really stressed out about picking a lens before my yellowstone trip next month... I'm looking at the Z 180-600mm vs the 400mm f4.5 and i just cant decide. i mostly do birds and big mammals but i gotta hike a few miles each day so weight is a huge factor.
- budget: strictly under $2000 (might buy used)
- timeline: need it by the 15th
- gear: Z8 body
The 180-600 has the reach but its a total brick and i dont know if my back can take it. the 400 is way lighter but is 400mm enough for wolves? maybe the 100-400 is better but its slower? i'm paralyzed here lol...
Honestly, i went through this exact same dilemma last year before a long hike through Glacier. I ended up grabbing the Nikon NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S and ive been extremely satisfied with that choice. Carrying a heavy zoom for five or six miles is basically a recipe for a bad back, and since you are rocking a Z8, you have 45MP to work with. You can crop into DX mode and still get a 20MP image with a 600mm equivalent field of view which works well for distant wildlife. Here is why the prime worked better for my workflow:
- Weight: It is only 2.5 lbs while the zoom is closer to 4.7 lbs.
- Aperture: That f4.5 helps a ton during those low-light dawn sessions in the valley.
- Balance: It does not feel front-heavy when you are shooting handheld. I found a clean used copy for $1900 recently. The Nikon NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR is a versatile beast for sure, but for hiking Yellowstone, the lighter prime is the way to go.
