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Home → Cameras and Lenses → Best Super-Telephoto Lenses for Nikon Z Cameras: 8 Tested

Best Super-Telephoto Lenses for Nikon Z Cameras: 8 Tested

By Libor Vaicenbacher 50 Comments
Published On October 20, 2023

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To give you a sense of the focal lengths involved in this test, I’ll start by showing the uncropped images of the same scene at 400mm, 500mm, 560mm, 600mm, 700mm, 800mm, and 860mm. This will give you a sense of how the various focal lengths differ, so that you know which lenses are worth your consideration in the first place.

400mm:

400mm f2,8_01_MFL6513
400mm perspective (NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S)

500mm:

180-600mm_01_DSC6129_01
500mm perspective (NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR @ 500mm)

560mm:

400mm f4,5 +1,4TC_01_MFL6201
560mm perspective (NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S + TC-1.4x)

600mm:

180-600mm_01_DSC6124
600mm perspective (NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR @ 600mm)

700mm:

500mm f5,6+1,4TC_01_DSC6477
700mm perspective (NIKON Z 9 + AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR + 1.4x TC)

800mm:

800mm f6,3_01_MFL6224
800mm perspective (NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S)

840mm:

600mm f4 +1,4TC_01_MFL6285
840mm perspective (NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 600mm f/4 + Integrated 1.4x TC)

Although the right lens depends on the size and distance of your subject, this should at least give you an idea of the relative fields of view at each focal length. Personally, I like to have a lens that reaches at least the 560mm mark in my bag as a wildlife photographer, whether natively or with teleconverters.

The next page of this comparison will cover the sharpness tests of each lens at a variety of focal lengths.

Table of Contents

  • Introduction to the Lenses
  • Focal Length Comparison
  • Sharpness Tests
  • Bokeh Comparison
  • Summary and Recommendations
  • Reader Comments
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