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Although Nikon is a latecomer to the full-frame mirrorless field, it has indeed taken some detours in the previous days. But you can't deny that he changed in the aftermath. A series of Sline lenses attempt to continue the classic F-mount lenses of the past. For example, the recent Z105 macro is a good one. Another example is the Z9, which has no mechanical shutter, to give the flagship full-frame mirrorless camera a new thinking. Another example is today's empty cutting machine - Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S.
Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S
Before the release, we had an online discussion meeting with Nikon's R&D staff, and Nikon will hold such a discussion meeting in a series of recent new products, which is actually very important, we can understand the developer's ideas, the technical highlights of the product and some of our opinions. The same goes for today's Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S, which allows me to have some deeper understanding before I experience it, so that I can facilitate later ideas and editorial office test content. Book Return to talk about the Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S in my eyes.
Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR Smi nameplate section
An innovative lens design idea
Indeed, at the beginning of every article about the Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S, you are sure to see innovative ideas for this lens - the built-in 1.4x teleconverter. If I don't guess wrong, almost every media test in the days that follows will put this part first. First of all, this is indeed a breakthrough and an innovation for Nikon. He gave this type of fixed-focus lens a whole new understanding. Of course, he wasn't the first lens to have this idea, he had done it before, but he should have been the first in a full-frame mirrorless camera.
New Slinelogo
Secondly, Nikon emphasized that although the 1.4x teleconverter is built in, it does not affect the picture quality when it is turned on, in short, it is actually the composition of two lens structures, and you have a 428 and an additional 560mm/4. Nikon's confidence in this teleconverter is understandable. After all, it is integration, and it can be more unified in structure. And it is interesting that at the time of the seminar, Nikon's R & D personnel also took the initiative to say that it would not rule out that a version with a 2x teleconverter would be launched according to market demand. This is a new idea, will the future 600mm also have this intention? Will the 800mm also have plans in this regard? This Easter egg hopes to come soon.
Teleconverter toggle lever
Finally, I specifically asked the developers whether the lens that was set up with a built-in extender mirror could be externally extended, and I didn't expect that it could really be, and whether the multiplier was open or closed, the external extender could be placed, and another bird shooting artifact was born here.
Filter slots
The weight of the lens remains mainstream
Despite the built-in multiplier, this lens still controls the weight of less than 3 kg, that is, 2950g, and it is true that I can feel the convenience of his hand during actual use. The reason why such a weight can be maintained is that one is the fluorite lens and the other is the design idea of material and appearance. At the seminar, Nikon showed us a relatively comprehensive structural diagram. And his means of realization, first of all, the combination of engineering plastics and magnesium alloys, some people may feel that engineering plastics do not sound so advanced, but in order to reduce weight and control the cost of such a choice is obviously the most balanced, he can ensure that the price of this lens will not be too outrageous, but also to ensure his high rigidity. These structural changes are the result of their analysis using simulation techniques, which have become a necessity for such lenses.
Lens construction
A new era of coatings
If I am most concerned about this lens, it may not be the focus system mentioned later or the built-in multiplier, but his new coating, the medium-hole amorphous coating. Since in the video and review I can not say too detailed, then here is a little bit of a brazen unfolding to say, the middle hole amorphous coating in English is Meso Amorphous coat. The first thing we experienced was the super integrated coating, the most well-known possibility was Pentax's super coating at that time, and later we experienced the anti-reflective HD ARNEO coating and Nikon's signature nanocrystalline coating.
Meso Amorphous coatkan'fan look at the reflection effect
Super coating may be the most widely used coating, from the film era has existed, anti-reflective HD ARNEO coating is relatively late, anti-reflective HD ARNEO coating is perpendicular to the lens into the light has the same or higher than the anti-reflective effect of the nanocrystalline coating, but in the face of oblique entry of light is not as good as the nanocrystalline coating. Today's mesoporous amorphous coatings can have a higher anti-reflective effect on oblique and vertically entering light.
Structural comparison of nano-coatings with Meso Amorphous coats
So this coating is called by Nikon the highest anti-reflective performance in the history of Nikkor lenses, which has smaller and amorphous particle connections and irregular overlap, which is why he can achieve lower reflectivity, in addition to this lens also uses a higher precision than before the underlying coating, further reducing reflections and reducing ghosting and flare. I personally think that if the external teleconverter is externally beautiful, then this coating is definitely an internal show, and it is actually more important than the teleconverter. Because he can be applied to every product that follows. Even the built-in teleconverter's picture quality is not attenuated, which is inseparable from this coating.
A must in the video era - smooth high-speed voice coil motor (SSVCM)
In fact, the smooth high-speed voice coil motor (SSVCM) is also a technical highlight, but also very important, pay attention to the coating is just my personal preference. The Smooth High Speed Voice Coil Motor (SSVCM) will be more helpful for video shooting, as his quiet and fast video shooter will certainly understand his benefits, especially when the ecology is good for photos as a foundation, and video is a plus, this focus becomes crucial. Briefly talk about the smooth high-speed voice coil motor (SSVCM), he used a new ABS encoder can be about 20 times finer than the past position detection This is a fast aspect, and the biggest selling point of the voice coil motor is still no noise, compared to the powerful SWM and STM are actually quieter, and his driving force is not inferior, you see the first one used in the 400mm lens you can understand his strength.
Smooth high-speed voice coil motor
Stabilization in the digital age
The only thing I'm not sure about this shot is his stabilization settings, there are no physical stabilization toggle buttons on the lens. Although he has 5.5 levels of stabilization can be used with Z9, and although it has two stabilization modes of sport and normal, he does not reflect in the physical buttons, need to material through the menu, I don't know if this point will be used to the user, of course, the mirror body still has a lot of custom buttons, according to the feedback given by Nikon, the future Nikon camera image stabilization mode will have been the main fuselage operation The first is the sub-model, such as Z6 series or Z7 series can set U1 as VR-sport U2 is set to VR-normal, Z 9 can memorize 4 kinds of photographic menuu, A (VR-sport), B (VR-normal) and then assign Fn, press and hold Fn to switch between A and B. The second is the My menu setting, which can be quickly manipulated with Fn and arrow keys. I don't know if this approach can become a fashion trend in the future.
Well, to sum up, I personally think that although Nikon is a latecomer in the 400mm mirrorless lens, he is also a changemaker, his teleconverter ideas, his coating innovations and his focusing system and so on and even his stabilization settings. You'll find that the mirrors of the mirrorless era and the body are really starting to become completely different, he is more digital, and his imagination has become richer. Again, my personal understanding is that the Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S can really be regarded as an epoch-making product. It also makes people look forward to the follow-up development of Nikon. Nikon, come on and take back the market you lost!
Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S /1/1250s/f2.8/ISO100
Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S /1/1250s/f2.8/ISO400
Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S /1/1250s/f2.8/ISO200
Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S /1/1250s/f2.8/ISO125
Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S /1/1250s/f2.8/ISO800
Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S /1/500s/f2.8/ISO100
Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S /1/1250s/f2.8/ISO2000