Tips and tricks for the latest, lightweight Nikon super-telephoto lens

Nikon Team •Hot Shots •12 Oct 2023•3 min read

Try out these situations and techniques to get the best from the new NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S

Compress your background

A super-tele lens like the NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S can be used for interesting effects because of the way it compresses the scene. Get someone to stand in front of something that is quite far away, and the compression will make it look as if the background object is much closer to your subject. Want to shoot someone standing in front of the moon as it rises where the moon looks huge? A super-tele is what you need. This compression effect is often used in movies, for example, to make an actor look as if they are very close to a dramatic event such as a crash or explosion.

Make landscape details your hero

Think super-teles are just for sport and wildlife? Think again. Ditch the wide angle for a day of landscape shooting and instead use the NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S for a completely different feel. Using a super-tele means you’ll be able to hone in on a small detail and it will test your composition skills. And the size and weight of the NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S mean there are no problems sticking it in your bag for the day.

Try out these situations and techniques to get the best from the new NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S

Compress your background

Make landscape details your hero

Nikon Team

What’s in our kitbag?

NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR SOne super-telephoto lens. Two focal lengths

Z TELECONVERTER TC-1.4xIncrease focal length by 40%

Z 7II45.7 MP full-frame mirrorless camera

Look to the skies

The NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S is a great astrophotography lens option to create a different perspective. As with landscape shooting, you can get different effects using a super-tele rather than the usual ultra-wide-angle lenses used for Milky Way shots. The moon is the perfect candidate to start with and a 600mm focal length will give you images with amazing detail of the surface. You can even shoot Jupiter and Saturn with a 600mm. Try adding a teleconverter to get even closer. For more tips on astrophotography, read our interview with Goran Strand here or Mikko Lagerstedt here.

Shoot wildlife ethically

You don’t need to go to Antarctica or the African savanna to capture images of wonderful wildlife. There are many ethical animal experiences in Europe that enable you to connect with nature while also helping to protect the environment around the animals. From bear watching in Finland and a wolf sanctuary in Portugal to Bison safaris in Poland, there are lots of opportunities to test out your wildlife photography and video skills using the NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S with some of the rarest and most beautiful animals on the continent. Read our guide to ethical wildlife photography here.

Go ‘macro’!

Yes, you’ll need to be further away from your subject than you would for true ‘macro’ photography, with a minimum focus distance of 4.0m on the NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S. Focus in on a small object such as a a flower head to fill the frame and you’ll get great separation and bokeh from that long focal length with the lens’ aperture wide open.

Don’t miss the flight!

The NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S is perfect for taking pictures of birds. The beginning and end of the day are the best times to shoot birds as that is when they are usually most active. For stills, use burst shooting to get as many frames per second as you can, either in JPEG or RAW, whichever you prefer to shoot, so that you have more chance to get ‘the shot’. And, with the advanced VR on the lens, you can be sure to get sharp stills and video when shooting handheld as you follow the movement of the birds.

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