Nikon 26mm f/2.8 Lens Review – A Dream for Travel

In this Nikon 26mm f/2.8 review, I’ll share my thoughts about this portable and inconspicuous lens.

I love to travel and capture my surroundings in images. However, I often face a battle between my desire for high-quality imagery using my dedicated camera gear versus the adequacies of my smartphone.

My phone camera is usually the choice because I don’t want to be bogged down by bulky and heavy gear.

The pancake-sized Nikon 26mm f/2.8 tilts the scale back toward traveling with my interchangeable lens camera.

I used it while wandering downtown Chicago with a Nikon Z 8 and shooting an event with a Z 9 camera.

This full frame lens downsized those pro-level cameras but would be even more at home mounted on Nikon’s other Z system cameras, such as the Z 5, Z 6 II, and Z f.

Mounting it on one of Nikon’s DX crop sensor bodies like the Z fc would create a compact street photography kit with a 40mm field of view.

If you also find yourself leaving your “proper” camera set up at home due to the size inconvenience, the Nikon 26mm f/2.8 lens could be just the remedy you need.

Let’s take a look at how it performs and how it compares to other top Nikon lenses.

Nikon 26mm f/2.8 Specs

 

• Maximum and Minimum Aperture – f/2.8 to f/16
• Lens Format Coverage – Full-Frame
• Minimum Focus Distance – 7.9″ / 20 cm
• Optical Design – 8 Elements in 6 Groups
• Diaphragm Blades – 7, Rounded
• Filter Size – 52 mm (Front)
• Dimensions (ø x L) – 0.9 x 2.8″ / 23.5 x 70 mm
• Weight – 4.4 oz / 125 g

Build & Ergonomics

The Nikon 26mm f/2.8 lens has a metal mount, which is always welcome. However, this feature probably adds to the cost, and with a lens that is small and light, a plastic mount may have sufficed.

The obvious selling point here is the small size, which could be a negative when handling the lens for those who manually focus or want to use the control ring for other functions.

I did not have any usability issues, although if you want to use the lens for landscape photography and add filters, the small size of the lens barrel may slow you down, especially if you’re wearing gloves.

As the slimmest full-frame lens ever made, the Nikon 26mm f/2.8 is a dream for street and travel photography.

While my Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 S lens is sharper and more versatile, it’s not a lens I want to take traveling or for casual shooting.

Focus Performance

I would not characterize the Nikon 26mm f/2.8 as fast-focusing, but it’s also not slow.

I used it during a recent low-light event and had no trouble achieving reasonably fast autofocus performance.

While I’d love to have a faster aperture of f/1.4, that would make this lens much larger, and the f/2.8 couples with the excellent high ISO capability of today’s cameras, making it a non-issue in low light situations.

I was pleasantly surprised at the close-focusing ability of this lens, which is always a welcome addition.

Image Quality

Wide-angle lenses like this are not purchased for their bokeh characteristics; however, the Nikon 26mm f/2.8 does a good job of blurring the background when shooting wide open with a close focus distance.

The Nikon 26mm f/2.8 pancake lens has good center sharpness but is not super sharp, making it suitable for the cityscapes I photographed during my trip to the city.

A professional landscape photographer may not choose this lens, but it is suitable for general use.

This Nikon Nikkor Z lens has a bit of barreling, so you may have to correct distortion in post-production.

You may also need to do some vignette control in software as this pancake prime lens has a fair bit of it, although that is not bothersome to me.

I saw no chromatic aberration in my images with the Nikkor Z 26mm f/2.8 lens.

Nikon 26mm f/2.8 Sample Images

Below are some sample images taken with the Nikon 26mm f/2.8, using a Nikon Z 8 camera.

How I Tested the Nikon 26mm f/2.8 Lens

The Nikon Z 26mm is certainly an odd focal length for a lens. Street photographers often use 28mm and 35mm focal lengths, while landscape photographers favor 24mm or more expansive focal lengths.

There are a ton of other lenses in the medium-wide range, but this lightweight lens felt terrific as I tested it out in a travel photography situation.

I also used it for a working job of event coverage where this tiny lens did not tip off my subjects as I went about the room in a roving reporter style.

A maximum aperture of f/2.8 let in enough light that I was not left wanting.

During my two weeks of using the lens, I noticed that the inner barrel protrudes out, as this is not an internal-focusing lens.

It has a very small lens hood that attaches, and this is how you can attach a UV filter or polarizing filter, etc., with a 52mm thread.

Video shooters will find this lens noisy and will need to be aware of this when capturing audio on camera.

Alternatives

This lens’s main competitor is Nikon’s 28mm f/2.8 prime lens. It is half the price of this 26mm pancake lens.

This alternative lens is not as wide, is larger (although the same weight), and has a plastic mount. These two lenses are competitors; there is probably little reason to own both.

If you love travel photography, I think the tiny Nikon Z 26mm is the way to go, with the 28mm for documentary-style street photographers.

I’ve used both, and the quality of the optics is the same, with great images coming from both.

Value for Money

At just under US$500, I think the Nikon 26mm f/2.8 is a tad high in price.

However, it is unique in that you are essentially a photographer out shooting with a camera that has a lens the size of its body cap.

I could see the option of storing your camera with this lens permanently attached if you do a lot of wide-angle travel photography.

Or, you could save $200, get the Nikon 28mm f/2.8 with a slightly larger footprint, and just back up more for those wide-angle photos. It’s a tough call and depends on what you value the most.

FAQ’s

Does this lens have optical stabilization?

No, but most of the Nikon Z cameras have IBIS.

Will this lens work on Nikon Z APS-C bodies?

Yes, the lens takes on a 40mm equivalent focal length on those cameras.

Does this lens exhibit focus breathing?

Yes, it does, but it would not be the first choice for video shooting.

Nikon 26mm f/2.8 Lens Review | Conclusion

The Nikon 26mm f/2.8 pancake lens is a fun addition to the lineup of new lenses in Nikon’s mirrorless range.

It’s not one I’d reach for in critical work, but it is perfect for travel photography, street photography, and casual event captures.

As a Nikon 28mm f/2.8 lens owner, I won’t buy this one because it’s too similar. However, a lightweight body cap lens like this one will give you the ultimate portability. It’s a vacationer’s dream lens.

Serious landscape photographers will want to skip this one. Although it’s a very good lens, the small size resulted in some compromises, and pro-level image quality is more forthcoming from something like the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

Owners of Nikon’s full-frame retro-styled camera, the Z f, may love this small lens attached to their small profile camera for going into incognito mode.