New Camera, Old Lens, Flowers

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NIKON Z 8 (200mm, f/8, 1/250 sec, ISO500)

The title says it all. My new Nikon Z8, a Nikon AF-S 70-200/4 ED VR that I borrowed from a friend and some flowers. And some thoughts about tele-lens options.

All images are taken either in our garden or in the garden of very good friends. The one who gave me his 70-200/4 so I can play with it. This is a very fine lens. I once owned the EF 4/70-200 IS L from Canon and liked it a lot. This one is beautifully made and compact but much heavier than the Canon counterpart. I guess I got spoiled after I have tried out the 70-200/2.8 GM II from Sony which is hardly heavier than the f4 lens from Nikon.

I’m still undecided what to get in the future. The big and heavy Nikon Z 2.8/70-200 S or rather the Nikon 70-180/2.8 but of course I want to have something longer than 120mm in the future.

NIKON Z 8 (150mm, f/4, 1/250 sec, ISO64)
 NIKON Z 8 (120mm, f/4, 1/250 sec, ISO200)
 NIKON Z 8 (200mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO80)

70-200mm is a very useful focal length range and even though it is not a close up lens it is perfect for flowers and butterflies too. I would love to see a Z-version of this lens preferable  200 grams lighter than the F-version. If priced reasonable that could be an alternative to the 70-180/2.8.

As already mentioned that I have not decided which way to go but I clearly would prefer a smaller lens and most of all lighter lens. Of course I would also like to have as much range as possible. Purely for traveling I also think the Nikon Z 28-400/4-8 VR could a a very nice option. A couple of years ago I would have never considered such a lens but things have changed. Sensors are a lot better now as well as image stabilisation in lenses and cameras. So except for subject isolation I don’t see a real downside of this lens. This is maybe not the lens to produce magic shots but it is a lens that gets you the shot. For landscape photography and occasional wildlife I think it is a great option and it’s only 725 gram, half the weight of the 70-200/2.8.

NIKON Z 8 (170mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO100)
 NIKON Z 8 (175mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO360)
NIKON Z 8 (200mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO280)

The AF-S 70-200/4 ED VR is tack sharp wide open. To the point that I think it might be too sharp for portraits. Of course f4 will not give you to same subject separation and look its f2.8 counterpart but f4 on a full frame camera at 200mm is still very good. At closer distances like for those flower shots you would stop down a f2.8 lens anyway to get some depth of field. So a Z 70-200/4 S would be a very nice lens especially if Bokeh would be as nice as on this lens.

Maybe Nikon can look into that since the thoroughly covered 50mm now from cheap 50/1.4 to premium 50/1.8 to expensive 50/1.2 and excessive 58/0,95. That or make the 70-200/2.8 significantly lighter, I would be fine with both.

NIKON Z 8 (90mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO64)