NIKKOR Z 100-400MM F/4.5-5.6 VR S for Landscape Photography
Image captured at 300mm. Notice how telephoto compression turns the sand dunes into abstract lines.
When we think landscape photography, we often imagine wide sweeping vistas, eye-watering landscapes that stretch to the horizon, photos with great depth and distance. So we reach for our wide angle lenses (24mm or wider) when shooting landscapes, hoping to include as much of the scenery as possible in a single frame.
That said, does a long telephoto lens have its place in landscape photography?
NIKKOR Z 100-400 F4.5-5.6, captured at 185mm, iso 400, f9, 1/640s handheld on a foggy morning
To answer that question, I managed to get a hold of the NIKKOR Z 100-400 F4.5-5.6 from Nikon Singapore and brought it with me on a 17 day road trip to San Francisco, Yosemite, Death Valley, Arches, Bryce and Canyonlands National Parks.
Sunrise at Bryce Canyon, iso125, 100mm, f13, 1/3s
Introduction
The NIKKOR Z 100-400mm lens is a versatile and high-quality lens that is well suited for a wide range of photography applications. One of the standout features of this lens is its zoom range, which allows you to capture everything from landscape details to distant wildlife with ease. The lens also boasts excellent sharpness and detail, even at the longer end of the zoom range.
Black-tail deer roaming at Point Reyes, CA, iso320, 400mm, f5.6, 1/2000s.
Size and Weight
The NIKKOR Z 100-400mm lens weighs approximately 1,435g with tripod collar, and measures approximately 98mm maximum diameter x 222mm. That places it larger than the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm F2.8 only by the slightest of margins. Delightfully, it also has a 77mm lens diameter; the size commonly regarded as the standard for professional filters. As a landscape photographer who rarely shoots at wide apertures of F2.8, the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm effectively replaces the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm F2.8 in my toolkit. Read on to find out how it performs!
The NIKKOR 100-400 F4.6-5.6 S is quite similar in size to the NIKKOR 70-200 F2.8 S lens.
Weather Sealing
Having the lens on a landscape photography road trip was the ultimate durability test. The coldest temperature I experienced during this trip was -15°C, on a snowy sunrise at Bryce Canyon. My finger tips turned purple, my teeth were chattering and I suffered the regret of leaving the warm comfort of the car, but the lens suffered no degradation whatsoever.
Next up, the powdery slopes of the Mesquite Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park, which had me worried about tiny sand particles taking up residence in the nooks and crannies of my gear. It’s worth mentioning here that the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm, unfortunately is an external-zoom lens. That means that it expands or retracts when the zoom ring is rotated. I’m not a fan of this mechanism, as parts of the lens is exposed when zoomed out. The benefit of this design is that the overall size of the lens can be kept smaller. Fortunately, Nikon’s brilliant weather sealing shines here. It took only a brief dusting to get rid of any sand on the external surfaces of the lens, and as far as I can tell, no foreign particles managed to seep their way into the inner workings of the lens. Most impressive.
Death Valley National Park, CA, iso320, 400mm, f9, 1/400s, note that atmospheric haze is evident in this image.
Design and Controls
Similar to the high end Nikkor Z lenses with the “S” designation, the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm has a LED display at the top of the lens that can display aperture, focus distance and focal length. I’ve yet to find this feature useful in any of my Nikkor Z lenses. The lens also has 2 customisable L-Fn buttons, and a control ring. I find it quite easy to accidentally change a setting on the control ring, and have not found a purpose for the customisable buttons for landscape photography, though you can customisable one of the buttons to recall focus, which may be useful if you’re shooting sports or birds. As is the case is for many long telephotos of this type, the lens boast a 5.5 stop Vibration Reduction, which is really handy in a pinch if you have to frame a shot without a tripod.
Image Quality and Sharpness
Unsurprisingly, the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm really shines in this area. Even when paired with the 45.7 megapixel Nikon Z7ii, the lens does not falter, producing astoundingly sharp images with incredibly pleasing sharpness and detail. Backlit images show little perceivable fringing and out of focus areas produce a smooth pleasing bokeh.
Random dog, iso400, 260mm, f5, 1/640s
I’ll be remiss if I fail to point this out. Just for fun, I coupled this lens with the Nikon Z 2 X TC for a resultant 800mm focal length. It was nearly impossible to get a sharp image in strong winds in this combination as the faintest movement will result in a blurry image. Of course, this is inherent to all extreme telephoto lenses, especially if your tripod is not suitable to handle such a load.
Golden Gate Bridge, NIKKOR 100-400mm with 2 X TC, iso64, 700mm, f/16, 3s
Autofocus
Autofocus performance is decent. In most lighting conditions the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm acquires focus quickly and accurately. In low light situations, however, the lens does spend an unfortunate amount of time hunting. This is exacerbated at the 400mm range, when the least amount of light is exposed to the sensor. For a landscape photographer, this isn’t an issue but if you’re considering this lens for birding or for fast paced sports, you might consider other options like the NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S, albeit for a much higher price.
Black-tail deer at Point Reyes, iso320, 400mm, f5.6, 1/3200s
Telephoto for Landscape
Does this lens have its place in the landscape photographer’s toolkit? After this experience, my answer is a resounding “yes”! I’ve had great joy shooting landscapes with this lens. Due to the telephoto compression, distant sand dunes become curved lines, and with the right and skilful composition, is turned into works of abstract art. The scene is also simplified, allowing the photographer to capture details that are usually not accessible without a long lens. Use this lens to emphasise patterns of buildings in the distant cityscape, or to frame a mountaintop shrouded in fog. This unique perspective cannot be achieved with a wide angle lens.
Foggy morning in San Francisco, iso250, 350mm, f9, 1/800s
Conclusion
As a landscape photographer, my collection of lenses is ever evolving and the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm has found a permanent spot in my camera bag. This is due to its reasonably good size and weight, the indispensable focal length it provides and the amazing performance it delivers across its focal range. The current price point is $4,099 SGD (source: Nikon Singapore) and I love forward to producing more images with this wonderful tool in the future.
Full Disclosure: Zachary Lai is an official Nikon Creator supported by Nikon Singapore. The opinions above are my own.
