Nikkor Telephotos for Wildlife Photography: Choices for the Optimal Mixed F&Z System....

[fcotterill]

The pending release of the Z9 and 100-400 S and 200-600 Z zooms has made it unavoidable to decide what Nikon gear one keeps and adapts, invests in or trades in. So I thought it timely to share an image (below), which I've been relying on to plan and scheme, in the persisting quest of how to make optimal use of the Greater Nikon Ecosystem: not only with the Z9 but looking ahead to the Z lenses anticipated by mid 2023. Anyway, I posted more context (with this lens-chart) in a new blog post, which some readers may find a help planning their own choices. [Also see this following Thread and earlier Poll ]

For my needs for wildlife photography, this image embodies a bit more beyond the proverbial 1000 words. It's my attempt to classify an evolving subset in the universe of Nikkor telephotos. Based on my own idiosyncratic choices, and test data, subject to new arrivals: so a shifting target. It's an attempt at a graphical abstract to represent a big investment in researching Nikon glass, and testing those lenses I could afford/manage to examine. So in its current - ie transient state - it summarises salient features of what optics qualify for my list (and also might qualify in a year or more!). Besides my own images taken with lenses past and present, my conclusions are grounded on a vast database of reviews read etc, from which I copied & posted excerpts. This database exists Word files: not only the illustrated Selects, but the many other candidate lenses, past and present, which comprise the Greater Nikon Ecosystem.

The diversity is bewildering, especially if one plans to leverage on the F, and also Z Teleconverters. The options among the the many F-mount lenses cover the Current, Pending, and also the recently-discontinued. I'm also watching the growing Z System very closely - hence Pending - watching out for reports (the reliable ones) about the quality of forthcoming optics post-release.

I'm another one who sees great potential in these Z Nikkors (not only in a couple of ultrawides and the 24-120 f4S) but certain others. Yes, others = Z telephotos! Here, the latest Z system Roadmap already includes 3 telephoto zooms (2 S Line) and four enticing telephoto S Line primes: the 400 f2.8 with integral TC14, 600 and a 400 and 800, which the consensus of option identify as Phase-Fresnel primes: possibly 400 f4.5S and 800 f6.3S.

This overview of the F and Z Systems confirms the abundance of options for a lighter rig for hiking or the heaviest lenses best used in hides and vehicles. The tag of the weight of each lens is the key criterion of where it qualifies to go hiking, but so does its versatility: whether it's a zoom, and/or performs reliably with one or more of Nikon's Teleconverters (TC's). Here again, the options continue to look better and better. To date, Nikon's predictions and promises have held true with the Z System. This means the Z System will present some interesting choices in telephotos by mid-2023. I have much more to say relating to these choices below: including my plans for a mixed Nikon F&Z System:

EDIT UPDATED GRAPHIC 16 X 2023

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[Whiskeyman]

That's a nice presentation you've shared. If we could only know with certainty what the Nikon lens products would be in the future... Such as what current lenses would be discontinued, and what new lenses will be introduced with copious details about the new ones, including availability dates.

(BTW, I'm not convinced that even Nikon knows absolutely when their new lenses will be on the market.)

 

[fcotterill]

Thanks I will update this Integrated F&Z LensChart as and when the new data roll out.
The Z Roadmap has always been a rough guide subject to changes etc, but so far Nikon has added lenses to the original i.e they have not culled any lenses. Delays notwithstanding of arrivals of the Z system, there are 3 still to finalize (200-600, 85 S, 600 S). This total of 30 optics (2 teleconverters included) is impressive - by end of the current financial year (April 2022). This pace of delivery of a high quality lens system over ~3 1/2 years has been achieved in the midst of changing/commissioning new factories, winding down the budget DSLR inventory, and with chip shortages mired in a pandemic!
The 28 October 2021 roadmap added 5 extra lenses by April 2013 (ie end of 2023 financial year); considering this is over 18 months would suggest the total of new lenses will increase.
To get to the point, we can expect to hear more about the 400 and 800 S Line primes next year. It's likely the Nikon engineers have tested the prototypes fully, and are already planning production, especially if both these telephotos require extra-wide Phase-Fresnel elements. Hopefully sooner than later we will see more revealing photos, and/or credible leaks will add more about lens speed and features etc.

That's a nice presentation you've shared. If we could only know with certainty what the Nikon lens products would be in the future... Such as what current lenses would be discontinued, and what new lenses will be introduced with copious details about the new ones, including availability dates.

(BTW, I'm not convinced that even Nikon knows absolutely when their new lenses will be on the market.)

 

[fcotterill]

It is interesting to consider the expanded benefits the Z cameras open up to leverage the F and Z teleconverters with respective lenses. Basically, a teleconverter expands the niche-space of a telephoto. As we know, when and where the TC becomes essential, reliable AF at f11 and even slower lens speeds is another mainstream benefit of a MILC system. (However, we have to wait for tests of how the Z-TCs perform with the new Z telephotos!) The practicalities - as in strengths and weaknesses - of the F-mount Teleconverters are well understood: especially which lenses work best with these TCs. So I have high hopes to build on these advantages but add the pair of Z-TCs: more flexibility, with less weight and fewer lenses.

Compared against the F TC's (TC2E III particularly), owners of the 70-200 f2.8S report relatively better image quality using a Z-TC. The CameraLabs review is positive overall. It confirms the claims of Nikon's mtf charts for the ZTC14 and Z-TC2, with 70-200 f2.8S. Thom Hogan concurs. The Z-TC14 gets a 'Recommended'. and he noted its remarkable IQ over the 100-200 range especially (with 70-200 f2.8S obviously). The Z-TC2 scores a 'Recommended (with limitations)' because softness creeps in over 300-400. He concludes the 140-400 f5.6 combination in Z mount is similar to the 80-400 G.

On the basis of initial feedback, it's intriguing to consider the reports of how the Z9 focuses reliably on challenging wildlife subjects with the 100-400 S + Z-TC14/Z-TC2 at slow effective f stops. Michelle Valberg also reported using the 500 PF reliably on the Z9 as a 1000 f11 with TC2 III on the Z9 (as more widely reported with Z6, Z7).

Although the practicalities of these combo's [ie 100-400 S, and pending S Line telephotos] are subject to robust testing, I'm looking ahead to using both sets of TCs as key enablers in a F&Z System. So I plan to keep my F-TCs in hard service and add the Z-TCs. For wildlife photography, we can exploit key advantages using the respective TCs with selected telephotos in the F and Z systems.

Nikon Z TC-1.4x TC-2.0x teleconverter review | Cameralabs

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