NIKON’S COMPACT LENS DUO BOAST AFFORDABILITY

Arriving now are the Nikon Nikkor Z 70-180mm f/2.8 (below) and Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR (right) lenses. Both are said to be sufficiently agile and versatile to respond to the needs of its mirrorless photographers who shoot a wide range of subjects, while the added promise of a relatively lightweight and weather-sealed build for each makes them travel friendly. They’ve also been designed to appeal to those on varying budgets that want to expand their creative palette, yet can’t stretch to the cost of a pro lens.

Describing it as an all-purpose telephoto zoom, its manufacturer reckons the Nikkor Z 70-180mm f/2.8 will suit particularly portrait, sports, nature and events photographers, with soft ‘bokeh’ accentuating shots of people. Macro style images can be achieved here too by attaching Nikon’s optional Z Teleconverter TC-2.0x, which provides an almost life-size 0.96x magnification.

As its model name indicates, the second new lens in the Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR extends photographers’ possible reach even further. This makes it a good option for photographing wildlife, birds and aircraft in particular. To provide a degree of image stabilisation when shooting handheld, we get the addition of Vibration Reduction (VR) – achieving the equivalent of 5.5 stops according to CIPA standards –theoretically allowing photographers to zoom in or out or pan and tilt with their subjects without use of a tripod.

Attaching the optional Z Teleconverter TC-2.0x delivers a 1200mm equivalent reach this time around, while still allowing for handheld shooting.

Indicating its portability the smaller Nikkor Z 70-180mm f/2.8 zoom weighs approximately 795g and is relatively compact too at just 151mm in length. Suggested retail price is £1,299. By contrast the higher-powered Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR weighs in at 1995g approximately and costs £1,799.

Attendant features of the compact, allpurpose 70-180mm include a minimum focus distance of 0.27m at its widest setting and 0.85m at the telephoto end.

Attaching the Z Teleconverter TC-2.0x extends the reach to 360mm. Nikon suggests that the lens’ qualities of quiet focusing and suppressed focus breathing make it an option also for videographers wanting cinematic close ups. Photographers packing their kit bag with this lens might also want to pair it with the existing Nikkor Z 17-28mm f/2.8 and Nikkor Z 28-75mm f/2.8 for the full creative spectrum.