Thom Hogan

Yes, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are nearly upon us. Many of you are dusting off your credit cards and checking your credit availability in anticipation of a hot holiday harvest.

But what should you really buy? ;~)

Let's start with cameras. If you have a Z6 II, Z7 II, Z8, or Z9, you should stand pat. Yes, you might be able to convince yourself to trade in your Z6 II for a Z8, but you'd be going far upscale doing that. If the Z6 level camera was right for you before, you probably need to wait for the US$2000-2500 camera that replaces it. Those still with DSLRs or lower/older Z cameras have some options, so let me sort through them, from low to high.

Note: these recommendations differ a bit from my reviews because they're based upon current state-of-market and pricing. Once a year I tend to go back and adjust my review ratings, but that won't come for a while yet.

• Z30 — At US$700 this holiday, the Z30 with the kit lens is about correctly priced for what it is and what it does. It is a highly compact, versatile camera that has just one clear liability: no viewfinder. If you're okay with squinting at the Rear LCD in bright light, this is as close to a great compact camera as Nikon (and most anyone) still comes. Recommended (conditionally)
• Z50 — At the discount to US$800 for the body only, this camera might be tempting to some. After all, it has the viewfinder the Z30 is missing, though the Z30 has a few minor things the Z50 doesn't. It's in that last bit where the Z50 is showing its age: it's the worst performing autofocus camera in the Z series now. Not terrible, but you can do better. Not recommended this season
• Zfc — Also with a US$100 discount and coming in at US$1000 with the kit lens you get the answer to both the previous problems (no viewfinder, worst AF), but with a new problem: a completely different UI. I guess the good news is that you can ignore the dials and just use the Zfc like a Z50, or you can embrace the dials and return to the days of yesteryear, where people were constantly staring at the tops of their cameras. One word of caution: with any reasonably sized lens, you're going to want a handgrip with this camera. Recommended
• Z5 — The D600 of the Z System lineup. It's a price leader at its US$1000 body price, which is Nikon's way of trying to get DX users to commit to FX. Like the D600, I expect the Z5 to be in the lineup for quite some time as Nikon milks dollars out of the R&D investment to create it and uses it as that DX-to-FX lever. Surprisingly, the Z5 is a pretty full-featured camera and it leverages that same well-proven D6xx/D750 style image sensor, which is well-loved. The downside to a Z5 is that it's the slowest focusing FX camera in the lineup, though many don't notice that as long as they use a reasonably fast lens in decent light. Recommended
• Z6 II — Ah, the most maligned of the current Z cameras. But at US$1600 body only this season, I don't think you'll find anything else that approaches its quality, performance, and feature set at that price. This is a solid camera that I've long pointed out is capable of work most don't believe it can do (e.g. sports, wildlife). It just takes some learning and practice to achieve everything it's capable of. Recommended
• Zf — No discount at the moment, it's the new kid on the block. I'll just say this (review coming soon): the Zf is a bit of a love/hate camera. Had Nikon just done the internal stuff in the Zf to create a Z6 III, nobody would be complaining. And you can use a Zf exactly like a Z6, though with a few less buttons to customize and no right hand grip (slightly clumsy body). When you do, you see just how much EXPEED7 was the catalyst for the Z8/Z9 features and performance. The Zf is the best performing and feature packed US$2000 camera Nikon has offered, but whether you'll like it or not will all come down to how it feels in your hands. So don't buy it mail order without first seeing it in person. Go see and play with it at your local dealer. 
• Z7 II — The only real "bargain" of the holiday season so far, with a body-only discount of US$700 (US$2300 price). It matches the Z6 II in everything I just said, except in very, very low light. But it also gives you the ability to "print big." A really solid landscape and travel camera with the right lens set. Highly Recommended (seasonal)
• Z8 — Nikon's mostly offering trade-in bonuses with this camera, trying to pry some DSLR users over to the mirrorless world. I think the real kicker here is this: would I choose Nikon's best equivalent DSLR (D850) or the Z8? The Z8, every time. There's nothing I miss from the D850, period. Recommended
• Z9 — No discounts here at the moment, and people are wondering if this camera is actually worth stretching from the Z8 for. The answer is in the sales: yes, plenty are deciding that's exactly the case. The big wins of the Z9 over the Z8 are the vertical grip that provides a battery that lasts forever, the Auto capture and Birds modes, the matching fast CFe card slots, and some miscellany like built-in GPS that works well (and can log). Recommended

Overall, the discounts on the cameras so far are mostly modest, and that's partly because the cameras a that good in the first place. While Nikon gets maligned by the fanboy crowd as "being behind," I don't feel "behind" at all in the FX world, and only at the top end of the DX moon.

Lenses are difficult to make general recommendations about, because what focal length you want or need may not be the one with the best bargain. As I've noted before, there isn't really a dud lens in the Nikkor Z-mount offerings, and any comparison of a Z-mount version to an F-mount version easily skews to the Z-mount version. (Caveat: in varying degrees, and of course, sample variation can be an issue, particularly with the lowest cost lenses.)

So I'm just going to summarize which lenses have which discounts at the moment:

• US$20 off — 28mm f/2.8, 40mm f/2
• US$50 off — 50mm f/2.8 MC
• US$100 off — 20mm f/1.8 S, 24mm f/1.8 S, 50mm f/1.8 S, 85mm f/1.8 S, 100mm f/2.8 MC VR S
• US$150 off — 35mm f/1.8 S
• US$200 off — 14-24mm f/2.8 S, 14-30mm f/4 S, 17-28mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.2 S, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S
• US$250 off — 400mm f/4.5 VR S
• US$300 off — 24-70mm f/2.8 S, 28-75mm f/2.8, 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S

The question many are asking me is whether I believe these discounts are "Nikon's final answer." In other words, will there be additional discounts between now and Christmas? 

The answer is "perhaps." Nikon, and particularly NikonUSA, are known to micromanage price to the volume they want to sell. With the dollar so strong against the yen lately, this gives them more flexibility in pricing than usual. However, take a close look at Nikon's most recent financial statements and you'll see that they're performing well above expectations at the moment, so the incentive to push more product out the door is not really there, as it has been at times in the past. My expectations of additional discounts appearing in the next month, therefore, is somewhat tempered. 

Updated It appears that Nikon very soon (early December November) will issue a firmware update for the Zfc that provides support for the EN-EL25a battery. Thing is, an EN-EL25a battery doesn't currently exist, though recently I've noted that some third-party batteries are referring to "EN-EL25 and EN-EL25a compatibility" in their ads, so something's afoot.

Most previous "a" releases of a battery have boosted the capacity of the battery, as does this one (the EN-EL25a goes up 100mWh in capacity from the original). Some of the third party batteries already do provide extra capacity, though you have to read the voltage, mAh, and wattage values carefully to assess that.

Still, the fact that we appear about to get a new version of the battery used in the DX bodies—and which requires a firmware update for existing cameras to use—seems to imply that Nikon may be about to release a new DX camera, or at least tweak an existing one (Zfc). In the past, new batteries have tended to be accompanied by new cameras. 

As I've noted elsewhere, the Z50 is a particularly interesting problem for Nikon. In about a year, the EU would not allow sale of a Z50 due to the fact that it doesn't comply with the full set of EU regulations that have been layered up recently. In particular, the "common charger" mandate, which dictates that a digital camera that directly supports recharging must use USB-C Power Delivery. The current Z50 can be charged in camera, but the charger for that is the EH-73P, which is USB-2 to USB microB, which won't be allowed after December 28, 2024 in Europe. (I'll repeat what I've written elsewhere: I originally thought that the "common charger" mandate had grandfather clauses in it that would allow continued sales of product past the regulation going into affect, but it doesn't. Thus a different EU regulation that defines "new" comes into play, and a lot of products are probably going to go off market in Europe in 2025 because of that. It's one reason why Apple was objecting to the "common charger" regulation, for instance, because Apple likes to keep three generations of iPhone on the market, and two of them might still use Lightning connectors.)

We can all speculate what a Z50 II (or Zfc II) might be comprised of, but there's one really simple path that would completely change the experience: stick EXPEED7 and USB-C into the current camera(s). That's it. Suddenly, you'd have better autofocus, better internal video capabilities, and additional potential features, even if the same image sensor, shutter, and viewfinder are used. This is what the Zf did compared to the Z6 II, so why wouldn't Nikon continue that approach? 

I used to really like the Z50. Back when it came out in 2019 it was one of the best US$1000 crop sensor mirrorless options you could get. Things have changed since then, of course. Two years later Nikon provided a few minor tweaks that would have kept the Z50 more current, but they did them in the Zfc model instead of a Z50 II. Fujifilm's recent X-S20 is arguably a better camera now, and Canon's recent R50 and R7 also bracket the Z50/Zfc, putting more competition on those DX models. Adding EXPEED7 on its own probably is enough to hold serve, which is why I mention that simple path of updating Nikon's first DX model.

Nikon's surprised us more than once in the Z System camera sequencing, so without clear inside info—which I currently don't have for the DX models—I can only speculate. It seems clear to me, though, that Nikon needs to do something in the DX space soon or risk just losing traction there. I, for instance, have been using an X-S20 instead of my Z50 since that Fujifilm appeared. The Fujifilm a bit bigger and heavier, but it offers a fair amount of things that I'd have wanted in a Z50 followup at this point.

I’m giving a talk at Creative Photo Academy this evening (Monday, November 6) with Mark Comon on the latest Nikon Z System gear. We usually do an online even when a new camera comes out, but we were both out of the country when the Zf came out, and several lenses have popped up since our last session, too. Meanwhile, we’ve been using the new camera and lenses in our trips (well, okay, I haven't yet used the 600mm f/6.3 PF VR S yet, as it just shipped and mine is arriving this week). 

Our free talk will begin at 5pm PST. You can sign up for it at https://creativephotoacademy.com/event/nikon-zf-discussion/. As usual, we record the session and make it available (usually the next day) to anyone who signed up and couldn’t be there for it live.

This is an opportunity to ask questions and get them answered by two workshop teachers who use this gear daily.

I’m giving a talk at Creative Photo Academy next week with Mark Comon on the latest Nikon Z System gear. We usually do an online even when a new camera comes out, but we were both out of the country when the Zf came out, and several lenses have popped up since our last session, too. Meanwhile, we’ve been using the new camera and lenses in our trips (well, okay, not the 600mm f/6.3 PF VR S yet, as it just shipped). 

Our free talk will be on November 6th, at 5pm PST. You can sign up for it at https://creativephotoacademy.com/event/nikon-zf-discussion/. As usual, we record the session and make it available to anyone who signed up and couldn’t be there for it live.

I mention that talk because I’m starting to get specific Zf questions that get to the heart of buying decisions. 

In particular, there’s the issue of using mirrorless cameras completely silently. This is a key difference between the Zf and the Z8. The Z8 has a stacked image sensor with a 1/270 effective electronic shutter. The Zf is still using the older Z6 image sensor, which is not stacked and has a far slower 1/15 effective electronic shutter. 

What that means is that the rolling shutter artifacts on the Zf can be problematic when the the camera is used in Silent mode. This is not true of the Z8, which operates pretty much like a camera with a mechanical shutter when silent. Moreover, in artificial light, the slower Zf sensor more easily produces banding, and unlike the Z8, it has no way to syncronize the electronic shutter to the light frequency. 

So for people who want a completely silent camera, the Zf probably isn’t the one you want. If you don’t mind the mechanical shutter being used, then the Zf is perfectly fine with motion/action and responds to frequency-based light as you’d expect. Of course, when you use the mechanical shutter, you need to be aware of the difference between Continuous H and Continuous H (extended). Only the former gives you a live viewfinder while your photographing (not quite blackout free like the Z8, but very short blackout between live looks). For raw files, Continuous H (not extended) gives you a maximum frame rate of 6 (full mechanical) to 7.2 (electronic first curtain) fps. 

The reason why this is coming up is because of people thinking the Zf is an inexpensive Z8 for wildlife and sports action. The new autofocus system is in the Zf, after all. But pragmatically, you’ll have to give up significant frame rate to get the same quality images of moving subjects. 

Since a Z6 III is still below the future horizon line and can't yet be seen, the article title is a question that's now popping up among many Z6 owners. It's both an easy and difficult question to answer.

Easy answer: Yes.
Difficult answer: Maybe not.

Let's get a couple of things out the way first:

1. It's easier for a Z6 owner to consider the Zf an "upgrade" because so much has been added and changed since the original model. A Z6 II owner has a more difficult time with the question.
2. A number of things "remain the same" in the Z6 to Zf upgrade: shutter, image sensor, and to a large degree viewfinder. If you're looking for upgrades in these areas, you won't find them in the Zf. 

The "clear difference" list is actually lengthier and meatier than you might expect: better VR, better autofocus (subject detection, 3D-tracking), better low-light autofocus, higher non-impacted frame rate, pixel shift capabilities to 96mp, pre-release capture, 10-bit internal video recording, plus a few additional things that the original Z6 couldn't do (e.g. IPTC data, USB charge in camera). Some will also see SD-only cards as a plus, though I'm less sanguine on this. 

It's that long list of inclusions and improvements on the Zf that make for the easy answer: you do indeed get more, and that's very clearly true for the original Z6 owners.

The difficult answer happens because of the thing I complain about on the Zf: it's simplified approach to controlling the camera. You have far fewer programmable/customizable controls in which to surface those additional functions to your fingertips while photographing. You're going to menu dive a lot, even if its via the i button quick menus. 

Moreover, there's a clear loss that many Z6 owners will lament on a Zf: no U# choices. As much as some malign the idiosyncrasies of the U# system, at least a Z6 or Z6 II has the ability to quickly shift the camera settings; a Zf does not.

What these two things mean together is that the Zf is a camera that, unless you always just using one configuration, will cause you to work more slowly and deliberately than you do with a Z6. Which is in a bit of conflict with the things that have been added to the camera. With the Zf we have a subject-detecting autofocus system that can track motion just fine at up to 10 fps and for a couple hundred buffered images, but for which any change of settings you want to make will tend to slow you down and make you miss things.

Can you perform Hybrid Button focus techniques on the Zf? Yes, but this works far better if you have a lens with (an) L-Fn button(s) and other lens controls you can customize. It works well enough I can see a Zf body sitting in my bag as an emergency backup camera. I wouldn't use the Zf as a main camera because I simply can't get enough "configuration" into controls I can use without menu diving, though. To some degree, that's a problem I've had with the Z6/Z7 models from day one. But at least the Zf provides us with things AF-area mode+AF-ON, Switch FX/DX, etc. It's just that I'm out of places to put those things after I count to two ;~).

That said, I can see some folk thinking of the Zf as "most of a Z8" at lower cost, but with the 24mp image sensor. If that's what you've been waiting for, then perhaps your upgrade answer for you is yes. 

Personally, I don't really see the Zf as an upgrade to my Z6 II, though I now wonder what I might consider using my Z6 II for ;~). 

I'm not sure Nikon could have created a better conundrum. As I've pointed out before, there's a school of marketing/sales that preys on confusing the potential buyer and then steering them to what you want to sell them. When our brains get confused over a buying decision, we turn to others for help making the decision. A good sales person can use that confusion to point you wherever they'd like you to go. That feels like help, but is really manipulation.

I have no real skin in the game. I'm happy with whatever decision you make if you're happy with it. 

_______________________

More Zf observations:

• The box my orange Zf came in is not the traditional Nikon Z "black," but a subdued, darkish gray. The USB cable that's included is USB-C on both ends for what it's worth.
• The camera comes from the factory set to not use two of the dials! The ISO dial is set at C and the shutter speed dial is set to 1/3STEP. The Exposure Mode switch is also set to AUTO. My camera did not ask for language or date to be set, but the clock battery icon was flashing. Moreover, the EN-EL15C that was included was at 0%. Expect to have to charge a battery before trying to set up your Zf.
• The Fn button on the front of the camera is set to White balance. You really only have five buttons that support a great deal of customization: Fn, AE-L/AF-L, DISP, and surprisingly, the playback and red movie buttons. Plus, of course, lens buttons. Strangely, the camera is configured so that C30 as the camera comes out of the box, just gives you 30 fps JPEGs (no pre-release capture is enabled; you have to enable it). 
• The microSD slot is as bad as you imagine it to be: unless you have incredibly tiny fingers (or perhaps very long fingernails), you'll have to take the battery out to get the microSD card in and out reliably.

Things just changed a bit with the camera/smartphone connection. At least if you have an iPhone 15 Pro model.

With an iPhone 15 Pro Max connected to my Z8 and the right camera settings enabled (NETWORK > USB data connection > iPhone) using an OWC Thunderbolt 4 cable the right things happen immediately with NX MobileAir. Moreover, some changes to NX MobileAir also make for an easier workflow for some: 

1. Take your images with the camera.
2. Mark your selects with Protected. (You could also use Ratings.)
3. Connect the iPhone, grab all the images, then use the Filter in NX MobileAir to select only your Protected images.
4. Share you Protected images. That might be by email, via X, Instagram, or an FTP server you're working with. 

You can do the IPTC entry either on the camera or the iPhone with the NX MobileAir app, as you see fit. 

Alternatively, you put the camera into NETWORK > USB data connection > MTP/PTP and Photos will now show you the Import choice. Import what you want to pass on and you can use Apple Photos as the hub from which you do your sharing.

Yes, this all sort of worked previously using Lightning-equipped iPhones. However, you needed a special cable or a dongled cable collaboration to make the physical connection, and the Lightning port was dirt slow for data transfer. The iPhone 15 Pro models support up to 10Gbps transfers, though the Z cameras don't achieve full speed. But the transfer is much faster than it was with the Lightning connector. Note that the iPhone 15 non-Pro models use USB 2 at 480Mbps, so are decidedly slower using the above choices.

I’ve had a series of articles on this site that have stepped through the options in the telephoto realm as Nikon has continuously updated it. It’s time to once again check in with my thoughts on the individual lenses.

Before we get started with the individual lenses, let's summarize the telephoto situation as I write this:

At 70mm you have seven ways to get there.
At 100mm you have six ways to get there.
At 200mm you have five ways to get there.
At 400mm you have four ways to get there.
At 600mm you have three ways to get there.
At 800mm you have one way to get there.

That's all without using teleconverters (and allowing for a bit of focal length rounding). Notice anything about that progression? Yes, this has to be almost a deliberate approach by Nikon: fewer options as you get longer into the telephoto range. However, at anything other than 800mm, you have multiple options (and technically, you have more options if you include the built-in and add-on teleconverters.

So the first thing you need to figure out is exactly how much telephoto focal length you actually need. That's going to define the lens options available to you (again, without teleconverters). 

I'm going leave off lenses such as the 24-120mm f/4 S and 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR from my specific comments, as these are really multi-purpose lenses, not telephoto ones. 

Here's my quick thoughts on the clear telephoto choices currently available:

• 70-180mm f/2.8 — A lens that isn’t given enough credit because it’s a first generation Tamrikon (e.g. not a G2) and doesn’t have lens-based VR. I don’t care about those two things because, here in safari-land where I’m writing this article, it just works. Yes, at 180mm and f/2.8 vignetting is noticeable by a two-year old who needs glasses. Yes, 180mm is not as well stabilized (by the image sensor) as it could be, but it's still reasonably stable using sensor VR. This lens travels small and light, it makes excellent images, and it even comfortably focuses nearer than you’re likely to need (short of small insects). While I’ve recommended the lens in my review, I’m liking it more the more I use it, and again, it’s very travel friendly.
• 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S — A very sharp lens with virtually no flaw. Well, no flaw other than it’s big and heavy compared to the competitors' offerings. When absolute image quality counts (on a 45mp camera), this lens comes out of the gear closet and pushes the Tamrikon I just mentioned aside like a sumo wrestler challenging a horse jockey. But the penalty you pay for that is significant in terms of price, size, and weight. I’m using this lens less and less as the other options have revealed their benefits.
• 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S — If you’re photographing sports or wildlife and aren’t using one of the above two lenses, I’ll bet this is your “short lens.” It’s really well rounded in its benefits, with no particular downsides (other than perhaps price to some of you). Sharp, takes converters decently, excellent stabilization, all in a lens not significantly larger than the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S (told you the 70-200mm was big and heavy). Of course, you’re at f/4.5 to f/5.6, so edge of day photography means higher ISO values. Still, it’s a solid choice to pair up with your “long” lens. I've never been disappointed with this lens since I first started using it.
• 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR — The second “consumer” lens in our list (70-180mm was the first; note that focal length handoff). From an image quality standpoint, it simply doesn’t seem very consumerish at all. While my review points out that 300mm is its best (and really great stopped down a third of a stop) focal length, even 600mm is really solid. A bit down in contrast from the exotics, but the edge definitions are very close if you can stop down that third of a stop. If you liked the 200-500mm f/5.6E in the F-mount, you’ll absolutely love the 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR in the Z-mount at f/6.3-7.1. Like the previous lens, though, edge of day starts to be a problem due to the smaller aperture. Don't be too worried about backgrounds, though. At 600mm f/6.3 distant backgrounds fade to full blur. 
• 400mm f/4.5 VR S — The little lens that could. For a traditional 400mm it’s very compact and light. But it’s also very sharp and contrasty, fast to focus, and takes a teleconverter with aplomb. You’re giving up a stop and a third to the expensive exotic (next lens), but not a heck of a lot else. You’re gaining less money taken from your bank and an easier to handle lens that travels really well too. I like this little powerhouse a lot. It's the everyperson's exotic, for sure. 
• 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S — OMG. This lens just delivers, period. Tons of control customization (but not always in a hand-friendly place) and the best results you’re going to see from a Nikkor telephoto at 400mm. And clearly so. This lens renders beautifully. The 560mm results with the teleconverter flipped in are pretty darned good, too. The reduced weight (from F-mount versions) makes it surprisingly hand holdable for shorter periods, but your wallet will also feel lighter. Quite a lot lighter. No one that uses this lens complains. Okay, I do, about the position of some controls. But I mean even I feel like maybe I’m a bit on the nit-picky side when I see the images I’m getting from this lens. I thought my F-mount 400mm f/2.8 was great, but this lens is better, and more versatile with that teleconverter built-in.
• 600mm f/4 TC VR S — A tiny bit less OMG than the 400mm, but if you need this focal length, you’re not going to find a better choice. Really strong optics that aren't really matched at this focal length. Again, Nikon will drain your wallet and max out your credit card before handing you this lens. However, unlike the 400mm TC, you’ll find that the added size and weight of the extra focal reach takes a little away from wow factor. You’re also probably out of hand holdable range, certainly for any length of time. 
• 600mm f/6.3 PF VR S — The latest Nikkor, for which I have no real experience with yet. Looking at early results and commentary from a few pros I know who've used it, you need to pay attention to it, though. The tricky part to reconcile: it's 1.7" longer than the 400mm f/4.5 (already a small lens), and a few ounces heavier. That combo is going to have a lot of folk questioning which lens to get. Well, you asked for choice. Nikon's now giving it to you, so stop complaining. 
• 800mm f/6.3 PF VR S — If you need 800mm, this is the best way to achieve it, at least in the optical results. No questions asked about that: 800mm done beautifully. However, 800mm is a tricky focal length by itself. Finding the subject starts to become a real issue due to the narrow angle of view. Personally, I prefer to be at 560mm and flip to DX on my Z8 or Z9 if I need something in the 800mm focal length. That’s because 560mm becomes my wider “finder,” and the Switch FX/DX button customization then snaps me into the subject. Sure, I’m down to 19mp, but I found the subject faster. Also, if I lose it, I flip back out to FX to find it again.

So what two lenses for safari? As it turns out I’ve used most combos except those that involve the 600mm or 800mm prime lenses.

For example, on my most recent Africa trip I took the 70-180mm f/2.8 and 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR with two Z8 bodies. Other than working at higher ISO values at the long end, I didn’t really feel like I was losing out on anything. The images I captured are excellent and certainly up to my standards, particularly after a bit of processing or by stopping down a third of a stop on the long lens. I would travel again with this pair again in a heartbeat, plus a side benefit is that the two lenses and two bodies fit easily in my 19L backpack (with a bunch of batteries and accessories). I repeat: an entire safari outfit with a lot of reach in a 19L pack. That's nearing m4/3 and APS-C territory for travel.

My previous two trips I took two Z9 bodies, the 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S, and either the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S or the Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8. I have to say, the faster apertures all round gave me more choices for what to do with background, helped with low light situations, and all three lenses just render really, really nicely. This makes for a big kit, and barely fits in my 30L pack. 

On this most recent trip my teaching partner Tony Medici took the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S and the 400mm f/4.5 VR S, a combination I’ve also used in the past (mostly for sports). That pair travels more friendly than the 70-200mm/400mm f/2.8 combo, for sure, but you sacrifice little other than maximum aperture. Again, the images are well above my standards.

While I haven’t come to Africa yet with the following combo, the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S and 800mm f/6.3 PF VR S make an interesting choice, as well. I’ve used these two lenses together in my neighborhood nature preserve, and it produces excellent images; my only concern is framing up subjects at 800mm. That works if the subject isn't moving, but you really need to practice and master narrow angle alignment if the subject is moving. 

Finally, a note: in virtually every case I travel with the 1.4x teleconverter, just in case I’d prefer a bit more reach. All of the above lenses other than the 70-180mm f/2.8 work well with that teleconverter.

All of which pretty much means this: any of the current Nikon options deliver excellent images. Price, travel friendliness, and maximum aperture are probably the way you get to the choice that works for you. 

I don’t think Nikon’s close to done with the telephoto offerings for the Z-mount (witness this week's 600mm f/6.3 PF VR S). That said, what we already have is pretty fantastic. Used well, you should come back with excellent images pretty much no matter which choice you make. 

Yes, I know it’s difficult figuring out which two options you should probably own. Hopefully my words above will help you make the best decision for you.

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Bonus #1: Tamron has starting adding telephoto options under their own brand for the Z-mount. We currently have the 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 and the 150-500mm f/5-6.7. I'd say the former is a potential solution for the Z5/Zf type user who wants to supplement their 24-70mm f/4 with something that covers a full telephoto range. It's not a bad lens, but it does have a number of compromises to it. The 150-500mm looks more promising, in that its MTF ratings look good and it packs/travels smaller than the Nikkor 100-400mm and especially the 180-600mm. 

Bonus #2: I've noticed many folk asking for 500mm lenses in the Z-mount. I suppose it's possible that one will eventually come, but it's clear to me that Nikon has targeted 400/600/800 in the Z-mount. I expect multiple entries to cover those focal lengths in a variety of ways (already true of 400mm, and starting to be true for 600mm). Some might say there's a "gap" at 500mm, but we're talking about the "gap" between a 6°10' angle of view and a 4°10' angle of view, which is a pretty small gap. I'd argue that 300mm is the more important focal length for Nikon to fill first, and I suspect it will be filled by a fast zoom (e.g. 120-300mm f/2.8 VR S), or perhaps another lens with a built-in teleconverter (e.g. 200mm f/2 TC VR S). That you can use three different 500mm F-mount choices on a Z-mount camera also plays a part in Nikon's decision making, I'm sure. Personally, I like Nikon's choices so far. They seem clear, targeted, and useful.