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Rent NowThe Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR is a compact, lightweight telephoto zoom lens designed for Nikon’s DX-format (APS-C) Z-mount mirrorless cameras, introduced alongside the Z50 and the Z DX 16-50mm VR as one of Nikon’s first consumer-grade DX zoom lenses for its mirrorless system. Together with the 16-50mm, it forms a versatile two-lens travel kit covering wide-angle through super-telephoto reach, and it’s aimed at photographers wanting extended reach for portraits, wildlife, sports, and distant subjects.
Optically, the lens covers a 50-250mm focal range, delivering a 75-375mm full-frame-equivalent field of view on Nikon’s DX-format sensor. The optical construction consists of 16 elements in 12 groups, including one extra-low dispersion element that helps reduce color fringing and chromatic aberration for greater clarity and color rendering, while Nikon’s Super Integrated Coating suppresses flare and ghosting for improved contrast and color accuracy in bright or backlit conditions. A rounded 7-blade diaphragm contributes to smoother out-of-focus rendering, and an internal focusing mechanism keeps the lens barrel from rotating during autofocus.
Autofocus is handled by a stepping motor, delivering fast, quiet, and precise focusing along with full-time manual focus override suited to both stills and video. The lens includes Nikon’s Vibration Reduction (VR), rated to suppress camera shake by up to 5 stops, described by Nikon as the most effective VR implementation in NIKKOR history for interchangeable-lens cameras at the time of its release, helping photographers achieve sharper handheld results even at the telephoto end. The lens can focus as close as 0.5m at the 50mm wide-angle position, expanding creative possibilities for closer working distances even at telephoto focal lengths.
Build quality centers on a button-free, collapsible retractable design that locks into its resting position and does not creep forward, extending only when the zoom ring is rotated. Weighing just 405g and measuring approximately 74mm in diameter by 110mm in length at the 50mm position, the lens uses an all-plastic construction, including a plastic mount, to keep size and weight to a minimum, though this affordable build may prove less durable over the long term compared to Nikon’s higher-end Z-mount optics.
As a DX-format-specific lens, the NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR is designed exclusively for Nikon’s Z-mount DX (APS-C) mirrorless cameras and cannot be used on Nikon’s F-mount DSLRs; while it can be mounted on full-frame Nikon Z bodies, doing so automatically crops the image by 1.5x. It cannot be power-zoomed on cameras like the Nikon Z30.
Key Features
– 50-250mm telephoto zoom for Nikon Z-mount DX (APS-C) mirrorless cameras
– Approximately 75-375mm full-frame-equivalent field of view
– Maximum aperture f/4.5-6.3 (variable)
– 16 elements in 12 groups, including 1 extra-low dispersion element
– Super Integrated Coating
– Stepping motor autofocus with full-time manual focus override
– Vibration Reduction (VR), rated up to 5 stops of shake correction
– Minimum focusing distance of 0.5m at 50mm (up to 1.0m at 250mm)
– Collapsible, button-free retractable design that locks when closed
– Internal focusing (no barrel rotation)
– Approximate weight: 405g
– Designed exclusively for Nikon Z-mount DX-format cameras (crops on full-frame Z bodies)
