The Best Lenses for the Nikon Z5 IIC for Photo and Video
The Nikon Z5 IIC's whole appeal is size. Nikon removed the viewfinder to make a flat-top, compact full-frame camera, and pairing it with a big, heavy lens undoes most of that advantage.
The good news is that Nikon's Z-mount has some of the smallest full-frame lenses available. Here are the best options for the Z5 IIC, from pocketable pancakes to video-friendly zooms, and what to know before you pick.
One Thing to Know First: The 4K60 Crop
Before choosing a lens for video, know how the Z5 IIC records. Full-width oversampled 4K is available up to 30p, while 4K at 50p and 60p comes from a DX (APS-C) crop, about 1.5x.
That changes your field of view. A 26mm lens looks like roughly a 39mm lens in 4K60. If you plan to shoot 60p often, especially handheld or vlogging, a wider lens matters more than it would on a camera without the crop.
Best Kit Lens: NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3
This is the lens Nikon bundles with the Z5 IIC, and it's a sensible match. It collapses to about 51mm from the mount and weighs about 195g, so the camera stays genuinely compact.
The tradeoff is its slow maximum aperture, which limits low-light performance and background blur. It's a great everyday and travel lens, but not the best choice for dim interiors or cinematic shallow depth of field.
Best for: travel, everyday shooting, and anyone who wants one lens that keeps the camera small.
Best Pancake Lens: NIKKOR Z 26mm f/2.8
If you want the smallest possible full-frame setup, this is it. Nikon calls it the slimmest full-frame autofocus lens for mirrorless cameras, and it's less than an inch thick at about 125g.
It also focuses as close as about 8 inches, which is useful for details and tabletop shots. Its stepping motor provides quiet autofocus that's well-suited to video.
Keep the 4K60 crop in mind: in 60p, it frames like a normal lens rather than a wide one.
Best for: street photography, travel, and a nearly pocketable full-frame kit.
Best Everyday Prime: NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2
The 40mm f/2 is one of the best values in the Z-mount system. It's compact, weighs about 170g, and its f/2 aperture gathers noticeably more light than the kit zoom.
Nikon also designed its autofocus to suppress focus breathing, which matters for video when you rack focus between subjects.
Best for: everyday photos, casual portraits, and interviews or talking-head video.
Best Budget Wide Prime: NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8
Slightly wider than the 40mm and still very compact, the 28mm f/2.8 is one of the smallest and most affordable lenses in the Z-mount lineup.
It's a strong choice for vlogging and handheld video in 4K30, where you get the full width of the sensor.
Best for: budget-conscious shooters, vlogging, and wide everyday framing.
Best Wide Zoom for Video: NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8
This is the lens to consider if you plan to shoot 4K60. Its wide end offsets the DX crop far better than any of the small primes, and its constant f/2.8 aperture helps in low light.
It's larger than the pancakes, so the camera won't stay pocketable. But for vlogging and handheld video, that wide angle is worth the size.
Best for: vlogging, 4K60 video, real estate, and tight interiors.
Best All-Around Zoom: NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S
If you want one lens that covers nearly everything, the 24-120mm f/4 S is widely considered one of the best all-around lenses for the Z5 series. It's the lens Nikon itself used to rate the camera's stabilization.
It's the heaviest option here and breaks the compact concept, but its range and constant f/4 aperture make it a strong run-and-gun video lens.
Best for: events, documentary work, and hybrid shooters who want range over size.
Best Fast Standard Zoom: Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2
For shooters who want an f/2.8 zoom without the cost and weight of Nikon's premium S-line options, Tamron's 28-75mm G2 is a popular third-party choice with native Z-mount support.
Best for: low-light video, weddings, and anyone who wants a fast zoom on a budget.
Best Fast Primes for Low Light: NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.4
When you need the shallowest depth of field or the best low-light performance, these f/1.4 primes deliver a big step up from the f/2.8 pancakes. They're larger, but still reasonable on a compact body.
Best for: cinematic shallow depth of field, low-light scenes, and portraits.
Competitive Context
Small, high-quality full-frame lenses are one of the Z5 IIC's quiet advantages over rivals like Sony's a7C II. Nikon's 26mm, 28mm, and 40mm primes, plus the collapsing 24-50mm, give it a genuinely compact full-frame kit.
Third-party support also helps. Tamron and Viltrox both make native Z-mount lenses, including options like Viltrox's ultra-thin 28mm f/4.5 pancake for budget shooters.
The Signal in the Noise
The right lens depends on how you'll use the Z5 IIC. For travel and everyday shooting, a pancake or the kit zoom keeps it small, which is the whole reason to buy this camera over the Z5 II.
For video, the 4K60 crop is the deciding factor. If you'll shoot 60p regularly, prioritize a wider lens like the 17-28mm. If you'll mostly shoot 4K30, the compact primes cover a lot of ground.
Would you keep the Z5 IIC as small as possible, or build it into a bigger video rig?
Specs & Pricing
- NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 — ~195g, collapsible; kit adds $300 ($1,699.95 with body vs. $1,399.95 body only)
- NIKKOR Z 26mm f/2.8 — ~125g, 23.5mm thick, close focus ~0.2m; check current pricing
- NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2 — ~170g, suppresses focus breathing; check current pricing
- NIKKOR Z 28mm f/2.8 — compact wide prime; check current pricing
- NIKKOR Z 17-28mm f/2.8 — wide zoom, best for 4K60 crop; check current pricing
- NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S — all-around zoom; check current pricing
- Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 (Z) — fast third-party zoom; check current pricing
- NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.4 — fast primes for low light; check current pricing
- 4K60 note: Z5 IIC uses a ~1.5x DX crop at 4K50/60; full-width 4K up to 30p
Exact pricing for Nikon lenses is available on Nikon's website.
