Nikon’s latest full-frame lens is its most versatile yet with a whopping 14.2x optical zoom that covers the 28-400mm focal length. That optical zoom range beats any other full-frame lens and smartphone today – not counting digital zooms like Samsung’s 30-100x Space Zoom.
Optically, the Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR is unlikely to be one of the best Nikon Z lenses – it’s not a ‘S’ lens after all (Nikon’s nomenclature for its professional lenses), but it certainly is the most versatile and could be the only lens you need to take traveling.
At its wide end, the 28-400mm is like the perspective of your phone’s main camera – ideal for everyday observations, but its 14.2x optical zoom goes way beyond any other on the market, extending up to 400mm. That’s plenty close enough for wildlife photos or capturing details of landmarks you simply can’t get close to.
You’ll need a steady hand when shooting at 400mm, so it’s handy that the 28-400mm is equipped with optical stabilization up to 5 stops, or 5.5 stops when used with a Nikon Z camera that features Synchro VR, such as the Nikon Z6 II, with current firmware (see below).
The 28-400mm lens’ versatility stretches beyond its zoom capabilities: you also get excellent close-focusing down to 1.2m at the telephoto end and a max 0.35x reproduction ratio – that’s decent close-up photography skills.
A travel lens is nothing if it’s too heavy, and fortunately the 28-400mm is only 725g, and should balance nicely especially with one of Nikon’s DSLR-style mirrorless cameras like the Nikon Z5.
It also features rubber seals around the mount and lens barrel to prevent dust and water from entering the camera and lens. The design itself is pretty simple: a customizable control ring and a zoom ring with zoom lock to fix it securely in place when tucked away on the move.
The sales start date of the Nikon Z 28-400mm is April 2024, and the list price is £1,299 (we’ll add official US and Australia pricing when we get it, but that equates to around $1,640 / AU$2,510).
There are a few full-frame lenses with around 10x optical zoom and more for the APS-C format, but the Nikon 28-400mm goes a step further with 14x optical zoom. Such lenses with ultra-versatile zooms lack the quality of detail you get with a prime lens, but with today’s best AI image editors you can add a little sharpness and reduce noise, which only makes the appeal of the 28-400mm lens even stronger. If you don’t mind those compromises, it really could be the only Nikon lens you need.