Nikon has been busy on the super telephoto lens front since the end of the year. The latest addition, NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR WILL BEintroduces an option for photographers who need more reach without straining your budget.
On the B&H website, they describeNIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR WILL , released earlier this year, as “The ultimate prime lens for sports, action and wildlife.” It has everything from a bright f/2.8 aperture to a built-in 1.4x teleconverter that can be activated with the flip of a simple switch. With the battleship-worthy construction you’d expect from a high-end professional super-telephoto lens of this caliber, a special anti-glare coating, and virtually silent autofocus, it’s no surprise. when this lens is a desirable subject. Even for someone like me, who is not required to shoot at 400mm often for my professional work, such a piece of technological art is not something I would scoff under a Christmas tree. . Of course, if it found its way under the Christmas tree, I would know it had to be placed there by a particularly good benefactor, as the lens currently retails for $13,996.95.
Believe it or not, that price is not out of line with what the lens offers, when compared to the competition. In fact, it’s a fair price. However, that’s not something I can personally justify based on my personal use case. However, the 400mm mark is still extremely useful and is a suitable lens for many photographers. So what are shooters like us supposed to do? Well, Nikon has come up with an intriguing new solution.
Enter the NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S. This is a hand-held super-telephoto lens that covers full-frame sensors using the Z-mount. Unlike its more expensive sibling, this lens does not. comes with a built-in teleconverter, but is compatible with the optional 1.4x and 2x teleconverters that Nikon already has on the market. Like the majority of Z lenses released to date, Nikon has focused on suppressing breathing for more effective use when shooting video. It has a lightning-fast STM focusing system. And Nikon’s original Nano Crystal Coat has been added to reduce ghosting and lens flare.
As someone who has a bad back and is just stubborn enough to carry oversized lenses up the slopes as prescribed by a doctor, the small size of the lenses is what appeals to me the most. Weighing just 1,160 grams, it’s lighter than some of the 24-70mm lenses I’ve used as my daily driver. And while f/4.5 isn’t f/2.8, it’s still more than enough for the majority of shooting situations that many photographers are likely to come across. But, what’s more interesting to me is that Nikon intentionally designed the lens so that most of the weight of the lens rests on the base closest to the mount. One of my pet thieves is an extremely heavy front-facing camera lens. This always makes me feel like I’m leaning forward and straining my wrists all day. By placing most of the weight of the lens closest to the camera body, and thus, with your hands, it gives you a more stable platform to hold the lens on throughout the day of shooting.
The other bit of information you might find relevant is that the lens, which will be released mid-July, will retail for an MSRP of just $3,249.95. I realize that’s more than the cost of a Big Mac. But that’s a lot cheaper than many comparable lenses in its class. Sure, you’ve given up some features from the $13K 400mm f/2.8 version, but you can still do some serious work with this lighter and less expensive model while saving some extra money. a little money to pay for airfare to the nature reserve inspired you to buy lenses in the first place. Overall, it looks like a great choice for a shooter who needs a high-quality super telephoto to capture action and wildlife with less weight and lower cost than many options. other.
I still don’t have hands above 400mm. So I can’t give you a full review yet. But the early buzz on the interwebs seems to be falling into the positive column. I look forward to getting my hands on the lens to see if it is the best lens for action photography. What do you think?
