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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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Bokeh at 400mm

In the following scene, you can judge the bokeh with the sky coming through the leaves in the background.

100-400mm_02_MFL6807
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S @ 400mm, ISO 800, 1/8, f/5.6
180-600mm_02_MFL6637
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR @ 400mm, ISO 800, 1/6, f/6.0
200-500mm_02_MFL6784
NIKON Z 9 + VR 200-500mm f/5.6E @ 400mm, ISO 800, 1/8, f/5.6
400mm f4,5_02_MFL6728
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S @ 400mm, ISO 800, 1/13, f/4.5
400mm f2,8_02_MFL6563
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S @ 400mm, ISO 800, 1/40, f/2.8

Nobody will be surprised by the first place of the 400mm f/2.8. This fast super-telephoto lens is renowned for its bokeh, and at f/2.8, it has the widest maximum aperture of all the lenses here.

As for the rest of the lenses, I find that the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 and the 400mm f/4.5 have more of a “cat’s eye” look compared to the 200-500mm and 180-600mm zooms. However, all of these lenses are still quite pleasant in how they render out-of-focus areas. I hesitate to pick a winner or loser, since everyone evaluates bokeh differently, and the images are fairly close regardless. However, I have a slight preference for the 200-500mm f/5.6 and 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3.

By the way, how would the bokeh champion 400mm f/2.8 look when stopped down to f/5.6? Here it is for comparison:

400mm f2,8_02_DSC6568
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S @ 400mm, ISO 800, 1/15, f/5.6

To me, it looks barely any different from the other lenses at f/5.6 or f/6.0. It has slightly softer transitions in the foliage above the owl, but the difference is very subtle indeed. The reason to spend over $14,000 on the 400mm f/2.8 is to shoot it at f/2.8, simple as that.

Bokeh at 500mm

How did the trio of 500mm lenses compare in terms of bokeh? Here are the results.

180-600mm_02_MFL6623
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR @ 500mm, ISO 800, 1/6, f/6.3
200-500mm_02_MFL6777
NIKON Z 9 + VR 200-500mm f/5.6E @ 500mm, ISO 800, 1/10, f/5.6
500mm f5,6_02_MFL6844
NIKON Z 9 + AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR @ 500mm, ISO 800, 1/8, f/5.6

Here, I think the 180-600mm shows the most pleasing bokeh. The 200-500mm and 500mm are very similar to one another, and slightly worse to my eye. I had expected that the 500mm f/5.6 PF’s bokeh would look busier than this due to the texture of its phase-fresnel lens element, but it looks just fine to me.

Bokeh at 560mm and 600mm

180-600mm_02_MFL6608
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR @ 600mm, ISO 800, 1/8, f/6.3
400mm f4,5 +1,4TC_02_MFL6748
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S Z TC-1.4x @ 560mm, ISO 800, 1/10, f/6.3
400mm f2,8 +1,4TC_02_MFL6584
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S @ 560mm, ISO 800, 1/25, f/4.0
600mm f4_02_MFL6942
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S @ 600mm, ISO 800, 1/4, f/4.0

The Nikon Z 600mm f/4 not only beats the competition in terms of sharpness, but it also dominates in terms of bokeh. Simply put, what the 400mm f/2.8 is at 400mm focal length, the 600mm f/4 is at 600mm. It even beats the 400mm f/2.8 + 1.4x combo despite both lenses sharing a maximum aperture (although the 400mm f/2.8 is second best, to my eye).

Behind this pair is the 180-600mm, and close behind are the 400mm f/4.5 and the 100-400mm, both with TC-1.4x.

Just for interest, I’ll show you how the 600mm f/4 looks when stopped down to f/5.6:

600mm f4_02_DSC6953
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S @ 600mm, ISO 800, 1/3, f/5.6

Although the bokeh is now more similar to the other lenses in this test (apart from the 400mm f/2.8 + TC combo), the 600mm f/4 is still the best, at least to my eye.

Bokeh at 700mm, 800mm, and 840mm

What about the bokeh of the lenses near 800mm? At such a long focal length, the depth of field is already razor-thin. That’s why the background looks nicely defocused even on the lenses with f/8 or f/9 as their maximum aperture.

Light levels were getting low during this test, and I was working quickly, so I apologize for the differences in exposure and a few missing tests. Pay attention to the bokeh, and you’ll see that there are some clear differences, though.

180-600mm +1,4TC_02_MFL6933
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR Z TC-1.4x @ 840mm, ISO 800, 1/1.3, f/9.0
400mm f4,5+2TC_02_MFL6772
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S Z TC-2x @ 800mm, ISO 800, 1/6, f/9.0
600mm f4 +1,4TC_02_MFL6697
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S @ 840mm, ISO 800, 1/10, f/5.6
800mm f6,3_02_MFL6857
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S @ 800mm, ISO 800, 1/8, f/6.3

To my eye, the 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3’s bokeh is the best of the f/8-f/9 lenses. Meanwhile, the 800mm f/6.3 benefits from a shallower depth of field, but some of the bokeh in the specular highlights is on the busy side. The 400mm f/2.8 and 600mm f/4 have similar bokeh to one another, and still not perfect due to the influence of the teleconverter. If I had to pick a winner, it would be the 600mm f/4. However, it’s best to judge bokeh for yourself.

Table of Contents

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