Introduction
Nikon recently announced its new Nikkor Z 400mm F4.5 VR S, a super-telephoto lens for the company’s growing lineup of Z-mount cameras. Although DPReview TV has already shared its thoughts on the new lens, we wanted to share some hands-on details of the compact super-telephoto prime.
Who is this lens for?
Considering its focal length and respectable F4.5 aperture, it is clear that this lens has been designed with wildlife and outdoor sports photographers in mind. Its relatively compact form factor means it can be used without the need for a tripod and should fit into even the most modestly sized camera bag for photographers in need of a trek to their final destination.
If you’re a wildlife photographer who needs a little more reach, this lens is designed to work seamlessly with Nikon’s 1.4x and 2x teleconverters, effectively turning the lens into a 560mm F6.3 or 800mm F9 lens, respectively. The lens can also give a 600mm equivalent field when mounted on one of Nikon’s ‘DX’ APS-C bodies or an FX body with ‘DX crop’ mode.
Optical construction
The 400mm F4.5 VR S is made up of 19 components in 13 groups, including an extra-low diffraction (ED) component, two super ED components and a short-wavelength refractive (SR) lens component. Compared to Canon’s Blue Spectrum Refractive (BR) component, Nikon’s SR component reflects more light than green or red in blue light, which helps to better control the longitudinal chromatic distortion of the image.
Nikon has designed the lens in such a way that all the corrective elements are on the back of the lens. This not only improves the balance of the lens when mounted on the camera, it also means that the weight of the lens can be reduced, as these components can be much smaller and lighter.
Optical performance
Although Nikon is known for its phase Fresnel telephoto lenses, it acknowledges that PF components can have a negative effect on Bokeh. So, through its design process, Nikon has found a happy medium where it leaves relatively small and light weight and as low image quality as possible.
Although we are still working on more extensive testing, our pre-production unit has yet to impress us. The images are sharp throughout the frame, the bokeh is pleasing enough, and the nano-crystal coating on the frontmost material dramatically limits flair and ghosting.
VR image stabilization is CIPA-rated for 5.5EV correction, but bumps up to 6EV when used with the Z9’s ‘Synchro VR’ system, which Combines Effects of lens and in-body image stabilization for pitch and yao shake correction (unlike other Nikon models that modify in-body pitch and yao and charge the lens).
Autofocus
The autofocus on the 400mm F4.5 VR S is driven by a stepping motor, as is the case with almost all Nikon Z-mounted glasses. This makes for a smooth transition, as we mentioned in our experience with the lens, but it does mean a slightly slower change when making a larger jump between one subject and another.
However, being a super-telephoto, the objects are relatively close to each other from a distance, so the effect should be somewhat minimal, whether for wildlife or sports.
Design
The Nikkor 800mm F6.3 VR S Super-Telephoto Lens Nikon released in April for both the 400mm F4.5 VR S look and feel. It has the same overall aesthetic, a very similar button array and even the same style of tripod collar and legs, for better or worse (considering it’s not Arca-Swiss compatible).
It is worth noting that the tripod caller does not have a click-stop in the normal 90-degree increase, so depending on personal preference, it can go under the Pro Or Cons Header Nikon includes the same quick-release lens hood we saw at the 800mm, making it easy to pop on and off as needed. There is also a Kensington lock for extra security if you are not with the lens.
Buttons and toggles
Much like the overall design of the lens, the button layout is similar to its 800mm siblings. Just behind the focus ring is a gripped ring with four FN2 buttons that can be customized to enable quick access to any function you want while shooting. There is a single L-Fn button on the back of the lens, which can be customized to suit your needs.
In the case of toggles, the lens features both a focus switch (automatic / manual) as well as a focus limiter (full / 6m-infinity). Like the 800mm option, there are no switches to control VR function, so all this has to do with the camera, which is not convenient for anyone accustomed to making these adjustments with the physical switch.
There is also a ‘memory set’ button that lets you determine a pre-set focus distance by pressing a button. You can then use one of the function buttons on the lens to return to that preset point.
Size and weight
A major selling point for this lens is its relatively compact and light weight frame. The lens is 104mm (4.1 ”) in diameter 235mm (9.3”) long and weighs 1245g (2lb 12oz) with a tripod collar. For comparison, it’s slightly larger than Nikon’s 70-200mm F2.8 zoom lens – both in diameter and length – 15mm (0.6 “) in both dimensions – also weighs less than 195g (6.9oz).
At a slightly older age (and slower), another comparison is the old Canon 400mm F5.6L USM lens (D) Designed for SLR. Canon’s 400mm F5.6 lens measures 90mm in diameter, is 257mm long and weighs 1250g, with no collar attached. It is 14mm (0.56 “) narrow but 22mm (0.87”) long and 90g (3.2oz) heavier than Nikon’s new 400mm F4.5 VR S lens (7 components, 6 groups) which is 2 / 3EV slow and There was no image stabilization.
Price and availability
The Nikkor Z 400mm F4.5 VR S lens will be available from June at a recommended price of $ 3,295. That’s more than half the price of the 800mm F6.3 VR S (6,500), which means you’re getting more or less the same value from a per-millimeter perspective.
This is about $ 600 more than the recent Nikkor Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR S, which is undoubtedly a more flexible lens. If you consider the rule-of-thumb that nearly doubles the price of a one-stop fast lens, you will find that the 400mm F4.5 is 100-400mm to 63% brighter, at 400mm, but only 22% much more expensive. The prime is also light and only a fraction longer than the zoom when retracted, so smaller when actually set to 400mm. We need to do more testing to see how they compare optically.
Summary
Overall, Nikon has developed an incredibly capable lens that provides respectable reach and speed without breaking your back. Or Banks. And it has managed to do this without the use of phase fresnel (PF) components, which sets our expectations about image quality quite high.