For action, sports and wildlife photography, you often can’t get as close as you’d like. A super-telephoto lens enables you to cover the distance and bridge the gap. As featured back in December’s Big Test (issue 157), there are plenty of super-tele zooms to choose from, with focal lengths that stretch to 400mm, 500mm or 600mm at the long end. With prices starting at £699/$699, some of them make good budget buys, such as the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C and Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD, so why would you want to spend up to 20 times as much on a super-tele prime lens?
In a word, the answer is ‘quality’. Top-flight super-tele primes are built to last a lifetime and withstand being put through their paces on a regular basis by the most demanding professional photographers, time after time. These primes are also typically designed to deliver the very finest image quality and the best overall performance. That’s a moot point if you don’t happen to have a huge wodge of cash lying around, to blow on a lens. However, there’s a lot to be said for hiring a highperformance lens for special occasions, as and when you need it, rather than owning one outright. And some of the lenses in this issue’s Big Test are relatively affordable.
The contenders
Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S £2849/$2997
Nikon AF-S 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR £3229/$3597
Sigma 500mm f/4 DG OS HSM Sports £4699/$5999
Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S £4999/$4797
Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S £5799/$5997
Nikon AF-S 500mm f/4E FL ED VR £10,999/$10,297
Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4E FL ED VR £12,099/$12,297
Nikon AF-S 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR £12,199/$11,197
Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S £13,499/$13,997
Nikon Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S £15,499/$15,497
Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S
£2849/$2997
It might lack the extra-large telephoto reach of some other lenses on test but it’s the all-time smallest and lightest Nikon 400mm prime
Amazingly compact and lightweight for a 400mm prime, this one weighs in at just 1245g. That’s pretty impressive considering that it has a faster aperture rating than some of the other lenses on test, albeit with a less generous focal length. Either way, it packs 19 optical elements, including one ED (Extra-low Dispersion), two Super ED and an SR (Shortwavelength Refractive) element, aiming for enhanced clarity and colour rendition with minimal chromatic aberrations. Nano Crystal Coat is applied to fend off ghosting and flare, and a keep-clean fluorine coating is applied to the front element.
Autofocus is based on a pair of virtually silent linear stepping motors working in tandem, which are typically fast for stills and smooth for video. Voice coil motors for optical image stabilization enable 5.5-stop optical VR, rising to 6-stop effectiveness in Synchro VR mode with full-frame Nikon Z system cameras.
Handling bonuses include two control rings, a Lensfunction button at the rear and a rank of four Lens-function 2 buttons towards the front, all of which can be customized. You also get an A/M focus switch, autofocus range limiter and a focus Memory Set button.
Performance
Autofocus is super-fast and highly accurate, while optical image stabilization is highly effective. It’s a powerful combination that ensures an excellent hit rate,
