
Except for the announcement of a few lenses this week, there isn't much news to share. Nikon continues to expand its Z-mount lineup with the addition of a pair of telephoto zooms: the NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR and NIKKOR Z 70-180mm f/2.8. Cinema folks also get a pair of zooms from Laowa: the full-frame Ranger series, comprising a 28-75mm T2.9 and 75-180mm T2.9.
Nikon continues expanding Z line with a pair of telephoto zooms
Nikon announced a couple of telephoto zooms for its Z line this week: the NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR and NIKKOR Z 70-180mm f/2.8.
Bigger is often better when you want extreme reach from your telephoto zoom, and the 180-600mm certainly delivers exceptional range. It is now the longest zoom in the NIKKOR Z series and reaches 600mm at a fraction of the price of the ultra-high-end 600mm prime, meaning it's the lens for the rest of us.
It isn't a tiny lens, but it's not too bad for what you get, either. The more conservative f/5.6-6.3 aperture keeps things relatively manageable at 4.3 lb and with dimensions of 4.3 x 12.4". Inside that body, the optics are superb and should be very appealing for wildlife, landscape, and sports photographers.
If you need greater reach, you can accomplish this with the Nikon Z Teleconverters―you can max out at 840mm with the 1.4x and an impressive 1200mm with the 2x. This is an excellent lens if you want some far-reaching glass.
The NIKKOR Z 70-180mm f/2.8 is smaller and lighter (and less costly) than the existing 70-200mm on offer. Having a more everyday version of this zoom range is essential to any lens lineup and, while normally we would expect it to be an f/4 option, Nikon was able to retain the usually more premium f/2.8 aperture here.
But since it is an alternative to the 70-200mm, you are losing the built-in VR, so you'll have to rely on the camera's systems. You also lose a touch of range at the tele end, but those tradeoffs are worth it for what you end up getting.
I think many people will be excited to have an f/2.8 zoom for content creation because it will boost low-light situations and render images with shallower depth of field. It will also be very versatile, with a minimum focus distance of 10.6" that allows for a reproduction ratio of 1:2, or half of life size.
These two lenses should appeal to a much wider audience than we usually expect for telephoto zooms since they are relatively affordable. The 180-600mm is especially so since you can attain some incredible reach for a price of $1,697. The 70-180mm is also a great, smaller, and more affordable option at its $1,247 list price than the premium 70-200mm.
Laowa officially releases compact full-frame Ranger cine zoom series
Compact cinema zooms have dramatically increased in popularity over the past few years. As such, it makes sense that Laowa wants to get into the game. The now official Ranger series is a full-frame set that should perform wonderfully on many current cinema and mirrorless cameras.
Starting out, Laowa has two lenses for the Ranger line:
This is a versatile zoom range on full-frame systems and the lenses themselves offer all the features you would expect from true cinema-ready glass. They are parfocal, have minimum focus distances of 1.5' and 2.75', respectively, have matched control positions, and matched 77mm filter threads with an 80mm front diameter. There's not much more to ask for here.
The relatively fast T2.9 aperture should provide good control over depth of field, and focus breathing is very well controlled. Plus, Laowa has been making good lenses for long enough that the brand's optics should be very respectable.
A 16-30mm T2.9 will be released in the future. The lenses also come standard with an ARRI PL mount and user-swappable Canon EF mount—you can easily pick up Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z, and L-Mount options, too.
These lenses look like great new competitors in the cine zoom space, especially since they are relatively affordable, at $2,999 each.
In other news...
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The B&H Photography Podcast hosted the legendary Steve Sasson this week, who many of you may recognize as the inventor of the digital camera.
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Take a closer look at the Sony FX6, which sits in the sweet spot for size, price, and performance in the Cinema Line.
Check back next week!
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