NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S

I'm a Nikon user for decades. I went mirrorless about a year ago, and I've wanted a longer lens for awhile. Just picked up this lens today, after watching other user's reviews.First impressions: It's really small and light! Should be easy to handhold. Focus is super fast, and looks extremely sharp across the whole frame.I've only had it a short time so far, but I am pleased with it, and would recommend it to anyone.

This Instrument is simply Stunning. Image Quality,AF speed, Color reproduction, Weight transfer, Camera Feel when attached. I could go on & on but this lens is truly unique and one of A Kind!!! The quality of experience could have easily been priced higher for the amount of bokeh and quality of images this lens produces!!!

The nikon Z lenses are very good but I think I'm more delighted with this one than with any of the others I own. I do not own the 500mm PF so for me this lens opens up a new world of practicality due to its small size and weight, and it produces stunning results hand-held. Results are good with the 1.4x TC as well - good enough that I do take the TC with me when I carry this lens. I really am in love with this lens, to me it's worth every penny.

I was organized and got my preorder in within 10 minutes of them being opened! I got mine July 19th and it hasn’t come off my Z7II since. Opening the box it’s the same lens packaging as all Z lens. But picking this lens up for the first time I was struck my it’s weight and just how solid it feels. The 400mm weighs 10oz (283g) less than the f-mount 500mm PF but adding the FTZ adapter adds another 4.8oz (183g) bring the total up to 14.8oz (418.5g). The build quality is right in line with all the other S Line products I’ve owned. If you shake or jiggle the lens there is no sound at all. Solid. The placement of the grips & function buttons feels just like the Nikkor Z 70-200 F2.8 S which is to say perfect, for me . The lens hood is a click lock and click release type and has an excellent grippy and protecty (not a word I know) thick rubber ring on the end. I use it to hold onto when panning the lens quickly. The combination of this lenses VR with the cameras is the best I’ve I’ve taken sharp images at 1/80 of a second braced against a tree. The autofocus speed and tracking with the 400mm on my Z7Ii is better than the 500 PF and FTZ adapter on the same camera. The image quality is excellent. I love the bokeh and it is superior in every way to the bokeh of the 500mm PF IMO. The transitions from in focus to out of focus are smooth and pleasing. Get as close to your subject as possible and shoot with a distant background and all detail fades away and is left looking stunning, One last thing though I’ve got a story about the build quality of this lens and of the Z7II.I was at a local preserve looking walking into a spot carrying my Z7II with the 400mm f4.5S attached. After a few minutes of walking I felt a little heat on my hand so I looked down and I saw several hornets on my hand. Then they all stung at once I think because the pain cause me to reflexively release my grip causing my to throw the combo about 12ft from waist height. Unfortunately for my body I was stung another 7 times after the 4 on the top of my right hand. Fortunately for me the people at Nikon know how to make a gear that just keeps working even when you try to break it like me. I was walking in a pine forest in Maine that has one of those spongy soft floors that pine forests produce so that helped a little too. That being said I was convinced I’d just broken both the lens and the Clare but Once I picked up the camera I turned the power off then on and it started right up and the lens works just fine. That is impressive. Ive always had confidence in my Nikon gear but that just went up a notch. This lens is my new best friend and we are going to make a ton of great images together.My one complaint is the silly cloth they give you as a “case”. Nikon I humbly ask you to please stop using cloth “cases” for your stunning line of Z mount lenses. They and we your customers deserve better. Kip

Really lightweight ans easy to carry around, lighter than my 70-200mm Z. I have been using this for about a week now and im in love, i use it with my Z9 and Zfc, and with the last one i have the lighter 600mm f4.5 of the world i think, its great, i have done a review of image quality in my YTchannel Eliud Gil Samaniego if you like to see, i will do more. Also tested it with the 2x tc and also works great, the IQ is not that compromised as i expected.