Z7 with 28mm and 40mm muffin lens

Hi, new to this forum. Looking at the Z7. Coming from Fuji aps-c where the lens are smaller and lighter ( but not necessarily cheaper) I was wondering about pairing the Z7 with the so-called muffin lens before taking the plunge with bigger and heavier lens.

But I was wondering whether or not these are actually worth pairing with a 45 MP sensor and whether I would be better served buying the more premium lens from the start. Can these muffin lens actually take advantage of the Z7 sensor's potential?

Any opinions or real world experience with this combo would be appreciated.

kodachromed said:

Hi, new to this forum. Looking at the Z7. Coming from Fuji aps-c where the lens are smaller and lighter ( but not necessarily cheaper) I was wondering about pairing the Z7 with the so-called muffin lens before taking the plunge with bigger and heavier lens.

But I was wondering whether or not these are actually worth pairing with a 45 MP sensor and whether I would be better served buying the more premium lens from the start. Can these muffin lens actually take advantage of the Z7 sensor's potential?

Any opinions or real world experience with this combo would be appreciated.

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I use the 40/2 and the 26/2.8 (not the 28mm) on the 45mp sensor. The 40mm has very nice colour and overall rendering but is soft wide open at its minimum focus distance. Longer distances it is good and reaches very-good to excellent as it gets stopped down. The 26/2.8 is a very nice all round lens but a little pricey unless you find it discounted. I have never used the 28mm.

Overall these are cheap, light, fun wee lenses that can deliver lovely images once their strengths and limitations are understood.

Just use them at f/4 or above. They will work fine in ordinary scenes. However, ask yourself why you pair a 200$ lens with a 2000$ camera. The S-line lenses will work better considering flare, aberrations, contrast and sharpness. That's not always visible, and much can be fixed in post. But the chromatic issues may need some work and prevent astro photography.

Rene Gr said:

Just use them at f/4 or above. They will work fine in ordinary scenes. However, ask yourself why you pair a 200$ lens with a 2000$ camera. The S-line lenses will work better considering flare, aberrations, contrast and sharpness. That's not always visible, and much can be fixed in post. But the chromatic issues may need some work and prevent astro photography.

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People use these “muffin” lenses because they are relatively small and discreet — and decent performers. I have been happy using those lenses on my Z6II while travelling. They may not have the optical perfection attributed to S-line lenses, but they are still capable of taking great photos, when used correctly. For several years Nikon has created budget-friendly lenses that are very good optically. The “muffin” lenses are two examples of that.

cyuill2007 said:

Rene Gr said:

Just use them at f/4 or above. They will work fine in ordinary scenes. However, ask yourself why you pair a 200$ lens with a 2000$ camera. The S-line lenses will work better considering flare, aberrations, contrast and sharpness. That's not always visible, and much can be fixed in post. But the chromatic issues may need some work and prevent astro photography.

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People use these “muffin” lenses because they are relatively small and discreet — and decent performers. I have been happy using those lenses on my Z6II while travelling. They may not have the optical perfection attributed to S-line lenses, but they are still capable of taking great photos, when used correctly. For several years Nikon has created budget-friendly lenses that are very good optically. The “muffin” lenses are two examples of that.

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As I said, they work fine.

But I forgot above: I had the 40mm f/2 for a while. You definitely want a lens hood with it and it is a screwed one which you do not remove to save place. Then, the size of the 50mm f/1.8 and the 40mm f/2 plus the hood do not differ much anymore.

The 28mm f/2.8 and the f/1.8 are indeed much different in portability.

kodachromed said:

Hi, new to this forum. Looking at the Z7. Coming from Fuji aps-c where the lens are smaller and lighter ( but not necessarily cheaper) I was wondering about pairing the Z7 with the so-called muffin lens before taking the plunge with bigger and heavier lens.

But I was wondering whether or not these are actually worth pairing with a 45 MP sensor and whether I would be better served buying the more premium lens from the start. Can these muffin lens actually take advantage of the Z7 sensor's potential?

Any opinions or real world experience with this combo would be appreciated.

Click to expand...

Another vote for the 26mm f/2.8 that performs very well on my 45MP Z8. You might also have a look at the 35mm f/1.4 for true "full frame look". See e.g. this YouTube review, also comparing it to the 40mm f/2 -- and differentiating it from the 50mm f/1.4:


I'd call it an insider tip.

I had the 40 f2 and just wasn't a fan. I also own the 35 and 50 1.8 S lenses, so I was always comparing it to them. I sold the 40 a good while ago, and was never tempted by the 28.

For light and discreet, check out the Viltrox Air series 20 2.8 and 50 f2. They're still not as sharp as the S lenses, but I find them sharper than the 40, and I can shoot them wide open with decent center sharpness. Besides tiny and reasonably sharp, they're also dirt cheap - I think both are still under $200, and I think I got mine as early release for around $175 each.

I bought the 28mm SE muffin because I like the focal length.

I was pleasantly surprised to note how quickly it became my most-used lens on my Z7. For it's price it performs quite well and makes for a very nice easy-to-carry-all-day combination on a Z7.

I love mine.

I don't have a Z7, but will say this: With a 40mm mounted on the camera and the 28mm in my pocket, it sure makes a nice, light, easy combination for walk about photography.

I also have S spec lenses for when portability isn't an issue. They are a beautiful set of primes, but yes, they are on the large size.

I have the 40mm f2 SE Nikkor lens mounted on my Nikon Zf pretty much all the time lately. It works very well for me and I like the focal length. I also have the 28mm f2.8 Nikkor and use that mostly on my Zfc, which I haven't shot with since I got the Zf...

I like shooting with a prime lens and these smaller Nikkor lenses are great for travel and for hiking. I also have the 35mm 1.8S and the 50mm 1.8S, which I had before I bought the Zfc, and the 40mm and 28mm were bought to use with that camera. I don't think the 26mm 2.8 is worth the money (up to $450 now, even $399 was too much for that lens in my opinion) vs the 28mm 2.8.

I have zero interest in using the 40mm f2 wide open at minimal distance. I love it on both the 24mp and 45mp FF Zs. I think a Z5/6/7/ZF body with this lens or the overlooked and underrated other Z "muffin"_the 50mm f2.8 MC, makes for a wonderful travel setup with the Z26mm or 28mm f2.8. I am crazy about the 50mm "muffin" as a Nifty Fifty, use the macro only for practical chores.

I'm also acquiring a Z DX 50-250mm VR to use on the Z7ii in crop mode for a compact, lightweight travel Tele with 375mm equivalent reach.

I do have the 50mm f1.8 S prime and it's fantastic. But the rendering and color feel of the 40mm is really cool. To use a linguistic analogy, I think of the 50mm f1.8 S as the King's English, while there's a beguiling little burr in the accent of the 40mm. And the weight and profile of these two is a very different feel when you're bopping around with a camera out somewhere. A Z7 with the 40mm weighs and bulks about par with a Leica M3 and chrome-on-brass barreled collapsible Summicron f2. A Z7 with the 50mm f1.8 S weighs and bulks about par with a Rolleiflex.

kodachromed said:

Hi, new to this forum. Looking at the Z7. Coming from Fuji aps-c where the lens are smaller and lighter ( but not necessarily cheaper) I was wondering about pairing the Z7 with the so-called muffin lens before taking the plunge with bigger and heavier lens.

But I was wondering whether or not these are actually worth pairing with a 45 MP sensor and whether I would be better served buying the more premium lens from the start. Can these muffin lens actually take advantage of the Z7 sensor's potential?

Any opinions or real world experience with this combo would be appreciated.

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I have yet to come across any lens that's been stesssed by a sensor in the 40–50mp range. Even pre-WWII uncoated optics work just fine.

IMO the 28/40mm combo is a great way to introduce yourself to the Z system. If you enjoy using it and like the results you could add the 85/1.8 and get a taste of the higher-end stuff while also extending your focal length range.

Addendum: here's a photo from last month I took with a ~46mp camera and an uncoated mid-1930s Zeiss 3.5cm f/4.5 Orthometar lens. It's likely the lowest-contrast lens I've ever owned. It was the budget wide angle in the lineup. Yet even it performs fine on this camera.


6K rendering.




4K full-res crop.

Every native lens in the Z lineup can easily skate this one off the rink.

-Dave-

If you would like to take full advantage of the Z7's 45MP sensor, I would prefer native Nikon Z S-class lenses, and I may prefer to use the camera on a tripod. I do have the 26mm/f2.8 pancake lens for casual use, and it is a very decent lens. No experience with the 28mm and 40mm lenses; I prefer not to use lenses with a plastic mount, but that is merely my personal preference.

kodachromed said:

Hi, new to this forum. Looking at the Z7. Coming from Fuji aps-c where the lens are smaller and lighter ( but not necessarily cheaper) I was wondering about pairing the Z7 with the so-called muffin lens before taking the plunge with bigger and heavier lens.

But I was wondering whether or not these are actually worth pairing with a 45 MP sensor and whether I would be better served buying the more premium lens from the start. Can these muffin lens actually take advantage of the Z7 sensor's potential?

Any opinions or real world experience with this combo would be appreciated.

Click to expand...

For a light (And cheap) kit this would work. These lenses though are not the sharpest out there but given their price points, I don't think anyone would expect that. Although the 40 f/2 I think is still a decent buy at around $200. The 28mm not as much (I had one but sold it later as I found I really didn't like the 28mm focal length and much prefer 35mm-40mm).

Just keep your expectations in check though as you are putting some budget Z glass on a high-res camera. These lenses I feel work best on the 24MP sensors but should still be fine on a 45MP sensor. The only potential issue with the 40 f/2 (and probably the 28) is the corners are not necessarily going to be super sharp even stepped down but again, these are ~$200 lenses.

--
* PLEASE NOTE: I generally unsubscribe from forums/comments after a period of time has passed, so if I do not respond, that is likely the reason. *

Here are a couple holiday snaps from this summer, from the west coast of Sweden. I bought the 28 to have a relatively light walk around combo with the Z7 classic. Maybe not for serious landscape stuff but good enough for this kind of stuff IMHO.













--
David.
@davidvanderspoel

UsherFellig said:

.... A Z7 with the 40mm weighs and bulks about par with a Leica M3 and chrome-on-brass barreled collapsible Summicron f2. A Z7 with the 50mm f1.8 S weighs and bulks about par with a Rolleiflex.

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LOL. I've never thought in those terms, but yes, Great comparison. :-D

Basically the Z7 is Obsolete and the AF a complete Kludge. Yes it will autofocus but you'll have to wait for it. The reason why the Z6 II and Z7 II came about so quickly was Nikon discovered that 1 Expeed 6 CPU just didn't have the "power". BTW Nikon's refurbished sale is a bit nuts at times. Currently the Z7 II is a bit more than 200 dollars LESS than the older Z7. Frankly if Nikon actually still has a warehouse full of the Z7's in stock they'll have to knock the price down to about 600 dollars in order to sell them.

I have a Z7 II and it's a great Landscape camera. However it's also mainly a Tripod Camera because the AF is capable for Landscapes that don't move and not very good at all for anything moving faster than a slow walk. The best method to use with the Z7 II is Point, Focus, Re-Compose, and Shoot. Which is how I operated the AF on my N8008 back in the late 1980's and early 1990's.

I will also point out that 46mp really isn't much better than 24.5mp and with AI Upsizing software now getting really good it's a lot less useful than it was 2 years ago. I would suggest that you start out with the Nikon Z5II. While it's "only" 24.5mp it is a very very good 24.5 and the low light capabilities of this camera are AMAZING. Shoot at ISO 64,000 and use a light touch of DXO DeepPrime 3 with the file and at first glance you'll think that isn't possible, this can't be ISO 64,000. Yes it is that good. Actually the in camera noise reduction or that in NX Studio will result in a very film like fine grain effect. It is why I keep a set of ND filters in the bag with my Zf (the prettier Z5II's twin), when you want that effect its a 8 or 12 ND filter for ISO 64,000 away. BTW without the Noise Reduction the chroma noise in these images can be pretty ugly, convert it to B&W and you have Tri-X Pan.

monte12345 said:

Basically the Z7 is Obsolete and the AF a complete Kludge. Yes it will autofocus but you'll have to wait for it. The reason why the Z6 II and Z7 II came about so quickly was Nikon discovered that 1 Expeed 6 CPU just didn't have the "power". BTW Nikon's refurbished sale is a bit nuts at times. Currently the Z7 II is a bit more than 200 dollars LESS than the older Z7. Frankly if Nikon actually still has a warehouse full of the Z7's in stock they'll have to knock the price down to about 600 dollars in order to sell them.

I have a Z7 II and it's a great Landscape camera. However it's also mainly a Tripod Camera because the AF is capable for Landscapes that don't move and not very good at all for anything moving faster than a slow walk. The best method to use with the Z7 II is Point, Focus, Re-Compose, and Shoot. Which is how I operated the AF on my N8008 back in the late 1980's and early 1990's.

I will also point out that 46mp really isn't much better than 24.5mp and with AI Upsizing software now getting really good it's a lot less useful than it was 2 years ago. I would suggest that you start out with the Nikon Z5II. While it's "only" 24.5mp it is a very very good 24.5 and the low light capabilities of this camera are AMAZING. Shoot at ISO 64,000 and use a light touch of DXO DeepPrime 3 with the file and at first glance you'll think that isn't possible, this can't be ISO 64,000. Yes it is that good. Actually the in camera noise reduction or that in NX Studio will result in a very film like fine grain effect. It is why I keep a set of ND filters in the bag with my Zf (the prettier Z5II's twin), when you want that effect its a 8 or 12 ND filter for ISO 64,000 away. BTW without the Noise Reduction the chroma noise in these images can be pretty ugly, convert it to B&W and you have Tri-X Pan.

Click to expand...

LOL

monte12345 said:

Basically the Z7 is Obsolete and the AF a complete Kludge. Yes it will autofocus but you'll have to wait for it. The reason why the Z6 II and Z7 II came about so quickly was Nikon discovered that 1 Expeed 6 CPU just didn't have the "power". BTW Nikon's refurbished sale is a bit nuts at times. Currently the Z7 II is a bit more than 200 dollars LESS than the older Z7. Frankly if Nikon actually still has a warehouse full of the Z7's in stock they'll have to knock the price down to about 600 dollars in order to sell them.

I have a Z7 II and it's a great Landscape camera. However it's also mainly a Tripod Camera because the AF is capable for Landscapes that don't move and not very good at all for anything moving faster than a slow walk. The best method to use with the Z7 II is Point, Focus, Re-Compose, and Shoot. Which is how I operated the AF on my N8008 back in the late 1980's and early 1990's.

I will also point out that 46mp really isn't much better than 24.5mp and with AI Upsizing software now getting really good it's a lot less useful than it was 2 years ago. I would suggest that you start out with the Nikon Z5II. While it's "only" 24.5mp it is a very very good 24.5 and the low light capabilities of this camera are AMAZING. Shoot at ISO 64,000 and use a light touch of DXO DeepPrime 3 with the file and at first glance you'll think that isn't possible, this can't be ISO 64,000. Yes it is that good. Actually the in camera noise reduction or that in NX Studio will result in a very film like fine grain effect. It is why I keep a set of ND filters in the bag with my Zf (the prettier Z5II's twin), when you want that effect its a 8 or 12 ND filter for ISO 64,000 away. BTW without the Noise Reduction the chroma noise in these images can be pretty ugly, convert it to B&W and you have Tri-X Pan.

Click to expand...

While I happily continue to use an OG Z6 (lovely camera) along with the Z9 and so don't agree with your assessment of these cameras, I do agree that the OP would do well to also consider the Z5ii, an excellent all round camera. 24mp suffices for the majority of tasks so only if you MUST have 45mp would the Z7 be preferrable.

kodachromed said:

Hi, new to this forum. Looking at the Z7. Coming from Fuji aps-c where the lens are smaller and lighter ( but not necessarily cheaper) I was wondering about pairing the Z7 with the so-called muffin lens before taking the plunge with bigger and heavier lens.

But I was wondering whether or not these are actually worth pairing with a 45 MP sensor and whether I would be better served buying the more premium lens from the start. Can these muffin lens actually take advantage of the Z7 sensor's potential?

Any opinions or real world experience with this combo would be appreciated.

Click to expand...

There was a recent thread on the 40mm f2 lens. I did a quick Google search and found a couple of links. Below is the first one I found. I did not read the thread to determine if it was the one I remembered, but it has a fair amount of commentary.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4747709

I purchased the 40mm lens prior to taking a summer trip. As others have mentioned, you generally purchase this lens to have a small, easy to carry, fun lens. My assessment is that all of my other lenses are better in regards to image quality, but I didn't purchase it looking for optimal image quality.