Nikon Z 28-400mm VR
World's First 28~400mm Full-Frame Zoom
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications USA Version Performance
Z9 Z8 Z7 II Z6 II Zf Z7 Z6 Z5 Z fc Z50 Z30
Z System Z Lenses All Nikon Lenses Flash
Nikon Z 28-400mm VR f/4 - f/8 (77mm filters, 25.6 oz./725g, 0.66~4'/0.2~1.2m close focus, 0.35× maximum repro ratio, $1,297). bigger. I already have mine because I ordered it at B&H the day it came out. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It's hard to get because it's in such great demand, so order it and be patient as I did.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you take the chance of getting it elsewhere. Nikon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, dropped, incomplete, gray-market, store demo or used lens — and my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new lens. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
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Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji & OM SYSTEM Menu Systems Compared.
Sample Images top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications USA Version Performance
More samples throughout this review at Bokeh, Falloff, Macro, Sharpness, Spherochromatism and Sunstars.
These are just snapshots; my real work is in my Gallery.
These are all shot hand-held as BASIC ★ JPGs; no tripods, NORMAL or FINE JPGs or RAW files were used or needed.
Mercedes 300 SL, 10:33 AM, Saturday, 27 April 2024. Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 28-400mm at 28mm at f/10 at 1/40 at Auto ISO 64 (LV 12.6), Radiant Photo software. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Red Lotus, 10:37 AM, Saturday, 27 April 2024. Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 28-400mm at 28mm at f/8 at 1/80 at Auto ISO 64 (LV 13.0), Radiant Photo software. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
Spring Wildflower, Torrey Pines State Reserve, La Jolla, California, 4:20 PM, Sunday, 28 April 2024. Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 28-400mm at 400mm wide-open at f/8 hand-held at 1/400 at Auto ISO 200, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 13.6), Radiant Photo software. bigger.
Raven, Torrey Pines State Reserve, La Jolla, California, 4:30 PM, Sunday, 28 April 2024. Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 28-400mm at 400mm wide-open at f/8 hand-held at 1/400 at Auto ISO 2,000 (LV 10.3), Radiant Photo software. bigger.
Cactus, Torrey Pines State Reserve, La Jolla, California, 4:36 PM, Sunday, 28 April 2024. Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 28-400mm at 145mm wide-open at f/7.1 hand-held at 1/500 at Auto ISO 64 (LV 15.3), Radiant Photo software. bigger.
The bottom left and other parts are soft because they're not in focus, not because of any lens flaw. Did you notice the bug on the spine at the top? I didn't, either, until I saw this blown up back in my studio.
Torrey Pines State Reserve, La Jolla, California, 4:41 PM, Sunday, 28 April 2024. Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 28-400mm at 95mm wide-open at f/6.3 at 1/500 at Auto ISO 64, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.9), Radiant Photo software. bigger or full-resolution 45MP 8 MB JPG file. This was a cool gray day, so setting my White Balance to Shade made it warm as I like it.
Introduction top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications USA Version Performance
I buy only from these approved sources. I can't vouch for ads below. |
This Z 28-400mm VR does just about everything from wide-angle to macro to ultra-tele, and it's small and light, especially considering its huge zoom range, has great stabilization and great sunstars and of course it's sharp. For its very reasonable price, this lens is a total winner.
Atmospheric heat shimmer can, and often does, soften images at 400mm because at 400mm this lens magnifies the effect enough to be significant. Many people confuse softness from atmospheric heat shimmer with lens softness, but atmospheric heat shimmer isn't a lens defect.
My concerns with this lens are more practical: with no AF/MF switch and no VR switch it's a pain to have to go to menus to change these from shot to shot — but the Z 24-200mm VR lacks these as well, so too bad.
It's hard to get because it's in such great demand, so order it and be patient as I did. I already have my 28-400mm because I ordered it at B&H the day it came out. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
New intro top
World's first 28-400mm lens.
Good intro top
Huge 14.3× zoom range. Replaces a wide-to-tele zoom, a regular telephoto zoom and an ultra-tele zoom, all in one easy lens.
Small for such a long zoom.
Light for such a long zoom.
Excellent close focusing; focuses just about up to the front of the lens at 28mm.
Nikon claims weather sealing.
Bad intro top
No AF/MF switch.
No VR switch.
Mostly plastic with a metal mount; it's easy to cross-thread the plastic filter threads.
Production dumped to China, not made domestically in Japan.
Missing intro top
No AF/MF switch.
No VR switch.
Mounting index dot is the same white as everything else, so it doesn't stand out when you need to find it to mount your lens.
No focus or depth-of-field scales.
No infra-red focus indices.
No focus lock buttons
Will not work with any teleconverters.
Nikon Z 28-400mm VR. bigger.
Specifications top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications USA Version Performance
I already have my 28-400mm because I ordered it at B&H the day it came out. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It's hard to get because it's in such great demand, so order it and be patient as I did.
Compatibility specifications top
This lens works only on Nikon's Z-series mirrorless cameras.
It does not so much as even mount on any other camera.
It does not work with any teleconverters.
Name specifications top
Nikon calls this the NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR:
NIKKOR: Nikon's brand name for almost all their lenses since 1932.
Z: For Nikon's mirrorless cameras, only.
VR: Vibration Reduction (Image Stabilization).
Nikon's Model Number: 20125.
It also has:
AF-P: Stepper (Pulse) autofocus motor: silent and ultra fast.
Aspherical: Specially curved glass elements for sharper pictures.
ED: Magic Extra-low Dispersion glass for reduced secondary chromatic aberration.
IF: Internal focusing; nothing moves externally as focused.
Ø77: 77mm filter thread.
Optics specifications top
Nikon Internal Optical Construction. Aspherical and ED elements. bigger.
21 elements in 15 groups.
4 ED elements: magic Extra-low Dispersion glass for reduced axial secondary chromatic aberration.
3 Aspherical elements.
Nikon Super Integrated multiCoating (SIC).
Diaphragm specifications top
Nikon Z 28-400mm VR f/4 - f/8. bigger.
9 rounded blades.
Electronically actuated.
Stops down to f/22 ～ f/45.
Filters specifications top
Plastic 77mm filter thread.
Angles of View specifications top
75º ～ 6⅙º diagonal on FX.
53º ～ 4º diagonal on DX.
Autofocus specifications top
No external movement as focussed, so no air or dust is sucked in.
Focus Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infinity Focus Stop specifications top
No.
You have to focus somehow to get precise focus at infinity, just like at every other distance.
Depth of Field Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Infrared Focus Index specifications top
No.
Close Focus (distance from subject to image plane) specifications top
At 28mm: 0.66 feet (8" or 0.2 meters).
At 400mm: 4 feet (1.2 meters).
More details for each zoom setting at Macro Performance.
Maximum Reproduction Ratio specifications top
At 28mm: 1:2.9 (0.35 ×).
At 400mm: unspecified.
Reproduction Ratio Scale specifications top
No.
Not on lens, but may be displayed in-camera.
Image Stabilizer specifications top
Rated 5 stops improvement, and actually gives 3 to 5 stops in actual use.
Caps specifications top
LC-77B front cap, included.
LF-N1 Z-mount rear cap, included.
Hood specifications top
HB-114 hood for Nikon Z 28-400mm VR f/4 - f/8. bigger.
HB-114 hood, included.
Case specifications top
Nikon CL-C2 case. This is a case? bigger.
CL-C2 "case," included.
They're kidding, right? It's just a bag, and not even padded. Geesh.
A tube sock works better.
Tripod Collar specifications top
None; this lens is so light no tripod collar is needed.
Size specifications top
3.33" ø maximum diameter × 5.57" extension from flange when set to 28mm, gets longer as zoomed.
84.5 mm ø maximum diameter × 141.5 mm extension from flange when set to 28mm, gets longer as zoomed.
Weight specifications top
25.6 oz. (725 g).
Announced specifications top
Wednesday, 27 March 2024 at 12:17 AM, NYC time.
Promised for specifications top
18 April 2024.
Included specifications top
Lens
LC-77B front cap
LF-N1 Z-mount rear cap.
CL-C2 sack, depending on country.
Model Number specifications top
20125.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
29 April ~ 03 May 2024
$1,297 at B&H, at Adorama, at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
About $1,350 used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay because it's so hard to get. You have to order it and be patient as I did.
March 2024
$1,297 at B&H and at Adorama.
Box, Nikon Z 28-400mm VR f/4 - f/8. bigger.
Box End, Nikon Z 28-400mm VR f/4 - f/8. bigger.
Getting a Legal U. S. A. Version top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications USA Version Performance
I already have my 28-400mm because I ordered it at B&H the day it came out. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It's hard to get because it's in such great demand, so order it and be patient as I did.
This section applies in the U. S. A. only.
You need to have a USA-specific warranty card inside your box, and the serial number must match the one on the bottom of your lens, otherwise you have no warranty:
U. S. A. Warranty Card. bigger.
If you don't have this card, if the card doesn't say "VALID IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES…" or the serial number on the card doesn't match the one on your camera lens exactly, you got ripped off with a gray market version from another country. All legitimate cameras and lenses come with printed warranty cards, even if you prefer to register online. (The serial number on the outside of the box doesn't have to match, but if it doesn't it means you bought from a shady dealer who took cameras lenses out of boxes and then resold these used lenses cameras as new.)
The U. S. A. warranty card comes from "Nikon, Inc.," the U. S. A. office; the Japanese headquarters is "Nikon Corporation." The card should be inside your box. The serial number on the card must match the serial number on your camera lens.
The warranty is also valid only if you are the original purchaser and only if it was purchased from an authorized dealer. All because a store or someone claims to be authorized doesn't mean they are. That's why I only buy from my personally approved sources.
Shifty dealers may include copies of a card from a legitimate U. S. A. product in a gray-market box, hoping you won't check serial numbers and catch their fraud. A card with the wrong serial number means nothing other than that you have no warranty coverage.
Did you notice the clever nod to ancient computer technology? The model and serial numbers are dot-matrix printed! Everyone counterfeits laser holograms, but few people have dot-matrix printers floating around to fake these.
Always be sure to check your box, warranty card and serial numbers while you can still return it, or just don't buy from unapproved sources, or especially at retail, so you'll be able to have your camera serviced and get free updated firmware as needed.
This is why I never buy anyplace other than from my personally approved sources. You just can't take the chance of buying elsewhere, especially at any retail store, because non-USA versions have no warranty in the U. S. A., and you won't even be able to get firmware or service for it — even if you're willing to pay out-of-pocket for it when you need it!
Nikon U. S. A. enforces its trademarks strictly. It's unlikely, but possible that US customs won't let your lens back in the country if you bought a gray-market version in the U. S. A., carried it overseas, and try to bring it back in. (If you take the chance of buying one overseas, be sure you have a receipt to prove you bought it overseas and be prepared to pay duty on it.)
If a gray market version saves you $500 it might be worth it, but for $200 or less I wouldn't risk having no warranty or support.
Get yours from the same places I do and you won't have a problem, but if you take the risk of getting yours elsewhere, be sure to check everything while you still can return it.
Performance top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications USA Version Performance
Overall Autofocus Manual Focus Breathing Bokeh
Distortion Ergonomics Eyeblow Falloff Filters
Flare & Ghosts Lateral Color Fringes Corrections
Macro Maximum & Minimum Apertures Mechanics
Sharpness Spherochromatism Stabilization
Sunstars Teleconverters Tripod Collar
I already have my 28-400mm because I ordered it at B&H the day it came out. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It's hard to get because it's in such great demand, so order it and be patient as I did.
Overall performance top
The Z 28-400mm is a very compact ultra-zoom. It's easy to use, excepting its lack of AF/MF and VR switches, and offers great optics as well.
The biggest sharpness limitation isn't this lens, it's atmospheric heat shimmer which can degrade the sharpness of any ultra-tele shot.
Autofocus performance top
Autofocus is fast enough at most focal lengths, but slows down as one approaches the 400mm end.
Nikon's cameras are the biggest limitation in the autofocus system.
Focus hums slightly as the lens' internals motor around. It should be silent under most ordinary conditions.
Manual Focus performance top
Manual focusing is entirely electronic; the manual focus ring isn't connected to anything other than a digital encoder.
Just grab this electronic manual focus ring for instant manual-focus override anytime the camera is awake.
Better than any other brand, even if you're in AF-C and grab the manual-focus ring, it just swaps to manual focus instantly and stays in manual focus. Other brands will try to fight you for focus if you're in continuous AF, while this lens just does what you tell it to do. Bravo!
There is no AF/MF switch; you have to set this in a menu. Boo!
Focus Breathing performance top
Focus breathing is the image changing size as focused in and out. It's important to cinematographers that the image not breathe because it looks funny if the image changes size as focus gets pulled back and forth between actors. If the lens does this, the image "breathes" by growing and contracting slightly as the dialog goes back and forth.
The image from this lens grows slightly, and more so at longer focal lengths. Unless you're shooting at f/22 I doubt anyone would ever notice it; the defocus is usually much more than any breathing.
Bokeh performance top
Bokeh, the feel, character or quality of out-of-focus areas as opposed to how far out of focus they are, is ordinary. This is a slow lens so it never gets that far out of focus, so the quality of its out-of-focusness isn't particularly significant.
Here are photos from headshot distance wide-open at each focal length. I'm focused on the DAVIS logo. Click any for the © camera-original file:
Made-in-U. S. A. Davis 6357 Wireless Sensor Suite (use with WeatherLink console), 01 May 2024. Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 28-400mm at 1/1,250, 1/640, 1/400, 1/250 and 1/400 at Auto ISO 64, +0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.9, 14.9, 14.6, 14.4 and 14.3). Click any for the camera-original 26 MP © 3 MB file.
As always, if you want the softest backgrounds, shoot at 400mm at f/8 and get as close as possible.
Distortion performance top
Distortion is corrected electronically, so it's invisible at all settings except some minor to moderate barrel distortion at 28mm, and that's after in-camera correction
If you shoot raw data rather than JPG images, whatever software you use to create visible images from raw data may or may not correct the distortion as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
While Canon's own software probably also corrects this from RAW CR3 files, be warned that other brands of raw processing software probably won't correct the distortion, and Heaven only knows what distortion you may see then.
For more critical scientific use, use these corrections in Photoshop's lens correction filter to JPG images. No, I have no idea why my Z8 doesn't correct the distortion completely.
These aren't facts or specifications, they are the results of my research that requires hours of photography and calculations on the resulting data.
On Full-Frame at 30' (10m) |
Correction factor to use with images made with correction ON in Z8 |
28mm |
+1.50 |
35mm |
+0.70 |
50mm |
+1.00 |
70mm |
+0.60 |
105mm |
±0.00 |
200mm |
±0.00 |
300mm |
±0.00 |
400mm |
±0.00 |
© 2024 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.
Ergonomics performance top
At 28mm
|
|
Nikon Z 28-400mm VR. bigger. |
Nikon Z 28-400mm VR. bigger. |
At 400mm
|
|
Nikon Z 28-400mm VR. bigger. |
Nikon Z 28-400mm VR. bigger. |
It's mostly zoom ring, and the focal lengths are correctly spaced for fast and precise zooming.
There are no AF/MF or VR switches; you have to set these in menus, which are real bummers as it slows down shooting.
Eyeblow performance top
This lens pumps in and out a lot, and all that air has to go somewhere.
You'll feel wind blowing out of the crack along the card door hinge as you zoom back to the wide end, at least on my Z8. That hinge isn't weather-sealed, so the air comes in and out of there as you zoom in and out.
The funny thing is that this is the first lens that pumps so much air because of its huge zoom range that much of the zoom drag comes from the air having to pump in and out through your camera. Take the lens off your camera and it zooms much more easily!
Falloff performance top
Falloff is invisible in actual use. Even wide-open at 28mm it's only visible if you really go looking for it as I did here by shooting flat gray fields.
I've greatly exaggerated the falloff by shooting a gray field and placing these on a gray background; it will not look this bad in actual photos of real things:
Falloff on full-frame at infinity, correction at its default of ON:
© 2024 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
If you go out of your way to turn off the correction, or if you shoot raw data rather than JPG images and whatever software you use to create visible images from that raw data doesn't correct this as is done in-camera as JPGs, falloff is still commendably invisible except again at 28mm wide-open:
Falloff on full-frame at infinity, correction turned OFF:
© 2024 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved. |
Filters, use with performance top
There's no need for thin filters.
I can use a fat, rotating rotating 77mm polarizer or grad filter with no vignetting at any setting on full-frame — but just one, or maybe two thin ones, at 28mm.
I can stack more and more filters as I zoom longer and longer.
Be careful at 400mm. 400mm lenses are sensitive to poorly made filters. Check any filter your hope to use with this lens for flatness. Take photos with and without the filter, or even better, just hold it over the front of one side of a pair of binoculars or a small telescope. The image should be perfectly clear with or without the filter. If the filter is even slightly unflat, the image seen through the telescope will look awful! So long as it looks good when held in front of your scope, it will be perfect for pictures. This test instantly makes even slightly bad filters look absolutely awful, so if it looks OK through your scope, you're good.
Flare & Ghosts performance top
There are no more ghosts or flare than many other lenses. No surprises here.
See examples at Sunstars.
Lateral Color Fringes performance top
There are no color fringes as shot on Nikon cameras as JPG, which by default correct for any that may be there.
If you shoot raw and then use non-manufacturer software to process that data into images then there is the possibility that there might be some, but I doubt it.
Lens Corrections performance top
If you shoot raw data rather than JPG images, whatever software you use to create visible images from raw data may or may not correct these as is done in-camera as JPGs. You're on your own there; I don't bother with raw data.
The Z9, Z8, Z7 II, Z6 II, Zf, Z7, Z6, Z5, Z fc, Z50 and Z30 correct for any or all of distortion, diffraction and falloff (vignette control). Distortion control cannot be turned off, while diffraction and falloff (vignette control) correction can be changed.
The Z9, Z8, Z7 II, Z6 II, Zf, Z7, Z6, Z5, Z fc, Z50 and Z30 always correct for lateral color fringes (lateral chromatic aberration). This is part of Nikon's secret sauce and never appears in any menu.
Macro Performance performance top
It's about as sharp at macro distances as it is at regular distances.
Close-focus and maximum reproduction ratio varies with focal length. The largest magnification is rated at 0.35× (0.42× actual measured) at 28mm, then slacks off as you zoom longer because the close-focus distance pushes-out, and then becomes almost as large again at 400mm:
Close Focus (from image plane, indicated) |
Maximum Repro Ratio, measured |
Maximum Repro Ratio, specified |
|
| 28mm | 0.66' (0.2m)* |
0.42×* |
0.35×* |
| 35mm | 1' (0.3m) |
||
| 50mm | 1.4' (0.43 m) |
0.18× |
|
| 70mm | 1.6' (0.5 m) |
||
| 105mm | 2' (0.6 m) |
0.23× |
|
| 200mm | 2.6' (0.8 m) |
0.27× |
|
| 300mm | 4' (1.2m) |
||
| 400mm | 4' (1.2m) |
0.33× |
*It gets almost right up to the front of the lens at 28mm, and gives a huge magnification on-sensor. The problem is that that close it's hard to keep light on your subject, and any three-dimensional object looks funny that close.
While rated close-focus at 28mm seems impressive, it isn't useful for actual shooting because you have to be so close to the front of your lens that it's nearly impossible to get any light on your subject:
At close-focus distance at 28mm. bigger.
Ideally we want to shoot macro at the long end of the zoom range so we can have enough working distance for good perspective rendering and not to block our own lighting.
Wide-Open shots of my Casio G-Shock Solar Atomic Watch
At 28mm spherochromatism and some slight defocus leads to purple fringes on some lettering. bigger.
At 50mm it gets nowhere near as close. bigger.
Click any to enlarge.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5⅙× magnification) crops from the above
The purple fringes are from defocus and spherochromatism; if in better focus this effect is reduced.
Click any to enlarge.
If these 1,200 × 900 pixel crops are about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same magnification would be about 10½ × 15½" (0.9 × 1.3 feet or 25 × 40 cm).
If these 1,200 × 900 pixel crops are about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same high magnification would be about 21 × 31" (1.7 × 2.6 feet or 50 × 80 cm).
If these 1,200 × 900 pixel crops are about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 42 × 62" (3.5 × 5.2 feet or 1.05 × 1.6 meters).
Maximum & Minimum Apertures performance top
Maximum Aperture |
Minimum Aperture |
|
| 28mm | f/4 |
f/22 |
| 35mm | f/4.5 |
f/25 |
| 50mm | f/5.6 |
f/32 |
| 70mm | f/6 |
f/36 |
| 105mm | f/6.3 |
f/36 |
| 200mm | f/8 |
f/45 |
| 300mm | f/8 |
f/45 |
| 400mm | f/8 |
f/45 |
The Z 28-400mm is pretty stingy with its maximum apertures as you zoom. Even at 50mm it's already slowed to f/5.6, and its only f/8 from 200mm through 400mm. Oh well.
Mechanical Quality performance top
Nikon Z 28-400mm VR f/4 - f/8. bigger.
It's mostly plastic, with a metal mount.
Finish
Black plastic.
Hood
Plastic bayonet.
Front Bumper
None.
Filter Threads
Crappy plastic, easy to cross-thread.
Hood Bayonet Mount
Plastic.
Gold ED Band
None.
Barrel Exterior
Plastic.
Zoom Ring
Rubber-covered plastic.
Focus Ring
Hard plastic.
Slide Switches
None.
Tripod Collar
None needed.
Identity
Printed around front of lens just behind the hood mount, also printed on top of barrel.
Internals
Seem like all plastic.
Dust Gasket at Mount
Yes, but so what: an enormous amount of air pumps in and out the back of the lens into the body as you zoom. Gasketing the lens mount is just window dressing.
Mount
Aluminum.
Markings
Just paint; nothing's engraved except the serial number:
Serial Number
Nikon Z 28-400mm VR f/4 - f/8. bigger.
Laser engraved on bottom of barrel.
Date Code
None found.
Noises When Shaken
Mild to moderate clunking.
Made in
Made in China.
Sharpness performance top
Lens sharpness has nothing to do with picture sharpness; every lens made in the past 100 years is more than sharp enough to make super-sharp pictures if you know what you're doing. The only limitation to picture sharpness is your skill as a photographer. It's the least talented who spend the most time worrying about lens sharpness and blame crummy pictures on their equipment rather than themselves. Skilled photographers make great images with whatever camera is in their hands; I've made some of my best images of all time with an irreparably broken camera! Most pixels are thrown away before you see them, but camera makers don't want you to know that.
If you're not getting ultra-sharp pictures with this, be sure not to shoot at f/16 or smaller where all lenses are softer due to diffraction, always shoot at ISO 100 or below because cameras become softer at ISO 200 and above, avoid shooting across long distances over land which can lead to atmospheric heat shimmer, be sure everything is in perfect focus, set your camera's sharpening as you want it (I set mine to the maximum) and be sure nothing is moving, either camera or subject. If you want to ensure a soft image with any lens, shoot at f/22 or smaller at ISO 3,200 or above at default sharpening in daylight of subjects at differing distances in the same image.
People worry waaaaay too much about lens sharpness. It's not 1968 anymore when lenses often weren't that sharp and there could be significant differences among them; ever since about 2010 all new lenses are all pretty much equally fantastic.
This lens is sharp, limited of course by diffraction at the smallest apertures and atmospheric heat shimmer at the longest zoom settings.
Avoid f/22 and smaller unless you really need them for extreme depth of field because diffraction takes its toll. See also How to Calculate the Sharpest Aperture.
At 400mm at f/8 it readily enlarges the effects of atmospheric heat shimmer, and almost all my shots made of things on the ground simply show these softening effects, which are no fault of the lens other than its ability to magnify this effect enough for us to see it:
Del Mar as seen from a mile away at Torrey Pines State Reserve, La Jolla, California, 3:57 PM, Sunday, 28 April 2024. Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 28-400mm at 400mm wide-open at f/8 hand-held at 1/400 at Auto ISO 180 (LV 13.8), Radiant Photo software. bigger or full-resolution 45 MP © 5½ MB JPG image.
This 400mm lens is roughly similar to a 10× telescope, depending on how large you're seeing this image.
Heat shimmer is an atmospheric effect that distorts images exactly as waves do when looking under water from above. Here's a 7× enlargement from the center of the above image, which is roughly similar to looking through a 70× telescope:
1,200 × 900 pixel (6.9× magnification) crop from above. bigger or full-resolution 45 MP © 5½ MB JPG image.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a large 14 × 21″ (35 × 55 cm) at this same high magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a huge 27½ × 41¼″ (70 × 105 cm) at this same high magnification.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at a mammoth 55 × 82½″ (1.4 × 2.1 meters) at this same extremely high magnification!
For you folks on iPhones, here's an 18× enlargement, roughly similar to looking through a 180× scope:
460 × 460 pixel (18× magnification) crop from above. No, this is not a special effects filter; the air is doing this! bigger or full-resolution 45 MP © 5½ MB JPG image.
Looking up and out of the shimmer, it's sharp:
Crane, 12:16 PM, Saturday, 20 April 2024. Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 28-400mm at 400mm wide-open at f/8 hand-held at 1/400 at Auto ISO 140 (LV 14⅙), exactly as shot. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5⅙× magnification) crop from above. bigger or camera-original © JPG file.
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same large magnification would be about 10 × 15" (25 × 38cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 20 × 30" (50 × 75cm).
If this 1,200 × 900 pixel crop is about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same insanely high magnification would be about 40 × 60" (1 × 1.5 meters).
Springtime Wildflowers, 10:40 AM, Wednesday, 01 May 2024. Nikon Z8, Nikon Z 28-400mm at 400mm wide-open at f/8 hand-held at 1/400 at Auto ISO 72, -0.7 stops exposure compensation (LV 15.1), Radiant Photo software. bigger or full-resolution 45 MP © 9 MB JPG image.
This shot pretty much sums up sharpness at 400mm. This is not all in focus; it's a slope of flowers so the top and bottom (and thus the corners) aren't in focus, but if you look at the full-resolution 45 MP © 9 MB JPG image you'll see the center is sharp and the sides are a little softer, but still perfectly swell pictorially; it's rare that we ever need corner-to-corner sharpness with telephoto shots as nothing is usually in focus out there anyway. Ignore the out-of-focus areas, but those are also typical: any real-world photo is going to have out-of-focus areas at 400mm, at which depth-of-field is minimal with any lens.
If the somewhat softer corners at longer settings matter, consider the huge and inexpensive Z 180-600mm, which is ultrasharp everywhere at every setting — but only covers a fraction of this 28-400mm's range.
What I'm not showing is the great majority of my terrestrial images that are soft from heat shimmer; that's nature's fault and not this lens.'
In the case of this lens, the 28-400mm at long settings is usually much sharper than the air through which I'm shooting if I'm outside and shooting at any distance, which is why we often use the 400mm end.
You can test for heat shimmer by making multiple shots of straight lines far away, typically buildings. Make a few shots and play them back and you'll see random regions of blur that are different from shot to shot, and straight lines on buildings that look wavy.
In general with heat shimmer, all my shots are sharp up to around 105~200mm, and as I zoom beyond 200mm these softening effects become more obvious.
Heat shimmer aside, the age old question is is it better to crop from a flawless 200mm lens, or use a cheap 400mm lens? I've tried this with the much softer Tamron 18-400mm, and it was obvious: even a crappy 400mm lens is still sharper than cropping from a superb 200mm lens, and this 28-400mm is far from crappy.
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MTF at 28mm at f/4. |
MTF at 400mm at f/8. |
Spherochromatism performance top
Spherochromatism, also called secondary spherical chromatic aberration or "color bokeh," is an advanced form of spherical and chromatic aberration in a different dimension than lateral chromatic aberration. It happens mostly in fast normal and tele lenses when spherical aberration at the ends of the color spectrum are corrected differently than in the middle of the spectrum. Spherochromatism can cause colored fringes on out-of-focus highlights, usually seen as green fringes on backgrounds and magenta fringes on foregrounds. Spherochromatism is common in fast lenses of moderate focal length when shooting contrasty items at full aperture. It goes away as stopped down.
It has a small amount of spherochromatism. It's pretty slow so I didn't expect to see much.
Here are shots of a slightly angled Mondaine A132.30348.11SBB at close-focus distance wide-open, 24 April 2024:
A slightly angled Mondaine A132.30348.11SBB at close-focus distance wide-open, 24 April 2024. Click any to enlarge.
1,200 × 900 pixel (5⅙× magnification) crops from the above:
1,200 × 900 pixel (5⅙× magnification) crops from above. Click any to enlarge.
If these 1,200 × 900 pixel crops are about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same magnification would be about 10½ × 15½" (0.9 × 1.3 feet or 25 × 40 cm).
If these 1,200 × 900 pixel crops are about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same high magnification would be about 21 × 31" (1.7 × 2.6 feet or 50 × 80 cm).
If these 1,200 × 900 pixel crops are about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, then the complete image printed at this same extreme magnification would be about 42 × 62" (3.5 × 5.2 feet or 1.05 × 1.6 meters).
Image Stabilization (VR) performance top
Optical Image Stabilization (OIS, IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)) works great. I get three to five stops of real-world improvement on my internally stabilized Z8.
I can get perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness almost all of the time at 1/4 at 28mm, 1/8 at 50mm and 105mm, 1/15 at 200mm and 1/30 at 400mm.
Bravo!
"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of hand-held, free-standing with no support or bracing, frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness as viewed at 300%. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed.
This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp are all the frames:
At 28mm on Stabilized Z8
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 1s |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
27 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
67 |
83 |
100 |
100 |
I see a 3½ stop real-world improvement.
At 50mm on Stabilized Z8
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 1s |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
0 |
57 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
29 |
67 |
71 |
100 |
I see a 3⅔ stop real-world improvement.
At 105mm on Stabilized Z8
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
1/500 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
22 |
86 |
88 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
17 |
86 |
100 |
I see a 5 stop real-world improvement.
At 200mm on Stabilized Z8
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
1/500 |
1/1,000 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
24 |
33 |
75 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
0 |
57 |
86 |
100 |
I see a 4¾ stop real-world improvement.
At 400mm on Stabilized Z8
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
1/500 |
1/1,000 |
1/2,000 |
| Stabilization ON | 0 |
50 |
75 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
0 |
17 |
67 |
83 |
100 |
I see a 4¾ stop real-world improvement.
Sunstars performance top
With a 9-bladed rounded diaphragm, I get excellent 18-point sunstars on brilliant points of light mostly at the smallest apertures.
Ignore the crazy rainbow dots at small apertures; these are sensor artifacts caused by taking a picture directly of the sun and exposing for the dark underside of a huge palm tree, and using that same palm tree to hide the sky to accentuate the stars.
Click any to enlarge:
Click any to enlarge.
Teleconverters performance top
NO teleconverters work with this lens. The rear elements come too close to the mount to allow converters to poke up into the lens as they must.
This lens is so long and slow that teleconverters wouldn't serve that well anyway; an 800mm f/16 lens is difficult to use.
The great thing about this lens is that it zooms right out to 400mm without needing a teleconverter as you would with a 200mm lens.
Tripod Collar performance top
There's no tripod collar available or needed.
This lens has a long focal length, but it's so light no collar is needed.
I can hold my camera with one hand and shoot without needing to support the lens, but I have big, strong hands.
Compared top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications USA Version Performance
I already have my 28-400mm because I ordered it at B&H the day it came out. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It's hard to get because it's in such great demand, so order it and be patient as I did.
This lens is so small and light that it's smaller and lighter than the ultralight Z 70-180mm f/2.8!
To me 28mm and 24mm are the same. The choice of this lens versus the Z 24-200mm VR comes down to if you want to go to 400mm more than you appreciate the smaller size, weight and price of the Z 24-200mm VR.
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Introduced |
12 February 2020 |
27 March 2024 |
19 August 2010 |
21 June 2023 |
Maximum Apertures |
f/2.8 |
|||
Stabilizer |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Filter |
||||
Close Focus |
1.6' (0.5m) at 24mm 2.3' (0.7m) at 200mm |
1.6' (0.5m) at 28mm 1.6' (0.5m) at 300mm |
0.9' (0.27m) at 70mm 2.8' (0.85m) at 180mm |
|
Max. Repro. Ratio, rated |
0.28× at 200mm |
0.31× at 300mm |
0.48× at 70mm |
|
AF/MF Switch |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
VR Stabilization |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
VR Switch |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
Length (at wide) |
4.5" (114mm) |
5.6" (142mm) |
4.5 + 1.2 = 5.7" 115 + 30 = 145mm |
5.9" (151mm) |
Weight |
19.9 oz. (565g) |
25.6 oz. (725g) |
28.1 + 4.4 = 32.5 oz. 796 + 125 = 921g |
28.0 oz. (795g) |
Price, 3/2024 |
about $400 used* + $249 = $649 |
|||
Price, 4/2024 |
about $400 used* + $249 = $649 |
|||
Price, 5/2024 |
about $400 used* + $249 = $649 |
* If you know How to Win at eBay.
Versus the AF-S 28-300mm VR
It turns out as you can see from the table above that the AF-S 28-300mm VR on an FTZ is about the same size, and doesn't weigh that much more than this 28-400mm in exchange for an extra stop of speed at most settings. Here's how similar they are in size, complete with the necessary adapter:
Nikon Z 28-400mm VR compared to AF-S 28-300mm VR on FTZ. bigger.
I actually took these out to the range and shot them against each other, and the Z 28-400mm VR is sharper in the cases where I can see any difference.
The practical difference comes down to if you need the extra stop of speed at most focal lengths (f/5.6 versus f/8) in exchange for a little more weight.
Recommendations top
Sample Images Intro New Good Bad Missing
Specifications USA Version Performance
I already have my 28-400mm because I ordered it at B&H the day it came out. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It's hard to get because it's in such great demand, so order it and be patient as I did.
If you're planning to take this on vacation later this year, be sure you have yours on order now so you can hope to get it in time.
It's not 2004 anymore. Today ultrazoom lenses like this give great performance on mirrorless unlike anything we've seen before on DSLRs. Hit the road, go on your safari or cruise ship vacation with just this one lens and you're set — and will get far better long shots than you ever could get with any iPhone.
I use a clear (UV) protective filter instead of a cap (exactly like an iPhone) so I'm always ready to shoot instantly. I only use a cap when I throw this in a bag with other gear without padding — which is never. The UV filter never gets in the way, and never gets lost, either.
The best protective filter is the 77mm Hoya multicoated HD3 UV which uses hardened glass and repels dirt and fingerprints.
For less money, the the B+W multicoated 010 MRC is an excellent filter, as is the 77mm Nikon Clear (NC - UV) and the basic multicoated 77mm Hoya UV filter, but the Hoya HD3 is the toughest and the best.
Filters last a lifetime, so you may as well get the best. The Hoya HD3 stays cleaner than the others since it repels oil and dirt, and will outlast this lens.
All these filters are just as sharp and take the same pictures, the difference is how much abuse they'll take and stay clean and stay in one piece. Since filters last a lifetime or more, there's no reason not to buy the best as it will last you for the next 40 years. Filters aren't throwaways like digital cameras which we replace every few years, like it or not. I'm still using filters I bought back in the 1970s!
I already have my 28-400mm because I ordered it at B&H the day it came out. I'd also get it at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay. It's hard to get because it's in such great demand, so order it and be patient as I did.
This 100% all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to my personally approved sources I've used myself for way over 100 combined years when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you take the chance of getting it elsewhere. Nikon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, dropped, incomplete, gray-market, store demo or used lens — and my personally approved sources allow for 100% cash-back returns for at least 30 days if you don't love your new lens. I've used many of these sources since the 1970s because I can try it in my own hands and return it if I don't love it, and because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new lens before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I've used myself for decades for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken.
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