Nikon 50-250mm
f/4.5~6.3 Z DX VR (2019-)
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Nikon Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR, collapsed (62mm filters, 14.1 oz./ 400g, 1.6'/0.5m close focus, $377, less if ordered as part of a kit or about $250 used if you know How to Win at eBay). bigger. I got mine at B&H (I actually got the kit with both the 16-50mm and 50-250mm lenses). I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or used at eBay. It also comes as part of a kit at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
This all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks for helping me help you!
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Sample Images
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(these are just snapshots and there are many more throughout the review; my real work is in my Gallery.)
These are all shot hand-held as BASIC JPGs; no RAW files, NORMAL or FINE JPGs or tripods were used or needed.
All shot in the VIVID Picture Control setting with sharpening set to +9 and Saturation set to +3.
Spanish Building by Last Light, 3:53 PM, 25 November 2019. Nikon Z50, Nikon Z 50-250mm DX VR at 66mm at f/5.6 at 1/500 at Auto ISO 100, +⅔ stop exposure compensation (LV 13.9), Perfectly Clear, perspective correction in Photoshop CS6. bigger, full-resolution or camera-original © JPG file.
Palms by Last Light, 3:57 PM, 25 November 2019. Nikon Z50, Nikon Z 50-250mm DX VR at 58mm at f/8 at 1/200 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 13.6), Perfectly Clear. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Spanish Chimney by Last Light, 3:58 PM, 25 November 2019. Nikon Z50, Nikon Z 50-250mm DX VR at 77mm at f/8 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 14.3.0), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Palm Trunk at Dawn, 7:01 AM, 05 December 2019. Nikon Z50, Nikon Z 50-250mm DX VR at 50mm at f/8 hand-held at one-quarter of a second at Auto ISO 100 (LV 8.0), exactly as shot in square crop mode. bigger.
Palm with Dates at Dawn, 7:03 AM, 05 December 2019. Nikon Z50, Nikon Z 50-250mm DX VR at 250mm at f/8 hand-held at 1/15 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 8.0), exactly as shot in square crop mode. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Introduction
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This 50-250mm lens is absolutely brilliant. It's small, light weight, collapses for carrying, focusses super-close, has great image stabilization (VR), and is optically essentially flawless.
It's so good you ought to get a Z50 just so you can use it!
Just turn the focus ring at any time for instant manual-focus override.
I got my 50-250mm at B&H (I actually got the kit with both the 16-50mm and 50-250mm lenses). I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It also comes as part of a kit at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
New
Nikon's first telephoto zoom for DX Z cameras, which when introduced, is only the Z50.
Good
Ultrasharp.
Focuses super-close and is still ultrasharp.
Fast focus.
No distortion as shot on Z50.
Small for such a long lens.
Light weight.
Collapses for carrying.
Great image stabilization (VR).
Reasonable price, especially as part of a kit with the Z50.
Bad
Offshored to Thailand; not made domestically in Japan.
Plastic mount, but that's why it weighs so little. This lens is supposed to be plastic.
Missing
No AF/MF switch (do that in-camera.)
No VR switch (set that in-camera at MENU > PHOTO SHOOTING MENU (camera icon) > Optical VR.
No hood or case included, but they're not needed, either.
Nikon 50-250mm. bigger.
Format
Top Sample Images Intro Format
Compatibility Specifications Unboxing
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I got my 50-250mm at B&H (I actually got the kit with both the 16-50mm and 50-250mm lenses). I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It also comes as part of a kit at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
This is a DX lens (crop-sensor) intended for use on Nikon Z DX cameras.
It also mounts to full-frame FX Z cameras, however you'll waste over half of your sensor. The Z6 and Z7 automatically and only shoot in DX mode; you can't cheat and set them to shoot in full-frame mode with this lens.
Compatibility
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Compatibility Specifications Unboxing
USA Version Performance Compared
I got my 50-250mm at B&H (I actually got the kit with both the 16-50mm and 50-250mm lenses). I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It also comes as part of a kit at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
This lens works only on Nikon's Z-series mirrorless cameras.
It does not so much as even mount on any other camera.
It wastes over half the sensor's area if used on an FX Z camera. The Z6 and Z7 need at least firmware version 2.1 for VR to work on them.
Specifications
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I got my 50-250mm at B&H (I actually got the kit with both the 16-50mm and 50-250mm lenses). I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It also comes as part of a kit at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
Name
Nikon calls this the Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VRNIKKOR: Nikon's brand name for all their lenses.
Z: For Nikon's mirrorless cameras.
DX: Won't work well on FX cameras.
VR: Vibration Reduction.
Also has:
AF-P: Stepper (Pulse) autofocus motor: silent and ultra fast.
E: Electronic diaphragm.
ED: Magic Extra-low Dispersion glass for reduced secondary chromatic aberration.
G: Gelded; has no aperture ring.
IF: Internal focusing; nothing moves externally as focused.
∅62: 62mm filter thread.
Optics
Nikon 50-250mm internal optical construction, collapsed position. Aspherical and ED elements.
16 elements in 12 groups.
One ED extra-low dispersion element, which helps reduce secondary axial chromatic aberration.
Nikon Super Integrated multicoating (SIC).
Filters
Plastic 62mm filter thread.
Coverage
DX (16 × 24mm).
Diaphragm
Nikon 50-250mm. bigger.
7 rounded blades.
Electronically actuated.
Stops down to f/22~32.
Focal Length
50-250mm.
This 50-250mm lens used on a DX camera sees the same angle of view as a 75~375mm lens sees when used on a full-frame or 35mm camera.
See also Crop Factor.
Angle of View, DX
31.5º ~ 6.5º diagonal.
Autofocus
No external movement as focussed, so no air or dust is sucked in.
Stepper motor.
Focus Scale
No.
Infinity Focus Stop
No.
Depth of Field Scale
No.
Infrared Focus Index
No.
Close Focus
1.64 feet (0.5 meters).
Maximum Reproduction Ratio
1:4.3 (0.23×).
Reproduction Ratio Scale
No.
Image Stabilizer
Rated 5 stops improvement.
Caps
LC-62B 62 mm snap-on front cap, included.
LF-N1 Z-mount rear cap, at least if the lens is ordered by itself. Will just have a translucent "transit cap" if ordered as part of a kit.
Hood
Optional Nikon HB-90A.
Case
None.
Size
3.0" Ø maximum diameter × 4.4" extension from flange when collapsed.
74 mm Ø maximum diameter × 110mm extension from flange when collapsed.
Weight
14.105 oz. (399.8g) actual measured weight.
Rated 14.3 oz. (405 g).
Quality
Made in Thailand.
Announced
Early morning, Thursday 10 October 2019, NYC time.
Promised for
November 2019.
Shipping Since
07 November 2019.
Included
LC-62B 62 mm snap-on front cap, included.
LF-N1 Z-mount rear cap, at least if the lens is ordered by itself. May just have a translucent "transit cap" if ordered as part of a kit.
Optional Accessories
Nikon's Model Number
20084.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
February 2023
$377 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
Less if ordered as part of a kit.
About $250 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
July 2021
$347 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
Less if ordered as part of a kit.
About $250 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
October ~ December 2019
$297 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
Less if ordered as part of a kit.
Unboxing
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The box is completely unsealed. Just like packages of ice cream that kids open, lick and put back in store freezer sections or mouthwash that's been gargled and put it back on the store shelf, there is no way to know if anyone else has been fiddling with your lens, swapping parts and accessories, or even if it's a dropped, returned, damaged or used lens.
I got my 50-250mm at B&H (I actually got the kit with both the 16-50mm and 50-250mm lenses). I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It also comes as part of a kit at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
Especially with a plastic lens like this, it's critical to buy only from an approved online source, since they ship from automated warehouses where no shifty salesmen or other customers ever getting to touch your new lens before it ships. While new $5 CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays and bottles of milk and drinking water are sealed and quite obvious if anyone's opened them, paradoxically Nikon doesn't bother sealing anything, so your only insurance is to buy only from a trusted online dealer.
Getting a Legal USA Version
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Compatibility Specifications Unboxing
USA Version Performance Compared
This section applies in the USA only.
I got my 50-250mm at B&H (I actually got the kit with both the 16-50mm and 50-250mm lenses). I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It also comes as part of a kit at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
You should have a Nikon USA Warranty Card as shown in the video at Unboxing. If you don't have this card, if the card doesn't say "4 YEARS USA EXTENDED SERVICE COVERAGE" or if the serial number on the card doesn't match the one on your lens exactly, you got ripped off with a gray market version from another country. (The serial number on the box doesn't have to match, but if it doesn't it means you bought from a shady dealer who took lenses out of boxes and then resold them as new.) This is why I never buy anyplace other than from my personally approved sources. You just can't take the chance of buying elsewhere, especially at any retail store, because non-USA versions have no warranty in the USA, and you won't even be able to get firmware or service for it — even if you're willing to pay out-of-pocket for it when you need it!
Nikon USA enforces its trademarks strictly. It's unlikely, but possible that US customs won't let your camera back in the country if you bought a gray-market version in the USA, carried it overseas, and try to bring it back in. (If you take the chance of buying one overseas, be sure you have a receipt to prove you bought it overseas and be prepared to pay duty on it.)
If a gray market version saves you $200 it may be worth it, but for $50 or less I wouldn't risk having no warranty or support.
Always be sure to check your box while you can still return it, or just don't buy from unapproved sources or at retail so you'll be able to have your camera serviced and get free updated firmware as needed.
Get yours from the same places I do and you won't have a problem, but if you take the risk of getting yours elsewhere or at any retail store, be sure to check everything while you still can return it.
Performance
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Compatibility Specifications Unboxing
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Overall Autofocus Manual Focus Breathing Bokeh
Distortion Ergonomics Falloff Filters
Flare & Ghosts Lateral Color Fringes
Lens Corrections Macro Min & Max Apertures
Mechanics Sharpness Spherochromatism
I got my 50-250mm at B&H (I actually got the kit with both the 16-50mm and 50-250mm lenses). I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It also comes as part of a kit at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
Overall
As you can see at Sample Images, this is a fantastic lens optically, and it's tiny, works well and fast and is inexpensive. This is one of Nikon's Best Lenses.
Autofocus
Autofocus is fast and just about silent. The only sound you'll hear in a silent room by yourself is a little bit of plastic sliding, and that's it.
Manual Focus
Manual focus is excellent.
Just grab the rear focus ring at any time for instant manual-focus override.
Focus Breathing
Focus breathing is the image changing size as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers that the image not breathe because it looks funny if the image changes size as focus gets pulled back and forth between actors. If the lens does this, the image "breathes" by growing and contracting slightly as the dialog goes back and forth.
The image from this lens does not change size as focused, which is excellent — but I have no idea how you'd follow focus with this lens.
Bokeh
Bokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is pretty good; but with a lens this slow nothing ever gets that far out of focus except at the longer end.
`
Here are photos from headshot distance wide-open:
American-made Davis 6250 weather station, 27 November 2019. bigger or camera-original © file.
American-made Davis 6250 weather station, 27 November 2019. bigger or camera-original © file.
American-made Davis 6250 weather station, 27 November 2019. bigger or camera-original © file.
As always, if you want to throw the background as far out of focus as possible, shoot at 250mm at f/6.3 and get as close as possible.
Distortion
As shot on the Nikon Z50 with its default Distortion Correction ON, there is no visible or measurable distortion at any setting, which means less than a factor of ±0.1 in Photoshop's Lens Correction Filter.
If you shoot raw and then open the files in non-Nikon software, there probably will be no correction and you may then see distortion. You're on your own if using third-party software.
If you're silly enough to turn off this correction and then go looking for it, yes, there is moderate barrel distortion at 50mm and moderate pincushion distortion at 100mm and longer. Even without correction there is no distortion at 70mm.
These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting data:
On DX at 10' (3m) |
Correction factor to use with images made with correction ON in Z50 |
Correction factor with uncorrected images |
50mm |
±0.00 | +3.00 |
70mm |
±0.00 | ±0.00 |
100mm |
±0.00 | -1.50 |
135mm |
±0.00 | -2.50 |
200mm |
±0.00 | -2.60 |
250mm |
±0.00 | -2.10 |
© 2019 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
Ergonomics
This is a great-feeling lens, and it collapses just by turning the zoom ring past 50mm. Brilliant!
|
|
|
Collapsed. bigger. |
Ready to shoot at 50mm. bigger. |
Ready to shoot at 250mm. bigger. |
The ring at the back is manual focus by default, and your camera will let you set it to other functions if you prefer.
Falloff
Falloff isn't an issue, completely invisible in actual shooting with the Z50's Vignette Correction left at its default of NORM.
These gray-field tests make it far more obvious than it is in real pictures:
Nikon Z 50-250mm VR on DX at infinity, Vignette Correction NORM.
© 2019 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
If you go out of your way to turn Vignette Correction OFF, you'll see much more, but even then it's mild enough not to be noticeable in most actual pictures:
Nikon Z 50-250mm VR on DX at infinity, Vignette Correction OFF.
© 2019 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
Filters, use with
There's no need for thin filters. I can stack quite a few regular 62mm filters without any vignetting.
Go ahead and use your standard rotating polarizer and grad filters.
Flare & Ghosts
There are no significant ghosts or flare. See samples at Sunstars.
Lateral Color Fringes
There are no color fringes as shot on Nikon cameras, which by default correct for any that may be there.
Lens Corrections
The Z50, Z6 and Z7 correct for any or all of distortion, diffraction and falloff, any of which you may turn ON or OFF.
The Z50, Z6 and Z7 always correct for lateral color fringes (chromatic aberration); this is part of Nikon's secret sauce and never appears in any menu.
Macro Performance
Macro performance is excellent. It gets super-close, and it's super-sharp, even wide-open:
Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch at close-focus distance, 27 November 2019. Nikon Z50, 50-250mm at 250mm wide-open at f/6.3. bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 9¼ × 14" (25 × 35 cm) at this same magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 18½ × 28" (50 × 70 cm) at this same magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 37 × 56" (1 × 1.4 meters) at this same magnification.
Minimum & Maximum Apertures
Maximum Aperture |
Minimum Aperture |
|
| 50mm | f/4.5 |
f/22 |
| 70mm | f/4.8 |
f/25 |
| 100mm | f/5 |
f/25 |
| 135mm | f/5.3 |
f/29 |
| 200mm | f/6 |
f/29 |
| 250mm | f/6.3 |
f/32 |
Mechanical Quality
Nikon 50-250mm. bigger.
This is an all-plastic lens. Except for metal screws and electrical contacts and glass glass, the rest is all plastic.
Dust Gasket at Mount
Not needed, the plastic wraps around and covers the edges of the mount.
Serial Number
Laser engraved on bottom of barrel.
Date Code
None found.
Noises When Shaken
Moderate to strong clattering.
Made in
Made in Thailand.
Sharpness
Lens sharpness has nothing to do with picture sharpness; every lens made in the past 100 years is more than sharp enough to make super-sharp pictures if you know what you're doing. The only limitation to picture sharpness is your skill as a photographer. It's the least talented who spend the most time worrying about lens sharpness and blame crummy pictures on their equipment rather than themselves. Skilled photographers make great images with whatever camera is in their hands; I've made some of my best images of all time with an irreparably broken camera! Most pixels are thrown away before you see them, but camera makers don't want you to know that.
If you're not getting ultra-sharp pictures with this, be sure not to shoot at f/11 or smaller where all lenses are softer due to diffraction (especially if you stop down to f/22 it will be fuzzy; these are the laws of God and nature), always shoot at ISO 100 or below because cameras become softer at ISO 200 and above, be sure everything is in perfect focus, set your camera's sharpening as you want it (I set mine to the maximum +9) and be sure nothing is moving, either camera or subject. If you want to ensure a soft image with any lens, shoot at f/22 at ISO 1,600 at default sharpening in daylight of subjects at differing distances in the same image.
These warnings aside, this is an ultrasharp lens.
This 50-250mm is sharp even wide-open in the corners at every focal length.
Lenses never used to be this sharp, and today thanks to ever improving design abilities, even this inexpensive lens is as sharp, if not sharper than 2016's (but still current) 70-200/2.8 FLE and sharper than the 70-200/2.8 VR II — and each of those are state-of-the-art pro lenses that each weigh almost four times what this lens does!
Here are Nikon's MTF curves wide-open. These agree with what I see in actual use: super-sharpness out to the corners.
 |
 |
MTF at 50mm at f/4.5. |
MTF at 250mm at f/6.3. |
Spherochromatism
Spherochromatism, also called "color bokeh" by laymen, is an advanced form of chromatic aberration in a different dimension than lateral color. It can cause colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights, usually seen as green fringes on backgrounds and magenta fringes on foregrounds. Spherochromatism is common in fast lenses of moderate focal length when shooting contrasty items at full aperture. It goes away as stopped down.
As I'd expect for a relatively slow lens, there is very little spherochromatism:
Mondaine A132.30348.11SBB at close-focus distance at 250mm at f/6.3, 27 November 2019. bigger or camera-original © file.
1,200 × 900 pixel crop from above. bigger or camera-original © file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 9¼ × 14" (25 × 35 cm) at this same magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 18½ × 28" (50 × 70 cm) at this same magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 37 × 56" (1 × 1.4 meters) at this same magnification.
Image Stabilization
Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)) is fantastic. I usually get great results hand-held at 1/15 at 250mm and 1/8 at 50mm.
"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness I get when I'm shooting hand-held while standing with no support. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed. This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp all the frames are:
At 50mm
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 1 |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
| VR ON | 0 |
0 |
10 |
100 |
90 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| VR OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
50 |
100 |
100 |
At 50mm I see about at a 3.5 stop real world improvement, which is excellent!
Even if I only get perfect sharpness about 10% of the time at 1/4, I still get great, although not perfect, results often at one-quarter of a second hand-held:
Palm Trunk at Dawn, 7:01 AM, 05 December 2019. Nikon Z50, Nikon Z 50-250mm DX VR at 50mm at f/8 hand-held at one-quarter of a second at Auto ISO 100 (LV 8.0), exactly as shot. bigger.
At 250mm
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
1/500 |
1/1,000 |
| VR ON | 0 |
0 |
83 |
50 |
83 |
90 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| VR OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
50 |
50 |
90 |
At 250mm I see at least a four stop real world improvement, which is superb!
This is much sharper than a hand-held $13,000 Sony 600mm f/4, with whose crummy stabilizer I need to shoot at 1/1,000 to get what I get at much slower speeds with this lens:
Palm with Dates at Dawn, 7:03 AM, 05 December 2019. Nikon Z50, Nikon Z 50-250mm DX VR at 250mm at f/8 hand-held at 1/15 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 8.0), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Sunstars
With a 7-bladed rounded diaphragm I can't get much in the way of sunstars. The best I can get is is some soft stars at the smallest aperture.
Click any to enlarge:
Click any to enlarge.
Compared
Top Sample Images Intro Format
Compatibility Specifications Unboxing
USA Version Performance Compared
I got my 50-250mm at B&H (I actually got the kit with both the 16-50mm and 50-250mm lenses). I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It also comes as part of a kit at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
There are no other native DX Z telephoto zooms.
The Z 85/1.8 is a full-frame lens, and works spectacularly on DX cameras, but it's a completely different kind of lens.
You could jury-rig a DSLR lens with the FTZ adapter, but you'll wind up with a huge, sloppy thing with inferior optics that are a pain to lug around. This is the lightest and sharpest telephoto, with a huge zoom ratio (5:1) that focuses ultra-close. There is nothing this good for use on DX Z cameras.
Look at the MTF curves; this tiny 50-250 is superior to the ultra-pro 70-200/2.8 VR II.
Especially as I write this, you should get this 50-250mm lens along with a Z50 as a kit for very little extra money. It's an extraordinary lens and far better than trying to adapt an old lens to your awesome new Z50.
Video Version of this Review
User's Guide
Top Sample Images Intro Format
Compatibility Specifications Unboxing
USA Version Performance Compared
I got my 50-250mm at B&H (I actually got the kit with both the 16-50mm and 50-250mm lenses). I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It also comes as part of a kit at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
The AF/MF and VR mode switches are no longer on this tiny lens.
Instead, you find them in your camera's menu system.
On the Z50, you set focus mode like this, and set the VR modes like this.
Recommendations
Top Sample Images Intro Format
Compatibility Specifications Unboxing
USA Version Performance Compared
Get one! More specifically, get one as part of a kit as a promotional item for very little extra money. This lens is ultra sharp, focuses ultra-close and fast, has instant manual-focus override, it's light and small and collapses and is inexpensive.
I got my 50-250mm at B&H (I actually got the kit with both the 16-50mm and 50-250mm lenses). I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It also comes as part of a kit at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
I use a clear (UV) protective filter instead of a cap so I'm always ready to shoot instantly. I only use a cap when I throw this in a bag with other gear without padding — which is never. The UV filter never gets in the way, and never gets lost, either.
The very best protective filter is the Hoya multicoated HD3 62mm UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints.
For less money, the B+W 62mm 010 is an excellent filter, as are the multicoated version and the basic multicoated Hoya filters, but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest and the best.
Filters last a lifetime, so you may as well get the best since it will last longer than you will and you'll use it on whatever lens you have in 2038. The Hoya HD3 stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt, but costs almost as much as this lens, so for today, a basic multicoated Hoya filter is more than good enough.
All these filters are just as sharp and take the same pictures, the difference is how much abuse they'll take and stay clean and stay in one piece.
This 100% all-content website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Nikon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, non-USA, store demo or used lens. I use the stores I do because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new camera before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I use myself for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken, Mrs. Rockwell, Ryan and Katie.
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The biggest help is when you use any of these links when you get anything. It costs you nothing, and is this site's, and thus my family's, biggest source of support. These places always have the best prices and service, which is why I've used them since before this website existed. I recommend them all personally.
If you find this page as helpful as a book you might have had to buy or a workshop you may have had to take, feel free to help me continue helping everyone.
If you've gotten your gear through one of my links or helped otherwise, you're family. It's great people like you who allow me to keep adding to this site full-time. Thanks!
If you haven't helped yet, please do, and consider helping me with a gift of $5.00.
As this page is copyrighted and formally registered, it is unlawful to make copies, especially in the form of printouts for personal use. If you wish to make a printout for personal use, you are granted one-time permission only if you PayPal me $5.00 per printout or part thereof. Thank you!
Thanks for reading!
Mr. & Mrs. Ken Rockwell, Ryan and Katie.