New Nikon Z 400, f/4.5

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I have this lens and it is excellent.

Go out and shoot a variety of subjects and see how it does in various settings.

Steve Perry has some excellent guides on shooting techniques for wildlife and birds in particular. Following those techniques can help assure you get the most out of the lens. Steve recommends both shooting at higher shutter speeds than you would normally expect as well as shooting high frame rates in short bursts.

Because this is a high IQ lens you have an enhanced ability to crop when you need more reach.

It also does well with a 1.4x tc.

Don't worry if you can't reach everything 400mm has limits. Most of us eventually supplement this lens with something longer. This lens combines well with the 800mm pf.
 
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you will find is is very UNintimidating once you start handling it. it’s so light it handles like a dream

the jump is because it has syncro vr, which is to say vr in the lens and body working together to give you even more vr. the jump is it recentering. basically you have so much vr it’s noticeable now. if it gets in the way switch to sport and the effect will be reduced. use it on slow hand held shots tho
 
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I agree it handles like a dream..

Very light and compact for a 400mm lens and wickedly sharp. Really easy to maneuver and easily to hand hold.

400mm is also an easier focal length to work with for a long telephoto lens. Longer lenses (600mm and 800mm) are more tricky to shoot with because atmospheric conditions and other factors can interfere with the ability to get sharp images.
 
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John Navitsky said:
you will find is is very UNintimidating once you start handling it. it’s so light it handles like a dream

the jump is because it has syncro vr, which is to say vr in the lens and body working together to give you even more vr. the jump is it recentering. basically you have so much vr it’s noticeable now. if it gets in the way switch to sport and the effect will be reduced. use it on slow hand held shots tho
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Good explanation...thanks!
 
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Many Feathers said:
Thanks for all your comments.... the sun is coming out a little here.... think I'm gonna give it a better try. :)
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What Z body are you using it on? Have fun my wife uses Z7II most of the time and Z50 rarely. She would not use our Z100-400 to heavy for her. So got her the Z400 f/4.5 she loves the lighter weight. Yet wants lighter yet so just ordered her the Z28-400.
As others have noted VR Sport is the way to go if you do not want to see that re-centering. I have use the Sport setting or it's equivalent all the time with my Z9's and all of my Z lenses.
 
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Interesting. I have both the 100-400 and the 400 f4.5. Only 8 oz between the two. I often use the 1.4 tele on the 400 f4.5, and then they are the same weight.

I use the 400 f4.5 when hand holding as there is no way I can handhold the 600mm TC.

When on tripod with the 600mm, I have the 100-400 on the second body.
 
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Butlerkid said:
Interesting. I have both the 100-400 and the 400 f4.5. Only 8 oz between the two. I often use the 1.4 tele on the 400 f4.5, and then they are the same weight.

I use the 400 f4.5 when hand holding as there is no way I can handhold the 600mm TC.

When on tripod with the 600mm, I have the 100-400 on the second body.
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Margie does not use a TC ... according to Nikon specs Z100-400 is only 6.6 oz heavier :) I have never weighed them but I can "feel" the difference and Margie can really feel the difference being so adverse to weight :) I actually prefer the extra weight forward feel and versatility of the Z100-400.
Per Nikon specs on line
Z100-400
50.6 ounces with tripod collar

Z400 f/4-5
44 ounces with tripod collar

Of course all that said my bird photography pursuits are pretty specialized and as you know my Z800 pf lives on one of my Z9's and now my back up is the Z180-600 if I want variable focal length. The Z100-400 has been sitting in my dry cabinet for months :)
 
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I am describing here how the 400mm f4.5 fits into my overall scheme for wildlife lenses.

I have settled on the following trio of telephoto lenses plus one teleconverter:

70-200mm f2.8

400mm f4.5

800mm f6.3

1.4x tc

The general approach with these lenses is that above 200mm I rely on a combination of cropping/dx and/or 1.4x tc to cover the range of possibilities.

All three of these lenses have very high IQ. They all work well with the 1.4x tc and are also capable of handling significant cropping on a 47 mp camera even when shooting with the teleconverter.

The 70-200 can handle any need between 200 and 400.

The 400mm lens likewise can handle from 400 to 800.

The 800mm takes care of the rest.

Typically I never have to handle more than two of these lenses at the same time, and having a second body means I don't have to change lenses.

My philosophy with this approach is that I favor using cropping rather than zooming a lens to approach composition.

I find that often I don't see enough of the image while shooting to fully understand what is possible. However, if I get the main subject in frame, then bring the image up in post I can see many more possibilities for a keeper than I could possibly appreciate when I was shooting.
 
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Great lens. It’s my go to overall prime. It works great with 1.4tc even though wide open it’s not at its best supposedly but I find it quite sharp. The 2x works in a pinch but you will notice loss of IQ. I did get good shots a 800mm though. I have the 100-400mm as well. Also a good lens. Very versatile.
 
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As I pretty much always handhold, this Len s has become my go to bird lens. It works great bare and with the 1.4tc. Also I find the close focus adequate at 8.5 feet however the 100-400mm is more versatile and nearly as fast and sharp.
 
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