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Archive 2024 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

OwlsEyes
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p.3 #1 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

The lens is only one stop slower than the 100-400S @ 400mm, 2/3 stop slower than the pile of f/6.3 lenses produced, and 1/3 stop slower than the Canon 100-500L. None of the latter high f/stops seem to be a barrier to photographers using these lenses. All of the 24MP FX cameras produce very nice images at ISO6400 and the 48MP cameras are solid at 3200.

I've got a 400 f2.8TC and 100-400S... I could see adding the 28-400 to my bag as a kayak lens. Sure it won't be my first choice for photographing flying birds, but I also photograph a lot of relatively static animals like sea otters, seals, wading herons, and shorebirds. I used to use my 200-500 f5.6 w/ a D500 in these situations because it was my least expensive and most hand-holdable solution. In contrast to the bulk of the latter, the 28-400mm lens looks super easy to handle and if it gets wet or falls into the "drink," I'm "only" out $1300... Heck, I could put it on my Z fc, optimize the central region of the lens's optics, and have an equivalent 42-600mm focal length.
Maybe I will pre-order....
bruce

Mar 28, 2024 at 07:43 AM

suteetat
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p.3 #2 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

It is roughly half the weight and half the price of 100-400/4.5-5.6Z
with bigger zoom range. No, it won't be ideal for bif but for the price and weight,
I think it is a pretty decent package if you have a use for it.

I already bought extra 20kg on small plane flight for my trip to Namibia this year.
I could see that if I am restricted to 20kg only for everything for the trip, this 28-400
may very find its way into my bag.

Mar 28, 2024 at 08:05 AM

SCoombs
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p.3 #3 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

OwlsEyes wrote:
The lens is only one stop slower than the 100-400S @ 400mm, 2/3 stop slower than the pile of f/6.3 lenses produced, and 1/3 stop slower than the Canon 100-500L. None of the latter high f/stops seem to be a barrier to photographers using these lenses. All of the 24MP FX cameras produce very nice images at ISO6400 and the 48MP cameras are solid at 3200.

I've got a 400 f2.8TC and 100-400S... I could see adding the 28-400 to my bag as a kayak lens. Sure it won't be my first choice for photographing flying birds, but I also...Show more →

In comparison to the 100-400 it's worth noting that it's one stop darker at the 100-400's maximum zoom only. It's a bit darker for most of its range.

I think the bigger difference will be in the category of user, though. The 100-400S is a higher level lens that retails for $2500. Most people buying the S line lens have been more or less experienced photographers who understand the limits of f5.6, how to deal with it when setting up to take a photo, and how to deal with it in post if need be. I think thecommon suggestion has been that the 28-400 will be popular among "soccer moms" and casual users that don't know any of that AND will be dealing with a stop darker - and 5.6 is already darkish to begin with.

I'm not saying that there is no value to this lens, but I do think it's fairly likely that if a lot more casual users pick this up that they're going to wind up with a lot of very poor photos (imagine what the P mode is going to do to the shutter speed for someone shooting their kids' sports on a cloudy day) and be less than happy with the perceived performance.

Mar 28, 2024 at 08:16 AM

urbanwild
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p.3 #4 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

28mm - f4
35mm - f4.5
50mm - f5.6
105mm - f6.3
200mm and up - f8

The ISO will be high in so many cases with this lens, so while it will be a versatile lens for many, it won't shine in many situations. I can see a lot of newbies grabbing this and wondering why their photos don't look as nice as they would expect, to be honest. Will be good for the bright sunny day for a f5.6-8 shooter, but I'd probably still steer 80-90% of people towards the 24-120mm if they're considering this lens.....they can crop for the odd time they want 400mm and probably still have a nicer shot. They just wouldn't be able to crop a 400mm down.

It's an interesting lens and I'm glad Nikon continues to show its versatility. But my suspicion is that it will be about as successful as the 24-200 (which is not bad at all).

Mar 28, 2024 at 09:46 AM

OwlsEyes
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p.3 #5 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

SCoombs wrote:
In comparison to the 100-400 it's worth noting that it's one stop darker at the 100-400's maximum zoom only. It's a bit darker for most of its range.

I think the bigger difference will be in the category of user, though. The 100-400S is a higher level lens that retails for $2500. Most people buying the S line lens have been more or less experienced photographers who understand the limits of f5.6, how to deal with it when setting up to take a photo, and how to deal with it in post if need be. I think thecommon suggestion has been...Show more →

As others have stated, I think a talented photographer can make a lens like this work if that is the lens they have available to them. While I realize that many photographers who use a 300mm (+) lens are often the ones who dive deep into pixels, I believe and will continue to argue that there is way more to producing a nice/publishable/hangeable photo than the detail one sees in pin feathers. Sure it's nice to see details, but in my opinion, composition/mood/behavior/atmospherics/creativity contribute more to a quality photo than does sharpness.

So while the 28-400 may not be for everyone, it certainly will capture the interest of many photographers with a wide range of capabilities.

bruce

Mar 28, 2024 at 11:10 AM

SCoombs
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p.3 #6 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

OwlsEyes wrote:
As others have stated, I think a talented photographer can make a lens like this work if that is the lens they have available to them. While I realize that many photographers who use a 300mm (+) lens are often the ones who dive deep into pixels, I believe and will continue to argue that there is way more to producing a nice/publishable/hangeable photo than the detail one sees in pin feathers. Sure it's nice to see details, but in my opinion, composition/mood/behavior/atmospherics/creativity contribute more to a quality photo than does sharpness.

So while the 28-400 may not be for...Show more →

Some of what you're saying is sort of the point I was trying to make: talented photographers will be able to work within this lens' rather more extreme limits and get worthwhile results, but it's limitations are significant enough that for people with less experience I'd expect there will be a lot of poor results, and I'd suspect that while some stronger photographers eill get one, a significant majority of users of this lens will be less experienced users who may be put off from the brand or even dedicated photography equipment by their experience.

I'd also day that whereas it's common for the first samples people are posting of a new lens to be of mixed quality, I'd expect the first samples of this one to e particularly hit or miss for this reason.

Mar 28, 2024 at 11:55 AM

RoamingScott
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p.3 #7 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

I fit into one of the more ideal use cases for this lens (midday hiking landscape) and I wouldn�t touch it. Shane is right that in novice hands the results will be on the mediocre side, and even in skilled hands they won�t be as good as many other lenses available to Z shooters.

If I'm taking the time and effort to get to a hard to reach spot, I'm not taking prosumer glass with me even if it's a little lighter.

Mar 28, 2024 at 12:17 PM

CanadaMark
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p.3 #8 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

With lenses like these it's critical to be using a good RAW converter for best results - that goes such a long way towards removing the ISO penalty and fixing any sharpness/distortion issues. More casual folks who don't even know what DXO is or JPEG shooters are probably going to be less impressed with it if they use it outside of ideal conditions. That being said, I suspect a lot of people using this lens will be out in broad daylight and that seems to very much be where Nikon's marketing is focused. Soccer moms on the sidelines, amusement parks, hikers that aren't serious photographers, etc. I know several people who want a one-lens solution and this is the best option we've seen yet by far - people like that will be very pleased, but as mentioned earlier, I don't think this will be a popular lens with the enthusiast crowd just like the 24-200 isn't.

The lenses these folks are shooting with already are F5.6-F8. This one isn't going to feel significantly different to them. There is no material AF penalty shooting mirrorless at F8 and casual users aren't affected by ISO performance as much because the end use of their images likely never exceeds online sharing. Yes there will probably be some poor results, but most people using a lens like this are probably a whole lot less picky than those of us here, and their point of reference for comparison is most likely to be a smartphone or older entry level DSLR. Entry level DX DSLRs sold with kit lenses used to make up ~85% of Nikon's imaging revenue, so there is no doubt a sizable market of less discerning users.

Also keep in mind that Nikon likes money, and the 24-200 already exists. If their market research didn't suggest this lens would sell in significant numbers they wouldn't have bothered with it, especially with a relatively similar alternative already available. Time will tell, but Canon has been quite successful with slow aperture lenses. Their most popular zoom is only 1/3 stop faster than this lens and while I'm sure most users wish it wasn't F7.1, it doesn't seem to be a major hurdle. As long as Nikon keeps going down the same path they are with their higher end lenses, I think it's great to also have options like the 28-400 even if it won't be a lens that is popular here on FM.

Mar 28, 2024 at 12:58 PM

SCoombs
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p.3 #9 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

CanadaMark wrote:
With lenses like these it's critical to be using a good RAW converter for best results - that goes such a long way towards removing the ISO penalty and fixing any sharpness/distortion issues. More casual folks who don't even know what DXO is or JPEG shooters are probably going to be less impressed with it if they use it outside of ideal conditions. That being said, I suspect a lot of people using this lens will be out in broad daylight and that seems to very much be where Nikon's marketing is focused. Soccer moms on the sidelines, amusement parks,...Show more →

I think the lenses these people are shooting at are lower than F5.6-8. Those with DSLR or MLCs already may are probably often using lenses which top out at 6.3, but honestly many of them may be used to cell phones or point and shoots that have apertures closer to 2.

This potentially matters a lot because you have to figure most of these folks are in P mode, which is going to keep their ISOs manageable at the expense of extremely low shutter speeds. On bright sunny days there won't be too much of an issue, but on cloudy days or evenings or indoors it will be. You might have parents shooting soccer or basketball games at 1/30 and being frustrated that every picture is so blurry you can't make anything out. I think high ISOs could be an issue for the less experienced demographic, but there will be much worse.

Mar 28, 2024 at 02:10 PM

CanadaMark
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p.3 #10 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

SCoombs wrote:
I think the lenses these people are shooting at are lower than F5.6-8. Those with DSLR or MLCs already may are probably often using lenses which top out at 6.3, but honestly many of them may be used to cell phones or point and shoots that have apertures closer to 2.

This potentially matters a lot because you have to figure most of these folks are in P mode, which is going to keep their ISOs manageable at the expense of extremely low shutter speeds. On bright sunny days there won't be too much of an issue, but on cloudy days...Show more →

Virtually every kit lens zoom is F5.6 or F6.3. In Canon land, the fastest lens they have beyond 200mm that isn't an exotic tops out at F7.1 and their F8-F11 lenses seem reasonably popular, especially the 100-400 F5.6-8, all of which have a dramatically smaller zoom ratio than the 28-400. I dislike the approach Canon has taken there, especially from an enthusiast perspective, because there are no exceptions even as the price gets quite high ($2500+) but it doesn't seem to be hurting their sales too much.

I don't necessarily disagree with you in general, I just think you might be over estimating the effect one stop (or less) of light reduction has on a casual shooter. Shooting indoors or in very poor lighting at F5.6 or F6.3 is only marginally less frustrating than F8 - the camera in Auto/P mode is still going to want to pick high ISOs and slow shutter speeds in those conditions, and the user is going to be frustrated either way. It's not like these folks are coming from a 400/2.8, which would only get you 1/250 sec in your Basketball/Soccer example all else equal, which is still too slow for those sports. Indoor sports can be challenging even with a significantly higher budget and nobody is going to be recommending the 28-400 for that.

Smartphones with fast apertures also are heavily biased towards keeping ISO low because the sensors are so small, so in poor lighting, the first thing they do is slow the shutter speed as much as possible and are mostly useless for capturing action regardless of the lighting conditions. If you don't need to capture action, and you don't need more than ~100mm equivalent focal length, I agree that most people would probably prefer the output from a high-end smartphone especially if they are shooting JPEGs anyway. It's much the same story for a P&S camera, with the sole exception of a few Sony RX models that cost about as much as this lens and likely aren't being cross-shopped.

The lens has some compromises no doubt, but it's a 14X zoom with an extremely useful range. That is the trade off and Nikon isn't positioning it to be anything else. Early reports suggest it's quite a decent performer. It certainly won't appeal to everyone, and I don't think it will be popular in the FM/enthusiast crowd, but I also don't think it is going to be a flop. Nikon is not marketing this lens to people for indoor sports or challenging conditions - if someone buys the wrong tool for the job and does zero pre-purchase research, they are going to be disappointed regardless of whether it's this lens or something else.

These kinds of aperture ranges also seem to be successful for competing brands when targeting the budget-minded shooters, so I don't see why anything would be any different when Nikon does it. One could argue it might even be more appealing because you get a 14X zoom range instead of a ~4X or 0X zoom range, and if there's one thing entry level shoppers love, it's seeing huge zoom values haha. Nikon's 24-200 seems to be fairly popular and that is only 2/3 stop faster than the 28-400. If the 24-200 wasn't selling well, it's highly unlikely they would double down and release a 28-400.

Anyway, time will tell I guess. At the end of the day I'm just happy to see Nikon releasing more lenses regardless of whether they appeal to me personally or not.

Mar 28, 2024 at 05:04 PM

urbanwild
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p.3 #11 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

OwlsEyes wrote:
As others have stated, I think a talented photographer can make a lens like this work if that is the lens they have available to them.
bruce

As an example, Bryan Peterson has put together a fairly impressive portfolio of shots with the 18-300mm nikon lens.....so I can't disagree with this point at all.

Will be interested to hear about its use in a kayak if you get it......it won't best the 200-500mm images, but there's a lot of reason to have a small, light, one lens plan in a kayak. I've since sold my D500 and 200-500 and 24-200, both of which I used in my kayak. I plan to just deal with the AF of the Z7 with the 500mm PF. Not perfect and somewhat regret selling the D500 for that use but the Z8 shines in many more ways and I got a fairly good return for the D500.

Mar 28, 2024 at 08:40 PM

lxdesign
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p.3 #12 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

I�ve ordered one�. supposed to be available before the end of April. This will be a nice companion for the canoe and capturing loons, travel and more. It won�t replace my 24-120mm, but it will be interesting to pair with the Zf or Z50

Mar 30, 2024 at 11:30 PM

pwschladen
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p.3 #13 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

Nice review here:

https://photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-z-28-400mm-f-4-8-vr

I received mine from B&H a couple of days ago but haven�t had much opportunity to try the lens due to rain and grey skies.
The few shots of perched ospreys that I got seem to align with the reviewer�s experience. Hoping for some decent light and some flying ospreys in the next day or two.

Apr 21, 2024 at 07:54 AM

DWOfPaul
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p.3 #14 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

I am definitely curious to see more reviews of this lens. At first I was thinking based on the specs this is more of a consumer lens, and won't interest me. But overtime I started thinking of uses cases where this lens may actually be a good compromise for, even for more advanced users. For example taking photos from a small boat or kayak, taking a hike, or other situations where lighting is good, photography is probably not your number one goal, and changing lenses can be a pain.

Sure personally I wish it was f6.3 at the long end instead of f8, but I can't think of another lens that is wider than 50mm and hit's 400mm on the long end, and it's the 28-50mm rage that turns this into a one lens solution.

Something tells me this lens will be a good seller for the larger camera market, where reach, cost, and size matter more than f stop and sharpness.

Apr 30, 2024 at 07:58 PM

henry albert
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p.3 #15 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

OwlsEyes wrote:
. . . in my opinion, composition/mood/behavior/atmospherics/creativity contribute more to a quality photo than does sharpness.

Heretic!!!!! Blasphemer! He threatens the Technocracy! Burn him! Stone him!! Suppress his art!!

May 04, 2024 at 03:16 PM

Jemini
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p.3 #16 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

henry albert wrote:
Heretic!!!!! Blasphemer! He threatens the Technocracy! Burn him! Stone him!! Suppress his art!!

What are you smoking?

May 04, 2024 at 08:40 PM

suteetat
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p.3 #17 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

I played with 28-400 a little bit at my local store with Z8.
AF on Z8 at 400mm f8 is actually quite fast. May be not 70-200/2.8S fast
but not far behind either. Changing focus distance from 5m to 20-30m and back
is fast. It is not that much bigger than 24-200mm, quite a bit heavier but also felt
more solid and substantial than 24-200.
If I have trekking trip in the future where I need to carry everything myself, this with 14-30/4
and ZF or Z8 could be all that I need.

May 16, 2024 at 06:17 AM

Jemini
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p.3 #18 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

It's a good lens especially for travel. As someone interested in wildlife I tried it on few subjects. It doesn't produce consistent sharp images, but capable. AF works great. But again for some reason all the images in a burst are not sharp It could be the VR. AF is slows down significantly indoors.

Overall it does exactly what a super zoom meant to do. I wish if it was 6.3 at long end. Then it'd be much heavier and larger.

Z8 and Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR @ 1/1600sec, f/8, ISO 500, 22.3MP(5784X3856), Focal length 400mm, Effective FL 570mm, Distance 42ft, AF Auto(Birds)

Z8 and Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR @ 1/1600sec, f/8, ISO 360, 29.9MP(6698X4465), Focal length 400mm, Effective FL 490mm, Distance 13ft, AF Auto(Birds)

Z8 and Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR @ 1/500sec, f/8, ISO 500, 40.9MP(7440X5504), Focal length 400mm, Effective FL 440mm, Distance 29ft, AF Auto(Birds)

Z8 and Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR @ 1/100sec, f/8, ISO 1250, 16.4MP(4967X3311), Focal length 400mm, Effective FL 660mm, Distance 22ft, AF Auto(Animals)

Z8 and Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR @ 1/250sec, f/8, ISO 1100, 26.7MP(6324X4216), Focal length 400mm, Effective FL 520mm, Distance 6ft, AF Auto(Birds)

May 16, 2024 at 05:45 PM

DWOfPaul
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p.3 #19 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

I was photographing an air show this weekend using a 70-300 as my wide zoom and it hit me that the 28-400 would probably be a great air show lens. There where definitely times I wished I could go wider than 70mm, and there where a few times I wish I didn't have to switch cameras to zoom in a bit more than 300mm (my other camera was my Z8 with a Sony 200-600 + TC 1.4). I was at f6.3-f9 for most of the show anyway so f8 isn't going to matter, and it's one of those situations where you either can zoom quickly to get the photo or you miss the photo.

May 28, 2024 at 01:35 PM

pwschladen
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p.3 #20 · NIKKOR Z 28-400mm Image Thread

A pretty balanced review by Thom Hogan - he likes it - with qualifications.

https://www.zsystemuser.com/z-mount-lenses/nikkor-lenses/nikon-z-mount-lens-reviews/nikon-28-400mm-f4-8-vr-lens.html

Jun 09, 2024 at 07:04 AM

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