Optimal Strategy for Telephotos on Z-Mount?

[fcotterill]

NOTE: This Poll allows you to tick up to 3 multiple Answers (unlike FM).
New lenses are bigger cost of a building up one's Mirrorless system, although Canon and Nikon have adapters for DSLR optics, permitting some to wait-and-watch until the lens system has grown up. Telephotos are the biggest cost, especially bought newly minted.

The Z system introduces more complexity, and uncertainties at this transition stage. For those of us keen to build up a Z system for wildlife photography, comparing these options throws up several quandaries including:

1. An expensive Z telephoto cannot work on F-mount DSLRs nor can the Z teleconverters.
2. It will probably take Nikon a few years at best to match the diversity and performance available in the F System (notably super-tele zooms and phase-fresnel primes)
3. How many Nikonians will wait and continue to shoot with a FTZ adapter on their more expensive telephotos, but be prepared to invest in a Z tele-zoom (as some have with the 70-200 f2.8S)?

Thom Hogan has argued Nikon should offer a conversion service of at least some F-Nikkors, but it is in no ways clear how this would work on the service bench: new longer barrel with additional electronic circuitry including F-Z translation of AF etc? Presumably such a modification will keep the existing AF mechanism, which is typically a ultrasonic motor in telephotos versus the the paired stepper motors of the new Z lenses? Besides the bench costs, conversion is a one way trip.

Firmware is perhaps another option, for newer models (E-type aperture) that can be updated if possible - on the assumption Nikon improves the lens firmware to exploit aspects of the Z protocols on a F-telephoto. Yet another rumoured solution is forthcoming improved ZAF firmware for the Z6 and Z7 series - possibly folding in 'Z9 AF code'. Incidentally the first comparative tests are reporting some F-Nikkors (eg 500 PF) focus slightly faster on the Zfc, despite its single EXPEED (compared to paired EXPEED processers in the S II versions of Z6 and Z7 ?!?). But all this is pure conjecture.

As of mid-September, the 70-200 f2.8S is the only Silver-ring Z-telephoto, augmented by a pair of Z-TCs. Compared to the tried and tested F-Nikkors of longer focal lengths, we await with interest more details about the four telephotos on the Nikon Z Roadmap. Current specifications are worse than sparse, although they have been informed guesses at their speeds based on the silhouettes. Besides focal lengths, all we know is the 2 S-ring primes are likely to be fast (f2.8 and f4). There seems to be greater interest in the 2 zooms.

If we compare promised Z telephotos against available F-mount models, these are:

Z-Mount ____ F-Mount
100-400 S ---- 80-400 G
200-600 S ---- 200-500 f5.6E
-------------- 120-300 f2.8E SR
-------------- 200-400 f4G VR II
-------------- 180-400 f4E TC14
-------------- 200-500 f5.6E
-------------- 200 f2G VR II
-------------- 300 f4E PF
-------------- 300 f2.8G

400 S (TC14) ---- 400 f2.8E FL

-------------- 500 f5.6E PF
-------------- 500 f4E FL

600 S -------- 600 f4E FL

-------------- 800 f5.6E FL +TC125

 

[JANuser]

Nikon offering a conversion for F-mount lenses seems very unlikely. If they were going to do that, they might not have bothered with the FTZ at all.

 

[thelordofthelight]

Assuming the Z9 + F mount glass perform flawlessly using the FTZ, my plan is to first buy the Z9 and use it with the F mount super telephoto and then slowly add the Z lenses and eventually buy a Z mount super telephoto ( hopefully the 600 F4 with an in built TC). Buying a Z9 and a 400 or 600mm in Z mount all at once is going to be impossible for me...However, if the performance of the Z9 with the FTZ doesn't improve drastically, then my plan is to use it with the 200-600 in the short term and then add a Z mount telephoto later.....this is all subject to the Z9's AF being exceptional ( at least as good as the Sony A1/A9 series, Canon R3/5/6). If the AF isn't stellar on the Z9, I may have some serious thinking to do across the different brands....nothing wrong with the Nikon DSLRs but i can clearly see the benefits of mirrorless and have made up my mind to not delay beyond the Z9 release.

 

[Tom Reynolds]

We have decided to not deal with another menu structure and stick with Nikon. We have also decided to not switch to a rig that weighs more than our current D-500/500pf combo. I think this means that we can't have a FTZ adapter as that would make a possible Z mount combo too heavy. If the z9+500pf replacement is equal or less in weight or a new Z body appears we would probably switch to a Z setup.

That, of course, is a lot of things that need to happen for us to switch. Note that money is not the issue even though we purchase two identical rigs.

 

[FB101]

Thanks for putting this view together, I really had never stopped to consider the paucity of options in the Z mount and therefore how long it will take for Nikon to make some of those available at the current pace - let alone the fact that they may not start with the ones I want (actually the one I really want is not even on the roadmap and that would be a Z 500 f:4 ideally with built-in 1.4x converter). Combine that with timing before a Z9 is available to me or just how long a putative Z8 might take to show up... takes some true dedication to stay with Nikon these days (I wrote dedication but I know many are thinking far less kind words).