Photography Life

PL provides various digital photography news, reviews, articles, tips, tutorials and guides to photographers of all levels

  • Lens Reviews
  • Camera Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • Compare Cameras
  • Forum
    • Sign Up
    • Login
  • About
  • Search
Home โ†’ Reviews โ†’ Cameras and Lenses โ†’ Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR Review

Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR Review

By Libor Vaicenbacher 160 Comments
Last Updated On April 9, 2025

«»

Conclusion and Recommendations

The new Nikon Z 180-600 f/5.6-6.3 VR retains all the good things I liked about its predecessor, the 200-500mm f/5.6. And while it’s launching for a few hundred dollars more, the price remains very reasonable, and the improvements make it an excellent value.

The 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR manages to fix many of the ailments of its F-mount sibling. Most of all, the autofocus has been given a new life. The zoom mechanism is internal and therefore more durable and gimbal-head friendly. The lens is lighter and more thoughtfully designed. It’s overall better optically, while reaching 600mm rather than 500mm (and 180mm rather than 200mm). That’s no small feat.

Nikon Z 180-600mm_sample images_Sri Lanka 2023__LVP9001
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR @ 600mm, ISO 320, 1/250, f/6.3

But nothing human is perfect, and the Nikon Z 180-600mm is no exception. The f/6.3 maximum aperture means that low-light photography can be difficult, and even though the lens is very good optically, it is a bit weaker than most Nikon Z telephotos in pure sharpness. I also regret that, unlike previous Nikon lenses I’ve used, I’ll have to be more careful about disabling image stabilization when shooting on a tripod.

Still, when I sum it up and double underline the result, the positives of the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR clearly outweigh the negatives. It’s good enough that it has become the newest part of my arsenal. For $1,697, this lens offers really great value, and I’m glad I added it to my bag.

Nikon Z 180-600mm_sample images_Sri Lanka 2023__LVP5640
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR @ 600mm, ISO 1100, 1/1250, f/6.3

I hope that you found this review of the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 to be helpful in making your decision! If you want to purchase the lens, you can thank Photography Life for all the work that went into this review by using the links below:

  • Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 at B&H – Current Price and Sales
  • Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 on eBay

Photography Life gets a small percentage of each purchase made through the links above, even if you buy something other than the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3, without costing you anything extra.

Nikon Z 180-600mm_sample images_Sri Lanka 2023__DSC6025
NIKON Z 9 + NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR @ 600mm, ISO 1400, 1/125, f/6.3

The next page of this review has some more sample photos from the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3, followed by reader comments on the final page. So, click the menu below to jump to the section you want:

Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR
  • Build Quality and Handling
  • Size and Weight
  • Sharpness Performance
  • Other Image Quality
  • Value

Photography Life Overall Rating

Photograhy Life Silver Award
4.5

Table of Contents

  • Overview and Build Quality
  • Optical Features
  • Sharpness Comparisons
  • Verdict
  • More Sample Images
  • Reader Comments
«»
Looking for even more exclusive content?

On Photography Life, you already get world-class articles with no advertising every day for free. As a Member, you'll get even more:

Silver ($5/mo)
  • Exclusive articles
  • Monthly Q&A chat
  • Early lens test results
  • "Creative Landscape Photography" eBook
Gold ($12/mo)
  • All that, PLUS:
  • Online workshops
  • Monthly photo critiques
  • Vote on our next lens reviews
 
Click Here to Join Today
 
Disclosures, Terms and Conditions and Support Options

Learn

  • Beginner Photography
  • Landscape Photography
  • Wildlife Photography
  • Portraiture
  • Post-Processing
  • Advanced Tutorials
Photography Life on Patreon

Reviews

  • Camera Reviews
  • Lens Reviews
  • Other Gear Reviews
  • Best Cameras and Lenses

Photography Tutorials

Photography Basics
Landscape Photography
Wildlife Photography
Macro Photography
Composition & Creativity
Black & White Photography
Night Sky Photography
Portrait Photography
Street Photography
Photography Videos

Unique Gift Ideas

Best Gifts for Photographers

Subscribe via Email

If you like our content, you can subscribe to our newsletter to receive weekly email updates using the link below:

Subscribe to our newsletter

Site Menu

  • About Us
  • Beginner Photography
  • Lens Database
  • Lens Index
  • Photo Spots
  • Search
  • Forum

Reviews

  • Reviews Archive
  • Camera Reviews
  • Lens Reviews
  • Other Gear Reviews

More

  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Workshops
  • Support Us
  • Submit Content

Copyright © 2025 ยท Photography Life

You are going to send email to

Move Comment