NEW Nikon Z Lens Roadmap Revealed

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A new version of the Nikon Z lens roadmap has been revealed, featuring several upcoming lenses for the mirrorless Z mount system that should excite Nikon shooters. By 2025, they have promised the lineup will extend to over 50 Z lenses, meaning another 14 or so lenses will be launched in the next couple of years.

Note: If you are unfamiliar with the names and terminology used by Nikon to describe their Nikkor Z lenses, I recommend you also read our previous article entitled Nikon and Nikkor Lens Terminology and Abbreviations. You can also find a complete list of all Nikon Z lenses and their specifications here in a handy sortable table, allowing you to compare all the Z lenses easily.

Latest Nikon Z Lens Roadmap

The most recent version of the Nikon Z lens roadmap appeared on October 11th, 2023, after the launch of the Nikon 600mm f/6.3 VR S PF lens. Strangely, the Nikon 600mm f/6.3 lens was never on any previous roadmaps, underlining that we can no longer rely on Nikon’s lens roadmaps to interpret their lens launch plans for the Z mount. This new roadmap only has one unreleased lens on it: an S-Line 35mm, which is presumed to be a Nikon 35mm f/1.2 S.

Unreleased Lenses on Nikon Roadmap

The new Nikon 135mm f/1.8 S Plena was launched in September, 2023.

Nikon has quickly crossed a whole load of lenses of their roadmap in recent months. To summarize, these are the upcoming, as-yet-unreleased lenses on the roadmap:

Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.2 S
~~Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S~~ (now launched)
~~Nikkor Z 12-28mm DX~~ (now launched)
~~Nikkor Z 24mm DX~~ (now launched)
~~Nikkor 26mm FX~~ (now launched)
~~Nikkor 85mm S FX~~ (now launched)
~~Nikkor 180-600mm VR FX (probably f/5.6-6.3)~~ (now launched)
~~Nikkor 600mm f/4 VR FX~~ (now launched)

Nikon was slow at getting started with their mirrorless system, but with the launch of the Z8 and the Z9, and this impressive roadmap, I think it’s fair to say that those who stayed with Nikon will feel much better about this.

What’s Still Missing From The Z Lens Roadmap?

The Nikon 600mm f/6.3 VR S was a surprise launch in October 2023, despite never appearing on the roadmap.

I’m surprised there isn’t a 300mm f/2.8 VR on the roadmap. Usually, 300mm prime lenses are announced in tandem with 400mm lenses, but now we’ve seen the launch of two different 400mm prime lenses, a 600mm, and an 800mm prime. Sony has announced its 300mm f/2.8. Where is Nikon’s?

Aside from that, I think Nikon has a great lineup of “regular” lenses. All that is missing are “specialist” lenses, such as fisheye lenses and tilt-shift lenses. With a promised expansion to over 50 lenses by 2025, I think it’s safe to assume that we will also get those lenses in the coming couple of years.

A further possibility is the development of a Nikon 600mm f/6.3 PF lens (confirmed – now launched). The Nikon 800mm f/6.3 PF lens offered groundbreaking lightweight optics at a reasonable price, but many wildlife photographers said 800mm is too long of a focal length for their needs. What’s interesting about these rumors is that the lens isn’t on the roadmap. If this lens does appear, it will spell the end for the Nikon lens roadmap. It would be proof that Nikon is developing lenses outside of what’s on the roadmap, and once that comes to light, the validity of these official roadmaps will be extinguished.

That would be a shame. I think Nikon shooters have appreciated knowing what’s coming down the pipeline. I’m sure it has contributed to some shooters sticking with Nikon instead of jumping to Sony or Canon. Still, I could also see Nikon’s probable point of view that now they have most of the standard bases covered in their Z lens lineup, there isn’t much more they can do for those who decide to switch brands. Let’s wait and see.

CONFIRMED: Sadly, Nikon has confirmed that after the Nikon Z 35mm f/1.2 S launch, they will no longer be updating their Z Mount lens roadmap. That is a real shame. From a personal standpoint, seeing specific lenses on the roadmap significantly contributed to my buying into the Nikon Z Mount system.

Previous Roadmaps

The Z lens roadmap has changed over the years. Some lenses have remained on the roadmap for several iterations, and some have had specifications modified. For example, the 24-105mm S lens finally arrived as a 24-120mm S, and the 200-600mm lens turned out to be a Nikkor 180-600mm lens.