NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR Information or Review

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David Wilson

David Wilson

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I am considering purchasing the Z 28-400 lens. If you own one or have any information on this lens, Please Post. I am concerned how the f/4-8 works and worried about the quality of this lens sense it is only $1300.00 retail price.
 
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Carmel Nikon said:
That must have been a wonderful trip. What was your impression of the lens, based on your observations of Thom's use of it?
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It was a great trip.

I used the Z 400 mm TC as my primary lens on a Z9. Thom also had the Z 400 mm TC on a Z9 as his primary lens and used the Tamron 35-150 on a second Z9. I think he used the Z 28-400 on one of his Z9’s, when testing it, but he also had a Zf along, if memory serves.

The Z 28-400 is very small. I think it might be a decent choice for someone who wanted a relatively small, light one-lens solution with a large focal length range.

As I noted, I think Thom used the Z 28-400 on a Z9. That’s of course an odd pairing for most people. Heavy flagship body with small superzoom. I would guess it would be better choice with a smaller body, say the Z8, Z6III or the Zf.

Mark Comon co-led the trip with Thom. He used the Z 28-400 on the trip too.

Both Thom and Mark noted that the Z 28-400 was good for IR photography, as it had no hotspot.

Personally, if I wanted a lighter weight kit, I’d likely take the Z 24-120 mm and the Z 100-400 mm.

Edited to add: Of course, you should read their reviews to get their opinions.
 
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BillW said:
It was a great trip.

I used the Z 400 mm TC as my primary lens on a Z9. Thom also had the Z 400 mm TC on a Z9 as his primary lens and used the Tamron 35-150 on a second Z9. I think he used the Z 28-400 on one of his Z9’s, when testing it, but he also had a Zf along, if memory serves.

The Z 28-400 is very small. I think it might be a decent choice for someone who wanted a relatively small, light one-lens solution with a large focal length range.

As I noted, I think Thom used the Z 28-400 on a Z9. That’s of course an odd pairing for most people. Heavy flagship body with small superzoom. I would guess it would be better choice with a smaller body, say the Z8, Z6III or the Zf.

Mark Comon co-led the trip with Thom. He used the Z 28-400 on the trip too.

Both Thom and Mark noted that the Z 28-400 was good for IR photography, as it had no hotspot.

Personally, if I wanted a lighter weight kit, I’d likely take the Z 24-120 mm and the Z 100-400 mm.
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Mark recently hosted a webcast with Thom in which they discussed the trip and shared photos. Really interesting and informative. During Q&A I asked Thom about the 28-400. He was generally positive about it given the f/8 limitation from 200 to 400. Definitely read his review for more info.

I bought it to replace my 24-200 on my Zf as a do-all lens for vacation photos and casual events. It produces good images during daylight and in well lit dawn/dusk/night situations. As long as you avoid low light photography, it’s fine. I won’t use it for wildlife, but it might work for someone who would struggle with the weight and bulk of a 70-200 or 100-400.

Build quality is excellent, as you’d expect for the price. All-in-all, I’m happy with it so far and it’ll meet my needs.
 
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This lens provides everything my wife needs for use on her Z50. That was the only lens she used on a recent Costa Rican vacation and it provided excellent images. Thom mentions soft edges in images in his review, and that's relatively common in super-zoom type lenses. A crop sensor camera uses more the center portion of the lens where distortion is not really evident. I have yet to test the lens on my Z8, but I expect to see softer corners. That means it may not be the best for landscape images on a full frame camera. We did not see soft corners when using the lens on the Z50.

See my earlier thread here: https://bcgforums.com/threads/colour-me-impressed-z50-with-nikon-z-28-400mm.36107/
 
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David Wilson said:
I am considering purchasing the Z 28-400 lens. If you own one or have any information on this lens, Please Post. I am concerned how the f/4-8 works and worried about the quality of this lens sense it is only $1300.00 retail price.
Click to expand...
My wife has one that she uses on her Z 7II ... she is sensitive to weight and wanted a compact and light all around lens. She had a Tamron 18-400 that lived on her D500.

After a few days in the field she had me sell her Z400 f/4.5 which is about a pound heavier and a fixed focal length. For her the 28-400 is great.
 
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