NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S

Reviewers find it very sharp wide open, with high contrast, very little chromatic aberration and only mild vignetting. With the TC-1.4x it stays sharp enough that many treat it as a light 560mm. The f/4.5 aperture gives smoother backgrounds than the 100-400mm and 180-600mm zooms at the same focal length.

Autofocus is quick and accurate for birds in flight and field sports, though a step behind the voice-coil motors of the exotic f/2.8 and f/4 primes. Reviewers also note that the f/4.5 aperture asks for higher ISO in poor light and that it is a fixed focal length at a price close to the zooms.

Owners say it is the lens they actually take hiking, and many sold heavier zooms or F-mount primes after buying it. The size, the handheld balance and how well it pairs with the TC-1.4x come up again and again.

Complaints are few: some miss the flexibility of a zoom, the removable foot is small for heavy gimbal use, and the 95mm filters are expensive. A few owners would have liked a drop-in filter slot instead.