Nikon Z 40

The basic prime lens for the Mirrorless Nikon cameras

The basic prime lens for the Mirrorless Nikon cameras

If you think that, we will no longer be getting classical DSLRs and all future cameras will be mirrorless, maybe it was time to invest a tiny bit for a lens that I could also use in newer cameras. I love the flexibility to have lenses that are a bit different between full frame and APS-C and this one is a cute example. At the time of writing I did not yet have a full frame mirrorless camera, so my experience is only with the Nikon Z FC.

First of all, at a tiny 170 grams, this lens is actually heavier and bulkier than the great Nikon Z 16-50 kit lens. Of course by not much. What you get is a decent prime lens, that is as fast as you would ever need (f/2.0), but still feels a bit plasticky. The other gripe that I have seen others complain is the minimum aperture is just f/16. I think for this weight and price, both are to be expected.

My Nikon Z 40mm f/2.0

Price	Cheap
Weight	170g
Good for	essential Prime lens
New or used	At this point and price, a new one would probably be smarter, mine was new at 245

Full Frame

This is a full frame lens. There is always a discussion between 35mm and 50mm, so this one gives you something in between.

APS-C

For the APS-C you essentially have a slightly longer 50mm lens. This is a bit of a personal preference actually. I like longer lenses and something between 50mm and 85mm serves me well. For others maybe the Nikon Z 24 would be a better option as it would give you a 35mm lens on the APS-C body.

Gallery / see also

These two setups are closer to performance than you think. The newer electronics in Nikon Z FC make up for the smaller APS-C sensor and the slower lens (for the most part). But the weight difference is 3x.
This is the first picture I took with the Nikon Z FC. I am really amazed by how easy it was to take such a nice picture first time around.
This is how point and shoot looks like with a modern mirrorless camera.
It is possible to manually control everything like in this picture.
A 1:1 crop from the previous picture to see the details.
The same image using fully automated controls. One can argue whether or not it could be better (it can), but allowing you to take pictures easily is the job of your equipment.
Again a 1:1 crop from the previous picture to hunt for issues.

These pages are for Amateur Photographers and not really for seasoned photographers and professionals. I have no affiliation or commercial interest with any brand/make. I write from my own experience. I ended up using mainly Nikon, so I am more familiar with this brand than others. See price for notes on pricing as well as photography related links.