Versatile focal lengths: unlimited genres with the NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/2.8 VR

Portraits

Surrounded by majestic volcanoes and lush natural scenery, Andreas’s family’s favourite staycation spot, Bara Mountains Cabin, offered the pro beautiful, secluded settings perfect for capturing genuine moments away from the hustle of everyday life. “As a wedding and portrait photographer, I naturally gravitate towards those classic mid-range focal lengths,” he explains. “They are perfect for storytelling – wide enough to set the scene, yet tight enough to isolate emotion, and this lens offers what feels like a very intuitive range to work in. It slotted seamlessly into my usual workflow without me having to rethink how I work.”

Making the most of the lens’ constant f/2.8 maximum aperture across the entire focal range, Andreas says he was able to enjoy smooth rendering and gentle subject separation, creating a flattering, natural look, which is essential for his work. “There were no harsh transitions, and the background blur feels natural and elegant, supporting the subject rather than overpowering it,” he says. “The constant f/2.8 aperture made it much easier to achieve the depth of field I wanted, even in minimal lighting.”

Top tip: “Take advantage of the eye detection. It almost feels like a cheat mode, especially when photographing moving subjects. It makes capturing expressive, sharp portraits feel effortless, taking the pressure off and letting you focus more on the moment.”

Low-light

Like most wedding photographers, Andreas often finds himself making the most of indoor venues, or working at night, when he’s at the mercy of ambient light. But with the lens’ constant f/2.8 aperture he says these kinds of situations weren’t an issue. “It definitely made me more adventurous,” he explains. “Knowing the aperture stays consistent throughout the zoom range made a huge difference to how far I was willing to push things. I could maintain image quality without needing to push the ISO further than I would have liked. Plus, because the lens features up to 4.5 stops of Vibration Reduction, which is very noticeable, it really takes away that fear of blur, especially when photographing indoors or at night. And it gives you an extra layer of confidence when working handheld when you want to slow things down and still come away with sharp images. It completely changed how relaxed and instinctive working in low light felt.”

Top tip: “Trust the Vibration Reduction when photographing handheld. In dim or indoor conditions it gives you the confidence to slow your shutter speed slightly, stay agile and keep working without constantly worrying about camera shake.”

Macro

“Macro images surprised me the most,” reveals Andreas. “The minimum focus distance is impressively short!” So short, in fact, that the lens delivers a minimum focus distance of 0.15m at 16mm, and 0.25m at 50mm. “It completely influenced how I approached richly detailed scenes,” he adds. “I could get much closer than expected, creating almost macro-style images without changing lenses. It’s perfect for photographers who want to capture details.”

Top tip: “Don’t be afraid to get up close and experiment with subjects you’ve not tried before. Working close at f/2.8 will change how you think about depth of field and subject isolation.”

Landscapes

“One of the things I love most about Bali is how seamlessly its landscapes connect,” Andreas enthuses, when explaining his choice of locations. “From the calm of terraced rice fields to the open horizons of the beach, these environments invite movement, exploration and unforced moments.”

Heading out to the fabled black sands of Pig Stone Beach and Canggu’s iconic rice terraces, Andreas admitted the lens might not ordinarily be every outdoor enthusiast’s first pick for traditional landscapes. But thanks to the 16-50mm focal length range delivering a 24-75mm equivalent FX format, he urges people not to overlook its potential for creative compositions.

“The incredibly practical focal range makes this lens an instinctive choice for real world photography where you need a lens that keeps up without getting in the way. Plus it feels much lighter,” says Andreas, who traditionally works with the more than twice as heavy NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S. “It’s only 330g, and because of its compact, lightweight design I was genuinely happy using it all day. It’s the lightest zoom lens I’ve ever used in this category. The lighter feel makes focusing smoother and my workflow more dynamic, allowing me to move more freely and respond quickly as moments unfold. In fact, I was also able to photograph a couple of sessions in the rice fields using only one hand while repositioning myself quickly. This made it easier to frame wide compositions without needing a tripod, especially when working in changing light.”

Speaking of changing light, Andreas was particularly drawn to using the lens for capturing sunsets. “It’s perfect for golden-hour landscapes and the lens handles backlight beautifully,” he says. “Contrast, colours and flare control all feel well balanced, even when framing directly into the light. Even at slow speeds like 1/50 sec, there was no noticeable blur, thanks to the combination of the lens’ sharp optics and built-in VR.”

Top tip: “Use the wider end of the lens, say 16-20mm, and stop down to around f/8-11 to maximise edge-to-edge sharpness. Also, use the zoom creatively to fine-tune composition without physically moving too much, especially in uneven terrain like beaches or rice fields.”

Action

To test the lens’ ability to freeze action, Andreas headed to a favourite family spot: Kuta’s skatepark, a place he visits weekly with his daughters. “It’s become a small but meaningful ritual in our week,” he explains. “I wanted these photos to feel alive, full of movement and energy. Thankfully, the fast shutter speeds froze motion and captured sharp expressions and body positions. At other times, working at slower shutter speeds combined with panning helped me create a sense of movement while keeping the subject relatively sharp. The autofocus is very accurate, and when it’s paired with eye detection it performs exceptionally well, even in challenging or low-light conditions.”

For sports scenes, Andreas also considers the lightweight design to be a huge boon. “Because the lens is so light, I could move quickly, track the subject more easily and change focal lengths smoothly to find the right framing,” he enthuses. “This made it much easier to follow unpredictable motion and react to fast-changing scenes.”

Top tip: “Anticipate movement rather than reacting to it and position yourself where the subject is most likely to pass through, then use the entire focal range to fine-tune framing instead of constantly changing your distance.”

Final thoughts…

“After photographing all genres, from family photos to wedding style photos, low-lit scenes to landscape, plus action and macro, I can honestly say this lens truly proved itself as a versatile tool. It adapts effortlessly to different subjects and photography styles, and is such a great all-rounder.”