Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S review: a compact ultra-wide that takes filters
Nikon's compact ultra-wide zoom for Z mount from 2019. Launched at $1,299.95 (US). Who it suits: landscape, travel and architecture photographers on Nikon Z.
October 23, 2026 · Lens · Review
Related on site: Choosing a lens by what you shoot: our Lenses by Purpose guide.
Why it exists. Nikon built the Z 14-30mm f/4 S to be small. Jay Vannatter of Nikon Inc. said the lens "demonstrates the optical superiority of the Z system, taking advantage of the newest high-performance lens technologies while maximizing compactness and portability." Nikon lists it at 485 g and 85 mm long.
Its headline feature is filters. Nikon gave it a nearly flat front element and an 82mm thread, and called it the world's first filter-attachable ultra-wide-angle zoom covering 14mm. For landscape shooters, that means ordinary screw-on polarizers and ND filters.
Inside are 14 elements in 12 groups with four ED and four aspherical elements, a 7-blade aperture and an STM motor, plus dust and drip resistance and a fluorine-coated front. Who should buy it? Nikon Z landscape and travel photographers who value light weight and filters over f/2.8. Our gallery is small: an alley in Shiraz, an apartment tower in Vienna, a Black Forest sunset and a wine bar shopfront.
The story
Nikon Inc. announced the NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S on January 7, 2019, with a US suggested retail price of $1,299.95 (PR Newswire).
The same release calls it the world's first filter-attachable ultra-wide-angle zoom lens covering a focal length from 14mm, thanks to a nearly flat front element and an 82mm filter thread.
Optical design, size and weight below come from Nikon Imaging's product page.
Specifications
Key specs for the NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S, from Nikon Imaging's product page and Nikon's January 7, 2019 release. Source for each row in brackets.
Format / range
Full-frame (FX) Z mount, 14–30mm, f/4 [Nikon Imaging]
Optics
14 elements in 12 groups; 4 ED, 4 aspherical; fluorine coat [Nikon Imaging]
Aperture
7 blades; minimum f/22 [Nikon Imaging]
Autofocus
STM (stepping motor) [Nikon Imaging]
Close focus
0.28 m; 0.16x [Nikon Imaging]
Filters
82mm screw-on, at 14mm [Nikon release]
Build
Dust and drip resistant [Nikon Imaging]
Size / weight
89 × 85 mm; 485 g [Nikon Imaging]
Announced / price
January 7, 2019; $1,299.95 (US) [Nikon release]
Sample photos
Five photos taken with the NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S, shared on Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licenses. That is all we could find that met our license and EXIF checks. Select a photo to enlarge it.
An alley in Shiraz, Iran (on a Nikon Z6II). Photo: Laurens R. Krol via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)An apartment tower in Vienna (on a Nikon Z7). Photo: Sandor Somkuti via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)Sunset over fields at Winden im Elztal, Black Forest (on a Nikon Z8). Photo: Karlheinz Klingbeil via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)The Wein & Kunst shopfront (on a Nikon Z7). Photo: Sandor Somkuti via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)Prayer hall of Vakil Mosque, Shiraz, Iran (on a Nikon Z6II). Photo: Laurens R. Krol via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)
Nikon: Launched at $1,299.95 in 2019 (US).
Verdict
Who it's for: Nikon Z landscape, travel and architecture photographers who want a light ultra-wide that takes standard 82mm filters.
Want f/2.8 instead? Nikon also makes the NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S; see our Lenses by purpose guide.
