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Lenses

The Weirdest Lens Nikon Made

Chris Gampat
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Last updated on 09/29/2025
11/12/2025
5 Mins read
A hand holding a Nikon film camera in front of a blurred indoor background with plants and a window.
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I realized that back in 2023, I did a first impressions review of the Nikon 26mm f2.8 Z lens. But I never finished the full review. Perhaps I was too distracted by Labubu cameras made by a licensee of Kodak or something else happened. But the money suck that is my Nikon Zf begged me to go buy another small lens. And so I purchased the 26mm f2.8 off of Amazon via Adorama. And in my use of the lens, I noticed an odd quirk that will only affect a very small number of us.

The Big Picture: Nikon 26mm f2.8 Review Conclusions

Make no mistake, I love the Nikon 26mm f2.8 for how odd of a lens it is. It’s Nikon’s only real full-frame pancake lens. And more importantly, it’s got weather resistance. That means that it can more or less just stay permanently mounted to your camera. If you’re one of those folks who uses a clip-in sensor filter to protect your camera’s sensor (the way I do) then know that the Nikon 26mm f2.8 goes deeper into the camera body than normal. With that said, you’ll have to take the clip-in filter off. After that though, you can use the lens how you please.

The Nikon 26mm f2.8 is a weird lens and a weird focal length. But it makes me want to bring my Nikon Zf with me everywhere even more so than the 40mm f2 does.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I’m giving this lens 4 out of 5 stars. I just wish that this lens were 2mm in either direction.

Experience

When you pick up the Nikon 26mm f2.8, you realize that this lens is really, really small. It’s this small because instead of it jutting outward, it goes deeper into the camera body. So just note that this lens will get very close to the sensor.

Something really odd to note about the Nikon 26mm f2.8 is the lens hood. Once you figure out how to put it on, you’ll also realize that it’s the only way that you can mount a lens filter to the 26mm. Keep that in mind if you’re using Glimmerglass or something else like that.

The Nikon 26mm f2.8 performs as admirably as any other Nikon lens. It’s fast to autofocus even in low light. And more importantly it can do so with people of color in low light too. I tested the lens on both the Nikon Z9 and the Nikon Zf and the focusing difference is really not all that noticeable at all.

Image Quality

The Nikon 26mm f2.8 doesn’t have image quality that’s really anything unique or incredible. And truly, it’s barely worth talking about. I’m nearly tempted to just say, “it’s a lens.” The point of this lens is for you to just have something that you’d want to bring with you everywhere. And in this case, a pancake lens is better than no lens.

The following images are not edited.

Looking up at tall buildings at night with fog obscuring the tops and lights glowing above.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
A city street and train platform are reflected in glass under bright sunlight, creating a layered, abstract effect.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
A tall modern skyscraper rises behind older brick buildings and trees on a sunny city street.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image

The following images were edited using the Phoblographer’s presets in Capture One.

A dimly lit bar with liquor bottles, snacks, pride flags, and a chalkboard menu on a brick wall.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
Dimly lit bar with patrons seated at the counter, bartender working, and shelves of bottles in the background.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
A man in a Messi t-shirt sits by a brick wall, smiling and flashing peace signs with both hands.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
Three men smiling and posing together at a restaurant table with drinks, brick wall in the background.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
Tall city buildings at dusk with lights reflecting in windows and a clear sky overhead.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
A man in glasses sits at a desk with tea sets, surrounded by shelves of pottery and tea accessories.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
A man prepares tea at a desk, surrounded by teapots and jars on shelves in a cozy room.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
Cozy pizza shop with brick walls, green and white chairs, and sunlight streaming through arched windows.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
Three people sit on a subway; one listens to music, another eats, and the third looks ahead, lost in thought.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
Sunlit cafe interior with a pizza-themed TRAZE sign on a brick wall and white chairs around a black table.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
A large inflatable skeleton in a top hat decorates a stoop on a sunny, tree-lined city street.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
A tree-lined urban street with parked cars on both sides and sunlight filtering through the leaves.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
Brick townhouse with a green door, shadowed stairs, and leafy trees casting patterns on the facade.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
A neon “PIZZA” sign hangs in a window with a street and trees visible outside.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
A lush garden with trees, green plants, and a log on the ground under bright sunlight.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
Tall green tree with hanging seed pods against a clear bright blue sky.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
Two square slices of pizza on a white plate, one with tomato sauce and crumbs, the other with green toppings.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
Tall building under construction behind low-rise shops on a sunny city street corner.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
A restaurant with a red awning and gray canopy on a sunny street corner.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
Large metal gate with Empire City Iron Works sign, trees behind, blue sky, and power lines overhead.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
Two women in hijabs walk outside by a sunlit brick building, with shadows of tree branches over them.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
Dolls in various costumes are displayed behind a shop window with city buildings reflected in the glass.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
A blue bus with ocean wave art and the words LET PEACE FLOW and SEA FREEDOM painted on its side.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
Blue bus with colorful peace-themed artwork parked on a city street, stairs leading to its open door.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
Outdoor market with people browsing handmade goods under a blue tent, set between two tall buildings.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image
A tall red-brick church with a pointed steeple, framed by green trees under a clear blue sky.
Nikon 26mm f2.8 sample image

Tech Specs

Specs taken from the Lensrentals listing

Angle of View57°
Aperture Blades7, Rounded
BrandNikon
GeneralDimensions (ø x L)0.9 × 2.8″0.3 lb.Weight
Hood IncludedYes
Item TypeLens
Lens MountNikon Z
Lens TypeWide Angle
Maximum Magnification0.19x
Mfr. Model Number20116
Optical DesignGroups/Elements6/83Aspherical Elements

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autofocus image quality nikon nikon 26mm f2.8 pancake
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Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.
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