LENS TEST Testbench
Amy Davies finds out whether the 70-180mm f/2.8 lens is a good compromise over the more expensive telephoto optics in Nikon’s Z range
Introduced to sit in Nikon’s ‘affordable’ trinity of f/2.8 zooms, the Nikkor Z 70-180mm f/2.8 is an interesting proposition for those who want a telephoto zoom but don’t have a huge budget. It’ll set you back £1,299 and sits alongside the Nikkor Z 17-28mm f/2.8 (£1,199) and the Nikkor Z 28-75mm f/2.8 (£949).
Investing in all three gives you a great range of coverage and would be an ideal setup for almost any subject.
Having a telephoto zoom in your kit bag is a good idea for a plethora of different subjects. This lens is well-suited to portraits, close-up, event photography, relatively close wildlife and action, and even landscape, architecture or abstract photography.
The 70-180mm goes up against Nikon’s own Z mount 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S lens, which is significantly more expensive (£2,499) and aimed squarely at professionals (or those with big budgets). With the 70-180mm f/2.8, you lose a little in focal length, but you also miss out on optical vibration reduction, plus the ‘S’ designation (meaning sharpness). These are all worth paying for if you need them, but for many ordinary users, the differences may very well be worth the cost saving. The 70-180mm is also significantly smaller and lighter.
Another lens you might also consider for Nikon Z mount is the Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3, which gives you a longer focal length and is considerably cheaper than the 70-180mm, but has a much narrower maximum aperture.
Features
This lens clearly inherits its optical formula and key specs from the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8, which is available for Sony E Mount. However, Nikon has made it clear to us that the lens’s autofocus system and barrel design is all its own work.
The lens is constructed of 19 elements in 14 groups, including 5 ED elements, 1 super-ED element, and 3 aspherical elements. Between them, it should mean that the lens has reduced problems with issues such as distortion and colour fringing. The lens is weathersealed and the front element has an ‘anti-fouling’ coating to make it easier to clean.
Nine diaphragm blades are used to create the out-of-focus areas, which at f/2.8 and at the longer focal lengths, can make up a large part of the scene. At the short end of the zoom, the closest focusing distance is just 0.27m from the sens
