No pricing or expected release date was provided. Expect Nikon to share more information on the upcoming 28-135mm f/4 PZ lens when it is closer to release.

What elements do you want to draw the user’s eyes to on your platform? Is it one, centralised component, like a contact form? Alternatively, is your content more varied (like a product page)? The answers to questions like these should also factor into your decision between a light or a dark UI.

However, we are a UX design agency at heart, so today we are going to view the question through a lens of pure usability. That is not to say there are no other essential criteria: would a dark or light interface align with your existing brand, or would it seem incongruous? Darker interfaces are currently ‘trendy’ – is it important your platform looks hip? Instead, we want to hone in one of the critical factors: whether or not it will improve usability.

Camera historians may be quick to point out that this is technically not Nikon’s first-ever foray into video optics. A long time ago, Nikon produced some “cinema” optics for C-mount, such as the Cine Nikkor 50mm f/1.8. Those are admittedly obscure and until now, the company focused its efforts on making at most hybrid lenses — but they were always photography-first. The Nikkor Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ lens changes that.

Whether it is a light UI or a dark one, your choice will impact one pillar of usability more than any other: readability. That is because readability is so dependent on contrast – specifically the juxtaposition between text and background. You obviously would not want to pair similar colours of font and backdrop together, but even diametric opposites such as black-on-white or white-on-black have their pros and cons.

The “PZ” in the product name stands for “power zoom,” meaning it will have an internal motor to smoothly manage the zoom range via the zoom rocker on the left side of the lens body. Nikon describes it as a standard zoom lens that is compatible with Nikon Z-mount full-frame/FX-format mirrorless cameras. It will feature both autofocus and manual focus.

The announcement does not include any further details and is simply a notification about its development, but the timing is interesting, especially considering Nikon’s new ownership of RED Cinema. However, given development timelines, the idea of the 28-135mm f/4 PZ likely predates the acquisition.

Let us revisit the Spotify example – its darker interface allows for more comfortable viewing in more dimly lit locales, such as a party or a dinner. So why does its primary competitor, Apple Music, utilise a different technique?

“Ever since Nikon took a huge step forward in terms of video capabilities with the Z9, a native power zoom has been one of the missing creative tools many professional videographers and cinematographers will require. The presence of a remote grip, the MC-N10, made me fairly certain a power zoom option was on the way,” Jordan Drake, PetaPixel‘s video expert, says of the announcement.

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If, on the other hand, you want to brush up on the basics of UX and Usability, then consider to take the online course on User Experience. Good luck on your learning journey!

However, while this is the most readable, it also can fatigue the user’s eyes for long periods of time. I am sure you have experienced writing a long document in Microsoft Word or Google Docs and eventually felt your eyes start to tire.

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A simple question with a much more difficult answer. The factors covered in this article are crucial, but they are still only from a usability perspective. There are other lenses to view the issue with too – I am sure your marketing team has an opinion on the matter as well!

The first reason may be purely brand-related (Apple loves crisp white interfaces), but there is a usability factor as well. Apple’s UXers want to emphasise the platforms’ diverse colour elements, namely, the album art.

For most cases, black text on a light UI remains the most readable. It is why nearly all blogs, newspapers, and other online publications (like UsabilityGeek for instance), employ a white or off-white background with simple, black text.

The MC-N10 was announced in May 2022 alongside the first massive Z9 firmware update that was so substantial it could have been a whole new camera. With that context, Nikon’s video ambitions go back much further than its 2024 relationship with RED Cinema. Still, now it appears that Nikon’s development has inertia.

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Sean is a technical researcher & writer at Codal, authoring blog posts on topics ranging from UX design to the Internet of Things. Working alongside developers, designers, and marketers, Sean helps support the writing team to ensure Codal produces engaging web content of the highest quality. When not writing about the latest innovations in app design, Sean can be found cooking, watching old movies, or complaining about the shortcomings of his favorite Philadelphia sports teams.

Nikon announced that it is developing a new Nikkor Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ lens. It’s the company’s first-ever, full-frame, video-centric lens and signifies a continued shift in the company’s direction first marked by the video features of the Z9 and then later via its acquisition of RED Cinema earlier this year.

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That is why text-heavy interfaces where the user will be reading for extended periods of time often opt for a dark background with light text. It is still readable, but it will not strain the eyes as much as its inverse. You often see this technique utilised by programmers. When coding for hours at a time, they need a UI that will not cause fatigue and allows their vision to stay sharp.

Often, the best way to explain the difference between user experience and user interface to the unfamiliar is through a more relatable analogy. If UI is how the car looks, UX is how it drives. If UI is a dating profile, UX is how the date goes. These comparisons illustrate the differences well, but sometimes underplays the complexity of user interfaces.

So when clients ask us a question like ‘what’s better, a light-based user interface or a darker one?‘, the answer is not so simple. Countless factors should influence a design decision as crucial as the foundation of your platform’s UI.

“The Nikkor Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ is a standard zoom lens with power zoom that covers the focal range from 28mm to 135mm. It is designed to provide ease of use and superior optical performance for video recording, supporting efficient recording for documentaries and location work by a solo videographer or small crew,” Nikon says.

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When we talk about the user’s environment, we are not only referring to where the user is interfacing with the platform but also when. For the purposes of the light vs dark debate, that ‘when’ can be simplified to day or night.

When you scroll through Apple Music, the cover art of your favourite records pop off the screen, as well as the profile photos of each artist. By using a white background instead of a darker one, Apple puts the user’s music in the spotlight by highlighting their apps varying colour-based elements: the album art.

“The resemblance to the Sony E-Mount 28-135mm f/4 is interesting,” Drake adds, referring to a lens that was first introduced by Sony over a decade ago.

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On the other hand, a darker interface is ideal for when there is less visual elements on the page. Think of a stage, the kind you might see at a local theatre: it is all black. Same goes for the Mercedes website, which wants you to look at one thing and one thing only.

Platforms that are used throughout the entire day, like GroupMe and Twitter, offer their interfaces in both light and dark, branding the latter as ‘night mode’. Also, Google Maps will automatically adjust its UI based on local time, to provide their users with a more accessible navigating experience.

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Again, the most obvious example here is to look at websites like the New York Times or AV Club, who publish articles and features for their readers to digest throughout the day. In contrast, interfaces like Netflix, Steam, or Spotify are being used after the work day, when the sun has gone down, and its users are cuddling up for a movie or video game.

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UI is much more than a coat of paint or a Tinder profile. It is an entire environment, a multi-faceted construct where every single pixel counts. Colour theory, layout, typography, font selection – these small elements we rarely consider for more than a few seconds when using a platform are painstakingly chosen to optimise the entire experience.

As you would probably expect, dark interfaces are ideal for nighttime or evening environments, whereas lighter ones are suited for the daytime. The harsh bright light of a smartphone can cause discomfort when viewed in a dark room, and the muted aesthetic of a dark UI will not show up as well in a brightly lit area.

“My big questions when we get our hands on a production sample will be the responsiveness of the zoom and focus rings, what functions are mechanical and which are electronic, and how parfocal the lens is. Regardless, the ability for video shooters to now smoothly zoom on Z-Mount adds some welcome flexibility for Nikon shooters.”

User interface design is one of the most creative, artistic aspects of the entire UX process. Moreover, in art, rules are meant to be broken. So do not take the advice given here as definite rules, but rather guidelines to help you or your UI design agency make the choice that’s best for your users.