Nikon has launched a new telephoto lens, the NIKKOR Z 800mm f6.3 VR S. It’s a full-frame lens for cameras with Nikon’s Z mount. The new lens is also an S-Line lens which means it is a premium lens with superior image quality.
Lightweight
The NIKKOR Z 800mm lens weighs only 5.25 pounds which is lightweight for such a long focal length lens. Nikon claim it is around 50 percent lighter than the AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR when used with the Mount Adapter FTZ. The lens is just over 15 inches long, and Nikon has designed it to be a handheld lens you can use. As such, the center of gravity of the NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S is now toward the rear of the lens.
Optical design
Nikon states the secret to the NIKKOR Z 800mm lens’s lightweight is the Phase Fresnel element, which allows the lens to be lighter and shorter with fewer elements. The lens also has three Extra-low Dispersion (ED) elements and one Short-wavelength Refractive (SR) element. Nikon claims this means that axial chromatic aberration is virtually eliminated. The lens also has a Nano Crystal Coat (N) to help eliminate internal reflections and cross-lighting.
DX crop mode
The NIKKOR Z 800mm lens is compatible with Nikon’s 1.4x and 2x Z series teleconverters. You can use these to increase your effective focal length to 1120 mm and 1600 mm, respectively. In addition, you can use DX Crop mode to get an angle of view equivalent to 1.5x the focal length. This equates to 1200 mm and up to 2400 mm when using a Z series teleconverter.
Optical stabilization
The NIKKOR Z 800mm lens has Nikon’s VR optical image stabilization. This provides up to 5 stops of image stabilization on its own. This increases up to 5.5 stops when combined with the Nikon Z9, which has in-camera stabilization as well.
Autofocus
Nikon has optimized the NIKKOR Z 800mm lens’ autofocus for shooting fast-moving objects in still and video modes. It has an extremely quiet high-speed Stepping Motor (STM), which is ideal for video recording. In addition, you can assign a focus position to a function button, allowing you to snap back to the saved position for a focus pull effect.
Pricing and availability
The NIKKOR Z 800mm f6.3 VR S lens is available for pre-order now. It has a retail price of $6499.
