Get the most out of the NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR with these tips and tricks

Nikon Team •Hot Shots •28 Mar 2024•3 min read

Is this the one lens to do it all? Read on to find out how to put this 14.2x superzoom through its paces

Get creative with filters

With a 77mm filter thread diameter the NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR is ready to accept a wide range of filters from both Nikon and third-party suppliers. Whether you want to try soft focus, circular polarising, neutral colour or something else, filters provide a great and inexpensive way of upping your camera creativity, in both stills and video.

Set your ISO last

When shooting with the NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR at its longest focal length, small changes can make big differences, so spend some time getting your settings right, especially when wildlife is your subject. Start with a fast speed for shooting unpredictable subjects such as birds and other wildlife (a minimum of 1/400th of a second), then set your aperture and finally set the ISO for the best possible exposure results.

Experiment with composition

The NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR is fantastic for such a wide range of subjects, so use that flexibility to try different styles of composition in your stills and videos. Try different angles and different focal length framing options for your subject (which doesn’t always have to be in the centre) and remember that great framing and composition make the difference between a good image and a great one.

Is this the one lens to do it all? Read on to find out how to put this 14.2x superzoom through its paces

Get creative with filters

Set your ISO last

Experiment with composition

Nikon Team

What’s in our kitbag?

NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VRSharp 14.2x superzoom

Practice your zooming

With a superzoom lens like the NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR, with such a wide zoom range, the more you use it the more comfortable you’ll be with controlling the amount of zoom. The zoom ring on the lens makes this a really tactile experience and the super-smooth operation means pretty soon you’ll instinctively know just how much to zoom for a particular image. For an in-depth look at how to use zoom lenses for video click here.

Pre-focus so you don’t miss a moment

When you’re trying to catch an image of that special bird or insect, watch its behaviour for a while and see if it keeps returning to the same place. Then you can pre-focus on that spot and be ready the next time it lands.

Leave the rest of the gear at home

Try the NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR on a day trip or weekend away and you’ll soon see that it might be the only lens you ever need. Fixed to a Nikon Z mount camera, it puts you in control of every scenario, from travel landscapes to close-up details and local wildlife.

Try the telephoto end for close-ups

Telephoto lenses are sometimes seen as only being used to take images of faraway objects. But wait! Even fully extended, the NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR can give you wonderful image quality up close, too, with beautiful background separation and perspective compression.

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