Image: Nikon · source

Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR

Nikon · Premium

A 725-gram, 14.2x all-in-one zoom for Nikon Z-mount cameras that runs from 28 mm to 400 mm at f/4 to f/8, with optical Vibration Reduction that Nikon quotes at 5.0 stops.

Expert pick · Digital Camera World, May 2024

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We have not tested it ourselves: strengths and weaknesses below come from the tests cited.

Why Railfans Carry It

A train is often framed at very different distances in the same outing, from a close view on a platform to a distant curve down the line. Nikon says this lens gives 400 mm of reach, or 600 mm equivalent on DX-format Z cameras, and starts at 28 mm for wide scenes, so one lens covers both ends. Digital Camera World tested it on a Nikon Z 8 and shot the same scene at 28 mm and at 400 mm: a tower that is little more than a dot on the horizon at the wide end fills the frame at the long end. The tester also says he likes not having to change lenses on the camera in dusty environments. Nikon quotes a lightweight 725 g and a retracted length of 5.6 inches.

In the Field

A zoom lock switch on the left of the barrel stops the lens extending while it is carried, per Nikon and Digital Camera World. Digital Camera World says the lens roughly doubles in length at the long end because of two extending inner barrels, so it is a much longer object at 400 mm than the retracted figure suggests. Nikon quotes 5.0 stops of optical Vibration Reduction for handheld shooting, and 5.5 stops on Z cameras that support Synchro VR; Digital Camera World says optical VR makes the lens an interesting proposition for DX-format Z cameras, which it says so far lack in-body stabilization. There are no AF/MF or VR on/off switches on the barrel, according to Digital Camera World, but the control ring can be set to aperture, ISO, exposure compensation or manual focus, per Nikon. Autofocus uses a stepping motor, per Nikon, and Digital Camera World noticed it slow down toward the longest zoom settings. The maximum aperture shrinks to f/8 at the long end; Digital Camera World says that matters less on a mirrorless camera, and that you are unlikely to want to stop down from the widest available aperture there. Nikon describes the lens as dust and drip-resistant, and says that thorough dust and drip resistance is not guaranteed in all situations or under all conditions. Digital Camera World found multiple weather seals, including a rubber gasket on the metal mount plate. The lens ships with a rectangular bayonet hood and a pouch. Digital Camera World says the lens relies heavily on automatic in-camera correction of distortion, color fringing and vignetting, and that the distortion correction cannot be switched off.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Expert pick · Digital Camera World: Digital Camera World found the sharpness impressive for a superzoom and called the lens an excellent travel companion, while disliking its slow aperture at longer zoom settings and the amount the barrel extends. It still prefers a faster-aperture lens for most jobs. Read the review

Strengths

28-400 mm in one lens
725 g with a 5.6-inch retracted length
5.0 stops of optical VR, 5.5 with Synchro VR
Sharpness described as highly impressive for a superzoom
Zoom lock switch, weather seals, hood and pouch supplied

Weaknesses

Slow aperture: f/8 at the long end (Digital Camera World)
No AF/MF or VR on/off switches (Digital Camera World)
Barrel roughly doubles in length at 400 mm (Digital Camera World)
Autofocus slows toward the longest zoom settings (Digital Camera World)
Sharpness drops at the edges and corners at both ends of the zoom range (Digital Camera World)

Key Specifications

Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR — key specifications
Specification	Value
Mount	Nikon Z mount (FX and DX compatible)
Weight	725 g
Aperture	f/4-8 maximum, f/22 minimum
Dimensions	84.5 mm diameter x 141.5 mm length
Filter size	77 mm
Construction	21 elements in 15 groups, 4 ED glass elements, 9 diaphragm blades
Focal length	28-400 mm (14.2x zoom)
Image stabilization	Optical VR, 5.0 stops (5.5 stops with Synchro VR)
Minimum focus distance	0.2 m at 28 mm to 1.2 m at 400 mm, from the focal plane
Maximum reproduction ratio	0.35x at 28 mm

Who It’s For

Z-mount photographers, on full-frame or DX bodies, who want one lens from wide to super-telephoto and accept a slow telephoto aperture. Digital Camera World calls it an excellent travel companion and says it works out favorably compared with buying separate standard and telephoto zooms, but it adds that it often prefers a lens with a faster aperture for the job.

Alternatives

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR is smaller and lighter at 570 g and 77 x 114 mm, according to Digital Camera World, with a wider angle of view but no super-telephoto reach; Digital Camera World also misses its extra wide-angle coverage when using the 28-400.