800mm f/6.3

Nikon’s Super Telephoto Z lenses get a firmware update for linear focus ring rotation

Jan 18, 2023 by John Aldred Add Comment

Nikon’s Nikkor Z super telephoto lenses are fantastic pieces of kit, there’s no question. For what they cost, you’d expect them to be pretty spectacular, too. Like most modern autofocus mirrorless lenses, though, they use a focus-by-wire system when manually focusing. Focus by wire lets you make big adjustments by turning the ring quickly or fine adjustments by turning it slowly. A fantastic innovation for photographers, not so much for filmmakers.

So, Nikon has released new firmware for their 400mm f/4.5 VR, 400mm f/2.8 TC VR, 600mm f/4 TC VR and 800mm f/6.3 VR lenses to bring linear focus to the focus rings of those lenses. This lets them be used in video rigs with follow-focus units with the certainty that they’ll nail the target every time.

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Nikon can’t handle orders for Nikkor Z 400mm f/2.8 and Z 800mm f/6.3 lenses, they’re now suspended

Jul 13, 2022 by Dunja Djudjic Add Comment

Surprise, surprise: Nikon has announced that it can’t handle the orders for its 800mm f/6.3 and 400mm f/2.8 lenses for Z-mount mirrorless cameras. According to the company, the orders have exceeded expectations, so you can’t order either of these lenses at the moment. How long will it last, I hear you ask? Nobody knows.

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Wildlife photographer Steve Perry gets his hands on the new Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens

Apr 8, 2022 by John Aldred Add Comment

The recently announced Nikon Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens caused a bit of a stir amongst wildlife and sports photographers – at least, the ones who shoot Nikon. It may be a third of a stop slower than its F mount DSLR predecessor, but it comes with $10K shaved off its price tag and its weight over its predecessor has been cut almost in half, too. But how does it stand up to the job of actually shooting?

In this video, wildlife photographer Steve Perry takes out a pre-production version of this lens, with its Phase Fresnel (PF) optical tech – which helps contribute towards its lightweight design – to give it a spin and see how it handles. Steve details the actual shooting experience and goes over the features of the lens.

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Nikon’s new Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S is here and it’s $10K cheaper than the f/5.6 F mount version

Apr 6, 2022 by John Aldred Add Comment

Nikon has announced its longest lens for the Nikon Z system to date, the Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S. It’s relatively inexpensive, too, with a price tag of only $6,496.95 vs the $16,296.95 its f/5.6 F mount predecessor demands. Sure, it’s a third of a stop slower but for this kind of price difference, especially given high ISO performance increases of late, does that really matter?

The new super-long prime lens is obviously targeted toward sports and wildlife photographers, but as well as being a little lighter on the wallet, it’s also going to be lighter to carry, coming in at around half the weight of its predecessor, too. It’s also a few inches shorter and a little narrower, making it easier to fit into more bags.

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