Video: Wildlife photographer Steve Perry goes hands-on with the new Nikon Z 800mm F6.3 VR S super telephoto lens
posted Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 1:30 PM EDT
This week, Nikon unveiled the Z 800mm F6.3 VR S Nikkor lens. The exciting new super telephoto lens looks especially appealing to wildlife photographers. It's tough to get close to subjects, and having 800mm reach – or up to 1600mm with teleconverters – can be extremely useful. While we await the chance to go hands-on with Nikon's new 800mm lens, wildlife photographer Steve Perry tested a pre-production version of the lens ahead of this week's full reveal.
In the 'first look' review video below, Perry discusses the lens' specifications, controls, design, features, optical technology, sharpness, bokeh, autofocus, VR and more. He also talks about how easy the lens is to use handheld. The lens incorporates Phase Fresnel (PF) optical technology, contributing to a relatively lightweight design. The new Z 800mm F6.3 VR S lens weighs only 2,385 grams (5 lb, 4.2 oz), which is nearly 50% lighter than the 800mm F5.6 lens. Plus, with up to 5 stops (5.5 stops on the Nikon Z9) of vibration reduction, the lens promises to be versatile in the field.
Today, Perry released a second follow-up video featuring 13 photos he captured with the Z 800mm F6.3 VR S. In the video below, he discusses how the 800mm F6.3 VR S lens allowed him to capture some stunning wildlife photos.
While Perry can't share full-resolution images to download, since the Z 800mm F6.3 VR S lens he used is a pre-production sample, you can get a closer look at some of his favorite photos by visiting his website. The many beautiful shots do a great job illustrating Perry's photo skills and the utility of Nikon's new Z lens for wildlife photography.
If you like the above video, you may also like Perry's 'How to Nail the Shot' video series. We've featured two of these videos before. In them, Perry discusses some of his best wildlife images, including camera settings, composition, emotion and much more. It's a great way to improve your own wildlife photo skills. If you want even more tips and tricks for wildlife photography, check out our guide, '9 Top Camera Tips & Techniques for Improving your Bird & Wildlife Photography.'
To see more from Steve Perry, visit his website and YouTube channel and follow him on Instagram.
(Via Steve Perry)