Nikon NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S vs Nikon NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR

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NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S compared with NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR

	NikonNIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S	NikonNIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR
Overview
Released
Released	December 2021	August 2023
Optics
Lens type
Lens type	Zoom	Zoom
Focal length
Focal length	100–400 mm	180–600 mm
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/4.5–5.6	f/5.6–6.3
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/32–40	f/32–36
Optical construction
Optical construction	Twenty-five elements in twenty groups	25 elements in 17 groups; internal focusing
Special elements
Special elements	Six ED and two Super ED elements	Six ED elements and one aspherical element
Coatings
Coatings	Nano Crystal Coat and ARNEO Coat; fluorine coating on the front element	Fluorine coating on the front element
Aperture detail
Aperture detail	–	f/5.6–32 at 180 mm; f/6.3–36 at 600 mm. The displayed minimum aperture can vary with the camera's exposure increment
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Nine rounded blades	Nine rounded blades
Angle of view
Angle of view	FX 24°20′–6°10′; DX 16°–4°	FX 13°40′–4°10′; DX 9°–2°40′
Mount and compatibility
Mounts
Mounts	Nikon Z mount	Nikon Z mount
Image circle
Image circle	Full frame	Full frame
Compatibility
Compatibility	Nikon Z full-frame and DX cameras. Nikon Japan says mounting this lens disables selection of the mechanical-shutter setting, leaving Auto or electronic front-curtain options; use the latest camera firmware	Native Nikon Z mount; FX/full-frame image circle, also usable on DX cameras
Teleconverter support
Teleconverter support	Z TELECONVERTER TC-1.4x and TC-2.0x supported; maximum focal length becomes 560 or 800 mm. Nikon warns focusing can take longer or become less reliable depending on subject, brightness and focus point	Supports Z TC-1.4× and TC-2.0×; Nikon cautions that autofocus or the electronic rangefinder may struggle depending on conditions
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	0.75 m	1.3 m
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.38×	0.25×
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	Yes	Yes
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	Multi-focusing system with two stepping motors	Stepping motor; automatic or manual focusing
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	Internal focusing; minimum distances from focal plane 0.75 m at 100 mm, 0.78 m at 135 mm, 0.8 m at 200 mm, 0.87 m at 300 mm and 0.98 m at 400 mm	Minimum focal-plane distances are 1.3 m at 180 mm, 1.36 m at 200 mm, 1.67 m at 300 mm, 1.94 m at 400 mm, 2.19 m at 500 mm and 2.4 m at 600 mm; limiter selects full range or 6 m–infinity
Magnification detail
Magnification detail	Maximum reproduction ratio 0.38× at 400 mm; 0.16× at 100 mm, as Nikon Japan specifies	Nikon publishes maximum 0.25× without separately specifying focal length in its UK table
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	Lens-shift VR with voice-coil motors. Nikon rates 5.5 stops under CIPA conditions in NORMAL mode on a full-frame camera at maximum telephoto	Optical VR rated at 5.5 stops to CIPA standards with an FX camera, Normal mode and maximum telephoto; CameraLabs achieved around four stops in its handheld Z8 test at 600 mm
Video features
Video features	Nikon describes reduced focus breathing, quiet autofocus and smooth aperture control	Quiet focusing, clickless control ring and suppressed focus breathing
Design
Dust and moisture resistant
Dust and moisture resistant	Yes	Yes
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	77 mm	95 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	98 mm	110 mm
Length
Length	222 mm	315.5 mm
Weight
Weight	1,355 g (better)	1,955 g
Controls
Controls	Focus-mode and FULL/infinity–3 m limiter switches; zoom and focus rings, assignable control ring, L-Fn controls and display button. Photography Blog identifies aperture, focus-distance and focal-length display options	Zoom and customisable focus/control rings, four L-Fn buttons, AF/manual switch and focus limiter
Zoom design
Zoom design	Barrel extends towards 400 mm; Nikon's Inner Balance Technology minimises centre-of-gravity movement. Zoom ring turns through 80°	Internal zooming; Nikon states 70° rotation across the range
Filter detail
Filter detail	77 mm screw-on filters, 0.75 mm pitch	95 mm screw-in filters, 1 mm pitch
Weather resistance
Weather resistance	Dust and drip protection; complete resistance is not guaranteed in all conditions	Dust and drip resistance, not guaranteed in all conditions; fluorine front coating eases cleaning
Dimensions detail
Dimensions detail	Approximately 98 × 222 mm; length from lens mount at 100 mm	Approximately 110 mm maximum diameter × 315.5 mm from mount flange
Weight detail
Weight detail	Approximately 1,355 g without tripod collar; 1,435 g with it	Approximately 1955 g without tripod collar; 2140 g with collar
Tripod mount
Tripod mount	Rotating collar with removable foot, as Photography Blog describes	Removable collar; CameraLabs confirms two mounting threads and no Arca-Swiss dovetail
Lens hood
Lens hood	HB-103 hood included	HB-109 included
In the box
In the box	LC-77B front cap, LF-N1 rear cap, HB-103 hood and CL-C3 case	LC-95B front cap, LF-N1 rear cap, HB-109 hood and CL-C6 case; removable tripod collar
Release detail
Release detail	Nikon Korea explicitly gives 16 December 2021 as the release and promotion start date; Nikon USA announced availability within 2021. Nikon Japan's regional on-sale date was later, 4 February 2022	Nikon USA states August 2023 availability; exact earliest retail day and first UK day unconfirmed, so month precision retained. Nikon describes it as a follow-up to the F-mount 200–500 mm; no cross-mount direct successor link inferred