Nikon NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S Lens | Full Review with Photo and Video Examples

Рет қаралды 14,759

Күн бұрын

#nikon #nikkor
B&H 50th Anniversary Nikon lens specials: bhpho.to/45z0Qt6
I bought Nikon's Z-mount NIKKOR 400mm f/4.5 VR S lens last August. Here, after 6 months with the lens, used mostly with the Nikon Z9 (I have Z6s too), after having chance to use the lens in a number of situations -- sport, wildlife, landscape, even photojournalism -- here's my review.
Nikon NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S Lens (B&H) bhpho.to/3FsQ8Kp
Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-2.0x (B&H) bhpho.to/3tpBBJA
Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x (B&H) bhpho.to/40eMR8W
Gear used to make this video:
Nikon Z9 camera (B&H) bhpho.to/3mT38iY
Nikon Z6 camera (B&H) (discontinued)
(Available option) Nikon Z6II camera (B&H) bhpho.to/3kvpxAK
Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8S lens (B&H) bhpho.to/3GWtfxv
Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.8S lens (B&H) bhpho.to/3GZ0z77
Nikkor Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S bhpho.to/3ERaF7S
NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S Lens (B&H) bhpho.to/3bSeu0h
TASCAM DR-60DmkII DSLR Audio Recorder (B&H) bhpho.to/31Jfli7
Røde Wireless Go (B&H) bhpho.to/3qiyK3J
Røde Lavalier Go (B&H) bhpho.to/308f1Jf
Aputure Amaran MC (B&H) bhpho.to/3o6MonS
Aputure Amaran 100d (B&H) bhpho.to/3wtpVEY
Godox SL60 (w/folding beauty dish) (B&H) bhpho.to/3bQ6U6b
Subscribe for more cool videos: / @raymondparkerphoto
Chapters
Intro: 00:00
Z-mount: 1:02
Coatings: 1:10
other specs & features: 1:25
Why the Z400 4.5? 1:46
With the TC-2.0x: 4:11
First tests: 5:55
Some accessories: 7:22
Not just a sport/wildlife lens: 12:42
Channel support: 13:16
Aerials: 14:19
Weight & balance: 14:49
Crop mode: 15:33
Bokeh: 15:49
Focussing: 16:11
Photojournalism: 16:50
Wildlife: 18:43
Outro: 20:16
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Пікірлер: 80

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Is this 400mm Z lens the best bang for your telephoto buck?

@madst7521 Жыл бұрын

Probably close to the best value. Your great shots also show that it just doesn't deliver that same buttery smooth background that the 400/2.8 does. Noone should expect anything more at this pricepoint. I am for now staying with my 100-400 because I don't shoot at 400mm often enough to have a prime.

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Thanks, Mads. For sure, not as creamy as the 2.8, but it's more than expected at the price. The 100-400 certainly seems like a great lens too.

@NikCan66 Жыл бұрын

Always thoroughly enjoy and honest assessment

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Cheers!

@photoreviewed-com Жыл бұрын

Lots of useful information. Thanks and happy to share! :)

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Thanks !Glad it was helpful!

@photoreviewed-com Жыл бұрын

@@RaymondParkerPhoto Looking forward for your further videos. Cheers!

@antonoat 7 ай бұрын

That was a fabulous review, thank you. I have liked and subscribed! 👏👍😀

@RaymondParkerPhoto 7 ай бұрын

Welcome! Thanks for the like and sub!

@gbye007 Жыл бұрын

Excellent review Ray, with some great images and music. Nice one.

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Thanks 👍 Glad you enjoyed it, Geoffrey!

@bmwohl Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for this wonderful 6 month, inspiring check-in. I've got the 100-400 with a 1.4 TC. I better go shoot more. I'm so impressed with what you did.

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much, Barry!

@MattIrwinPhotography Жыл бұрын

Great work on this review Ray, amazing images of birds, bears, paragliders, David Suzuki, Daryl Hannah and more. BRAVO !!!

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Cheers Matt! This lens coupled with the Z9 made my work a pleasure.

@MikeJamesMedia Жыл бұрын

Great to see you again, Raymond, and wow... Those are some beautiful images you've captured with that lens. Thanks for sharing them with us! (I'm sticking with my Z-mount 100-400 for now, and probably going to make my next major purchase the 85 f/1.2)

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Many thanks, Mike! I think the 100-400 is a beauty too. Yes, from what I've seen and heard, I think the 85 f/1.2 is gonna be a spectacular addition to the Z lens lineup.

@phillurkin8245 Жыл бұрын

Hi Ray! These are all amazing shots, beautiful! I guess the Z9 combined with this 400 4.5s lens is 100% worth every penny.

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Thanks Phil! It really is! And I'm glad I took the plunge.

@tedk2814 11 ай бұрын

nice video and timely as I'm in the market for this lens to use with my Z9. I'm a sport photographer and I use a 400mm 2.8 Nikon lens with a FTZ adapter to the Z9 and this works well even at night games. However this rig is heavy and I don't care about 2-300 grams, I'm talking about. kgs. So for my day games and a few evening football and baseball games, the lighting is good enough to use the 4.5. I think, but will need to crank the iso up to4000-6000 range. Knowing this, I will keep my 2.8 and not sell it until I see how the 4.5 works. I subscribed hoping to see more videos using the nikon super telephoto Len. Thanks so much Raymond.

@SefaradiTal Жыл бұрын

Ray, thanks for sharing your thoughts with us all on the telelens! I’m thinking about getting the 400 for nature shots, as well as airplane shows, too. I think it’s worth it. Stay warm and hope the arthritis pain is under control (I’m beginning to have it on my knee so I hear you)!

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Go for it! Cheers. Right now the arthritis is not too bad, i.e. not afraid of dropping my morning coffee! 😀

@EdwardKilner Жыл бұрын

This was really well done. Some of the text went by too quickly for me to read easily, but this was just minor. I could just go back. The example photos kept my attention from those text items of course. That is some lens, for sure. Glad to see you out and about and producing such fine work.

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Thanks, Edward! Sometimes, depending on the edit, it's hard to keep the titles on for long. There's always the space bar (on computer). This is a great lens and a bargain at the price.

@MainlightDrone Жыл бұрын

I know no single lens can do everything but I would miss the zoom capability. With the TC, I'd never be able to find the starling. I was really impressed with your glider and float plane photos. Very impressive specs, Ray, and a terrific review of this awesome lens! And very cool that you found Neil Young and Daryl Hannah!

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

For sure, anything over 400mm is a challenge to locate smaller critters. The latter were certainly rare birds at this latitude. Daryl complained of "brain freeze." 😀

@GlenDomulevicz Жыл бұрын

I had no idea one could use a step down ring the way you just did. I find that amazing, which happens when I lacked the required knowledge. Thanks for sharing.

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Glad I could help!

@annscott77 9 ай бұрын

Found the info on the plates which I asked for. Thank you.

@RaymondParkerPhoto 9 ай бұрын

Glad I could help

@brradv3552 Жыл бұрын

This is an amazing lense but for now I've decided to go with the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S lense paired with (most likely) the Z7ll body. seems like it will be a very nice setup. Fingers crossed I can get it before July as I'm planning a trip back to 2 of my favorite places, the San Diego zoo and wild animal park. I grew up seeing people with these amazing cameras and can't wait to own one 👍

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Can't go wrong there, as I noted in this video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/iq-ijdCe0cmwnKM.html Coupled with the 2.0x TC you'd have a versatile setup. Boy, I still have some snapshots from the San Diego Zoo, taken in 1972 with Kodachrome!

@chengyuan7658 5 ай бұрын

For the lens foot replacement, I use the Leofoto brand which has the QD hole which allows me to use strap with QD click. Works great.

@russandloz 6 ай бұрын

Any chance of a download comparison with and without a tc. In the same subject position?

@richardayres2949 Жыл бұрын

Got my 400mm f4.5 a couple weeks ago and loving it, it’s so light and the image sharpeners looks great. So far getting surprisingly good results even with my Z6.

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Great to hear! Congrats!

@franciscokloganb Жыл бұрын

Great to ear indeed. Acquired this one to use with the Z6 vanilla version, cause my old Tamron G2 150-600 with FTZ (also vanilla) was just too slow for everything and I could no longer justify using D500 plus that old lens plus tripods for casual walks in nature. Seeing someone saying the performance of this lens is good with the z6 makes me a bit more relaxed while waiting for my unit. 😅

@brucecrossan2284 Жыл бұрын

Great review, thanks Raymond - had a play with it at the New Zealand launch of the Z8. Felt so much lighter and better balanced than my 500mm PF. Like you, I have a bit of arthritis in the wrists and the Z7II / 500mm combo hurts after a while. The lightweight body with a hand grip that's a bit too small, even with a Small Rig grip extender, FTZ adaptor and front biased weight of the lens isn't ideal. Going to order the Z8 / 400mm / 1.4TC combo shortly.

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Thanks Bruce. Glad you enjoyed my adventures with the 400mm f/4.5, they continue. Yes, the lightness of the lens is a real wrist saver! I look forward to trying it out with the Z8.

@Youtuber-ku4nk 11 ай бұрын

I really like this style of review and you being outdoor where we use our gear the most. Do you have a video of how you record and edit your videos? Like which file format you use, how you white balance (which spot on) and color grade. I just received my Z8 yesterday so I have dived deep into those new video settings (I come from Z6). I'm currently wondering what the pros and cons are between H265 10bit SLR and N-Log. It seems a bit difficult to expose in N-log (it helped to enable View Assist) and the image look weird in Final Cut Pro X even if I put on the N-log LUT from Nikon.

@RaymondParkerPhoto 11 ай бұрын

Hi Tony. I have a video in the works but things have changed so much recently I'll be redoing parts of it. I should say, there's no one format I use; depends on the situation and end use. You may find something useful in this video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/icWDgcxhsKiZhqM.html

@yinmo6029 Жыл бұрын

Great video! May i ask does the AF perform well enough for small bird with the 2xTc?

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Thanks. The TCs have no negative effect on focusing.

@SanoyNimbus Жыл бұрын

Nice photos in the end of the video 16:56 -ish! I Think I need to use my 400 4.5 for more than birds and airplanes :)

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Cheers! Sure, why restrict yourself? There's more than flying things out there. I was pleasantly surprised by it's portrait rendering.

@RTReview. Жыл бұрын

Awesome video, as always They should inplement arcaswiss. Its a Shake for that pricepoint and most photographers care about it. Even if smb doesnt need it, he wouldnt care, since he dont have to use it.

@andhib Жыл бұрын

Love my 400 f4.5. Took it on safari in Kruger Park both public and private areas. It was perfect in the public areas, a bit too long in the private area but great for close-up! Used on a Z7 in daylight stands up to cropping well. Also carried my Z6 and 85mm f1.8S. -that combo is all I needed. At home in UK my Z6 and the 400 is great for the low light forests stalking wild brown hare and deer. I don't see any benefit from the foot on this lightweight lens, it just gets in the way. I remove my foot just like I did on my old 70-200 f2.8 DSLR days walking for miles and handholding. With VR no need for monopod of tripod -hence ditch the foot. It's also more stable holding the lens directly rather than balancing it holding the foot IME.

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

I'd love to take mine to somewhere like Kruger (my wife grew up in 6 different African countries, including Swaziland, when she visited Kruger. Her dad was a zoologist who also had a hand in establishing parks). Mind you, there's so many "Canadian Serengetis" I've yet to visit. Whether from habit or due to the physical limitations I mentioned in the video, I prefer using the foot. During flare-ups I have to resort to the monopod and that's a minimum for video.

@timelapsescapes 2 ай бұрын

Hi Ray another great video. Ray I want to do more filming of wildlife. I have in the past been more of a photographer of wildlife. Ray is there a chance you might make a video for the Z9 with the 400mm lens as a video rig? I know you the the video on the 85mm setup. But finding all the parts is really hard. I would assume that smallrig is able to assist you in the assembly of the rig. Thanks for you video and support.

@RaymondParkerPhoto 2 ай бұрын

Cheers! I can't promise a rig video with the 400 f/4.5, at least not in the near term. I have a whole playlist on video rigs (click on Playlists on my main page). Here's one on the Z9 rig: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pM6fmtd0tc7MhGw.html and there's a follow-up "power solution" video. All components are also listed in video descriptions. There's some bird clips shot with the Z8 and 400mm f/4.5 in this recent video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ldqZaMx-rrSRdas.html Hope this helps.

@timelapsescapes 2 ай бұрын

Thanks Ray, Just got in from a short shoot in Terra Nova. Filmed the Pied-billed Grebe in the pond.Hopefully it turns out well. I will piece together the video for the build.cheers

@Ben_Stewart Жыл бұрын

Very good review of the Nikon 400 f4.5. Leave the tech talk to Ken Rockwell. I paired my version up with the 1.4 X teleconverter and Z6ii. So far its great in low light and with my Z50 its like stolen 840mm f/6.3 . How does Nikon not get more praise for such innovative glass? Lets see more shots using this setup. Maybe a trip on the gulf island run could net some impressive results. Cheers

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Glad you're enjoying too. I'll be taking my setup on more outings for sure.

@VABrowneMDPhD 11 ай бұрын

Thanks!

@RaymondParkerPhoto 11 ай бұрын

My pleasure and thank you very much for supporting the channel!

@petersuvara Жыл бұрын

Which cam/lens did you record this video on Raymond? Great review! Thanks.

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

See @ 0:29

@erkkisiekkinen286 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for a nice video I have ordered this lens ,Im gonna use it also with my 1,4tc. My body is 24mpix ZF and maybe it gives very good results even with 2,0tc -if I get more information Im considering to buy also this 2xtc...

@RaymondParkerPhoto 2 ай бұрын

Have fun! FYI, 2X TC examples included.

@peterrussell663 Жыл бұрын

Ray, another great video, and one that finally determined my next purchase. I’ve got the NIKKOR Z 70-200 f2.8 and had originally looked at the NIKKOR Z 100-400 to replace my faithful F mount 200-400 f4. However I really couldn’t see the point of having a 100mm overlap between the pair for the price; it just seemed like a waste! Why didn’t Nikon just make another 200-400 f4 or f5.6 in the Z mount? By just getting the 400mm I only have to worry - if that’s the right expression - about a mere 200mm gap, which is relatively small at that end of the range and could be filled by either a TC or by going to DX mode. The quality you are obtaining looks to be right up there with the best that Nikon offers - thank you!

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Thanks, Peter! I wonder if we'll see a 200-400? Could be. As you can see, the results with either the 1.4 or 2X TC are really quite good. In fact, I don't think there's any noticeable degradation. I've conversed with someone who has had the chance to shoot with both the 400mm f/2.8 TC and this 4.5. It's their opinion that there's little IQ difference, aside from bokeh. Let me know what you think if you go ahead with the purchase.

@obedbrinkman Жыл бұрын

looks like a very capable lens! and affordable compared to th 2.8 version

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Definitely!

@holgershund 12 күн бұрын

Nice🙂

@RaymondParkerPhoto 11 күн бұрын

Thanks for the visit

@moritz5703 Жыл бұрын

Hey, first of all great video 👍, you can see that you put a lot of work into your videos, keep going 🙌. I however have a question as my budget is limited and there are several options to choose from. That would be the z 200-600 where no one has a clue when that will come out (if you have a guess I would be more than happy to hear it). Then the 200-500 f mount lens which has a few years on it and of course would limit the benefits of my mirrorless z6 camera, but would be from a financial Point of view great. And finally there would be the 400 mm 4.5 a bit over my budget but actually perfect I just wonder sometimes if 400 mm are enough for bird photography or do you really need the teleconverter then ? Would be very happy about an answer regarding my decision which lens to buy. Sorry for my English I come from Germany.

@RaymondParkerPhoto Жыл бұрын

Thanks for stopping by from Germany. Budget is always the final determinant, isn't it? Darn! I can't comment on the other lenses you mention and I haven't any inside info on when or if Nikon will release a Z 200-600. I can only say that the Z lenses are superior. I think the TCs help with smaller subjects, like songbirds, and the Z TCs are fantastic. If you can find a way to buy a Z lens, I think you'd be satisfied.

@moritz5703 Жыл бұрын

@@RaymondParkerPhoto OK, Thanks for your Help