Best Starter Lens for Nikon Z5IIC
The Nikon Z5 IIC is a flat-top full-frame body Nikon lists at 620 g, with no viewfinder and a 3.2-inch vari-angle screen. The kit lens is the NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3. That zoom retracts to about 51 mm and weighs about 195 g. The NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 is the lens Nikon packages with the body. Check NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 on Amazon.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
Reviewed September 2026 · 620 g body · no viewfinder · three Nikon bundles
The kit zoom. About 195 g and 51 mm long when retracted, covering 24–50 mm at f/4–6.3.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓The pancake. About 125 g and 23.5 mm long, at f/2.8, which is the lightest of the three.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓A 40 mm prime at f/2. About 170 g and 45.5 mm long, brighter than either zoom end of the kit.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓This page contains affiliate links. A purchase through those links may earn Cameraegg a commission at no extra cost to you.
| Lens | Job on this body | Aperture and weight | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 | Kit zoom, 24–50 mm | f/4–6.3 · 195 g · 51 mm retracted | Check price |
| NIKKOR Z 26mm f/2.8 | Pancake walk-around | f/2.8 · 125 g · 23.5 mm | Check price |
| NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2 | Brighter 40 mm prime | f/2 · 170 g · 45.5 mm | Check price |
How We Picked
Nikon’s own bundles name these three lenses. The numbers below are from each lens page, not from a mixed brochure.
- The body is the light one, and the kit lens is the 24–50 mm. Nikon Inc., September 24, 2026: the Z5 IIC weighs 620 g / 21.9 oz, with no viewfinder, and a 3.2-inch vari-angle monitor. Suggested retail is the body, or the body packaged with the NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3. Retailer bundles also include the NIKKOR Z 26mm f/2.8 and the NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2.
- The kit zoom is the short, light full-frame standard zoom. Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 specifications: 24–50 mm, f/4–6.3, about 73.5 mm maximum diameter by 51 mm from the flange when retracted, about 195 g, 52 mm filters, closest focus 0.35 m.
- The two primes are lighter or brighter, not both. Nikon NIKKOR Z 26mm f/2.8 specifications: f/2.8, about 70 mm by 23.5 mm, about 125 g, closest focus 0.2 m. Nikon NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2 specifications: f/2, about 70 mm by 45.5 mm, about 170 g, closest focus 0.29 m. All three take 52 mm filters.
Detailed Reviews
NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 View on Amazon View on B&H
| Focal length and aperture | 24–50 mm · f/4–6.3 |
|---|---|
| Angle of view, FX | 84° to 47° |
| Size and weight | About 73.5 × 51 mm retracted · about 195 g |
| Close focus and filter | 0.35 m · 0.17x at 50 mm · 52 mm |
Why it fits the Z5 IIC. Nikon sells the body with this zoom. On a 620 g camera with no viewfinder, a lens that retracts to 51 mm and weighs about 195 g keeps the kit near 815 g before caps. The range covers a wide view at 24 mm and a short normal at 50 mm. The maximum aperture is f/4 at the wide end and f/6.3 at 50 mm, so it is not the low-light prime.
Buy it as the only lens if the kit is how the camera is purchased. Skip it when the camera lives in a coat pocket. The 26 mm is less than two thirds of this weight. Card speed for N-RAW is a separate choice, in the memory-card guide for the Z5 IIC.
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NIKKOR Z 26mm f/2.8 View on Amazon View on B&H
| Focal length and aperture | 26 mm · f/2.8 |
|---|---|
| Angle of view, FX | 79° |
| Size and weight | About 70 × 23.5 mm · about 125 g |
| Close focus and filter | 0.2 m · 0.19x · 52 mm |
Why it fits the Z5 IIC. Nikon’s page lists this pancake at about 125 g and 23.5 mm from the flange. Added to the 620 g body, the pair is about 745 g, under the kit zoom’s 815 g. f/2.8 is brighter than the kit’s f/4 wide end. The focal length is fixed at 26 mm, so it does not replace the 50 mm end of the zoom. Closest focus is 0.2 m.
Buy it when the camera is the everyday body and one focal length is enough. Skip it when a portrait needs the 40 mm at f/2, or when 24 mm and 50 mm have to be on the same lens.
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2 View on Amazon View on B&H
| Focal length and aperture | 40 mm · f/2 |
|---|---|
| Angle of view, FX | 57° |
| Size and weight | About 70 × 45.5 mm · about 170 g |
| Close focus and filter | 0.29 m · 0.17x · 52 mm · 9 rounded blades |
Why it fits the Z5 IIC. Nikon rates this prime at f/2 and about 170 g, 45.5 mm from the flange. It is brighter than the 26 mm at f/2.8 and much brighter than the kit at 50 mm, f/6.3. On the 620 g body the pair is about 790 g. The angle of view on FX is 57°, a short normal, not a wide lens. Nine rounded blades are on Nikon’s spec page.
Buy it for people and indoor frames where f/2 matters. Skip it as the only lens if the camera also has to shoot a room at 24 mm. That is the kit zoom.
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
If You Need Something Else
A heavier zoom changes the gimbal choice. The 24–50 mm plus the 620 g body is about 815 g. That figure is the one used in the gimbal guide for the Z5 IIC. A 24–70 mm or a 24–120 mm is a different payload, and it is outside these three lenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why these three and not a 24–70 mm
Nikon’s September 24, 2026 release pairs the body with the 24–50 mm, and names retailer bundles with the 26 mm f/2.8 and the 40 mm f/2. Those are the lenses sold with this camera. A larger zoom is a later purchase.
What the kit weighs on the body
Nikon lists the body at 620 g and the 24–50 mm at about 195 g. Together that is about 815 g, before caps. The 26 mm brings the pair to about 745 g. The 40 mm brings it to about 790 g.
What f/6.3 at 50 mm means
The kit’s maximum aperture is f/4 at 24 mm and f/6.3 at 50 mm. The 40 mm prime is f/2. The 26 mm is f/2.8. Low light at a normal focal length is the 40 mm, not the long end of the zoom.
Whether the filters match
Nikon lists a 52 mm filter thread on all three. One set of 52 mm filters fits the kit and both primes.
What 4K 60p does to the angle of view
Nikon’s footnote says 4K UHD at 60 fps crops the image area to DX. The lens does not change. The recorded view gets tighter. At 26 mm on FX the angle is 79°. The DX line on that same lens page is 57°.
Final Verdict
The NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 is the kit zoom, about 195 g, covering 24–50 mm. The NIKKOR Z 26mm f/2.8 is the lightest of the three, about 125 g at f/2.8. The NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2 is the brighter prime, f/2 at 40 mm, about 170 g.