Nikon’s latest full-frame lens is its most versatile yet, with a whopping 14.2x optical zoom covering the focal length of 28-400mm. That optical zoom range beats every other full-frame lens and smartphone today – not to mention digital zooms like Samsung’s 30-100x Space Zoom.
Optically, it’s unlikely that the Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR will be one of the best Nikon Z lenses – it’s not an S lens (Nikon’s nomenclature for its professional lenses), after all, but it’s certainly the most versatile and could be the only lens you need when traveling.
At the wide end, the 28-400mm resembles the perspective of your phone’s main camera – ideal for everyday observations, but the 14.2x optical zoom goes far beyond anything else on the market, up to 400mm. That’s plenty close enough for nature photos or capturing details of landmarks you simply can’t get close to.
When shooting at 400 mm you need a steady hand, so it is useful that the 28-400 mm is equipped with optical stabilization up to 5 stops, or 5.5 stops when used with a Nikon Z camera with Synchro VR, such as the Nikon Z6 II, with current firmware (see below).
The versatility of the 28-400mm lens goes beyond its zoom capabilities: you also get excellent close focus out to 1.2 meters at the telephoto end and a maximum reproduction ratio of 0.35x – that’s some serious skill in the field of close-up photography.
A travel lens is no good if it’s too heavy, and thankfully the 28-400mm weighs just 725 grams, and should balance out nicely, especially with one of Nikon’s DSLR-style mirrorless cameras, like the Nikon Z5.
It also features rubber seals around the mount and lens barrel to prevent dust and water from entering the camera and lens. The design itself is quite simple: an adjustable control ring and a zoom ring with zoom lock to keep it securely in place when stored on the go.
The Nikon Z 28-400mm sales start date is April 2024 and the list price is £1,299 (we’ll add official US and Australian prices when we get it, but that works out to around $1,640 / AU$ 2,510).
There are some full-frame lenses with around 10x optical zoom and more for the APS-C format, but the Nikon 28-400mm goes one step further with 14x optical zoom. Such ultra-versatile zoom lenses lack the detail quality you get with a prime lens, but with today’s best AI image editors you can add a bit of sharpness and reduce noise, which only adds to the appeal of the 28-400mm lens makes it stronger. If you don’t mind those compromises, this really could be the only Nikon lens you need.