The ability to go from landscape photos to moon photos without changing lenses or dealing with multiple cameras is a level of flexibility no other lens currently offers.
Thanks for the nice examples folks. I'm convinced, 95% of lenses are better than 95% of photographers. I'll be getting one before I go back to Hawaii later this month. I generally don't like to carry big heavy lenses anymore so this seems like a great option for seascapes, waves, whales that I will be looking for in Hawaii. This lens plus the tiny 40mm SE and 26mm 2.8 will be all I will bring for my Zf.
@treacle I think one thing we need to keep in mind as photographers, which is often missed in gear reviews, is having realistic expectations of the gear we are using. For example, the landscape photo I posted above was taken at 28mm f8, and there was enough light to do so. A few days ago, I was taking some post sunset photos with my Sigma 28mm at f1.4 and barely getting enough light for handheld photos. That's a 5 stop difference. I would have either put my camera away or taken out my tripod well before if I was using my 28-400mm.
But while my Nikon 28-400mm has almost always been in my bag since getting it, my Sigma 28mm only makes it's way into my bag when I feel there is a good chance I am going to want to take low-light photos.
Until some lens manufacturer figures out a way to bring that mystical f1.2 10-1,000mm hand holdable lens to market, we will be stuck making compromises for our needs.
I was very sceptical when I first heard about this lens last spring but I am a total convert and have thorougly enjoyed it since buying it used a few monthes ago here on FM.
This shot was from our afternoon walk a couple of hours ago. Heavily cropped.
NIKON Z 7NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens400mmf/9.01/40s360 ISO0.0 EV
So far I like what I'm seeing. As I'm returning to Nikon after some years in the wilderness, I really want a replacement for the RF 100-400, which I loved for the small size and surprisingly good optics. I'm not a serious long-lens shooter though, more a wide/normal guy who needs a compact tele option when hiking so this is on my radar as an alternative to the 70-300E or a 300PF+TC (albeit no doubt a lesser performer than the 300PF
It really does look like a killer hiking lens when paired with a 14-30 or other UWA option.
So far I like what I'm seeing. As I'm returning to Nikon after some years in the wilderness, I really want a replacement for the RF 100-400, which I loved for the small size and surprisingly good optics. I'm not a serious long-lens shooter though, more a wide/normal guy who needs a compact tele option when hiking so this is on my radar as an alternative to the 70-300E or a 300PF+TC (albeit no doubt a lesser performer than the 300PF
It really does look like a killer hiking lens when paired with a 14-30 or other UWA option. ...Show more →
I’ve only had it for just over a week but so far I find it to be a good replacement for the rf100-400 which I really liked.
If you buy this lens at Adorama using the Adorama credit card the sales tax is exempted and pay only the shipping. For me its much cheaper than buying it from Nikon USA.
I bought it and the z6iii and returned both for the same reason. I didn’t feel either were capable of making better images than F mount gear given their price. And while the z6iii handles well the 28-400 is a pig. It’s too big and heavy. It is very sharp.
Id much rather Nikon make a 100-400 that’s ultra light weight and focuses as close as the old 18-300 did. Pair that with a 28mm wide and I’m good to go.
pwschladen wrote:
Lucky you!
How soon before Christmas did Ms Santa buy it and where from? Maybe a price match is possible?
Hadn't thought of that!
Just spoke with the kind folks at B&H and when they pulled up her order (from Dec. 6th) they offered to (and immediately did) refund Ms. Santa's credit card for the price difference without us even having to make the request! As an FYI for fellow FMers, it turns out that B&H's return/refund policy for the 2024 holiday gift season is still active and expires January 31st, 2025!
Thanks for the heads-up on that, pwschladen, and thank you B&H (and Ms. Santa!)...just another reason they're tops and why we always shop there! Ho, ho!
Excellent!
B&H are great to deal with - just let down occasionally by FedEx who sometimes don’t collect the signature B&H has specified, or worse forge it!
I own this Nikon 28-400mm lens. It is a superzoom that is good but isn't perfect. Contrast drops a bit towards the long end. I use it with my Nikon Z7II. My APS-C Sony 70-350mm on a Sony A7RIII (18 megapixels in APS-C mode) outperforms it at around 350mm in full frame terms.
Then I decided to try DXO PureRaw4. The results were shocking, enough that I strongly suspect Sony builds in significantly more sharpening vs Nikon as image processing goes. Slight improvement for Sony images while the results were dramatically better for the Nikon images. After running thru DXO PureRaw4, my Nikon images caught up with my Sony images.
So... controversial post, I think to get good images from this Nikon 28-400mm (and the 24-200mm which I also own), you truly have to run your images thru DXO PureRaw. Mentioning this in case owners of big Nikon BIF glass (like say 180-600mm) want something lighter for travel purposes... they should try this 28-400mm along with DXO PureRaw and see if it's good enough or not. Many BIF shooters already own DXO PureRaw mainly for the high iso noise reduction.
For $996.95 USD with current sale pricing, I think this lens is quite the deal! Apparently gone (IMHO) are the days of mediocre "superzooms", Nikon has truly outdone themselves and shaken up market expectations with this release.
For my casual/light-gear days this Z 28-400mm is proving to be all I need for my shooting needs...get some wide establishing shots, plenty of range for any situation-or-subject for framing, and more-than-just-adequate sharpness and contrast for grabbing sharp images throughout the range. Loving this lens on both my Z6III and Z50 II (EFL 42-600mm).
A couple of pics of Wilson's Snipe taken last week...first out my truck window, the other while taking a walk around Croton Point Park on a blustery day. SOOC JPGs cropped and resized for web (1500x1000), exposure adjustments only using Preview application in MacOS.
Jimmy G
Lifer (for me) Wilson's Snipe taken out of my truck window...can things get any easier?! LOL
NIKON Z6_3NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens400mmf/8.01/2000s640 ISO0.0 EV
Two Wilson's Snipes in one day?! Guess this one was backup in case I missed the first! LOL
NIKON Z6_3NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens400mmf/8.01/1600s1000 ISO0.0 EV
As an FYI for fellow FMers, it turns out that B&H's return/refund policy for the 2024 holiday gift season is still active and expires January 31st, 2025!
