Nikon Nikkor Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S lens

Nikon Nikkor Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S super tele

A very popular lens! And the reasons are easy to read: 600mm focal length, F6.3 aperture, 28cm length and weighing less than 1.5kg.

The size and weight are partly explained by the F6.3 aperture, which is slightly less than the flagship models. The biggest reason for the lens' popularity is its size and lightness. When held in hand with the camera, it feels amazing that this is a 600mm focal length lens that is suitable for professional wildlife and sports photographers. The weight combined with Nikon's effective stabilization means that this is a quick-response handheld shooting solution for different shooting situations!

More versatility can be achieved by combining it with a teleconverter, and focusing also works with Nikon mirrorless system cameras with the more powerful 2x teleconverter.

• Image stabilization: 5.5 stops of power and, for example, with the Z9's in-body stabilization, a combined 6 stops of power
• Weight 1.47kg (1.39 without tripod collar) and length 28cm
• Closest focusing distance 4m
• Compatible with 1.4X and 2X teleconverters: up to 840mm and 1200mm focal lengths
• Programmable control ring for example, exposure adjustment directly from the lens
• 4x L-FN2 and 1x L-FN1 programmable buttons, e.g. focus distance storage
• 95mm filter thread
• Weatherproof construction

Nikon 180-600mm vs 600mm F6.3 PF

Nikon has many options for this 600mm focal length, 180-600mm zoom, 600mm F4 TC top model and this 600mm F6.3. To put it simply, you could say that 180-600mm is the most versatile and affordable, this 600mm is better in quality than the zoom and has faster focusing. In addition, it weighs 660g and is 5cm shorter than the zoom.

The Nikon Z 600mm F4 TC is on a different level in terms of quality and price, and if your goal is very long 1200mm focal lengths, the F4 TC version works better in terms of brightness and image quality with a 2x extender.

And Nikon also has a 400mm F4.5 lens, if you use this often and the 1.4X extender offers so much better image quality than the 600mm F6.3 that it's worth considering an upgrade.

Phase Fresnel technology: Super lightweight 800mm super telephoto

New compact Nikon super telephoto lenses have often been implemented with PF, or Phase Fresnel, technology, such as this Z 600mm F6.3. Thanks to this technology, the telephoto lens can be made optically simpler, i.e. lighter and smaller.

Several PF lenses have been made, meaning the technology is now well-honed and does not cause any problems or peculiarities, for example, other than slightly reduced contrast when shooting against backlight. Nikon's NX Studio editing software also has a ready-made tool to eliminate this problem.

According to the MTF curves, the lens is nearly perfect, as is the case for a professional lens of this level. The sharpness is sharp all the way to the edges at full aperture, but improves slightly when stopped down to F8, becoming practically flawless. Vignetting, distortion and chromatic aberration are hardly visible, at least outside of laboratory conditions.

The image quality remains the same even under critical examination with the 1.4X telephoto extension, meaning this also includes a 1120mm F9 lens.

Handheld photography is also aided by a 5.5-stop effective stabilizer that also works in conjunction with the in-body stabilizer of certain cameras, such as the Nikon Z9. This double stabilization has a total of 6 stops of effectiveness. The stabilizer has a normal mode and a Sport mode that works when panning, i.e. when following the subject sideways.

Usability of a professional lens

The image quality is nearly flawless, like Nikon's other professional-level telephoto lenses, but there are also other requirements for the lenses.

Image quality is the minimum requirement for lenses of this level. It takes skill and patience to take memorable pictures. And when a unique situation arises, the usability of the equipment is important. Do your fingers hit the right spot in the dark and cold, do you need to stop shooting in the rain, or is the weather protection in order? According to Nikon's tradition, the photographer's perspective has been the most important starting point in the design work.

The lens has a programmable control ring, with the default setting it handles manual focus, but the same ring can also be used to change the aperture value or correct exposure. There is also a programmable L-Fn button and 4 L-Fn buttons. These can be programmed to, for example, the distance to a bird's nest or a soccer goal, so that in an emergency, the correct focus is just a click away.

In addition, most of the lens elements and the focus motor are located at the back of the lens. This makes the lens's center of gravity optimal for handheld shooting, i.e., ideally at the point where the supporting hand is. So, even though it is a very long focal length lens, handheld shooting is also possible, and the movement is also smooth when using the rocker.

Lightness of handling is important, especially when it comes to fast-focal-length optics with a very small viewing angle, meaning the bird or other object must fit in the frame and there is no zoom range.

The Nikon 600mm F6.3 is compatible with Nikon's TC-1.4x and TC-2.0x teleconverters, meaning it can be converted to an 840mm F/9 or 1200mm f/13 lens if necessary.

The lens is weather and dust-resistant in several areas, on par with Nikon S-series lenses. The outer lens element is coated with a fluoride coating that repels dirt and makes cleaning easier.

Specifications:

• Compatibility: Nikon Z mount
• Focal length: 600mm
• Aperture: F6.3 (minimum F32)
• Closest focusing distance: 5m (maximum magnification 0.16X)
• Optical construction: 22 elements in 14 groups, 9 rounded diaphragm blades
  
• Image stabilizer: yes
• Reversible and removable tripod collar
• Filter thread: 95mm
• Size: 106.5 x 278mm
  
• Weight: 1.47kg

• Nikon NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S Lens
• Nikon LC-K106 Front Lens Cap
• Nikon LF-N1 Rear Lens Cap
• Nikon HB-104 Lens Hood
• Nikon CL-L3 Lens Case
• Nikon LN-3 Lens Strap