Nikkor 28-400mm Announced
- Thread starter fcotterill
- Start date
If you would like to post, you'll need to register. Note that if you have a BCG store account, you'll need a new, separate account here (we keep the two sites separate for security purposes).
fcotterill
Well-known member
Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR Announcement & Pre-Order
Nikon has just announced the Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR for $1299.95, expected to ship in mid-April. The lens not only has a versatile 14.3× zoom, but also an impressive close-focusing distance with a maximum magnification of 0.35×. Here's what we know about it so far!
photographylife.com
Nikon announces the Z 28-400mm F4-8 VR, a superzoom for Z-mount
Nikon has announced the Nikkor Z 28-400mm F4-8 VR, a superzoom lens with a 14.2x zoom range for Z-mount mirrorless cameras.
www.dpreview.com
Last edited:
Maximum aperture of f8 at long end - this is surprising. I guess they had to do it to make it small enough with such a wide range. Not the lens for me, but I am sure some people will love it for travel and others will love it as the only lens they own to cover everything.
I also just noticed (from linked video) that it does not have an AF/MF switch, which would make it a deal breaker for me even if I was interested. Nikon did the same thing with their inexpensive (Tamron based) trinity of f2.8 lenses and I did not buy any of those for same reason. I cannot for the life of me understand how any company can make an autofocus lens without a switch on the barrel to go from autofocus to manual focus.
John Navitsky
Well-known member
tbh, i can count the times i wanted to switch to mf at a moment’s notice on one hand, and i’m sure over double that where i had to figure out why my lens wasn’t focusing to find i bumped the switch 
BlackRockArt
Well-known member
Vincent_VdB
Well-known member
It is not the lens I am after but in a range on lenses counts every cent in cost. Furthermore, theses are not really made for the serious photographer on assignment but as a pure consumer lens is that M/A switch irrelevant. The fact that Nikon is now also making lenses that are f/8 at the long end is once again showing price was everything when this lens was developed.
fcotterill
Well-known member
I often carry my Z 70-180 f2.8 in a pouch when hiking with the 800 PF on the Z9. This excellent fast zoom is ideal for close ups of plants and snakes etc but it's less versatile for landscapes.
Although much slower, this 28-400 is so much more versatile.... subject to optical quality, obviously. It's in the style of solutions adopted by the late Galen Rowell to get his images 'Out There'. It's about the the trade off between top tier optical quality against ergonomics
The 70-180 f2.8 measures 83.5x151 mm and weighs 795g, and also carrying the 24-120 f4S adds 630g
The 28-400 f4/8 measures 84.5 x 141.5 mm and weighs only 725g, plus the bonus of a 400mm with a close minimum focus distance.
Although much slower, this 28-400 is so much more versatile.... subject to optical quality, obviously. It's in the style of solutions adopted by the late Galen Rowell to get his images 'Out There'. It's about the the trade off between top tier optical quality against ergonomics
The 70-180 f2.8 measures 83.5x151 mm and weighs 795g, and also carrying the 24-120 f4S adds 630g
The 28-400 f4/8 measures 84.5 x 141.5 mm and weighs only 725g, plus the bonus of a 400mm with a close minimum focus distance.
Last edited:
This just flashed on my screen. Guess it’s here.
I’m sort of underwhelmed. Others?
I’m sort of underwhelmed. Others?
Vincent_VdB
Well-known member
No, as it is not a lens I need or want in my type of photography. One group only want the best of the best, others settle for the excellent, yet cheaper, “Tamron” Nikon lenses.
I am happy with the 14-30mm f/4 wide angle zoom, others go for the superiors 14-24mm f/2.8.
It is about expectations from the consumer and specs laid out by the product management at Nikon to their R&D team to develop a lens.
Ado Wolf
Well-known member
I’ve been waiting for this lens since the rumors came out, seeing that Nikon has no interest of doing a light 70– 300 mm F5.6 VR Z version (considering that I love the AF – P version).
But frankly F8 at 200 mm is a bit too much for my taste, considering I don’t like to post process photos and pass them through AI program. I do, however understand, they had to go this way, to keep the size and weight small.
I only wonder why go up to 400mm when there already is 100–400 mm ? maybe by going up to only 300 mm they could’ve kept it as a 6.3 lens.
I think I will stick to my 24-120mm + 70-300mm AFP combo for travel.. for now.
But frankly F8 at 200 mm is a bit too much for my taste, considering I don’t like to post process photos and pass them through AI program. I do, however understand, they had to go this way, to keep the size and weight small.
I only wonder why go up to 400mm when there already is 100–400 mm ? maybe by going up to only 300 mm they could’ve kept it as a 6.3 lens.
I think I will stick to my 24-120mm + 70-300mm AFP combo for travel.. for now.
Last edited:
While not a lens for most of advanced wildlife photographers frequenting this forum; in some of the post release videos comment is made that in DX camera body mode a 600 mm equivalent angle of view is available.
For someone starting out on a budget, this lens could well be an excellent option.
It does have synchro VR providing up to 5.5 steps stabilisation.
For someone starting out on a budget, this lens could well be an excellent option.
It does have synchro VR providing up to 5.5 steps stabilisation.
Last edited:
This is the perfect example of “no free lunches”. You can’t have lightweight, compact design with a huge zoom range and a reasonable price without giving up something in return i.e the a/f switch and f8 at the long end.
Being that many rave about the quality of their high ISO pics and how their mirrorless cameras focus so well and have eliminated the dark viewfinder issues, I’m not sure I see the problem. It is clearly aimed at a different sector to many here.
Being that many rave about the quality of their high ISO pics and how their mirrorless cameras focus so well and have eliminated the dark viewfinder issues, I’m not sure I see the problem. It is clearly aimed at a different sector to many here.
TurtleCat
Active member
I see it being as popular as the 18-200 and 18-300 back in the APS only days. Perfect for travel and convenience. Many serious people even had one just to have something handy. If looking for cheap long reach pair this with a Z50. Parents who don’t want to use their phone can get much better pics of their kids with that combo.
VinnyH
Active member
If I read it right it is 5.6” in length. The only reason I may buy it someday is that the NY horse racetracks like Saratoga have a new rule and don’t allow lenses longer than 6” into the track. I’ve always enjoyed shooting down at the railing but my 100-400S would have to stay in the car nowadays.
Vinny
PS: not my sharpest pic but a famous horse I had handy on my iPad
Vinny
PS: not my sharpest pic but a famous horse I had handy on my iPad
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.
Chris K
Well-known member
As a happy 24-200 user, it’s on my short list. I just need to know two things:
1) What’s the IQ like? Does it have the corner softness/CA that forces my 24-200 to f/8 at 200mm anyway? Is it sharper or softer than the 24-200?
2) How does it perform in infrared? The lightest telephoto for Z that is IR-usable is the 70-180, which is a lot to carry for not much range. If the 28-400 were IR compatible, I could go from a 24-70/4 + 100-400 to 28-400.
This seems like a great all-in-one landscape lens, and I’m really interested to see if it’s even better than the 24-200 (which I hope) or can’t quite match the 24-200 (which I fear).
1) What’s the IQ like? Does it have the corner softness/CA that forces my 24-200 to f/8 at 200mm anyway? Is it sharper or softer than the 24-200?
2) How does it perform in infrared? The lightest telephoto for Z that is IR-usable is the 70-180, which is a lot to carry for not much range. If the 28-400 were IR compatible, I could go from a 24-70/4 + 100-400 to 28-400.
This seems like a great all-in-one landscape lens, and I’m really interested to see if it’s even better than the 24-200 (which I hope) or can’t quite match the 24-200 (which I fear).
Per Nikon's own MTF chart, it's soft in corners, especially on the long end on high MP body.
Attachments
Chris K
Well-known member
I wish we had MTF-like charts that showed us what corners would look like beyond simple lp/mm, because it’s not until someone sticks a tree in the extreme corner that we can see if we’re talking just a bit of resolution decrease, or a smeared, mushy mess of purple.
Thanks for the MTF chart, though. By the numbers it looks about like what you’d expect from this type of lens.
Thanks for the MTF chart, though. By the numbers it looks about like what you’d expect from this type of lens.
Agreed, but I looked at enough of these over the years to have an idea, and as you say, this is what's expected. On a smaller mp sensor, I wouldn't even look at the 30s, but on the z8 and 9, the sensor can resolve there. In this particular instance on a 45mp ff sensor, (insert obligatory "but it's cheap"), it's not just corners, it's probably 2/3 of the sensor.
Strodav
Well-known member
I've captured some very good images with a Tamron DX 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 on a D500, so I was interested when I saw the announcement, but after a couple of reviews (goes to f8 at 200mm), I am no longer interested.
I think this can be a good addition for my Z6 or whatever 24mp body I buy to replace it. Good for a second camera to catch some shots. Given the focal length range, it will be mostly/all an outdoor lens and I can live with f/8. Noise will be manageable within LrC and the minimum focus distances help with versatility on a walk in the park - flowers to bugs to birds. Expect to buy in the near future. It has a place in how I shoot.
Will see how it handles IR cameras. The 28-300 is great with my D600 IR conversion. This new lens could work well if I convert the Z6. Otherwise, I will just use the 28-300 with FTZ on my future Z IR conversion.
Will see how it handles IR cameras. The 28-300 is great with my D600 IR conversion. This new lens could work well if I convert the Z6. Otherwise, I will just use the 28-300 with FTZ on my future Z IR conversion.
Last edited:
Nikon and I had talked about maybe doing a preview of this one, but I came to the same conclusion as many here - although I think it will be handy for some, F/8 really hurts it, at least for my core audience.
That's more or less my take. Interesting all-in-one lens for many folks but not something that I'd personally keep in my kit. Could be an interesting travel or casual sports photography lens for many.
This forum is packed with photo-enthusiasts, hobbyists, and pros... but it looks as if there are not a lot of business focused people here. The Nikon 28-400mm Z @ $1300 is probably one of the boldest business moves Nikon could make. A typical person who likes to travel on cruise ships and organized tours, or has a family with young to high school-aged kids can now buy one lens and one camera and do it all.
Think about the marketing... Buy a full frame Z5 + 28-400 for $2500 (total) and photograph your kids little league game or go on vacation.
Backpackers and mountain climbers want to document their travels, but the bulk of a long lens prevents them from buying or carrying one. With a 28-400, ZF, and 40 f2SE, a photo enthusiast could take a 6 week trip with a backpack of clothes and do a lot of documentary work...
For those disappointed with f/8... get over it! Push the ISO to 6400 and shoot the thing. Canon made their $2800 100-500L lens f/7.1 @ 500mm and everybody who uses that lens seems to love it. For less that half the price Nikon has produced something different that will help them to capture the "family" photographer's needs.
bruce
Think about the marketing... Buy a full frame Z5 + 28-400 for $2500 (total) and photograph your kids little league game or go on vacation.
Backpackers and mountain climbers want to document their travels, but the bulk of a long lens prevents them from buying or carrying one. With a 28-400, ZF, and 40 f2SE, a photo enthusiast could take a 6 week trip with a backpack of clothes and do a lot of documentary work...
For those disappointed with f/8... get over it! Push the ISO to 6400 and shoot the thing. Canon made their $2800 100-500L lens f/7.1 @ 500mm and everybody who uses that lens seems to love it. For less that half the price Nikon has produced something different that will help them to capture the "family" photographer's needs.
bruce
Nikon offers something for all kinds of photographers. As someone who’s deeply invested in Nikon gear, I’m glad they’re doing so!