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The Nikon Z 14-30mm f4 S Solves That Pesky Wide Angle Filter Issue

Chris Gampat
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01/07/2019
3 Mins read
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The Nikon Z 14-30mm f4 S isn’t going to prohibit you from using a lens filter.

One of the biggest problems with wide angle zooms is that they often don’t let a photographer attach a lens filter–but the Nikon Z 14-30mm f4 S is looking to change that. In fact, this is the biggest thing that stands out to us in the press release. The f4 constant aperture zoom lens starts out at 14mm and at that focal length you’ll be able to attach a standard UV, Neutral Density, Polarizing, etc. type of ring filter.

Of course, the Nikon Z 14-30mm f4 S is designed for landscape, adventure and travel photographers. So it’s got dust proofing and drip resistance built in–in fact, Nikon is pretty specific on the wording used and we’re eager to take it out into the rain to see how well it performs.

Having the “Z” moniker in the name, the Nikon Z 14-30mm f4 S is designed for the photographer who bought and didn’t return a Nikon Z6 or Z7 camera. The native Z mount lens is also touted to take full advantage of the Nikon z7’s 45.7MP (megapickle) sensor.

The Nikon Z 14-30mm f4 S has 14 elements arranged in 12 different groups. There is no VR built into the lens, but the Nikon Z system has sensor based stabilization. There are 4 ED glass elements, 4 Aspherical elements, it can focus as closely as 11 inches, and it has an 82mm front filter thread. That means you’re going to need a pretty massive filter for the Nikon Z 14-30mm f4 S.

Here are some more pertinent specs from the press release:

  • Lightweight and Ultra-Portable: At just 3.5-inches long when retracted, and weighing only 485g/1.07lbs, the NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S is approximately 28.6% lighter and 32% shorter than the popular AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR, and approximately 51.5% lighter and 35% shorter than the tried-and-true AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED for the F mount.
  • Uncompromising Optics: Featuring a new optical formula that utilizes four Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) elements and four aspherical elements, the 14-30mm f/4 offers unparalleled control of distortion and chromatic aberration. Additionally, the use of Nikon’s anti-reflective Nano Crystal Coat effectively reduces ghosting and flare, delivering clearer images that maintain contrast in challenging lighting situations.
  • Filter Attachable: For the first time on a 14mm FX-format (full-frame) lens1, photographers will be able to attach various types of screw-on filters (82mm) to the front of this ultra-wide-angle lens, infinitely expanding the creative possibilities of the NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S for landscape and cityscape photographers, videographers and more.
  • Stepping Motor Technology: Featuring the latest Nikon Stepping Motor (STM) technology, the new lens provides smooth, fast and quiet AF performance—ideal for photographers shooting in sensitive environments, as well as videographers who must avoid focus noise in productions.
  • Control Ring: As with the rest of the S-Line of NIKKOR Z lenses, the 14-30mm f/4 includes a customizable control ring that can be assigned to manual focusing, exposure compensation or aperture control depending on personal preference or shooting situation, maintaining different custom settings when in photo and video mode.
  • Fully Compatible with In-Camera 5-Axis VR: To help ensure the sharpest possible images and most stable video, the new NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S is fully compatible with the in-body 5-axis VR found in the Nikon Z 6 and Z 7, providing up to 5 stops2 of image stabilization without adding to the size or weight of the lens itself.
  • Optimized Video Performance: In addition to the speedy and near-silent stepping motor technology and customizable control ring, the lens reduces focus breathing, preventing the angle of view from changing unintentionally when adjusting focus.
  • Reliability: The NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f4 S is designed with consideration to dust and drip resistance, and features a fluorine coat that effectively repels dust, water droplets, grease and dirt.

The Nikon Z 14-30mm f4 S  is going to hit the market in Spring 2019 for $1,299.95. To be honest, that isn’t too bad of a price point considering what you’re getting and if you don’t need a f2.8 lens, then you’re looking at a pretty good option for travel shooting.

Check out a few image samples provided by Nikon below.

filter lens nikon Nikon Z 14-30mm f4 S nikon z6 nikon z7 weather proof
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Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.
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