Long Shot: New Nikkor Z 400mm Has Built-In Extender
The first of the Z-mount supertelephotos promised by Nikon has been rolled out in the form of the Nikkor Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S. If you're wondering about its price tag, there’s no doubt you’ll have to dig deep. A built-in 1.4x teleconverter can be switched into place to give a focal length of 560mm at f/4.0.
The optical construction uses 25 elements in 19 groups which includes a total of six special types – two with extralow dispersion (ED) characteristics, one Super ED element, two fluorite elements and two with short wavelength refractive capabilities (SR). The SR elements are formulated to refract (i.e. bend) the blue wavelengths of light more than the red and green to more effectively prevents chromatic aberrations.
Autofocusing is via a powerful voice coil motor (VCM) which is said to be smoother, faster and quieter. Nikon is calling its drive the ‘Silky Swift Voice Coil Motor’ and its magnets are so strong that the 400mm is the first lens to come with a health warning… the magnetic fields that the SSVCM generates could potentially interrupt the operation of pacemakers or other medical devices. A new ‘Meso Amorphous Coat’ multicoating is designed to more effectively suppress internal reflections.
The new
Nikkor Z 400mm supertelephoto weighs in at 2.95kg, which is still 20% lighter than the nonTC F-mount lens. The magnesium alloy barrel is weather sealed and the optical image stabilisation gives up to six stops of correction when the lens is on the Z 9 (5.5 stops otherwise).
The Nikkor Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S is available now priced at $22,999 and is backed by a two-year warranty when purchased from an authorised Nikon Australia reseller. For more information visit www.nikon.com.au.