Offering super-telephoto reach in a portable design, the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S, from Nikon, is a versatile zoom well-suited for sports and wildlife applications. Covering a broad telephoto range, the lens manages to remain relatively lightweight and compact, making it ideal for travel as well, and it incorporates Inner Balance technology that maintains stability when tracking moving subjects and shooting atop a gimbal head.
Optical Design
- Featuring a combination of two Super ED and six ED glass elements, chromatic aberrations and color fringing is effectively eliminated throughout the zoom range for notable clarity and color accuracy.
- ARNEO and Nano Crystal Coats are used to prevent ghosting, reflections, and flare in order to realize improved contrast and clarity when working in strong lighting and backlit conditions. The Nano Crystal Coat controls incidental light from a diagonal direction while the ARNEO Coat controls incidental light from a vertical direction.
Autofocus and Vibration Reduction
- Multi-focus system incorporates two separate AF drive units, which are synchronized, to deliver especially fast and accurate focusing throughout the zoom range. This system uses stepping motors, which offer impressively smooth and quiet autofocus performance that is well-suited to both stills and video applications.
- Full-time manual focus override is also possible and an internal focusing design is used, where only the internal lens groups are moved during focusing, to maintain the overall length of the lens during use and to promote faster focusing speeds.
- Minimum focusing distance of 2.5′, along with a maximum magnification of 0.38x, benefits working with close-up subjects.
- Vibration Reduction image stabilization helps to reduce the appearance of camera shake by approximately 5.5 stops to better enable handheld shooting in low-light situations.
Handling and Design
- Short zoom throw rotation of just 80° permits quick changing between the 100mm to the 400mm positions.
- Updated zoom design prevents lens creep, regardless if the lens is pointing straight up or down, without having to adjust torque or tension settings.
- Programmable Control Ring is, by default, set to adjust manual focus, but can also be used to control aperture or exposure compensation.
- Integrated OLED lens information panel allows you to quickly confirm aperture setting, focus distance, and depth of field figures right on the lens in both bright and dark situations.
- Two assignable L.Fn buttons work in conjunction with camera-based Fn buttons to provide seamless points for quickly changing exposure settings and other functions.
- Dust- and moisture-resistant lens barrel, along with a front fluorine coating, benefits the lens’ use in inclement conditions.
- Inner Balance technology helps maintain a consistent center of gravity when shifting the zoom position, offering greater stability when tracking moving subjects using a gimbal head.
- Rotating tripod collar offers mounting stability when shooting atop a monopod or tripod.
- Compatible with optional Z-Teleconverter TC-1.4x and TC-2x to further extend the reach of this lens.
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