Nikon Z 600mm f4 TC VR S

The all new Nikon Z 600mm f4 TC VR S

Nikon added another telephoto lens to their Z line, making it one of the top choices for those who need such lenses.

It’s a pricey lens at US$15,500 but those super-telephoto lenses always were. It isn’t a previous lens design either, like some of Canon’s RF super-telephoto options, and does have some new tricks up its sleeve.

First, there is the inbuilt x1.4 teleconverter. With the flip of a switch it turns into a 840mm f5,6, so essentially you get two very useful primes in one lens. Plus you don’t even need to change lenses or grab another body, a distinct advantage if things are happening quickly. This is arguably the most important addition to this 600mm lens. The added teleconverter doesn’t impact image quality much, if visible at all in many cases. There are enough technical reviews out there with comparisons and test charts zoomed in to 100%, check them out if you wish.
And if 860mm isn’t enough you can use additional teleconverters with the lens or on top of the in-build one.

With the flip of a switch the 1.4x teleconverter can be engaged.

Second, despite adding the teleconverter Nikon managed to shave off 500g compared to the F-mount AF-S 600mm f/4E FL ED VR. A little less weight is always welcome, but at 3.2kg it’s no lightweight, of course. Size stayed about the same as their previous 600mm f4 lens. Combined with the VR system it improves handling when handheld, but that’s not something I would want to do over prolonged periods of time.

Most people, including myself, won’t get such a super-telephoto lens, however, it is still an important addition to Nikon’s Z system. Combined with the already available telephoto lenses the Z system is a great option for professional sports or wildlife photography. Go for it if that’s your thing!

Current Z system super-telephoto lenses:

Nikkor Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR S (October 2021)
Nikkor Z 400mm F2.8 TC VR S (January 2022)
Nikkor Z 800mm F6.3 VR S (April 2022)
Nikkor Z 400mm F4.5 VR S (June 2022)
Nikkor Z 600mm F4 TC VR S (November 2022)

That’s quite impressive, 5 options launched here within about one year!

If none of those suits you or your budget then you might want to wait for the Z 200-600mm lens. It has been on the roadmap for a while and should be released some when this year. Still, it might take quite some time until you get your hands on one as it will likely be in high demand, being a more affordable option.

If their AF-S 200-500 F5.6 ED VR is anything to go by we should get something like a Z 200-600 f5.6-6.3 (or 6.7 or whatever?) VR at perhaps US$ 1600-2000 depending on their design choices. This sure will be a popular lens, so expect waiting lists to be long once it gets released.