The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S and the Nikon Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S is the longer of the two lenses at 235mm. The Nikon Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR with a length of 222mm, is 13mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S also has a larger diameter of 104mm compared to the Nikon Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR's 98mm diameter.
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Below you can find a scaled side-by-side image of Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S and Nikon Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR to get a better idea of how their sizes compare in real life.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S weighs 1245g, which means it is 110g (8%) lighter than the Nikon Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR which has a weight of 1355g.
Filter Threads
The Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S has a filter size of 95mm whereas the Nikon Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR has a 77mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 95mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S:
And these are the 77mm filters that we recommend for the Nikon Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR:
Lens Mounts
Both the Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S and the Nikon Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR has the same Nikon Z lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon Z lenses are Nikon Zf, Nikon Z8 and Nikon Z30.
Focal Range
Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 400mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
600mm.
On the other hand, the Nikon Z 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 VR has a focal range of 100-400mm and 4.0X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 150 - 600mm.