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Nikon Z-mount

Nikon Z-mount (stylised as ) is an interchangeable lens mount developed by Nikon for its mirrorless digital cameras. It was first used in 2018.

The 55 mm throat diameter of the Nikon Z-mount makes it the largest full-frame lens mount. It is much larger than the older Nikon F-mount (44 mm) and than the E-mount (46.1 mm) used by Sony mirrorless cameras but only slightly larger than the 54 mm of both the Canon EF and RF mounts. It is also slightly larger than the 51.6 mm diameter full-frame mirrorless Leica L-Mount. The Z-mount has also a very short flange distance of 16 mm, which is shorter than all mentioned lens mounts. This flange distance, along with the large throat diameter, allows for numerous lenses of nearly all other current and previous mounts to be used with an appropriate lens mount adapter on a Z-mount camera (see Autofocus/electronic adapters for a list of mounts and adapters).

Z-mount cameras

Introduction of the cameras

In late 2018, Nikon released the first two cameras that use this mount, the full-frame Nikon Z7 and Nikon Z6, both using the then topoftheline Expeed6 image processor. In late 2019 Nikon announced their first Z-mount camera with an APS-C sensor, the Nikon Z50, also using the Expeed6. In July 2020 the entry-level full-frame Z5 was introduced. In October 2020, Nikon announced the Nikon Z6II and Nikon Z7II, which succeed the Z6 and Z7, respectively. The APS-C lineup was expanded in July 2021, with the introduction of the retro styled Nikon Zfc, and in October 2021, Nikon unveiled the Nikon Z9, which effectively succeeded the brand's flagship D6 DSLR. It was the first to use the Expeed7 processor. The APS-C lineup was further expanded with the Nikon Z30, announced at the end of June 2022. The Nikon Z6III was announced in June 2024. In November 2024, Nikon announced the Z50II as a major upgrade of the Z50; it became the first APS-C camera to use the Expeed 7 processor introduced with the Z9. In April 2025, Nikon announced the Z5II as a major upgrade for its lowest class full-frame line of cameras. In September 2025, Nikon announced the first camera of its "Z Cinema" line, the ZR, co-designed with RED. The ZR is the first Nikon camera that offers the 12-bit R3D NE raw video codec (Redcode Raw with TicoRAW) internally.

Camera overview

Notes

Red cinema cameras

In 2024, Red Digital Cinema was acquired by Nikon. In 2025, the first two cinema cameras using the Z-mount, the V-RAPTOR [X] and the KOMODO-X, were released. On 9 September 2025, Red released the V‑RAPTOR XE, also offering a Z-mount version besides the RF-mount variant.

Camera gallery

Z-mount lenses

With the introduction of the Z-mount, Nikon began designing and releasing a new set of lens for that mount. It published a roadmap outlining forthcoming lenses when the Z-mount system was initially announced. The roadmap has been updated multiple times. As of February 2025, all lenses in the last version of the roadmap from September 2023 were released. Several lenses which were not indicated on the roadmap were released as well. On October 30, 2024, Nikon announced that it is developing a video-centric, standard zoom lens with power zoom, the NIKKOR Z 28-135mm PZ. On February 13, 2025, the details of the lens were released, alongside the announcement of the first two RED Digital Cinema cinema cameras with Z-mounts, the V-Raptor [X] and Komodo-X.

In 2018, Nikon announced the development of the Z-mount 58 mm S Noct lens, reintroducing the Noct brand historically used by Nikon for lenses with ultra-fast maximum apertures. The lens was released in October 2019.

Lens designations

Nikon uses a new designation system for their Z-mount lenses. The older F-mount Nikkor designations are no longer used, though they overlap in some areas (e.g. the VR and DX labels). Nikon also introduced the S-Line branding for especially high-performance ("superior") lenses, which is akin to Canon's L designation or Sony's "G-Master" branding.

  • S-Line — High-end lenses. Not associated with any particular function, but S-Line lenses often have additional controls or a multi-function display.
  • DX — Lens only covers the DX image circle. FX cameras automatically switch to DX crop mode.
  • MC — Macro lenses with 1:1 magnification.
  • PF — . Replaces several lens elements with one PF element, reducing the size and weight of a lens.
  • PZ — Power zoom. Motorized zoom function to be used with controls on lens, camera, remote or app.
  • SE — "Special Edition" lenses with exterior design matching the Nikon Zf and Zfc cameras, resembling a design from the classic Nikkor lenses released around the same time as the Nikon FM2 film SLR camera.
  • TC — Switchable teleconverter built into the lens.
  • VR — Vibration Reduction. Uses a moving optical group to reduce the photographic effects of camera shake.

Prime lenses

Zoom lenses

DX lenses

Lens lines

The Nikkor Z line-up has several distinct lines of lenses, which are designed with similar handling and optical characteristics.

Teleconverters

The following Nikon teleconverters are available for use with Z-mount lenses:

  • Nikon Z TC-1.4x
  • Nikon Z TC-2.0x

The Nikon teleconverters are only compatible with select Nikon Z lenses. They cannot be used in conjunction with the FTZ adapter. Z-mount teleconverters cannot be mounted on top of each other, although they can be used on the lenses that have built-in teleconverters.

The following lenses are compatible with the Nikon teleconverters:

  • Nikkor Z 70–180 mm
  • Nikkor Z 70–200 mm VR S
  • Nikkor Z 70–200 mm VR S II
  • Nikkor Z 100–400 mm VR S
  • Nikkor Z 180–600 mm VR
  • Nikkor Z 400 mm TC VR S
  • Nikkor Z 400 mm VR S
  • Nikkor Z 600 mm TC VR S
  • Nikkor Z 600 mm VR S
  • Nikkor Z 800 mm VR S

Note that Nikon F-mount teleconverters can be used on compatible F-mount lenses when used with an FTZ II (or FTZ) mount adapter.

Lens gallery

Nikon Z-mount adapters

Nikon SLR cameras, both film and digital, have used the Nikon F-mount with its 44 mm diameter since 1959. The Z-mount has a 55 mm diameter. The FTZ II (and the original FTZ) lens adapter allows many F-mount lenses to be used on Z-mount cameras. The FTZ allows AF-S, AF-P and AF-I lenses to autofocus on Z-mount cameras. The older screw-drive AF and AF-D lenses will not autofocus with the FTZ adapter (although some third-party adapters do support autofocus with screw-drive AF lenses), but they do retain metering and Exif data. All Z-mount cameras support metering with manual focus lenses, along with all full-frame Z-mount cameras also providing in-body image stabilization (IBIS) on them.

Mount adapters provided by Nikon to support F-mount lenses on their mirrorless cameras are:

  • Nikon FTZ: The FTZ supports F-mount lenses on Z-mount cameras, and provides an integrated tripod foot. Metering, IBIS and Exif metadata are supported with any F-mount lens, including manual lenses, while autofocus is only supported with AF-I, AF-S and AF-P lenses. Variable autofocus speed for video shooting is only supported with AF-P and select AF-S lenses. The FTZ adds 30.5 mm to the length of the attached lens, which is the difference in flange distance between the Nikon F-mount (46.5 mm) and the Z-mount (16 mm). This model was announced along with the Z6 and Z7 in September 2018, and was discontinued by Nikon in October 2021, after the introduction of the FTZ II.
  • Nikon FTZ II: Same performance as the FTZ, but without the integrated tripod foot. This model was introduced in October 2021, and allows for easier vertical shooting with the Z9.

Mount adapters provided by Nikon to support PL-mount lenses on their RED Z cameras are as follows. Note that they cannot be used with Nikon Z mirrorless cameras.

  • RED Z to PL Adapter Pack: Enables the use of PL-mount lenses on Z-mount RED Digital Cinema cameras.
  • RED Z to PL with Electronic ND Adapter Pack: Integrates an electronic ND feature.

Nikon specifies F-mount lens compatibility as in the following table. Nikon F-mount teleconverters can be used on compatible F-mount lenses, but the Z-mount teleconverters may not be used in conjunction with the FTZ. For details on the lens types listed in the table, refer to Nikon F-mount.

Third-party lenses and adapters

Three companies license the Z-mount from Nikon, enabling full compatibility: Cosina Voigtländer, Sigma and Tamron.

Numerous manufacturers offer purely manual lenses and lens mount adapters for the Z-mount, which do not interface electronically to the camera and do not support autofocus or automatic control of the aperture. Some manufacturers offer lenses and adapters with full electronic functionality (autofocus, automatic aperture control, Exif metadata, etc.). Third-party lenses and adapters often rely on reverse engineering the electronic protocol of a lens mount and might not work properly on new cameras or new firmware versions.

Autofocus lenses

List by official designation and sources for the table below:

Autofocus/electronic adapters

As described earlier, the short Z-mount flange distance coupled with the large throat diameter allows for numerous lenses of nearly all other current and previous mounts to be used with an appropriate lens mount adapter on a Z-mount camera.

  • For Canon EF lenses
  • The Fringer EF-NZ adapter provides full electronic integration (autofocus, image stabilization, aperture control). The EF-NZ II revision removes the tripod foot for better handling with vertical grips (much like Nikon's FTZ II did) and adds weather-sealing.
  • The Techart TZC-01 also provides full electronic integration.
  • The Viltrox EF-Z adapter appears identical to the Fringer EF-NZ.
  • The Viltrox EF-Z2 has a built-in 0.7x focal reducer ("speed booster").
  • The Megadap EFTZ21 provides full electronic integration and autofocus, with an extra configurable control ring and a lens function button (L-Fn).
  • For Contax G lenses
  • The Techart TZG-01 adapts Contax G lenses with mechanical autofocus to Nikon Z. The Contax G system is somewhat similar to the older screw-drive Nikon AF system, but unlike the Nikon system, Contax G lenses do not have a manual focus ring. This makes Contax G unusually difficult to adapt to mirrorless cameras. It is not compatible with the Nikon Z9 and Z8.
  • The Shoten GTZ, similarly to the Techart TZG-01, adapts Contax G lenses with mechanical autofocus. It also has a micro-USB port on the bottom for firmware upgrades.
  • For Fujifilm X mount lenses
  • The Boryoza XF-Z adapts Fujinon XF lenses with autofocus to Nikon Z.
  • For Leica M mount lenses
  • The Fotodiox LM-NKZ-PRN is another autofocus Leica M to Z adapter.
  • The Megadap MTZ11 contains a focusing helicoid with 6.5 mm of extension which is used for autofocus. This range is sufficient to cover the full focusing range of lenses up to around 50 mm focal length.
  • The Techart TZM-01 is similar to the Megadap MTZ11 and enables autofocus with M-mount lenses.
  • The Techart TZM-02 is a refined version of the TZM-01 with better autofocus performance.
  • The TTArtisan M-Z 6-Bit adapter doesn't provide autofocus, but has a reader for Leica's 6-bit lens codes. This makes 6-bit coded lenses behave like Ai-P lenses on the FTZ, except with no aperture control (as rangefinder lenses use pre-set apertures): EXIF data is automatically recorded, IBIS is set to the correct focal length and focus confirmation is supported.
  • For Nikon F-mount lenses
  • The Viltrox NF-Z is largely identical to Nikon's original FTZ adapter, both in function and form. Like the FTZ, autofocus does not function with screw-drive AF/AF-D lenses. It has a USB-C port for firmware updates.
  • The MonsterAdapter LA-FZ1 is the first adapter that allows F-mount screw-driven AF and AF-D lenses to be used on Z cameras with full autofocus. It was showcased at CP+ 2025. Per their website, it "does NOT include autofocus support for AF-I, AF-S, and AF-P lenses, nor support of EMD electromagnetic aperture and lens VR."
  • For Sony E-mount lenses
  • The Fotodiox Pro Fusion SNE-NKZ adapts lenses with autofocus and image stabilization, as well as lens function button support.
  • The Megadap ETZ11 is similar to the Techart TZE-01/02 and adapts lenses with autofocus and image stabilization support. In contrast to the Techart adapter, the ETZ11 can be mounted on the Z50 and Zfc.
  • The Megadap ETZ21 and ETZ21 Pro are improved versions of the ETZ11, and provide full function E-mount support, including autofocus, image stabilization, full-time manual focus, and support for programmable lens buttons and aperture rings.
  • The Megadap ETZ21 Pro+ has weather sealing, improved mechanical structure. It is compatible with the Sony LA-EA5 A-to-E mount adapter, therefore it also supports Sony A-mount lenses through stacking the LA-EA5 on the ETZ21 Pro+. It is also compatible with RED Z-mount cameras.
  • The Meike Mount Adapter ETZ is compatible with a wide range of Sony, Tamron, Sigma and Meike lenses with Sony E-mount, and supports autofocus, aperture control, EXIF and image stabilization.
  • The Techart TZE-01/TZE-02 allows mounting Sony E-mount lenses on Z-mount cameras with full electronic integration. This adapter cannot be mounted on the Z50 or the Zfc.
  • The Viltrox E-Z AF Lens Mount Adapter adapts E-mount lenses with autofocus and full electronic integration. Also supports adapter firmware upgrades.
  • For Sony A-mount lenses
  • Stack the Sony LA-EA5 adapter on the Megadap ETZ21 Pro+ adapter, to adapt selected lenses (from A to E, then E to Z mount).

Z-mount accessories

Accessory port

The Z9 and Z8 use the same circular 10-pin accessory port (for a remote shutter release, external GPS receiver etc.) as previous "pro-grade" Nikon DSLRs (such as the D3/D4/D5/D6 series), while the Z5/Z6/Z7 (and their upgrades) use the rectangular 8-pin accessory port introduced with the D90 and used on most other Nikon DSLRs since. The Z30/Z50/Zfc (and their successors) do not have an accessory port.

Flashes

All Nikon Z cameras (other than the ZR) have a hot shoe, which allows the use of the same iTTL flash system (Nikon CLS) as Nikon DSLRs, which remains fully backward compatible and with third-party flashes and flash transmitters.

Batteries

Most Z cameras use the same batteries of their "peer" DSLRs:

  • The Nikon Z5, Z6, Z7 series, Z8, Zf and ZR use EN-EL15/a/b/c batteries, which were introduced in 2010 with the Nikon D7000.<br>The Z5II, Z6III, Z8, Zf and ZR do not officially support the original EN-EL15 battery, only the subsequent a/b/c versions (although the "Li-ion20" variant of the EN-EL15 does work in practice).<br>With these cameras, in-camera charging using USB-C is only compatible with EN-EL15b/c batteries.
  • The Nikon Z9 uses EN-EL18/a/b/c/d batteries, introduced with the Nikon D4. In-camera charging using USB-C is available from the EN-EL18b onwards (introduced in 2017).
  • Only the Nikon Z50, Z50II, Z30 and Zfc use a new battery type, the EN-EL25 / EN-EL25a. Previous entry-level DSLRs like the D5600 or D3500 used the EN-EL14. In-camera charging via USB-C is supported for all of these cameras, except for the original Z50.

Battery and remote control grips

Battery grips are available for several models:

  • The MB-N10 is compatible with the Nikon Z5, Z6, Z6II, Z7 and Z7II, but is purely a battery grip with no vertical controls.
  • The MB-N11 is only compatible with the Nikon Z6II, Z7II and Z5II, and adds vertical controls.
  • The MB-N12 for the Nikon Z8 also has vertical controls.
  • The MB-N14 is compatible with Nikon Z6III, Z5II, Z6II and Z7II, and it also has vertical controls. It was initially released with the Z6III.

Nikon does not offer vertical battery grips for the Z50II, Z50, Z30, Zfc, Zf, and ZR. The Nikon Z9 has a built-in vertical battery grip that is integrated into its body, and thus doesn't need an add-on grip.

The MC-N10 is a remote-control grip for all Z cameras with USB-C (the first-generation Z50 is the sole camera to not use USB-C). It connects through a USB-C cable to the camera and replicates the right-hand controls of the camera body. It is designed for film applications and uses an ARRI rosette-type mount. Cameras introduced before its release require firmware updates to use it.

Table of Z-mount lenses

This table contains the specifications for all Nikon Z lenses, as well as third-party autofocus lenses. Collecting all specifications for third-party lenses, including manual focus ones, isn't feasible due to the large number of brands producing a great variety of such lenses.

See also

References

External links