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Home โ†’ Reviews โ†’ Cameras and Lenses โ†’ Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S Review

Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S Review

By Libor Vaicenbacher 38 Comments
Last Updated On April 18, 2024

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This lens is sharp enough that doing any lens comparisons may feel unnecessary – and that’s true with the bare lens at 400mm. It smokes the competition. But with teleconverters, things do change a bit. If you want maximum sharpness over 400mm, there are a few other lenses to consider as well.

Below is the performance of the Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S at 400mm, 560mm, and 800mm, plus comparisons from other Nikon lenses at these focal lengths.

400mm

Nikon-Z-400mm-f2.8-TC-VR-S-MTF-Performance-400mm

Nikon 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR MTF Performance

Nikon-Z-400mm-f4.5-VR-S-MTF-Performance-400mm

Nikon-Z-100-400mm-f-4-5-5-6-VR-S-MTF-Performance-400mm

Nikon-Z-180-600mm-f5.6-6.3-MTF-Performance-400mm-2

At 400mm, the sharpest option is indeed the Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S! It’s even sharper than the previous generation 400mm f/2.8E FL VR, although both are so blisteringly sharp that it may be difficult to see any differences between them most of the time.

500-600mm

Nikon-Z-400mm-f2.8-TC-VR-S-MTF-Performance-560mm-Internal-1.4x-TC

Nikon-Z-400mm-f2.8-TC-VR-S-MTF-Performance-560mm-External-1.4x-TC

Nikon 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR 560mm MTF Performance

Nikon-Z-400mm-f4.5-VR-S-with-1.4x-TC-MTF-Performance-560mm

Nikon-Z-100-400mm-f-4-5-5-6-VR-S-MTF-Performance-560mm-1-4x-Teleconverter

Nikon-500mm-f5.6-E-PF-ED-VR-MTF-Performance

Nikon-Z-600mm-f6.3-S-MTF-Performance-600mm

Nikon-Z-180-600mm-f5.6-6.3-MTF-Performance-600mm-2

The sharpest result this time is a tie! At shared apertures, the Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S, Nikon 500mm f/5.6E PF, and Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 S are all similarly sharp here. Though it’s pretty incredible that the 400mm f/2.8 is managing this performance with a teleconverter.

800mm

Nikon-Z-400mm-f2.8-TC-VR-S-MTF-Performance-800mm-Both-1.4x-TCs

Nikon-Z-400mm-f2.8-TC-VR-S-MTF-Performance-800mm-2.0x-TC

Nikon-Z-800mm-f6.3-VR-S-MTF-Performance

Nikon 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR 800mm MTF Performance

Nikon-Z-400mm-f4.5-VR-S-with-2.0x-TC-MTF-Performance-800mm

Nikon-800mm-f5.6E-FL-VR-MTF-Performance

The sharpest result this time is the Nikon 800mm f/5.6E FL VR, with the Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 PF in second place. However, the Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S registers a very strong performance that is only a little bit behind the leaders. You can absolutely use this lens as an 800mm f/5.6 without any major reservations about image quality.

The next page of this review sums up everything and explains the pros and cons of the Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S. So, click the menu below to go to “Verdict”:

Table of Contents

  • Introduction & Build Quality
  • Optical Performance
  • Lens Comparisons
  • Verdict
  • Reader Comments
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