Teaser videos for the new Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S appeared days ago, but now that the embargo has been lifted, the news is official and full details are here. This new 400mm super-telephoto is smaller and lighter than the ‘unicorn’ 400mm f/2.8 Nikon announced months ago (which is still on backorder) and MUCH cheaper.
‘Cheap’ is of course relative. The new Nikkor Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S still weighs over $3,000, so it’s out of reach for all but professional photographers and the most dedicated amateurs. But that’s still a massive $10,000 less than the massive Nikkor Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S. We were lucky enough to get one of these up for review, but it seems the buying public is much less fortunate. because you can’t seem to get them everywhere.
So will Nikon’s new 400mm f/4.5 VR S do it instead? Not only is it lighter and cheaper… we hope it will be more available too!
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Key features of the Nikkor Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S
The main point of Nikon’s new 400mm lens is size and weight. Nikon says it’s designed for “extreme portability,” and comparisons we’ve seen show it’s barely bigger than the average 70-200mm f/2.8. Weighing 1,245 grams is less than half that of the Nikkor Z 400mm f/2.8 and the overall length of the new lens is just 234.5mm.
Not only that, Nikon says the weight of this lens is kept close to the camera body to make it easier to track and pan on moving subjects. This lens is also image stabilized and Nikon’s optical VR system gives a claimed advantage of 5.5 stops – or 6 stops when used with the Nikon Z9’s Synchro VR.
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While the Nikkor Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S is a lot cheaper than the hard-to-find f/2.8 lens, it’s still designed to the highest professional standards as one of Nikon’s top S-line lenses. It uses Super ED, ED and SR glass elements for aberration control, Nikon’s Nano Crystal Coat to control flare and a fluorine front element for easier cleaning.
In addition to ‘advanced’ weather sealing, the lens has fully customizable L-Fn buttons, a silent control ring and a memory setting knob to save focus distances.
The f/4.5 maximum aperture is a stop-and-a-little slower than the f/2.8 lens, but with a 400mm focal length it should still give a very shallow depth of field and great background separation.
Unlike its bigger brother, the Nikkor Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S does not have an integrated 1.4x teleconverter, but is compatible with the Nikon Z TC-1.4x and TC-2.0x Z teleconverters, sold separately, which are focal length up to 560mm or 800mm respectively.
Nikon says the size and weight of the Nikkor Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S “put it in a league of its own”, and we’re not going to argue about that. Given the S-line quality, but a much lower price compared to the monstrous f/2.8 lens, this lens is likely to be in high demand – so let’s hope it doesn’t cause the same delivery issues.
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Nikkor Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S price and availability
Nikon says the Nikkor Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S will go on sale on July 14 for $3,247/£3,299 (AU$5,810). When it hits that date and stock is available from the get-go, we wonder if many professionals lining up for the 400mm f/2.8 will cut their losses and buy this instead.
† Pre-order the Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S at B&H (opens in new tab)
† Pre-order the Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S at Adorama (opens in new tab)
Read more:
† Best Nikon Z Lenses
† Nikkor Z 400mm f/2.8 review
† Nikkor Z 100-400mm review