Panasonic Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 Macro OIS: Two-minute review

It has been said in the past that the selection of lenses for the L-Mount is too limited, however that can no longer be argued. Alongside the wide range of prime lenses, macro lenses, and high-performance zooms, there have been some key releases that have solved a real-world problem for everyday photographers. The Panasonic 28-200mm f/4-7.1 Macro OIS is just such a lens: it has come in as an answer to all of the photography enthusiasts and wanderlusters that want one lens that is compact, durable, versatile and affordable.

In all honesty, I have a rather low opinion of super-zooms as I feel they tend to sacrifice everything on the altar of versatility. This lens has somehow avoided that, maintaining impressive sharpness, autofocus performance, stabilization and build quality, despite its huge zoom range and compact size. Instead of sacrificing all of these things, Panasonic made the decision to make one key compromise: the aperture speed.

In a world of lenses like the Sigma 50mm f/1.2, many people will look at the range of f/4-7.1 and dismiss the 28-200mm out of hand, but that would be a mistake. The poor low-light performance is mitigated by the excellent Panasonic camera bodies, which offer Dual Native ISO and internal stabilization that means both photos and videos can be well exposed in low light without the issue of noise creeping in.

The only thing that cannot be overcome is the lack of subject separation at most focal lengths, meaning that this lens will not produce a large amount of bokeh unless you are taking advantage of the compression at 200mm.

So, portrait photographers aside, this lens will cater to a wide range of people, from landscape photographers to travel enthusiasts who don’t want to have to spend $2,000 / £2,000 / AU$3,500 on lenses to get the coverage they need. With dust- and weather-sealing included, there is little reason not to get this lens for your next holiday, and leave the rest at home.

Panasonic Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 Macro OIS: price and availability

• Costs $899 / £899 / AU$1,599
• Available to buy now
• Lens hood is supplied

The Panasonic Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 Macro OIS was announced on March 26 2024, and costs $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 – a reasonable price for such a versatile lens. 

There's no real Panasonic alternative that covers both wide and telephoto focal lengths, with the 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 covering the wide to standard end, and the 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 the telephoto end. The 24-105mm is a decent alternative for pros, but it's an altogether proposition, being weightier and pricier. 

Panasonic Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 Macro OIS: design

• Decent balance with Lumix cameras
• 7x optical zoom
• Optical image stablization included
• Rubber-sealed and weather resistant

The small size and light weight of the Panasonic 28-200mm is immediately noticeable, and it balances very comfortably on cameras like the Panasonic Lumix S5 II. It is primarily a plastic build; however it doesn’t feel cheap or flimsy, with smooth resistance on both the focus and zoom rings. 

There are just a couple of switches on the lens, including one for the OIS, which provides an excellent 6.5 stops of stabilization, coupled with an AF - MF selector switch. The metal mount and weather seal further enhance its credentials as a one-and-done travel lens. 

I like the fact that the lens is slimmer than many zooms, with just a 67mm front thread, much like my beloved Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8. I find the large diameter of lenses like the Panasonic 24-105mm F4 to be unwieldy and uncomfortable, making you feel like you are carrying a far bulkier setup when travelling. Whipping my Lumix S5 II in and out of my side bag with this lens on was quick and easy, and it encouraged me to take more photos without feeling conspicuous. 

Panasonic Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 Macro OIS: Performance

• Just 14.6oz / 413g
• Impressive closeup photography ability with up to 0.5x magnification 
• Moderate flare and ghosting

Panasonic has been clever here: by offering what could be described as an unimpressive aperture range, f/4-7.1, it has allowed the lens to not only be compact, but also sharp and free of most image quality issues. 

Professional photographers know that prime lenses are almost always sharper than zooms. However, their f/1.4 or f/1.8 apertures also cause chromatic aberration and fringing, as well as softness in the corners that is expensive to correct for. These are a non-issue with the 28-200mm, as the aperture range allows the lens to remain sharp from corner to corner, with no chromatic aberration or unwanted rendering elements that I could find.

The fact that this lens also offers macro capabilities is remarkable, and I was pretty stunned to see how close I could get to a subject while still being able to focus. At 28mm, I could capture something just 1.2in / 3cm away from the front element, which created sharp images with wonderfully soft out-of-focus areas.

Of course this won’t be the lens for serious macro photographers who need the reproduction ratio of lenses like the Panasonic S 100mm F2.8, but it is a great added feature for those who want one lens to cover all their bases.

Autofocus speed and accuracy has been one of the key upgrades to the newer Panasonic line of cameras, and this lens doesn’t let down the team here either. Although it uses a linear motor, instead of the smoother stepping motors found in some of Panasonic’s other lenses, it snaps to the subject quickly and holds focus very well when zooming in and out.

I did have a few issues with unpleasant flaring and ghosting when shooting into the sun, which is common in super-zooms, so I would make sure to use the included lens hood when in those situations.

Panasonic Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 Macro OIS: sample images

Should I buy the Panasonic Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 Macro OIS?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Panasonic Lumix S 28-200mm F4-7.1 Macro OIS

• A mixture of landscape, wildlife and portrait photography
• Used in changeable weather

Panasonic was kind enough to let me take this lens around southern Egypt, where I put it through its paces for real-world travel photography on my Lumix S5 II. From the desert to the Nile, it came with me on boats, camels, to the hotel poolside and through the local streets and markets. For the days I was testing it, I didn’t use any other lenses and relied solely on it for all the moments I wanted to capture. While I take care of my kit, I certainly don’t baby it, and I got to test the ruggedness of the lens along with its performance. 

• First reviewed in June 2024

OM System M.Zuiko Digital 150-600mm F5.0-6.3 IS: two-minute review

With an equivalent focal range of 300-1200mm, the OM System M.Zuiko Digital 150-600mm F5.0-6.3 IS is a wildlife photographer’s dream. Small and distant subjects are suddenly thrust into the limelight, while mind-blowingly effective Image Stabilization steadies the viewfinder image and makes it possible to shoot handheld at much slower shutter speeds than should be possible. What more could you possibly want or need in this type of lens?

The 150-600mm focal range has become extremely popular in the past 10 years or so with enthusiast photographers, who can enjoy the long reach at a much more affordable price than professional telephoto prime lenses. There's a slight trade-off in maximum aperture and image quality from those pro telephoto prime lenses, but the money saved and versatility afforded is usually worth the compromise.

The M.Zuiko Digital 150-600mm is not inexpensive at $2700 / £2499 / AU$4099, and it’s only marginally less expensive than the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm f4 IS PRO. The latter is an optically superior lens with an equivalent focal length of 600mm paired with that f/4 maximum aperture, but for the average enthusiast the versatility of the 150-600mm will prove particularly tempting.

This colossal telephoto lens is also quite a beast in itself at 10.41x4.30 inches / 264.4x109.4mm, with a weight of 4.55lbs / 2,065g without the lens hood or lens cap. (It's actually a reworked version of the full-frame Sigma 150-600mm, with the micro four thirds lens mount.) 

Honestly though, don’t let its gargantuan proportions put you off. You can and likely will want to attach the lens to a monopod or tripod anyway for photographing distant subjects, achieved via the Arca Swiss compatible tripod foot or the tripod screw thread on the bottom of the foot.

This may not be one of OM System’s PRO series lenses, but it provides great performance overall in what is arguably a compact and lightweight lens considering the extensive reach on offer. But let’s take a deeper dive into the specifics to see exactly how this lens performs in the real world when shooting wildlife.

OM System M.Zuiko Digital 150-600mm F5.0-6.3 IS: design

The 150-600mm is quite a large lens for OM System – its design is based on a full-frame Sigma 150-600mm lens. A shoulder strap is included, which makes carrying the lens comfortable and convenient when walking around. Build quality is fantastic and offers XPX1 weather sealing making it dust and splash-resistant – essential for a lens of this type. 

The only real downside of the lens build is that it has an external zoom mechanism, which means it extends as you zoom, but there is a zoom lock that works when the lens is retracted in its 150mm setting, plus two zoom friction settings. The lower resistance setting allows you to push or pull the front of the lens to change focal length, which is both useful and comfortable.

Other controls available on the lens include focus mode, focus limiter, image stabilization and three customizable Function buttons. So, despite not being a professional lens, the 150-600mm certainly offers controls more commonly associated with higher-end lenses.

The front element and filter thread are 95mm, so you can use filters if you need to, although this is uncommon with wildlife photography and the screw-on lens hood provides more than adequate protection for the front element while also reducing the risk of flare. The lens is made up of 25 elements in 15 groups, with the front element featuring a fluorine coating to resist dirt and water spots, while the aperture is made up of nine blades.

The lens is surprisingly comfortable to use for long periods despite its size and weight. It doesn’t balance well with typically compact OM System cameras, but this isn’t a problem because using a lens like this with any camera system because you'll at the least be supporting the lens with both hands when shooting handheld.

OM System M.Zuiko Digital 150-600mm F5.0-6.3 IS: performance

The two standout features of the 150-600mm, alongside the incredible focal range, have to be image stabilization and autofocus. The 5-AXIS SYNC Image Stabilization offers up to 7 stops of compensation and uses a combination of optical stabilization in the lens and in-body image stabilization (IBIS) provided by OM System camera bodies.

Image stabilization performance is truly remarkable, and putting this into context, I often found myself shooting at 600mm (1200mm) at shutter speeds as low as 1/200 sec and still achieving sharp results. Autofocus is also fast and positive, not to mention silent, so no complaints here whatsoever and ideal for wildlife. The only problem I found when tracking fast-flying birds when zoomed in at 600mm was that I simply couldn’t keep up with them in terms of framing.

Image quality is, overall, very good considering the focal range on offer. Images are sharp and provide plenty of sharp detail, but it’s fair to say that they lack the level of sharpness produced by professional-level telephoto prime lenses. This isn’t surprising, and in terms of sharpness, the M.Zuiko Digital 150-600mm is comparable to full-frame 150-600mm lenses, with the micro four thirds advantage of double the reach.

With a maximum aperture of f/5.0-6.3 depending on the zoom factor, you could fairly assume that this combined with the MFT sensor size would produce a larger-than-desired depth-of-field. But in reality, backgrounds are sufficiently and pleasingly defocused, placing full emphasis on the subject itself.

Should I buy the OM System M.Zuiko Digital 150-600mm F5.0-6.3 IS?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the OM System M.Zuiko Digital 150-600mm F5.0-6.3 IS

I shot with the OM System M.Zuiko Digital 150-600mm F5.0-6.3 IS over several days, opting to focus on bird photography to maximise the full potential of the lens in terms of the reach it provides. Photos were taken at different aperture settings to test handling, sharpness and distortion, while image stabilization was put through its paces by shooting at considerably slower shutter speeds than would normally be possible.

Most images were shot simply to see how the lens performed in different situations, while others were shot specifically to compare the results, all in real-world environments rather than relying on statistics and lens charts.

With nearly 30 years of photographic experience and 15 years working as a photography journalist, I’ve covered almost every conceivable subject and used many of the cameras and lenses that have been released in that time. As a working photographer, I’m also aware of the factors that are most important to photographers and aim to test cameras and lenses in a way that reflects this.

First reviewed June 2024

Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G: two-minute review

Cameras are getting smaller, but lenses – especially zoom lenses – appear to be getting bigger. It’s normal now to be shooting with a mirrorless camera with a compact body but a big, hefty standard zoom that makes it feel front-heavy and unbalanced. 

Sony, however, has started turning its attention to more compact lens designs, refusing to compromise on performance but instead sacrificing a little focal length or zoom range in exchange for smaller, lighter and perhaps cheaper optics.

The Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G is an excellent example. It has the same constant f/2.8 maximum aperture as Sony’s flagship FE 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II lens, but in a smaller, lighter design that’s also little more than half the price. It doesn’t have that premium G Master label, but Sony’s regular ‘G’ lenses are now so advanced, both optically, physically and in AF technology, that it’s getting increasingly hard to see a difference.

The one compromise in the FE 16-25mm F2.8 G is its focal range. Most lenses in this category are 16-35mm zooms, but this lens stops at a maximum focal length of 25mm. It covers the same ultra-wide angles of view, but is less versatile if you need a more general semi-wide angle of view.

Does this matter? On paper it gives the FE 16-25mm F2.8 G an almost laughably limited 1.6x zoom range, but in practice that may be all you need in an ultra-wide zoom. Whether it's landscapes, architecture or interiors, you're very often going to be shooting in this narrow focal range. If you’re also carrying a regular 24-70mm, 24-105mm or Sony’s new FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G lens, it just means you’ll swap to your standard zoom sooner. You’ll get the same overall focal range from a wide/standard lens combination, just with less overlap in focal lengths.

So is the size saving worth losing that extra focal range. Sort of. The FE 16-25mm F2.8 G is certainly smaller and lighter than a regular 16-35mm f/2.8 lens, but it’s still not exactly small. I tested it on a Sony A7C II, and it still felt pretty big on that. It would balance nicely on a regular A7 body, though.

Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G: price and release date

At the time of writing, the Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G is on pre-order, but with supplies expected around May 10th – so by the time you’re reading this, it’s probably available amongst the major resellers. The US price is around $1,198, in the UK it’s £1,249, while in Australia it's AU$2,189. You wouldn’t call it a cheap lens, but it’s way cheaper than Sony’s other constant f/2.8 ultra-wide G Master zooms. 

It looks very good value for an own-brand lens with a sophisticated optical construction, fast and silent dual linear AF motors and excellent external controls. It’s also weather-sealed with a fluorine-coated front element to repel oil, grease and water.

Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G: design

Sony certainly hasn’t stinted on build quality and controls. This lens uses ‘engineering plastics’ to keep the weight down, but there’s no harm in that and the finish is excellent. The aperture control ring is first rate too, with firm and positive clicks between each 1/3 aperture setting and an extra firm detent at f/22 to switch it to auto aperture control. 

If you’re shooting video and changing aperture/iris settings while filming, you can use a Click On/Off switch on the underside to enable stepless silent aperture adjustment.

Focusing is so fast as to be practically instantaneous, and silent too. This is where you’re likely to notice most difference between Sony’s newer own-brand lenses and cheaper third-party alternatives. There’s a slightly stiff AF/MF switch on the barrel, and in manual focus mode the focus ring at the front of the lens feels a fraction light but offers progressive and accurate focus control.

This lens is compatible with Sony’s focus breathing compensation mode, depending on the camera you’re using. The focus breathing doesn’t seem particularly strong, though objects do appear to grow somewhat smaller as they go out of focus. 

There’s one other external feature worth highlighting – the FE 16-25mm F2.8 G has a very compact front element that doesn’t protrude, so it’s perfectly possible to attach regular filters and it has a pretty common 67mm filter thread, so you may not have to buy any outsize filters just for this lens.

Focusing is full internal, and while there is a change in the length as you zoom from one end of the range to the other, it’s only a few millimeters, so if you’re balancing a gimbal you probably only need to do it once and not keep changing it for different zoom settings.

The limitations of this lens's focal range are obvious, but its build quality, handling, features and performance are a pleasant surprise, and it certainly feels as if you're getting your money's worth.

Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G: sample images

Should I buy the Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G

The weather was not kind during testing, so I mixed indoor and outdoor shots. The indoor shots were good for checking angles, of view, distortion and close focusing capability, while the outdoor shots were at a motorcycle meet that tested the practicality of this 16-25mm zoom range for this kind of walkaround shooting. I also did a brick wall test at both ends of the zoom range to check for optical quality across the aperture range.

I also paid attention to the autofocus performance, both for speed and silence, to see how effective Sony’s dual linear motor setup actually is, and I paid particular attention to the feel and operation of the external controls, as these are a significant selling point for this lens.

I also wanted to find out how the Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G handled on the smaller A7C series body (OK, as it happens), whether it was especially nose-heavy on a tripod and how easy it was to balance on a gimbal. My Ronin SC had a long enough camera plate and fore-aft adjustment to cope easily, and the very small lens extension when zooming meant no rebalancing was necessary.

• First reviewed May 2024

Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR: Two-minute review

As photographers and videographers, sometimes we just want to pack one lens that can do it all, but this comes with a few drawbacks. Typically, the broader the focal range and faster the maximum aperture, the bigger, heavier and ultimately more expensive the lens. The good news for Nikon shooters is that the Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens – which the manufacturer refers to as its ‘superzoom’ – is the lightest full-frame lens in its maker’s line-up while offering a maximum focal length of 400mm. As well as being useful for bringing the faraway closer, the telephoto end is also well suited to portraiture, for when we want to attractively throw the background out of focus and achieve attractive bokeh, while keeping our subject pin-sharp. 

With a minimum focus distance of 0.2m at its widest setting allowing for reasonable close-ups of flora and fauna, and a still-useful 1.2m at the telephoto end, those shooting handheld in more demanding lighting conditions are aided by Nikon’s built-in Vibration Reduction image stabilization, here providing equivalent to up to five stops. This is boosted to 5.5 stops when the lens is used with a Nikon camera, such as the Z f, that has a Synchro VR feature. This allows for image-stabilized camera bodies and image-stabilized lenses to work in tandem – an automatic process if the user has already activated it, the result being less pronounced blur caused by camera shake. For the record, other Nikon camera bodies with this feature aside from the Z f include its flagship Z 8 and Z 9 mirrorless models.

At its widest 28mm setting this lens also proves perfectly suited for landscape and travel photography – it’s wide, without being so wide as to cause fisheye or barrel-like distortion – while nudge a bit further up the zoom range and it’s great for street photography and people watching. In short, yes, this is a single lens that can do it all.

It’s a contender for one of the best Nikon Z lenses, and of course you’ll need one of the best mirrorless cameras from Nikon to pair it with. I used the impressive retro-styled Nikon Z f for the duration of my test, which felt like something of a perfect marriage, in that the camera body and lens are almost identical in weight, so the combination doesn’t feel too ‘front-heavy’ in the hand.

Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR: price and availability

• Costs $1,299.95 / £1,399 / AU$2,199
• Available to buy now
• Lens hood is supplied

The Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR was announced on March 26 2024, and costs $1,299.95 / £1,399 / AU$2,199

While it’s not a cheap lens, having spent some time shooting with it the price feels fair (and it’s much better value for Nikon users in the US than in the UK).  That’s not just because of build quality and performance, but because it’s basically capable of replacing a whole bag full of prime lenses that would otherwise be necessary to cover anything approaching the broad focal range on offer here. 

On top of that, most of us don’t want to kart a lens the size and weight of a dedicated 400mm around with us for day-to-day shooting, on the off-chance that we might actually need it – even if Nikon claims its Nikkor Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S is the lightest lens in its class at 2.75lb / 1,245g. Similarly, at the other end of the scale, a 28mm focal length might not be quite what we always have in mind for the treatment of a particular subject.

A possible alternative to the Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR is the Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR if you’re after a catch-all zoom for this specific mount. It starts out wider and only has half the reach of the 28-400mm, but it’s also less expensive at around $899.95 / £899 / AU$1,599.

Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR: design

• 14.2x optical zoom
• Extending barrel
• Rubber-sealed and weather resistant

We get the equivalent of a generous 14.2x optical zoom, with common focal distances/framing options marked in millimeters at regular intervals on the barrel itself. Just behind these sits a control ring with a rougher feel and which is assigned to manual focus by default, although it can be assigned to adjust aperture, exposure compensation, or ISO. When set to manual focus, twisting the ring will momentarily override autofocus. 

The focus markings on the lens barrel start out at the maximum 28mm, progressing through 35mm, 50mm, 70mm, 105mm, 200mm and 300mm before arriving at 400mm. At this point the almost comically fully extended lens barrel resembles a child’s kaleidoscope, and not just the look but also the feel of this lens reminded me of a ‘super-zoom’ bridge camera like the Nikon Coolpix P1000. The lens’s ridged rubberized surface enables a nice firm grip when holding or rotating the barrel to cycle through its broad focal range.

The design of the Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR is further practical in offering a degree of weather resistance, with Nikon helpfully providing sealing around the mount and its moving parts. I was testing the camera in the UK in April, a month that’s prone to sudden rain showers, and while I made sure that neither the lens nor the camera got too wet, a light drizzle didn’t stop me from continuing to shoot.

A lens hood is included to prevent instances of possible flare in brighter conditions, and this can be ‘worn’ in reverse/inverted on the lens for easier transportation without affecting lens use. There’s also a lens lock to prevent the barrel from being accidentally nudged and extending as you’re walking around with it, although I didn’t often feel the need to engage this.

Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR: Performance

• Only 1.6lbs / 725g
• Balances well with Nikon's smaller Z-mount cameras
• Speedy autofocus

This lens is as much about portability and practicality as it is about performance, and Nikon has attempted to balance these attributes without too much obvious compromise. A good start is that the lens weighs a manageable 1.6lb / 725g, which makes it fairly evenly balanced when twinned with a body such as the 1.57lb / 710g Nikon Z f I tested it on. The pairing makes for a very solid and sturdy combination that gave me confidence from the off. I carried the camera with lens affixed around for the day without experiencing neck or shoulder ache, although it’s probably at the limit of what I’d feel comfortable traveling with or taking on holiday.

The beauty of this lens’s multi-purpose nature is that if you suddenly come across practically any image opportunity when out and about, you have the tool in your hands to be able to capture that image. Autofocus is both rapid and accurate, and unless there’s busy foreground detail getting in the way you have a high likelihood of achieving the shot you want, which is worth its weight in gold, creatively.

While to my eye results at maximum telephoto weren’t always quite as razor-sharp as from a dedicated 400mm prime lens married to a full frame sensor – and I occasionally got some slight image blur at maximum telephoto when shooting handheld – that’s to be expected. On the whole, I was more than satisfied, and I reckon that all but the most demanding of enthusiasts and amateurs will find detail both plentiful and sufficient for their needs.

Generally speaking, images are consistently sharp across the frame, whether shooting at maximum wide-angle, extreme telephoto, or pretty much any point in between. Where I occasionally got a softer frame, this was often down to the fact that I was shooting handheld, and simply reframing an image and trying again with my palm wide open and supporting the lens barrel yielded a sharper result. Throughout my test period I kept Vibration Reduction active.

While a lot of zoom lenses have photographers wishing for just that bit more poke at the telephoto end to get them that bit closer, I found the Nikkor’s 400mm maximum setting useful and versatile. For those who prefer shooting with autofocus, I’m pleased to report that the lens’s stepping motor is as quiet as Nikon claims – imperceptibly quiet in fact. I was able to take several shots of a nearby robin perching on a tree branch at eye-level without startling it.

Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR: sample images

Should I buy the Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR

• A mixture of landscape, wildlife and portrait photography
• Used in changeable weather

Nikon pitching the Nikkor Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR as a jack-of-all trades option, I tested it in a variety of shooting scenarios, and the lens generally proved to be a capable performer. Landscapes, wildlife, portraits – we shot them all, with consistently pleasing results. I was ‘blessed’ with changeable weather conditions during my testing period, allowing me to put it through its paces in less than ideal light, and it coped ably with a variety of conditions.

Two-minute review

Nikon's Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 is one of two lightweight, inexpensive prime lenses for the Z-mount - the other being the wider 28mm f/2.8. 

At 40mm, it’s currently the closest match to the ‘nifty fifty’ lenses of old, aiming to provide a lightweight lens with a compact footprint, flexible focal length, and a relatively fast aperture. Above all, it’s cheap - really cheap for a proprietary lens sitting at just £259 / $289 /AU$310 new. Compared to the Nikon S 50mm f/1.8 or the S 35mm f/1.8, the 40mm comes in at under half the price while still offering some form of weather sealing and excellent performance.

Optically, this lens has a few idiosyncrasies - namely corner sharpness and coma - but the 40mm is innately usable in a wide range of situations. It’s wide enough for some landscapes and close enough for most portraits. Personally, I find the 40mm focal length more usable than 50mm for a walkabout lens - and f/2 is plenty outside of extreme situations.

I tested on a full-frame Nikon Z6 but the lens is also compatible with the 'DX' APS-C Nikon Z-mount cameras. In this case, the focal length becomes 60mm. It’s getting into portrait lens territory for APS-C here although it would also be a good choice for a shy street photographer who wants some distance from their subject.

Nikon Z 40mm f/2: design

The Nikon Z 40mm f/2 features an entirely plastic build that feels well engineered and deceptively robust in the hand. Overall, it’s a solid and well put together lens but the plastic thread and mount do cheapen the overall feel somewhat. You’re never tricked into thinking this is a premium lens, even though its output is excellent. 

The Nikon Z 40mm f/2 is, however, extremely light - weighing just 6oz / 170g. Pairing this lens up with my Nikon Z6 results in a package that weighs just over 21oz / 600g, which rivals crop sensor setups for sheer portability. While I’d never call this pairing ‘pocketable’, it’s a featherweight combination for a full-frame system and perfect for every day shooting.

And, I have to say - the 40mm pairs nicely with the Z6’s relatively minimalist, being workmanlike in its design since there are no external AF switches, custom control rings, or any other kind of outward flare to speak of. I'd say it looks decent enough on one of Nikon’s more modern bodies. Is it boring? Maybe, but it doesn't look out of place. 

It’s worth noting here that the Nikon Z 40mm f/2 comes in two variations - the standard version that I tested and a more retro-themed ‘SE’ variant. If you're looking for a prime to pair up with the much more old-school-looking Nikon Zf or Nikon Zfc then you'll want to make sure you're checking out the SE for maximum retro effect.

Neither variant ships with a first-party lens hood but both are dust and drip-resistant, which is a major selling point for a lens this inexpensive. In recent years, third-party manufacturers (most notably Viltrox) have started to offer compelling budget alternatives to entry-level first-party lenses but weather sealing is one area where most are severely lacking. And, I can personally attest that the splash resistance of this lens is fantastic - having been soaked from head to toe on Dartmoor during field testing.

Nikon Z 40mm f/2: performance

Thanks to built-in lens corrections on Z-mount bodies, you'll get extremely good results out of camera with the 40mm. For the price, the lens is impressively sharp even at f/2 and exhibits minimal chromatic aberration or vignetting. Flare is also controlled - despite this lens likely not featuring Nikon’s higher-end coatings. 

I’ve shot thousands of images with the 40mm and I’ve come to appreciate how it renders a scene. I've read some describe this lens as 'classic' in character and while its sharpness is certainly more akin to a modern lens, colors certainly do pop under the right circumstances. Bokeh-wise, the 40mm is also relatively circular/puffy in the center but becomes less bloomier and more defined around the edges. 

As with most lenses, the sharpness sweet spot for the 40mm is around f/5 to f/8 but even at these optimal apertures the 40mm is notably sharpest in the centre. Depending on what you're shooting the 40mm will exhibit some softness at the extreme corners - as with this sample image of a dock leaf taken at f/5.6.

Despite having a minimum focus distance of 11.8in / 30cm the lens is also quite soft when close focusing. You can narrow down the aperture for more sharpness but you’ll miss out on that creamy DoF (depth of field) up close, which means the 40mm can suffer for specialized applications like floral photography. Just below you can see a specific example of a flower taken at around a foot distance, where the focus point was set directly on the central bud.

The 40mm also exhibits some coma, which can result in noticeably smeared lights during night photography towards the extreme edges of the frame. In real-life testing, I found this to be an incredibly minor issue that only cropped up on a few niche cases such as the attached scene just below. Astrophotographers will likely skip this lens over in favor of the wider (and similarly priced) 28mm but note that this lens does feature some astigmatism if you're deadset on edge-to-edge clarity. 

That’s where my criticisms end, however. In practical use the 40mm performs admirably. Autofocus is extremely quick and minimal focus breathing means this is a versatile lens that can also handle video. Note, however, that my lens has a slight whirring sound when focusing - an absolute non-issue for me as a photographer but videographers may notice. I wouldn't rule out copy variation here since it's not a widely reported issue, though.

Nikon Z 40mm f/2: sample images

Should I buy the Nikon Z 40mm f/2?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Nikon Z 40mm f/2

• Regular use for over a year and counting
• Used in fair and inclement weather
• Day and nighttime use

I've had the Nikon Z 40mm f/2 in my kit for over a year now; in which time I've used it extensively for general purpose photography both home and abroad. Subsequently, I've been able to thoroughly test the lens in a variety of situations to determine its strengths and weaknesses.

Since Nikon openly advertises this lens as weather-sealed, I've made sure to test this lens in adverse conditions, particularly in rainy environments. I've also extensively tested this lens at night, making use of its wide aperture of f/2. 

Two-minute review

The Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM is the only "official" macro lens in the Canon RF lens lineup. The brand does make some other macro-enabled primes, including the RF 24mm, RF 35mm and RF 85mm f/2 lenses, but these achieve a maximum magnification ratio of 0.5x, or half life size; so while this might be plenty close enough for many users, they're not true 1:1 macro lenses.

The RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM doesn’t stop at life size reproduction, however; it goes to a full 1.4x magnification. That means you can fill the frame with an object just 26mm wide. And that isn't its only interesting feature.

Half way along the barrel is an intriguing "SA", or Spherical Aberration, control ring. This shifts optical elements within the lens to adjust the appearance of bokeh, both in front of and behind your main subject, and can also introduce a soft-focus effect.

It isn't immediately obvious how you're supposed to use this control, since it’s locked at its center position. In fact, there’s a switch on the underside of the lens to unlock it, which is easily missed. This is one lens where it's actually a good idea to read the manual!

This bokeh control is aimed more at portraiture and longer shooting distances; indeed, Canon does seem keen to push this as a "portrait" lens as well as a macro lens. It’s an interesting idea, but then it leaves you wondering whether the Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM might be better, being a stop faster and far cheaper, too. You might say the 100mm is a macro lens first and portrait lens second, while the 85mm is the other way around.

I only had the RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM for a short time, so I concentrated on its macro capabilities.

These are pretty formidable. It’s hard to make any sensible comments about edge sharpness wide-open with close-ups because it’s near-impossible to find a subject flat enough to test it on – and to get it perfectly perpendicular to the camera. Photographing a framed vintage "butterfly wing" picture reveals another macro photography issue: objects with layers of paint and textures, especially those under glass that may have dust or fibers on its surface, are actually three-dimensional.

Only the most ambitious, bokeh-loving macro fan would want to shoot wide open at these distances. You’re more likely to want to shoot at f/11-f/22, and the RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM produced crystal-clear detail that was difficult to fault.

However, while you might think that a 100mm lens should offer plenty of working distance between yourself and your subject, that isn't the case here. At its closest shooting distances, the front of this lens is close enough to your subject to cast a shadow or give unwanted reflection on shiny surfaces. A skilled macro shooter could fix this easily enough with good lighting and choice of angles, but it was still a bit unexpected. 

You can also use this lens outdoors on a range of subjects, where its weatherproofed design and fluorine-coated front element should shrug off rain and dew. The lens also has image stabilization built in – although, as Canon admits, the effectiveness diminishes the closer you focus. 

This isn't necessarily a fault with the stabilization, but an issue with handheld macro photography. If you can’t keep the camera perfectly steady, even the tiniest fore-and-aft "drift" will throw your subject out of focus between half-pressing and fully pressing the shutter release (switching to Servo AF mode can be an effective solution!).

The RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM’s Dual Nano USM autofocus seemed pretty quick at normal shooting distances, doing a reasonable job of tracking the eyes of our pet Dachshund. However, on occasion it got a bit lost switching to ultra-close subjects. It has a focus limiter to help with this, and you can also use manual focus to get it in the right ballpark first. In fact, manual focus works especially well here. The focus ring is smooth and precise, and there’s a real focus "snap" in the viewfinder to show you when the focus is correct. 

Canon says this lens has suppressed focus breathing, which should be especially useful for filming where you want to use focus pulls.

This is a nice lens to use, if rather long. The SA control seems a slightly odd choice for macro work; I guess it's designed more for portraits and larger product shots. It’s good to have a single lens that can do a few jobs, so it’s easy to see how the RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM could create a kind of "product" lens category of its own.

Best of all, it isn't hugely expensive for an own-brand macro lens, especially one that can focus closer than rivals and has IS built in.

Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM Price and release date

The RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM was announced in April 2021 and is now widely available. It typically costs around $1,099 in the US and £1,369 in the UK. However, if you don’t mind manual focus – and you’re not interested in the SA bokeh control – then you can get the Venus Optics Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2X Ultra Macro APO lens for around half that, and with even higher 2x magnification.

Should I buy the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

How I tested the Canon RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM

I tried out the RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM in a variety of situations to test its performance, handling and image quality. One session was spent shooting a family pet to see how well the Nano USM autofocus could keep up with my EOS R8’s excellent AI subject tracking, while another was spent out on the coast, shooting a variety of subjects from driftwood to sea spurge.

I also spent some time testing this lens with typical close-up subjects including a challenging "butterfly wing" picture, some just-open narcissi, and the engravings on a vintage WW1 cigarette case. These were taken using a tripod, the 12-second timer on the camera, and electronic shutter mode.

Two-minute review

From the outside, there isn't much to suggest that this is one of the world’s most extraordinary wide-angle lenses. It has the characteristically elegant, smooth, matte finish of Canon’s RF lenses – and, apart from the bulbous front element (which is standard for lenses this wide), this is a slim, neat optic that’s easy to handle and won't consume too much space in your camera bag.

It’s surprisingly light: at 570g, it’s less than half the weight of Canon’s EF 11-24mm f4L USM DSLR lens. Nevertheless, it has IS optical stabilization built in – alongside Canon’s Peripheral Coordinated Control IS to control the wobbling of objects at the edges of the frame when you’re moving and filming. This is a particular issue for ultra-wide lenses and could be a big help to filmmakers using creative camera movements in interiors. 

The RF 10-20mm F4L IS STM also has a selection of exotic optical elements, glass moulded aspherical elements, UD and Super-UD glass, and advanced optical coatings. The STM AF actuators deliver fast and near-silent autofocus, too.

On the outside you get the usual Canon RF lens features including a zoom ring, focus ring, customizable control ring (shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance or exposure compensation) and a programmable function button.

But when you put the camera to your eye, your world changes. The 20mm maximum focal length isn't out of the ordinary, but when you turn the zoom ring to the 10mm settings, your eyes will widen along with the scene in the viewfinder.

Your first test is likely to be to check sharpness at corners. This is usually the first casualty in ultra-wide lens designs, but the Canon RF 10-20mm F4L IS STM is pretty exceptional in this respect, even at 20mm. The corner sharpness does start to fall away a little, but you have to zoom in a long way to check. At regular print and display sizes, this lens is sharp from edge to edge.

Like many modern mirrorless lenses, especially those with extreme specifications, there’s a lot of digital correction going on here. However, chances are, you won’t ever see it. If you shoot JPEGs then it will be corrected in-camera, and if you shoot raw then Lightroom will automatically apply a correction profile of its own. So will Capture One, although the Capture One profile will leave behind some light fall-off towards the edges that you'll need to correct manually – or just keep as a creative "look".

Unlike other makers, though, Canon doesn't embed a fall-back "manufacturer" correction profile in its raw files, so if you’re using software that doesn’t have a matching profile of its own, then you could be in trouble.

This lens also does take some skill to use – not because of any defect or quirk of the lens, but its sheer angle of view. Shooting handheld, it’s extremely difficult to avoid any convergence in vertical or horizontal lines. That’s fine if a dizzying perspective effect is what you’re looking for, but if you want dead-straight architectural or interior shots, they'll be a lot easier to achieve with a tripod and a geared head. Otherwise, the slightest shift in your position or the camera’s angle can radically alter the perspective.

That doesn’t take anything away from the Canon RF 10-20mm F4L IS STM, as it simply goes with the territory. The fact is that it's a triumph in specifications, performance and handling. It’s amazing that anyone can make a zoom this wide for a full-frame camera – and given that, its optical performance is also fantastic, whether or not it uses digital corrections to achieve that. To have all of this packed into such a compact, light and great-handling lens is just the icing on the cake.

All that’s left is to start saving the cash to buy one.

Canon RF 10-20mm F4L IS STM: Price and release date

The Canon RF 10-20mm F4L IS STM was officially announced back in October 2023 and is now widely available. It’s on sale for around $2,299 in the US and £2,579 in the UK. The price reflects its angle of view, specifications and performance – so while it certainly isn't a cheap option, neither is it especially expensive by Canon L-series standards.

Should I buy the Canon RF 10-20mm F4L IS STM?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

How I tested the Canon RF 10-20mm F4L IS STM

I used the Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM on a Canon EOS R8, testing it across its focal range, but mostly at the widest (most interesting) end. I checked out performance both wide open and stopped down. In addition, I evaluated corrected in-camera JPEGs against Lightroom-corrected raw files and uncorrected originals (in Lightroom with the correction profile disabled).

For subject matter, I shot a series of landscapes, mixing close-ups with wider shots, and also some city architecture, including interiors. My aim was to replicate as far as possible the kind of uses this lens would be put to.

I ran some quick handheld tests to check the IS effectiveness and found it reliable down to about 1/8sec, but not really beyond that. Real-world tests seldom match official CIPA figures, which are typically a "best case" measurement.

Two-minute review

Sony has added yet another 'FE' lens primarily designed for its full-frame mirrorless cameras – the FE 24-50mm F2.8 G. It's a slight twist on the classic standard zoom, compromising the telephoto reach of 24-70mm zooms in order to wear the crown of Sony’s lightest and smallest ever full-frame zoom lens with f/2.8 aperture.

Kudos where it's due, Sony is more active in the lens department than most of its rivals. It's committed to its mirrorless camera system and users are spoilt for choice for what glass to whack on their Sony camera – but is there actually a need for this lens when there are already similar alternatives available? I think it's a sensible addition that will serve creatives well, especially those that shoot a lot of video in addition to photography.

At only 15.5oz / 440g and measuring 3.63 inches /92.3mm in length, it's virtually the same size and weight as the Sony FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS lens, while giving that extra stop of light with its constant f/2.8 aperture, albeit at a much higher price.

Compared to the Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 G OSS II, meanwhile, it's much smaller, around 50% lighter and significantly cheaper. At a little over $1,000 / £1,150 it's priced somewhere down the middle of those two 24-70mm zooms, but lacks the 70mm reach.

Let's not forget the FE 20-70mm F4 G, which is the most versatile off all Sony's standard zooms, but with an f/4 aperture. So there is some distinction between models, and for many people the new lens will be the most compelling of the four.

Sure, you sacrifice the telephoto 70mm of other standard zooms, but the 24-50mm range still covers four popular lens focal lengths; 24mm, 28mm, 35mm and 50mm. (Sony has a couple of cheap fixed lens alternatives including the FE 35mm F2.8.) I think it's a sensible focal length compromise instead of, say, making a 28-70mm f/2.8, especially because it caters for Sony's typical customer in 2024; a photo and video creator. 

Most video users will appreciate being able to go wider rather than zooming in more; it might not sound like it, but 24mm is much wider than 28mm and versatile for run-and-gun and selfie videos. 

You can do a little test if you already own another lens that covers this zoom range; check the metadata of your images to see which focal lengths you use the most often. We photographers often shoot the two extremes of what a lens offers, but if you rarely use 70mm then this 24-50mm is an obvious choice. 

Sony FE 24-50mm F2.8 G: price and release date

The Sony FE 24-50mm F2.8 G costs $1,100 / £1,150 / AU$1,999, which means it sits between the 24-70mm F2.8 G II ($2,299 / £1,999 / AU$2,899) and the 24-70mm F4 ($899 / £749 / AU$1,209). 

It's a similar price to the FE 20-70mm F4 G ($1,099 / £1,299 / AU$1,449) depending on your region, as price cuts have been handed out. Shipping is from April 2024. 

Sony FE 24-50mm F2.8 G: design

I had the new 24-50mm F2.8 G with a Sony A9 III for this review and it proved a perfect size match. It's the right fit for Sony's more compact mirrorless cameras – they feel made for each other. Even with a smaller travel camera such as the A7C II there would be good balance, and it makes for a great everyday lens. 

That physical synergy is extended to the design and features of the lens. An aperture ring which can be clicked or de-clicked is in easy reach, while twin linear motors give fast and quiet internal autofocus, plus focus breathing compensation. Truly, it's made for 2024's hybrid cameras. 

Other features include a dust and moisture-resistant build – again complementing the ruggedness of Sony's enthusiast and pro-level cameras – and a minimum 0.3m focus distance with maximum 0.3x magnification at 50mm; that’s decent close-focusing capabilities. 

One design quirk that I discovered quickly regards the extension of the lens barrel as you move through the zoom range. When retracted, the lens is actually in its zoomed-in 50mm setting, and as you zoom out to the wide end, the barrel extends. That's the opposite of almost every other lens that I have used – when you fire up the camera the lens is usually wide and you twist the barrel to zoom in. The reverse feels counterintuitive in the 24-50mm and it takes a little getting used to. 

There's little else to say about the lens build, besides that it takes 67mm threaded lens filters, a common a low-cost size, and that it comes supplied with a petal-shaped lens hood.

Sony FE 24-50mm F2.8 G: performance

During the few weeks I had the 24-50mm with the Sony A9 III, I've taken portrait photos, landscapes, video clips and more. I've found the lens able to support the high performance of the A9 III camera, providing fast and quiet autofocus, plus reliable and accurate subject detection autofocus. It's still worth mentioning these things in a lens review – I've been relaxed in knowing that the camera and lens combination is able to focus sharply, so I have one less thing to worry about. 

On the whole, the 24-50mm is optically excellent. It's super sharp even at f/2.8, though it's at its sharpest between f/4 and f/11. Once you've stopped aperture down to f/16, details get a fraction softer – that's typical of most camera lenses, and I expect most users won't be interested in performance at f/16 in any case. But overall detail is as sharp as I'd hope a Sony 'G' lens would be.

With all in-camera lens corrections turned off, I have taken sequences of identical images cycling through the different lens apertures, at both 24mm and 50mm, and then compared those image to check for vignetting. It's sharply present in the corners at 24mm and f/2.8, plus it's present at 50mm and f/2.8 in a more graduated way. Stop down to f/4 and I would describe vignetting as minor, and it's basically gone by f/8. For video you won't really notice vignetting because the very corners of the image sensor aren't in the frame. 

Chromatic aberration at any focal length is virtually absent – that's super impressive, as is the lens' control of flare. I shot towards the sun at various angles with it in the shot and just outside the frame and didn't experience much lens flare at all. 

While doing those shooting-towards-the-light tests I moved to dappled tree light, framed the sun in the picture and shot at f/16 and f/22 to pronounce the sunstar effect, where a crisp and tidy 22-point sunstar appeared – lovely stuff.

The 11-blade aperture is able to make fairly circular bokeh at f/2.8, although there's pronounced cat's eye bokeh towards the corners of the frame that changes in shape a little depending on if you are shooting at 24mm or 50mm. I've noticed this bokeh characteristic before in other Sony lenses like the 70-200mm F4 G OSS II. 

Whether or not cat's eye bokeh is an issue is frankly down to personal taste; I don't mind it, particularly. Fortunately, there's no obvious vignetting going on in the bokeh and it's smooth enough – but I've seen much silkier bokeh in a specialist lens such as the Nikon Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena. Overall, bokeh is decent without being spectacular – dare I say it for a f/2.8 lens, it's plain. 

Overall, from design to handling and optical quality, the Sony FE 24-50mm F2.8 G is highly competent and is a decent everyday lens for video and photography. It's hard to get massively excited about the lens and it does have that length compromise compared to a 24-70mm, but it could be the most sensible Sony lens for users looking for a high-quality standard zoom lens. It's a surefire addition to our best Sony lenses buying guide.

Should I buy the Sony FE 24-50mm F2.8 G lens?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Sony FE 24-50mm F2.8 G lens

Sony sent me the 24-50mm F2.8 G lens with a Sony A9 III for several weeks, during which time I was able to shoot a lot of photo and video, including portraits and landscapes. 

I turned off all in-camera lens corrections, shot photos in both raw and JPEG to then compare corrected and uncorrected files to see what, if any, lens distortions were present. Please note there is little reason to do this in the real world, but these tests are designed to see how hard the camera is pushing files to correct them.

I've made sets of identical images taken at all aperture settings, at each extreme focal length of 24mm and 50mm, for further optical quality comparisons. I've shot action sequences and utilized the A9 III's superb subject detection and tracking autofocus to gain quick and sharp focus with the 24-50mm lens' dual linear motors, plus played with manual focus in both photo and video. 

First reviewed February 2024

Two-minute review

Prime lenses are, for the most part, optically superior to zoom lenses despite the often excellent optical performance of the latter. The trade-off with a zoom is the convenience of being able to change focal length without changing the lens, but beyond that prime lenses win hands down. 

The Nikkor Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S is the lightest 600mm lens in the f/6.3 class at just 3lbs 3.9oz / 1,470g with the tripod collar attached. Just to put that into perspective, that’s only a whisker heavier than the Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S, which is impressive, and alongside excellent image quality it makes the 600mm f/6.3 one of the best Nikon Z lenses available.

You’d certainly hope so, too, because this is a lens that comes with a hefty professional price tag. At $4,800 / £4,999 / AU$8,299, this is one of those lenses that costs more than many of the camera bodies it will find itself attached to, which means it will unfortunately be out of reach for many enthusiast photographers. But it’s not all bad news if you’re on a slightly tighter budget, because the Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR comes in at a more affordable $1,697 / £1,799 / AU$2,999, and it’s a great lens for the price.

Despite its low weight considering the focal length, the Nikkor Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S is still a largish lens compared to a medium zoom at 4.2 x 11 inches / 106.5 x 278mm. The front element and filter thread is 95mm, so a protective UV filter won’t be cheap, but it’s certainly not a necessity, because the included lens hood provides ample protection alongside helping to reduce or eliminate flare. But once again, in the grand scheme of things, this lens is still pretty compact for what it is; it’s comfortable to use handheld for long periods, and the tripod collar provides a balanced method of attaching the camera and lens to a tripod when required.

This is a premium lens, and the build quality is excellent, with the look and feel alone exuding quality. But it’s certainly not perfect, and the area in which it doesn’t quite live up to expectations may surprise you, given the situations the lens is likely to be used in. The 600mm features rubber gaskets to keep dust, dirt and moisture out of the lens, but Nikon doesn’t say anywhere that the lens is weatherproof. 

It can likely handle some use in wet weather, but Nikon also stresses in the small print that the lens isn’t guaranteed to be dust and drip-resistant in all situations and under all conditions. Sure, no camera or lens could be claimed to be 100% weatherproof, but this does leave a question or two hanging in the air, and more clarity here would be useful so that users aren't left to guess how weatherproof the lens might be.

A lens like this is primarily aimed at sports and wildlife photography, and the Vibration Reduction / image stabilization is excellent. During testing, and with an extremely steady hand, I was able to shoot sharp images at shutter speeds as slow as 1/30 sec. This is amazing, and useful for panning slower-moving subjects. The 600mm provides up to six stops of stabilization, but there’s a slight caveat here; this requires Z-series camera bodies that support Synchro VR, which is only available in the latest full-frame models like the Z9. For camera bodies that don’t support this, the 600mm still provides 5.5 stops of image stabilization, so no great loss here.

On the lens itself, there’s a customizable L-Fn button, four customizable L-Fn2 buttons, a focus limiter switch, a manual/AF switch and a memory set button. There’s unfortunately no VR switch or VR mode switch, which would be useful, but this option can be easily accessed via the camera. Alongside the manual focus rings, there’s also a customizable control ring that can be set to adjust focus, aperture, ISO or exposure compensation; this is set to aperture by default, and it's extremely useful.

The optical design of the Nikkor Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S comprises 21 elements in 14 groups, which include two ED elements, one SR element, one PF element, elements with a Nano Crystal coat, and a fluorine-coated front lens element to repel moisture and dirt. That's a lot of glass, but the construction, including the Phase Frensel (PF) lens, helps to keep the lens small and lightweight as well as enabling the excellent image quality. A maximum aperture of f/4 would undoubtedly be more impressive, but this would mean the lens would have to be larger and heavier; f/6.3 still produces pleasing bokeh thanks to the nine-blade aperture, and it's a good aperture to shoot at to ensure enough subject depth-of-field in sports and wildlife photography.

Image quality is excellent, and autofocus is fast and silent. This is the type of lens where you’re unlikely to stop down to more than f/11, and will probably shoot wide open at f/6.3 most of the time. It's where the Nikon Z-mount excels especially in this lens – you won't notice a drop in overall sharpness at f/6.3. Stop the lens down to f/32 and diffraction naturally shows. 

As you'd expect, the centre of the frame is the sharpest, but edge sharpness is still more than respectable and you can confidentally compose subjects off-center knowing they will be sharp. During testing in bright conditions, no chromatic aberration was visible along high-contrast edges, and lens corrections applied using the lens profile in Lightroom made only a small adjustment.

Nikkor Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S photo samples

The Nikkor Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S is an excellent lens overall, and one that any Nikon shooter will be happy with if they can justify the cost. It’s primarily targeted towards full-frame Z-series cameras, but works just as well with APS-C Z-series cameras to provide an effective focal length of 900mm. You can increase the focal length on full-frame Z-series cameras by shooting in DX mode, and during testing we employed DX mode on the the Z 7 II, which still provides a useful and usable 20MP image. You can also use the lens with teleconverters to increase the effective focal length, but this does reduce the maximum aperture to varying degrees depending on the strength of the teleconverter.

Should I buy the Nikkor Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S: Also consider

How I tested the Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S

The Nikkor Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S was tested over several shoots, including handheld use to assess the size and weight of the lens. Photos were taken at different aperture settings in both FX and DX modes to test handling, sharpness and distortion, while Vibration Reduction was put through its paces by shooting at slower shutter speeds than normal. I shot both static and moving subjects to test autofocus performance.

Most images were shot simply to see how the lens performed in different situations, while others were shot specifically to compare the results. This provides the ability to test all aspects of the lens in a real-world environment that’s closer to how photographers will use the lens, rather than relying on statistics and lens charts.

With nearly 30 years of photographic experience and 15 years working as a photography journalist, I’ve covered almost every conceivable subject and used many of the cameras and lenses that have been released in that time. As a working photographer, I’m also aware of the factors that are most important to photographers, and aim to test cameras and lenses in a way that reflects this. 

First reviewed December 2023