I recently took out our newly acquired Nikon Z 180-600mm f5.6~f6.3 VR for a spin around Vancouver to see what it could do. It is the replacement for the very popular F-mount 200-500mm f5.6 VR that was introduced way back in 2015. Like the older 200-500mm, the new lens is a relatively large and heavy lens, but is more user-friendly than the 200-500. It does not extend while zooming out, which is very useful when mounted on a gimbal head, and the turning radius of the zoom ring is much much less than it used to be. Focusing speed is faster than the 200-500mm, which is another welcome change. I think this is a fantastic budget wildlife and sports lens and will be a worthy addition to anyone’s collection.
$50/Day or Weekend
Our Nikon rental gear list and prices can be found here.
Here are some stills and a video showing the lens as I zoomed in with the focal lengths displayed on screen.
Muskrat
Nikon Z8 + Nikon Z 180-600mm f5.6~f6.3
1/100 sec, f6.3, 640 ISO
Dowitcher
Nikon Z8 + Nikon Z 180-600mm f5.6~f6.3
1/800 sec, f6.3, 400 ISO
Douglas Squirrel
Nikon Z8 + Nikon Z 180-600mm f5.6~f6.3
1/200 sec, f6.3, 2200 ISO
