Over the years, Nikon has produced incredible super-telephoto lenses like the Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 and f/2.8, 600mm f/4, 800mm f/6.3, and 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6. But a less expensive option was missing from their lineup. They addressed this with the Nikon Z 180-600 f/5.6-6.3 lens. This lens is the replacement if you will for the DSLR lens the 200-500 f/5.6 which arrived in 2015. Two year later, Nikon introduced the Z line and here we are.
Having now shot with this lens, I can honestly give a review of my thoughts and how this lens stacks up in the Z lineup. Before I get into that, let’s take a look at the specs for this lens.
- Full Name: Nikon NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR
- Focal Length: 180-600mm (3.3x zoom)
- Maximum Aperture: f/5.6 to f/6.3
- Minimum Aperture: f/32 to f/36
- Lens Elements: 25
- Lens Element Groups: 17
- Filter Thread Size: 95mm
- Angle of View (FX): 13° 40′ to 4° 10′
- Maximum Magnification: 0.25x (1:4)
- Minimum Focusing Distance: 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) at 180mm; 2.4 meters (7.9 feet) at 600mm
- Vibration Reduction: Yes; normal and sport
- Aperture Blades: 9, rounded
- Fluorine Coating: Yes
- ED Glass Elements: 6
- Aspherical Elements: 1
- Focus Motor: STM
- Internal Focusing: Yes
- Internal Zooming: Yes
- Teleconverter Compatibility: Yes (with both Z teleconverters)
- Focus Limiting Switch: Yes (two positions: full, and ∞ to 6 meters)
- Function Buttons: Yes, one (repeated four times around the front of the lens)
- Dimensions (Length x Diameter): 316 x 110 mm (12.5 x 4.4 inches)
- Weight: 2140 g (4.72 lbs), includes tripod ring
Build quality
The Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 has an internal zoom, which makes it a breeze to balance on a tripod. Once you make the effort to balance it properly, you won’t need to readjust the gimbal as you zoom, since the lens’s center of gravity changes very little. Another benefit of the internal zoom on the 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 is that it’s more resistant to dust and moisture. Since there is no vacuum created when zooming, ambient air does not flow in nor does rain or dust. One drawback is that the lens foot is not arch compatible. What is it about Nikon and their super-telephotos not having Arca Swiss compatibility?
The Nikon 180-600mm is undoubtedly priced to be affordable. However, this affordability comes with some compromises. For example, it does not have the “Memory Set” button found on higher-end lenses. This button can be used to store a focus distance in the lens’s memory, then recall it in a split second with the lens function button (L-Fn). This is very useful when the autofocus misses the target and focuses on the background, for example.
The Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 manages to fix many of the ailments of its F-mount sibling. Most of all, the autofocus has been given a new life. The zoom mechanism is internal and therefore more durable and in my humble opinion more responsive. The lens is lighter and more thoughtfully designed. It’s overall better optically, while reaching 600mm rather than 500mm (and 180mm rather than 200mm).
Final thoughts
I know this lens is typically for wildlife photographers given its light weight and hand carrying ability. I just shot and airshow with this lens and found it top be just what I needed in terms of balance and the variable internal zoom.
The ability to pan this lens and follow a faster moving subject seemed comfortable, even after hours of panning left to right and right to left. The autofocus acquired quickly and did track the plane with ease when subject detection was on airplane.
This lens in my humble opinion is a huge upgrade from its predecessor the F-mount 200-500mm f/5.6 not just for the focal length upgrades, but the internal focusing, lighter weight and sharper optics. If you are looking to get a reasonably priced lens for wildlife, birding, aviation or other, then this lens is something you should definitely look into. If you own this lens already, I would love to hear your thoughts and comments below.