For most Nikon Z owners the first lens to buy is the Z 40mm f/2: small, inexpensive, bright enough to blur a background, and it works on both DX crop bodies and full-frame Z cameras. If the budget is tighter, the Viltrox 35mm f/1.7 does a similar job on a DX body for less. Everything below assumes you already own a Nikon Z camera — if you are still choosing, our Sony vs Canon vs Nikon comparison covers the system decision first.
It is worth being honest about the state of the Nikon Z lens range, because it is the main criticism leveled at the system. Nikon's crop-sensor Z DX lineup is short — a handful of zooms and two primes — and considerably smaller than what a Sony E-mount shooter can browse. What exists, though, is good: the DX 16-50mm is one of the best kit zooms anybody makes, and Nikon's S-line primes are among the sharpest lenses in their class. The gap is in cheap, plentiful choice, not in quality.
Two things soften that gap. First, full-frame Z lenses work perfectly on DX bodies — the camera just uses the middle of the image circle — so the Z 40mm f/2 and Z 50mm f/1.8 S are both fair game whichever Nikon you own. Second, third-party makers have finally arrived: Viltrox now builds affordable autofocus primes for Z mount, which is exactly what the system was missing. And if you want to go cheaper still, Nikon's FTZ adapter takes decades of second-hand F-mount DSLR lenses.
How to buy lenses for a Nikon Z camera
Start by shooting the kit zoom for a month and paying attention to where the zoom ring ends up. That is not filler advice — it is the cheapest way to discover whether you are a wide shooter, a portrait shooter or a reach shooter, and it stops you buying the wrong lens twice.
DX and full-frame Z lenses: what fits what
Nikon uses one physical Z mount for both its crop-sensor (DX) and full-frame cameras. Full-frame Z lenses fit DX bodies and work perfectly — they are just bigger and pricier than they need to be, and their field of view is narrowed by the crop (a 40mm behaves like a 60mm equivalent on DX). DX lenses fit full-frame bodies too, but the camera crops to a smaller image to avoid dark corners, so you lose resolution. In practice: buy DX lenses if you have a DX body and want small and cheap; buy full-frame Z lenses if you might move up later.
Why f/1.7 or f/2 changes more than sharpness
The single biggest visible upgrade from a kit zoom is aperture. A kit zoom is around f/3.5 to f/6.3; a prime at f/1.7 or f/2 lets in several times more light. That buys you two things at once — usable photographs indoors and in the evening without pushing ISO into grain, and the blurred background that separates a subject from a cluttered room. Our exposure triangle explainer covers why, if the numbers are unfamiliar.
The third-party question
For years Z mount had almost no affordable third-party autofocus lenses, which was a fair reason to choose Sony instead. That has changed: Viltrox in particular now makes several well-regarded Z-mount autofocus primes at prices Nikon does not compete at. They are not identical to first-party glass — autofocus is generally a little slower and firmware support depends on the maker — but the price difference is large and the optics are good. We include one here for exactly that reason.
The FTZ adapter, and when it is worth it
Nikon's FTZ adapter lets Z bodies use F-mount DSLR lenses, usually keeping autofocus on the newer ones. Because Nikon made F-mount lenses for decades, the second-hand supply is enormous and cheap. The costs are size — an adapted lens is longer and heavier than a native one — and the adapter itself. It is an excellent route if you want a specialist lens (a fast telephoto, a macro) without paying native prices, and unnecessary if you just want one good prime. Our mirrorless vs DSLR guide has more on adapting older glass.
Do not forget the rest of the kit
If you are shooting video, a fast 4K-rated SD card and a decent microphone will improve your results more than a second lens. And because no current Nikon DX body has in-body stabilization, handheld video benefits from either a stabilized (VR) lens or a budget gimbal.
