The NIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ has received the Good Design Award 2025, recognizing Nikon’s ongoing effort to refine its cinema-oriented lens lineup. The award celebrates a combination of optical performance, mechanical reliability, and user-centered design tailored for filmmakers working with compact Z-mount systems.
Designed for filmmakers
The NIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ is a standard zoom lens aimed at professional video creators. With a focal range of 28 to 135 mm and a constant f/4 aperture, it maintains consistent exposure throughout the zoom range. The power zoom system offers smooth, electronically controlled transitions that can be operated from the camera body, remote grip, or software: a valuable feature for solo operators and small crews. The lens exhibits minimal focus breathing, controlled parfocal performance, and precise linear manual focus response, making it suitable for high-end productions and documentary work. Its balanced weight and internal zoom design also improve gimbal stability, ensuring predictable handling in dynamic shooting conditions. 📦 See on Amazon: NIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ
Recognition of practical design
The Good Design Award committee emphasized usability, intuitive operation, and form-factor balance. The three control rings for zoom, focus, and iris are optimized for tactile feedback and placed for comfortable operation in handheld or rig-mounted setups. This recognition aligns with Nikon’s strategic move toward cinematic applications, as discussed in Nikon in the Cinema World. Nikon’s design priorities are clearly evolving from photography to motion-oriented performance, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern video engineering.
What reviewers are saying
Industry reviewers have described the NIKKOR Z 28-135 mm f/4 PZ as a well-balanced and highly practical zoom for filmmakers who prefer controlled, repeatable performance over ultra-fast aperture designs. Many have praised the optical consistency across the frame, noting that chromatic aberrations and distortion are impressively low for a zoom of this range. Hands-on tests highlight the smooth and natural power-zoom response, which provides gradual speed control ideal for cinematic moves. Several reviewers pointed out that Nikon’s power-zoom implementation feels refined, with quiet motors and minimal lag, even during fast zoom pulls. Color rendering has been described as neutral and accurate, matching Nikon’s modern Z-mount optics, which helps maintain continuity between different NIKKOR lenses in multi-camera environments. Reviewers also appreciated the weather-sealed construction and overall mechanical stability, making it reliable for field production. In short, the general consensus positions the 28-135 mm f/4 PZ as a versatile workhorse lens, one that bridges the gap between photo and cine applications while maintaining optical integrity suitable for professional use.
A step in Nikon’s cinema journey
This lens fits within Nikon’s expanding cinema roadmap, as detailed in NIKKOR Z Cinema Lenses: Speculative Roadmap. The direction reflects Nikon’s intent to provide creators with dedicated tools for motion work rather than adapting photography-centric designs. Its introduction also follows the Cine-NIKKOR Lenses Revived initiative, which reintroduced Nikon’s cinema heritage to a new generation of filmmakers using digital workflows. The 2025 Good Design Award for the NIKKOR Z 28-135 mm f/4 PZ highlights Nikon’s progress in designing tools that merge technical reliability with cinematic functionality. For documentary shooters, small production crews, and solo cinematographers, it represents a dependable lens that prioritizes control, smooth operation, and consistent image quality.
📦 See on Amazon: NIKKOR Z 28-135 mm f/4 PZ
