit lens. At least at the moment, there is no Nikon DX camera that is sold alongside this lens as a pair – kind of surprising, because it definitely fulfills the traditional role of a kit lens.

The Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 is not perfectly sharp, but it’s sharp enough. It isn’t all that well-built, but it’s extremely lightweight. All in all, it fulfills its role extremely well – as a versatile wide-to-telephoto zoom lens that you can carry in your bag for a full day of photography. If you need a single do-it-all lens that doesn’t take up much space, this would be my choice to pair with a Nikon Z DX camera.

That said, if you don’t mind having to carry more equipment and switch lenses from time to time, you will get a little better image quality (and more reach on both ends of the zoom range) with the combination of the Nikon Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 and the Nikon Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3. Those two lenses put together cost about the same as the 18-140mm on its own, too ($690 for the pair, versus $640 for the 18-140mm).

At the end of the day, it’s a question of what faults you’re willing to accept in order to get such a versatile lens. Here’s how I’d sum up the pros and cons.

Pros:

• Extremely portable
• Relatively fast and quiet autofocus with great accuracy
• Good sharpness from 18-50mm (and still not bad after that)
• No dealbreakers where image quality is concerned

Cons:

• Cheaper build quality and materials on the level of a kit lens
• No meaningful controls or handling features
• Does not ship with a lens hood
• Distortion and vignetting are pretty substantial at 18mm
• $640 price is a little high, and can’t be reduced by buying as a kit

I wish that Nikon would offer the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 as an official kit with one of their DX cameras. (Technically some retailers do pair the two together, but generally not with an extra discount compared to buying the camera body-only.) An official kit would help bring the price down and make this lens a more attractive purchase for first-time Nikon photographers. It’s still a pretty good value, but probably $50-100 more expensive than it should be.

By comparison, the combination of the DX 16-50mm and 50-250mm lenses is stronger optically, and it is sold as an official two-lens kit with some of Nikon’s cameras (for which you’ll save anywhere from $100 to $150 off the camera’s body-only price, depending on the camera). I would give this two-lens combination serious thought if you’re in the market for DX glass.

Granted, some photographers hate the idea of carrying multiple lenses and having to change them constantly, which is totally understandable. If that applies to you, the 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 is a very logical choice, and I’m sure you’ll be happy with it. But if you don’t mind carrying two lenses and swapping them periodically, I would go with the 16-50mm and 50-250mm combination. That’s especially true if you buy them as part of a kit with your camera, since that makes them less expensive than the 18-140mm on its own.

I still enjoyed my time with the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR and how versatile it is – it really does make a great single-lens option for travel photography – but it only gets my partial recommendation.

Conclusion

This lens is available for $640 through any of our affiliates:

• Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR at B&H – Check Current Price and Sales
• Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR at Adorama
• Nikon Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR at Amazon
• Used/International: Check prices on eBay

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