Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S Review - PhotographyBLOG

Introduction

Ease of Use

Weighing successful astatine 1245g (2 lb 12 oz) with the supplied tripod collar fitted and measuring 23.5cm (9.3in.) successful length, the Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S is rather a ample and dense lens.

Given the agelong focal magnitude that's connected offer, though, it's really thing of a technological accomplishment successful presumption of its wide size and weight, being much akin to a emblematic 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

It does consciousness alternatively unbalanced erstwhile utilizing it with a smaller sized camera assemblage similar the Z6 II that Nikon provided for america to trial it with, arsenic shown successful the merchandise photos.

It would beryllium overmuch much astatine location mounted either connected the larger Z9 camera with its integrated grip oregon with the MB-N11 artillery grip fitted to the Z6/Z7 bid cameras.

We were capable to comfortably usage it for respective hours hand-held without having to usage a tripod oregon monopod, which makes it a precise versatile, lightweight, travel-friendly telephoto option.

Build prime is outstanding for what is aft each a professional-level lens. With a mostly metallic construction, the Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S feels precise coagulated successful your hand, and it commendably has a metallic mount. Note that this lens besides has a weather-resistant plan to assistance support it against particulate and moisture.

There are 3 switches connected the near manus broadside of the Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens.

The apical 1 is the archetypal of 2 L-Fn customisable relation buttons. In the main camera menu, you tin delegate 1 of 21 antithetic functions to this button, including AF lock, metering, taxable tracking, framing grid show and truthful on.

The mediate 1 is simply a power for choosing betwixt auto-focusing and manual focusing.

The bottommost 1 is simply a absorption scope limiter power with 2 settings, Full (Infinity-2.5 m) and Infinity-6m.

On the close manus broadside is the memory-set button, which you tin usage to to prevention the existent absorption distance.

The built-in 5.5 stops of representation stabilisation are important erstwhile hand-holding specified a agelong lens, and the strategy thankfully works precise well, ensuring that you tin sprout astatine slower shutter speeds than 1/400th and inactive get crisp results (obviously depending connected your technique).

When utilized with the Z9 camera, Synchro VR combines the in-lens and in-camera VR systems for up to 6.0 stops of compensation.

Note that determination is nary outer power connected the lens for turning representation stabilisation connected oregon off, which means that you person to dip into the camera's paper system.

Sadly determination is nary OLED information show connected the lens barrel, either, arsenic featured connected immoderate of Nikon's different Z-series lenses.

There is different relation fastener marked L-Fn2 located towards the extremity of the lens tube which tin besides beryllium customised.

There are a further 3 unmarked buttons connected the aforesaid ringing which volition duplicate whichever mounting you delegate to the L-Fn2 button, ensuring that you tin ever entree 1 of the buttons nary substance however you’re holding the lens.

Towards the lens equine extremity of the Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens, there’s the archetypal (and smallest) of the lens’ 2 rings. This lens tin beryllium customised, too.

By default it is acceptable to power aperture, but you tin besides alteration it to set vulnerability compensation oregon ISO. Alternatively you tin person it acceptable to bash thing astatine all.

At the centre of the lens, you’ll find the focusing ring. It has nary hard stops astatine either extremity of the focusing ring, which makes it much hard to absorption connected infinity.

The ringing has conscionable capable absorption to marque good adjustments to manual focusing, without having excessively overmuch give.

The focusing ringing is ridged and the power ringing is knurled, helping you differentiate betwixt them by interaction erstwhile shooting done the viewfinder.

Right astatine the extremity of the lens tube is an anti-slip rubber grip for much unchangeable handheld use.

This besides helps to adhd to the high-quality and sturdy consciousness of the Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens.

This lens has been designed to beryllium arsenic speedy and quiescent arsenic imaginable erstwhile autofocusing. That makes it ideally placed for some stills shooting and video.

Shooting with the lens proves it to person astir unerringly close and accelerated autofocus successful the bulk of situations, with hardly immoderate hunting astatine all. It’s besides impressively quiet, too.

A removable tripod collar is included, towards the lens equine extremity of the lens.

You tin presumption it anyplace you similar astir the Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens, allowing you to connect the camera to your tripod oregon monopod successful immoderate presumption you request it.

A removable ft is besides included, which has 2 antithetic tripod attachment threads (one astatine the front, 1 astatine the back).

You tin usage the dots connected the tripod collar to lucifer up with the lines connected the lens itself to perfectly align it, too.

Also included successful the container is simply a ample lens hood (HB-105), which fits onto the Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S’ 95mm filter thread, and a lens lawsuit (CL-C5).

The hood locks into spot and is reversible truthful you tin trim the size of the lens for transporting it and storing it astatine a smaller size.

Focal Range

The Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S provides an space of presumption of 6° 10'.

Chromatic Aberrations

Chromatic aberrations, typically seen arsenic bluish oregon purple fringes on contrasty edges, were not particularly evident successful our trial shots, lone appearing successful precise precocious opposition areas.

Vignetting

With the Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens acceptable to its maximum aperture, determination is immoderate airy fall-off successful the corners, which you'll request to close successful post-processing.

Distortion

There's immoderate precise mild pin-cushion distortion successful some the JPEG and Raw files, but it's not astatine each pronounced.

Macro

The Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S is not a macro lens, offering a minimum focusing region of 2.5 m / 8.21 ft combined with a maximum magnification of 0.16x.

Bokeh

Bokeh is simply a connection utilized for the out-of-focus areas of a photograph, and is usually described successful qualitative terms, specified arsenic creaseless / creamy / harsh etc.

In the Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens, Nikon person employed an iris diaphragm with 9 rounded blades, which combined with the maximum f/4.5 aperture and agelong focal magnitude results successful precise bully bokeh successful our view.

We bash realise, however, that bokeh valuation is subjective, truthful we've included tons of examples beneath for your perusal.

Sharpness

In bid to amusement you however crisp the Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens is, we are providing 100% crops connected the pursuing page.