8 Best Lenses for Nikon Z 9 in 2024!

If you’re shooting on Nikon’s flagship mirrorless camera, you need to pair it with the best lenses for Nikon Z 9.

The best overall lens for the Nikon Z9 is the Nikkor Z 24-70mm S lens. It’s got well-rounded features and produces crystal clear images. It’s the perfect lens for beginners and pros looking for a streamlined one-lens kit. However, there are plenty of other lenses to consider for this camera.

Let’s jump right into the top lenses for the Nikon Z9 mirrorless camera!

1. Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S: The Best All-in-one Lens for Nikon Z9

Specs

• Focal Length: 24 to 70 mm
• Size: 89 x 126 mm
• Weight: 805 g
• Compatibility: Full frame (Z)
• Image Stabilization: No
• Aperture: f/2.8
• Autofocus: Yes

The Best Overall Lens for Any Style

If you only had one lens in your kit, what would it be? You’d definitely want a lens that can cover everything from wide-angle landscape photography to portraits and street photography. The Nikkor Z 24-70 mm covers all this and more.

This lens is built to handle a wide range of working conditions. The glass features nanocoatings and master-crafted build quality that deliver on clear images. It’s built to be the one lens you need for most jobs.

This lens covers some key focal lengths. The lower end is ideal for wide angles and the higher end is perfect for light telephoto and portrait photography. If you only want to haul around a single lens, why not make it this lightweight and versatile option?

Pros

• This lens covers the most useful focal lengths for nearly any photography style
• Perfect for photographers who only want to carry one lens
• Aperture, glass, and build quality are all top-notch
• This is one of the best standard zoom lenses for Nikon Z9

Cons

• The price tag of this lens could be too much for some budgets
• Maximum focal length might not be far enough for telephoto fans
• Image stabilization would be an ideal feature on this lens

2. Nikon NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S Lens: The Best Telephoto Zoom Lenses for Nikon Z9

Specs

• Focal Length: 100 to 400 mm
• Size: 98 x 222 mm
• Weight: 1435 g
• Compatibility: Full frame (Z)
• Image Stabilization: Yes
• Aperture: f/4.5
• Autofocus: Yes

The Best of the Best When it Comes to Z Mount Telephoto Photography

There are a few things that the best Z mount telephoto zoom lens would need to achieve to reach the top of this list. The lens would need to have an impressive zoom range, powerful image stabilization, and crystal clear images throughout the full zoom range. The Nikon Nikkor Z 100-400 mm VR S lens delivers on all these points and more.

This lens skips nothing when it comes to power and versatility. If true telephoto photography is your goal, you need to have this lens in your kit. With a maximum zoom of 400 mm topping off this focal length, you can catch shots from as far away as you can get. The six glass elements have a nano-coating that reduces, or maybe even eliminates chromatic aberration.

The biggest single feature that puts this lens above the rest is Nikon’s image stabilization technology. There are two independent autofocus motors alongside anti-vibration technology built into this lens. This overcomes those minute camera shakes that can ruin otherwise perfect shots when shooting at extreme focal lengths.

Pros

• Image stabilization features vibration reduction
• Powerful telephoto focal length range
• Nikon’s two Super ED and four ED glass elements deliver crystal clear images

Cons

• This lens is heavier than most
• It might be challenging to balance this heavy-duty lens on the Nikon Z9 body
• The maximum aperture leaves a little to be desired for sports

3. Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S: The Best Everyday and Street Lenses for Nikon Z9

Specs

• Focal Length: 50 mm
• Size: 76 x 86.5 mm
• Weight: 415 g
• Compatibility: Full frame (Z)
• Image Stabilization: No
• Aperture: f/1.8
• Autofocus: Yes

Get Started With the Best Everyday Lenses for Nikon Z9

In an ideal world, you could carry every lens you could ever need with you all the time. However, we all need to make choices about which lenses to bring and which to leave at home. The Nikkor Z 50mm lens is the best Nikon Z lens for everyday and street photography.

Whether you’re after a lens for the streets of your hometown or the best Nikon Z lens for travel to new cities, this 50 mm lens is right for every occasion. It’s got an affordable price tag and Nikon’s excellent build quality. It delivers in a way that other “plastic fantastic” 50 mm lenses just can’t compete with.

This earns our spot for the best street lenses for Nikon Z9 because of its tuned features. We get a natural focal length in a prime lens body with a bright aperture. That gives you the flexibility for day or night photography as well as just about every style.

Take this to your next wedding, a hiking trip, or just a walk through your hometown and you won’t regret it.

Pros

• Prime lens reliability
• Bright aperture for excellent low-light photography and bokeh
• 50 mm is a universal focal length

Cons

• If you’re looking for wider angles or tighter zooms, this might not be the right everyday Nikon Z lens for you

4. Nikon NIKKOR Z 24mm f/1.8 S: The Best Wide-angle Prime Lenses for Nikon Z9

Specs

• Focal Length: 24 mm
• Size: 78 x 96.5 mm
• Weight: 450 g
• Compatibility: Full frame (Z)
• Image Stabilization: No
• Aperture: f/1.8
• Autofocus: Yes

The Best Night Landscapes and Astrophotography Lenses for Nikon Z9

When you’re shooting landscapes, interiors, or even astrophotography, you need a lens that balances the wide angles you’re looking for with features that can easily handle low light as well as fast-moving conditions. The Nikkor Z 24 mm S is the best lens for anyone who wants to shoot at a wide-angle on a prime lens.

Prime lenses have a way of making things so much simpler. They have fewer moving parts, which makes them more resistant to mechanical failure, and they tend to have a simplified glass element layout, which means less distortion in your final image. This gets even more important when working with wide-angle lenses that tend to distort images more than most.

This lens is also packed with Nikon’s high-end lens technology. The programmable control ring is set to manual focus by default, but it can be set to aperture, exposure, or other settings. This lens also has two AF systems which provide seamless transitions between different focus options.

Pros

• Programmable control ring gives you more options
• Dual AF motor multi-focus system delivers lightning-fast autofocus
• The addition of aspherical elements and nano-crystal coatings reduces ghosting and glare

Cons

• 24 mm isn’t always wide enough for certain photography styles
• Wide-angle zoom lenses offer more versatility with very few trade-offs

5. Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S: The Best Portrait Lenses for Nikon Z9

Specs

• Focal Length: 85 mm
• Size: 75 x 99 mm
• Weight: 470 g
• Compatibility: Full frame (Z)
• Image Stabilization: No
• Aperture: f/1.8
• Autofocus: Yes

Here’s How You Shoot The Best Portraits on a Nikon Z9

Shooting portraits means getting personal with your subjects. You need to be able to balance bokeh, framing, and minimize the lens distortion on your subject. The Nikkor Z 85 mm is your number one choice for shooting portraits on the Nikon Z9.

The Nikon Z9 is the flagship mirrorless camera from Nikon. This is a top-shelf camera aimed at photographers who are ready to step up their art. This lens is the perfect companion for someone who is ready to put on the mantle of a working portrait photographer or artist.

This 85 mm lens has all the bells and whistles you expect from a great Nikkor lens. It has a programmable control ring, multi-focus systems, and it’s water and dust resistant. This is a lens that is ready to get to work when mounted on the Nikon Z9.

Pros

• 85 mm is the best focal length for portraits
• The f/1.8 aperture is ideal for low light and getting buttery smooth bokeh
• This lens comes in relatively affordable for its features

Cons

• There’s a good argument to be made for simply using a zoom lens that covers 35 mm to 105 mm for portraiture

6. Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S: The Best Wide-angle Zoom Lenses for Nikon Z9

Specs

• Focal Length: 14 to 24 mm
• Size: 88.5 x 124.5 mm
• Weight: 650 g
• Compatibility: Full frame (Z)
• Image Stabilization: No
• Aperture: f/2.8
• Autofocus: Yes

This One Wide Angle Lens Is All You Really Need

Wide-angle photography often gets relegated to the land of niche styles, but this lens actually has tons of wide-ranging potential. This lens can help you add some creativity to any style while letting you handle every wide-angle need. If you’re not a fan of wide-angle photography, do yourself a favor and try out this lens.

There’s an important secret in the pro photography world that we’re going to share. The space between high-end zoom and prime lenses is starting to shrink. While primes still offer build quality and image quality benefits, the gains are becoming increasingly marginal. This zoom lens can give you results that most people won’t be able to tell apart from a wide-angle prime lens.

With that said, zoom lenses still have some increased odds of mechanical failure and a lower image quality than primes, which is a trade-off you’ll have to keep in mind with this lens. Even with this in mind, you’ll still have one of the best lenses around when you’re shooting on the Nikkor 14 to 24 mm wide-angle zoom lens.

Pros

• The 14 mm to 24 mm range covers the “sweet spots” of wide-angle photography
• Take one lens instead of three or four
• Programmable control ring and L.Fn button give you more options for controlling your lens

Cons

• More glass means more risk of distortion when compared to prime lenses
• You might need a few more lenses in your kit to round out your photography sessions

7. Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S: This is the Best Nikon Z Lens for Video

Specs

• Focal Length: 35 mm
• Size: 73 x 86 mm
• Weight: 370 g
• Compatibility: Full frame (Z)
• Image Stabilization: No
• Aperture: f/1.8
• Autofocus: Yes

Shoot Film Like a Hollywood Cinematographer (On a Budget)

There are a lot of lenses competing for your dollar when it comes to shooting videography on the Nikon Z9. This is Nikon’s best camera and you’re going to want to match it with an equally capable lens. This is where the Nikkor Z 35 mm S lens steps into the frame.

Videography might feel like a modern style, but it draws its formal qualities from TV and movies. The types of videos you make with videography might be shorter or for clients, like weddings, but you’re still using the basics of cinematography. A 35 mm prime lens is perfect for shooting a prime lens video because it speaks to that formal history.

This lens has everything the videographer wants. It has a silent stepping motor, wide-angle focal length, and Nikon’s precision-engineered glass. This lens also lets you switch over to still photography so you can get extra utility out of this glass.

Pros

• Near silent stepping motor lets your use autofocus while filming
• 35 mm lets you get a sense of a classic focal length while filming
• Wide-angle is great for videography in tight locations like interiors and events

Cons

• You’ll eventually need a zoom lens or a few more primes in your video kit

8. Nikon NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S: Best Macro Lenses for Nikon Z9

Specs

• Focal Length: 105 mm
• Size: 85 x 140 mm
• Weight: 630  g
• Compatibility: Full frame (Z)
• Image Stabilization: Yes
• Aperture: f/2.8
• Autofocus: Yes

Take a Close Look at The Smallest Subjects

A macro lens is a game-changer when it comes to photographing the smallest objects up close. The Nikkor Z MC 105mm VR S lens gives you a true 1:1 magnification, so you get exactly what you see when you start shooting. This is more than just the best macro lens for the Nikon Z9, it’s one of the best macro lenses around.

At first glance, the 11.4-inch minimum focusing distance might seem a bit far when compared with other macro lenses, but this lens has a 105 mm focal length. That focusing distance is super tight given the focal length and provides you with ample room or work around everything from natural subjects to macro product photography.

This lens is also packed with features. You get an informational panel, customizable controls, and Nikon’s Vibration Reduction image stabilization technology. These features give you the utility you need to get up close and personal with challenging macro photography subjects.

Pros

• A true 1:1 magnification ratio lets you capture your subjects without compromise
• The minimum focal distance is 11.4 inches, which lets you comfortably work with subjects
• Dual motor autofocus, informational LED panel, and L.Fn button give you plenty of utility

Cons

• No built-in LED light as you get with Canon’s best macro lenses

How to Buy the Best Nikon Lenses for the Nikon Z 9

Still, working on which of the best lenses for Nikon Z 9 is the right one for you? This guide will walk you through some of the biggest questions in the world of mirrorless lenses.

See also my best Nikon lenses article.

Conclusion—What is the Best Lens for the Nikon Z9?

Mirrorless cameras have come a long way since they emerged as the new standard a few years ago. Nikon has really stepped up their game with their impressive array of lenses for the Nikon Z9.

The best lenses for Nikon Z 9 is topped by the Nikkor Z 24-70mm S lens. This lens should honestly have a place in every kit. Telephoto photospheres might want to check out the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm VR S lens for long-distance work, while the NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S is the pick if wide-angle photography is your style.

The Best Lenses for the Nikon Z9 Mirrorless Camera are the ones that inspire you to get out there and take more pictures. Which of these lenses is the right one for you?