Whatever you do, don’t do what I did. I bought this lens separately 3 weeks after buying my Z50. You should buy this in the kit and save $150. Even if you think you don’t need a telephoto lens you should get it anyways, it’s cheap, very sharp, lightweight and you will want it after buying a Z50. If you already bought a Z50 it’s not too late, repent and buy this lens, It’s still worth it at $350. I normally don’t use telephoto lenses at all because I just have failed to get good shots in the past, for various reasons. So when I decided to get a Z50 I skipped out on adding this lens to the kit to save $200. That was very foolish of me... Between the VR and the high ISO capability of the Z cameras all of the shortcomings of slow compact telephoto lenses are addressed by this, and images look nice and sharp even at 250mm. (I mean relative to the old Nikon telephotos that compare to this one: I am not trying to compare this to their 70-200 f2.8 or anything, yeah that lens is sharper and faster but it’s also HUGE and expensive compared to this DX lens)
Edit: I have added an example picture made with the Z50 at ISO4500, 1/400 sec. 250mm, F6.3. the high ISO with NR caused some softness but it still looks good to me. I could have dropped my shutter speed a stop and maybe still got it but I didn't want to risk motion blur. The fox was trying to steal my bag but it was a little too heavy for him. I only had about 10 seconds to take any pictures of the fox before he ran off, and I was able to get a little over a dozen good shots of him thanks to this camera and lens combo.
One of the main reasons for getting this was that the 16-50 kit lens just sucks for photographing people. It’s ok when it’s group photos and you want more depth of field, but for portraits of individuals you just can’t get very good out of focus backgrounds with a 50mm f/6.3, it’s excellent for landscapes and general use though. But, this 50-250 lens is 1 stop faster at 50mm which makes it quite usable for shallow depth shots (yeah it’s no F1.8, but pictures are acceptable in my subjective opinion). You can also improve the bokeh further by increasing the focal length. So I thats why I would say it’s worth paying $350 definitely if you are buying it on its own. But you can get a really good deal by buying it in a kit with the Z50 which is my main recommendation.
One thing that concerned me about this lens before buying was it’s slow max aperture. But it’s forgivable In this case because remember aperture is directly related to focal length and this is long focal length lens, so we expect a higher F# due to optical limitations. It’s at least much more forgivable than it’s companion kit lens with its 50mm F/6.3 (come on Nikon!). Also remember the VR on this lens is excellent and will allow me to lower the shutter speed to about 1/8 of the focal length for stationary subjects. Plus with newer cameras you can crank the ISO to 50,000! Yes the pictures will be grainy but at least you can get the picture! In focus! It was not long ago that cameras topped out at ISO3200 and with an old telephoto at f5.6 you need a shutter speed of 1/250 or more and it’s just not gonna happen unless it’s broad daylight outdoors, that’s what made me just give up on telephoto lenses in the past: you either get a slow one that’s portable and cheap, but not very sharp and there are always those situations where you just need 1 or 2 more stops of light and you could get the shot but the camera or lens falls short and you just don’t get a picture at all. Or, you can refinance your house so you can fund a behemoth F2 telephoto that you need and then maybe you can get the pictures you want when lighting is poor.
But this lens and my new Z50 are amazing and it’s amazing what pictures I can get now in a compact package even when lighting isn’t ideal. I highly recommend it!
Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm VR | Compact all-in-one telephoto zoom lens with image stabilization for APS-C size/DX format Z se
4.6 | 357 ratings
Price: 376.95
Last update: 08-26-2024
About this item
50-250mm zoom range equivalent to a 75-375mm lens in 35mm format
Built-in VR image stabilization up to 5 stops
Features an assignable control ring
Image Stabilization: Optical
Built-in VR image stabilization up to 5 stops
Features an assignable control ring
Image Stabilization: Optical
Product information
| Product Dimensions | 4.33 x 2.91 x 2.91 inches |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 14.2 ounces |
| ASIN | B07YX9KYQZ |
| Item model number | 20085 |
| Customer Reviews |
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars
338 ratings
4.6 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #28 in Mirrorless Camera Lenses |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | October 10, 2019 |
| Manufacturer | Nikon |
| Country of Origin | Thailand |
Top reviews from the United States
Meredith Dumais
If you want or have a Z50 get this lens.. seriously
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2020
Meredith Dumais
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2020
Edit: I have added an example picture made with the Z50 at ISO4500, 1/400 sec. 250mm, F6.3. the high ISO with NR caused some softness but it still looks good to me. I could have dropped my shutter speed a stop and maybe still got it but I didn't want to risk motion blur. The fox was trying to steal my bag but it was a little too heavy for him. I only had about 10 seconds to take any pictures of the fox before he ran off, and I was able to get a little over a dozen good shots of him thanks to this camera and lens combo.
One of the main reasons for getting this was that the 16-50 kit lens just sucks for photographing people. It’s ok when it’s group photos and you want more depth of field, but for portraits of individuals you just can’t get very good out of focus backgrounds with a 50mm f/6.3, it’s excellent for landscapes and general use though. But, this 50-250 lens is 1 stop faster at 50mm which makes it quite usable for shallow depth shots (yeah it’s no F1.8, but pictures are acceptable in my subjective opinion). You can also improve the bokeh further by increasing the focal length. So I thats why I would say it’s worth paying $350 definitely if you are buying it on its own. But you can get a really good deal by buying it in a kit with the Z50 which is my main recommendation.
One thing that concerned me about this lens before buying was it’s slow max aperture. But it’s forgivable In this case because remember aperture is directly related to focal length and this is long focal length lens, so we expect a higher F# due to optical limitations. It’s at least much more forgivable than it’s companion kit lens with its 50mm F/6.3 (come on Nikon!). Also remember the VR on this lens is excellent and will allow me to lower the shutter speed to about 1/8 of the focal length for stationary subjects. Plus with newer cameras you can crank the ISO to 50,000! Yes the pictures will be grainy but at least you can get the picture! In focus! It was not long ago that cameras topped out at ISO3200 and with an old telephoto at f5.6 you need a shutter speed of 1/250 or more and it’s just not gonna happen unless it’s broad daylight outdoors, that’s what made me just give up on telephoto lenses in the past: you either get a slow one that’s portable and cheap, but not very sharp and there are always those situations where you just need 1 or 2 more stops of light and you could get the shot but the camera or lens falls short and you just don’t get a picture at all. Or, you can refinance your house so you can fund a behemoth F2 telephoto that you need and then maybe you can get the pictures you want when lighting is poor.
But this lens and my new Z50 are amazing and it’s amazing what pictures I can get now in a compact package even when lighting isn’t ideal. I highly recommend it!
Images in this review
Debbie Lee Wesselmann
Affordable, Compact Zoom For Nikon Z-Mount Mirrorless Cameras
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2021
R. Angeloni
Excellent Kit Lens
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2020
R. Angeloni
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2020
The lens does have a plastic feel to it, and no lens hood is included, however, if you are going to buy the Z50, it makes sense to get this lens along with the 16mm-50mm Z lens, giving you coverage of 16mm-250mm in a relatively small and light package, perfect for vacations or for days when you want to travel light.
This lens can also be used on the full frame Z6 and Z7, however, those cameras will recognize this lens as a DX lens and use less of the full frame sensor.
The attached photo was taken handheld and is essentially straight out of the camera. Highly recommended!
Images in this review
Marian L. Murdoch
Lens does not rattle
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2024William A Kallay
Super Zoom Lens
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2023
William A Kallay
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2023
To say that I was impressed with its image and focus quality is an understatement. Most of the pictures I took came out super sharp with lively colors. Only on rare occasion did a shot lose focus. This was only because a person stepped into the camera frame and locked on him instead of the original subject.
By turning the lens ring, zooming was quick. The photos that I took were from a long distance from the quarterbacks practicing. In Adobe Photoshop, I was able to zoom in and crop photos, maintaining Matthew Stafford's face with it being sharp. Other shots of the back up quarterbacks came in sharp, as well.
The lens was also used for a couple quick video tests. Same results and the image quality is outstanding, especially for the price.
For under $400 that I paid for it, this lens is well worth the price.
Images in this review
Toni P. Franklin TN
Sharp As A Tack
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2024Ashley
Works good
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2024