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Are you an avid sports or wildlife photographer seeking the perfect telephoto zoom lens to capture those breathtaking moments? Look no further, as we dive into an in-depth comparison of two remarkable lenses – the Nikon 180-400mm f/4 and the Nikon 200-400mm f/4.
Both lenses boast impressive features, versatile zoom ranges, and fixed apertures, making them ideal for various types of photography. With our comprehensive guide, you’ll be able to make an informed decision based on your specific needs and preferences.
In this article, we will explore the lenses’ unique strengths, from weather sealing and handling to sharpness, bokeh quality, and distortion control.
Discover how each lens can elevate your photography game, whether you’re chasing fast-moving subjects on the field or patiently waiting for the perfect wildlife shot.
By the end of this comparison, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge you need to choose the lens that best aligns with your photography goals and budget.
So, let’s delve into the world of telephoto zoom lenses and unleash your creative potential!
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 and the Nikon 200-400mm f/4 both have a fixed maximum aperture of f/4, which allows for good low light performance and a shallow depth of field, ideal for isolating subjects from their background in sports or wildlife photography.
Both lenses also have a focal range of 180-400mm and 200-400mm, respectively, offering flexibility in framing your subjects. They are designed for use with 35mm full-frame cameras, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of camera bodies.
In comparing the two lenses, the 180-400mm lens has a slightly wider focal range, beginning at 180mm, which can be advantageous for capturing more of a scene when you’re unable to step back further. However, the difference in focal range is minimal, and both lenses provide a versatile range for telephoto applications.
Considering that both lenses have a fixed aperture, they deliver consistent image quality and low light performance across the entire zoom range. As telephoto lenses with larger apertures, they are also likely to have better overall image quality, including sharpness, contrast, and reduced chromatic aberration, compared to lenses with smaller apertures. Moreover, their fixed aperture design may result in a more robust build quality and improved autofocus performance.
Ultimately, both the 180-400mm lens and the 200-400mm lens are excellent choices for photographers seeking a high-quality telephoto lens with a versatile zoom range and fixed aperture. While the 180-400mm lens has a slightly wider focal range, the difference is minimal, and the choice between the two lenses will likely come down to personal preferences, specific requirements, and budget considerations.
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 and the Nikon 200-400mm f/4 differ primarily in terms of dimensions and weight. The 180-400mm lens has a diameter of 128mm and a length of 362.5mm, while the 200-400mm lens has a diameter of 124mm and a length of 365mm. The 180-400mm lens weighs 3500 grams, whereas the 200-400mm lens is slightly lighter at 3360 grams. These differences in size and weight can impact factors such as portability, balance, discreetness, storage, and lens swapping.
The 180-400mm lens, being slightly larger and heavier, may be more cumbersome to carry around and can contribute to a heavier camera bag. This could lead to increased fatigue during extended shoots or when traveling. Additionally, its larger size might make it more conspicuous in situations where blending in is beneficial, such as street or wildlife photography.
On the other hand, the 200-400mm lens, with its smaller dimensions and lighter weight, offers better portability and discreetness. It may provide a more balanced setup when paired with a camera, making it easier to handle during longer shoots. The reduced weight can also make lens swapping a more manageable task in fast-paced environments.
Both lenses feature an internal rotary zoom method, which means they maintain their size when zooming in or out, providing consistent balance and handling during shooting. Internal rotary zoom lenses are also generally easier to weather-seal, protecting your gear from dust, moisture, and other elements.
In conclusion, the 200-400mm lens offers a more compact and lightweight option, which may be preferable for those who value portability and discreetness. However, both lenses feature internal rotary zoom mechanisms, ensuring consistent handling and weather sealing.
Lens Mount and Barrel
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 and the Nikon 200-400mm f/4 differ in terms of lens mount and barrel construction.
The lens mounts of both lenses feature a sturdy metal construction, ensuring a secure and durable connection between the camera and the lens, as well as a rubber gasket for sealing against dust and moisture.
When it comes to lens barrels, the 180-400mm lens combines metal and high-quality plastic, offering durability and comfort with an ergonomic bevel. The lens barrel also features a carbon fiber pattern on the lens hood and a textured grip on various rings for improved control.
The 200-400mm lens, on the other hand, sports a sputtered epoxy painted alloy exterior, giving it a durable and high-quality finish. The ergonomic bevel and rubber-covered metal focus and zoom rings ensure comfortable handling and operation.
Both lenses have internal zooming mechanisms, meaning they don’t change their physical size when zooming in or out, maintaining a consistent form factor throughout their zoom range.
In summary, the 180-400mm lens offers a blend of metal and plastic in its construction, providing a balance between weight, durability, and cost. Meanwhile, the 200-400mm lens boasts a premium feel with its alloy exterior. Neither lens is definitively superior, as the choice between them depends on your preferences and needs as a photographer.
Weather Sealing
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 and Nikon 200-400mm f/4 both offer excellent weather sealing to protect them from harsh environments.
The 180-400mm lens boasts heavy weather sealing, with gaskets at the lens mount, and internal seals at the rings, switches, and front of the barrel. It features 8 ring-type seals in the barrel, and rubber sealing on all buttons, switches, and compartments. The front element is fluorine coated to repel grease and water, making the lens well-suited for challenging conditions.
On the other hand, the 200-400mm lens also provides impressive weather sealing, including a gasket at the lens mount and internal seals at the rings, switches, and front of the barrel. These measures ensure that the lens can endure various difficult shooting environments. Additionally, the lens includes a removable front protective glass element for extra protection against external elements.
In conclusion, both lenses offer strong weather sealing, suitable for use in demanding conditions. However, the 180-400mm lens stands out with its extensive sealing, including 8 ring-type seals and fluorine coating on the front element. If you prioritize maximum protection against dust, moisture, and other environmental factors, the 180-400mm lens might be the superior choice. However, the 200-400mm lens also provides excellent weather sealing, making it a reliable option for photographers who frequently shoot in challenging environments.
Rings
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 and Nikon 200-400mm f/4 both feature two main rings: a focus ring and a zoom ring.
In the 180-400mm lens, the focus ring is located closer to the camera body, while the zoom ring is positioned towards the front. Both rings have a rubberized grip texture, providing a comfortable tactile experience.
The zoom ring is wider than the focus ring, allowing for a quick zoom from 180mm to 400mm in less than a quarter turn. Engraved markings on the zoom ring indicate focal lengths at 180, 200, 250, 300, 350, and 400mm. Both rings are smooth when rotating, with no zoom creep and a windowed distance scale.
On the other hand, the 200-400mm lens has a focus ring near the front and a zoom ring positioned further back. Both rings feature rubber hatching patterns, but they are not distinct enough to easily identify them. The focus ring can be found by a slight outdent from the zoom ring.
The zoom ring allows for quick action from 200 to 400mm in less than a quarter turn. The focus ring rotates almost 360 degrees to cover the full range from minimum to maximum focus distance, providing a large degree of adjustment for manual fine-tuning. Both rings offer a good tactile experience, but the zoom ring requires a hand to turn it and cannot be flicked easily with a finger.
In conclusion, the focus and zoom rings of the 180-400mm lens are smoother and provide a better tactile experience compared to the 200-400mm lens. If you value ease of use, the 180-400mm lens is the superior choice. However, the 200-400mm lens is still a reliable option with its quick zoom action, making it ideal for capturing fast-moving subjects.
Switches/Buttons
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 and Nikon 200-400mm f/4 both feature multiple switches and buttons designed to optimize user experience and enhance control.
In the 180-400mm lens, there are a total of 5 switches on the side: focus mode (A/M, M/A, and M positions), focus limiter (full and infinity to 6m), VR mode (off, normal, and sport), memory recall (AF-L and AF-ON), and beep (on and off). Additionally, there are 4 function buttons around the front of the lens for focus lock and recall. These switches are easy to locate and use, with clear labeling and distinct positions, providing quick access to important functions for photographers in the field.
The 200-400mm lens features 4 main switches: M/A and M for toggling between autofocus with manual override and manual focus, an A/M switch to guard against accidental focus change, a focus limiter for selecting the full focus range or limiting it to infinity up to 6 meters, a vibration reduction switch with “ON” and “OFF”, a mode switch for Normal and Active modes, and an AF-L/Memory Recall/AF-ON toggle switch for focus control and focus distance store.
There is also a chime toggle switch, 4 focus buttons for quick access, and a selector switch near the lens mount to control their functions. These buttons and switches are strategically placed for ease of use and quick adjustments.
In conclusion, both lenses offer well-designed switches and buttons to enhance the user experience and provide control over essential functions. But the 180-400mm lens features one more button to turn the beep sound on or off. This operation can be performed in any focus mode regardless of the position of the focus function selector. A beep will sound if the operation is successful.
Filter Thread
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 and Nikon 200-400mm f/4 both lack a front filter thread, opting for rear drop-in filter systems instead.
The 180-400mm lens uses a rear 40.5mm drop-in filter system, with a Neutral Color Filter supplied in the box and an optional Circular Polarizer available for purchase separately. The filter slot is located closest to the lens mount, and the clear filter should not be removed unless it is being replaced with a polarizing filter for a specific shooting situation, as it is part of the lens formula and helps protect against dirt ingress.
On the other hand, the 200-400mm lens features a 52mm drop-in filter slot at the rear. This design allows for easy use with filters without the front element and filter thread rotating on focus. Nikon provides a standard 52mm NC filter as part of the optical formula, which is crucial for optimal performance.
To use a circular polarizer, you would need to purchase the C-PL1L accessory that includes a filter and a special holder for adjusting its orientation. Non-Nikon filters might not fit or may affect focus tracking if their thickness differs from the original Nikon filters.
In conclusion, both lenses offer rear drop-in filter systems, with the 180-400mm lens using a 40.5mm filter size and the 200-400mm lens using a 52mm filter size. Neither lens has a clear advantage in terms of filter thread, as both provide unique rear drop-in filter systems that eliminate the need for a front filter thread.
Lens Hood
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 and Nikon 200-400mm f/4 both come with lens hoods included in the package.
The 180-400mm lens hood features Nikon’s standard carbon fiber pattern and is secured with a screw-knob, ensuring a stable fit. It smoothly slides into position and is held in place by a knurled knob that tightens onto the edge of the barrel. This lens hood adds approximately 4.5 inches (120 millimeters) of length to the lens and effectively minimizes lens flare. The ergonomic bevel and smooth rotation make it user-friendly and easily adjustable.
The 200-400mm lens hood is made from a combination of carbon-fiber, black-anodized billet aluminum, and rubber, providing a lightweight and durable construction. It features an ergonomic bevel designed for ease of use and can be smoothly rotated for attachment or detachment. The hood excels at reducing flare and protecting the front element of the lens. However, careful handling is necessary to avoid damaging the latch, as repairs can be costly.
In conclusion, both lens hoods are designed to minimize lens flare and protect the front elements of their respective lenses. The 180-400mm lens hood offers a secure screw-knob attachment, while the 200-400mm lens hood boasts a lightweight and durable construction. Neither lens hood has a clear advantage over the other, as both provide effective flare reduction and front element protection.
Tripod Collar
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 comes with a removable tripod collar featuring a padded non-slip grip for comfortable hand-carrying. It permits camera rotation, with white markings to indicate 90-degree rotation points.
The collar’s ball bearings facilitate smooth transitions between horizontal and vertical shots. The collar is also equipped with a locking knob and is compatible with the Arca-Swiss tripod system. Additionally, twin strap loops make it easier to attach a carrying strap and transport the lens.
The Nikon 200-400mm f/4 features a tripod collar that allows easy rotation between portrait and landscape orientations via a knob control. However, the collar’s design can cause movement and instability when mounted on a tripod. To improve stability and image quality, users can opt for the Really Right Stuff Lens Support Package. The supplied foot for the lens is relatively short, which may be inconvenient for users with lighter camera bodies or those who hand carry the lens.
Upgrading to a longer foot, such as those offered by Kirk Enterprises or Really Right Stuff, can provide more mounting flexibility and make carrying the lens more comfortable.
In conclusion, the 180-400mm lens offers a superior tripod collar experience, with its smooth rotation and user-friendly design. The 200-400mm lens, while providing rotation capabilities, suffers from stability issues, which can be addressed with additional third-party accessories.
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 offers exceptional autofocus performance, featuring a built-in Silent Wave Motor (SWM) for quiet and rapid autofocus operation. The focusing speed is impressive, with almost instantaneous focus acquisition, even in low-light situations. The lens can accurately focus on subjects at close, mid-range, and long-range distances.
Manual focus override is available when the focus mode switch is set to the M/A position, and the focus ring is smooth and easy to operate. Its internally focusing design ensures that its length remains constant, regardless of focus and zoom settings, and the front element does not rotate during focusing. Minimal focus breathing makes this lens suitable for various shooting scenarios.
The Nikon 200-400mm f/4 also features a silent wave motor, ensuring fast and quiet focusing. The focusing speed is remarkable, especially for a high-end telephoto lens, focusing from close to infinity relatively quickly. In low-light situations, autofocus performance may rely more on the camera body, but the lens generally doesn’t impose any limitations. Initial autofocus acquisition speed is swift and accurate.
This lens allows for manual focus override, enabling fine-tuning of the focus manually while in autofocus mode by simply moving the focus ring. The manual focus action is smooth, and the focus ring is geared for precise adjustments, covering nearly 360 degrees from minimum to maximum focus distance. The lens also features an internally focusing design, ensuring that its length remains constant regardless of focus and zoom settings. Additionally, the front element does not rotate during focusing. This lens exhibits minimal focus breathing, making it a versatile and high-performance choice for various shooting scenarios.
In conclusion, both the 180-400mm and 200-400mm lenses deliver outstanding focusing performance with rapid and quiet autofocus, as well as smooth manual focus override. Both lenses have an internally focusing design and minimal focus breathing, making them suitable for various types of photography. While their performance is comparable, the 180-400mm lens demonstrates slightly faster autofocus acquisition, giving it a slight edge in focusing performance.
Optical Stabilization
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 features Nikon’s Vibration Reduction (VR) technology, which offers an impressive 4 stops of stabilization, enabling the capture of sharp images even when shooting handheld. The VR system operates silently and provides two stabilization modes: Normal and Sport.
Normal mode is suitable for most shooting situations, while Sport mode is designed for more effective tracking of moving subjects. With VR, you can achieve sharp shots at much slower shutter speeds, such as 1/60th of a second with this lens, making it a valuable asset for various shooting situations.
The Nikon 200-400mm f/4 also features a vibration reduction (VR) system, providing up to 4 stops of stabilization for significantly slower shutter speeds while maintaining sharpness. It offers two stabilization modes: Normal mode for most shooting situations and Active mode, designed for shooting from a moving vehicle.
The VR system operates silently and allows for sharp shots at slower shutter speeds depending on the focal length: 1/13 of a second at 200mm, 1/30 of a second at 280mm, and 1/30 of a second at 400mm. The lens’s VR system is particularly useful when shooting handheld or in low-light conditions.
In conclusion, both the 180-400mm and 200-400mm lenses offer effective optical stabilization with 4 stops of stabilization and silent operation. The main difference lies in the specialized stabilization modes: Sport mode for the 180-400mm lens and Active mode for the 200-400mm lens. While both lenses deliver excellent stabilization performance, the 180-400mm lens has a slight advantage with its Sport mode, which is designed specifically for tracking moving subjects, making it a superior choice for optical stabilization.
1 fluorite + 8 ED elements and Nano Crystal + Super Intergrated + fluorine coatings
4 ED and some Nano Crystal Coat-deposited lens elements 1 detachable protective glass
Diaphragm Blades
9
9
Circular Aperture
Yes
Yes
Aberration
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 demonstrates excellent control over chromatic aberration, with minimal to no noticeable issues across various focal lengths and apertures. Additionally, the lens effectively manages coma and spherical aberration, contributing to the high sharpness and image quality that this lens is known for.
On the other hand, the Nikon 200-400mm f/4 also exhibits very low and consistent chromatic aberration across all apertures and focal lengths. This impressive performance for a zoom lens can be attributed to the inclusion of 4 ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements, which effectively minimize chromatic aberrations.
In conclusion, both the 180-400mm and 200-400mm lenses perform exceptionally well in controlling chromatic aberration.
Sharpness
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 showcases impressive sharpness throughout its focal range, boasting outstanding center sharpness at most apertures and focal lengths. Corner sharpness is generally good to excellent, although it may slightly trail behind the center sharpness in some instances. At wide open apertures, the sharpness is commendable, particularly at shorter focal lengths.
Stopping down enhances corner sharpness while maintaining excellent center sharpness, with the sharpest aperture often found around f/8. Using the built-in 1.4x teleconverter results in a noticeable drop in sharpness, but the combination still delivers sufficiently sharp images.
In contrast, the Nikon 200-400mm f/4 exhibits remarkable sharpness, particularly in the center, where it remains sharp both wide open and when stopped down. There is a slight loss of contrast at wide open apertures, but the sharpness is not compromised.
Corner sharpness varies; as you stop down, some sharpness may be lost in the corners, although vignetting is minimal. The sharpest aperture appears to be around f/5.6, where the lens delivers outstanding results. When using a teleconverter, the lens may lose some sharpness and a stop of speed, but the extent of this impact depends on the atmospheric conditions and the specific teleconverter used.
In conclusion, both the 180-400mm and the 200-400mm lenses perform admirably in terms of sharpness. However, the 180-400mm lens has a slight advantage due to its excellent corner sharpness when stopped down, and its outstanding center sharpness throughout most apertures and focal lengths. As a result, the 180-400mm lens offers superior sharpness compared to the 200-400mm lens.
Bokeh Quality
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 produces a smooth and beautiful bokeh, thanks to its 9-rounded aperture blades that create pleasing out-of-focus areas. Long lenses inherently have an advantage in bokeh due to their reduced depth of field, and this lens demonstrates commendable smoothness in tonal transitions throughout its range. Additionally, the lens exhibits impressive sharpness and image quality, further enhancing the bokeh quality in the resulting photographs.
On the other hand, the Nikon 200-400mm f/4 generates generally smooth and pleasant bokeh, with some complexity in out-of-focus areas at smaller apertures. This might be attributed to VR artifacts, as there is a noticeable difference when using VR versus not using it.
When shooting across long distances, atmospheric heat shimmer can affect bokeh, especially from point light sources, but this is common with all long lenses. The 9-blade aperture contributes to the well-rounded bokeh. Depth-of-field control is impressive, allowing for beautiful bokeh and crisp transitions between in-focus and out-of-focus areas.
In conclusion, both lenses deliver pleasing bokeh quality, but the 180-400mm lens has a slight edge due to its smoother tonal transitions and the enhanced bokeh quality stemming from its impressive sharpness and image quality. Therefore, the 180-400mm lens offers superior bokeh quality compared to the 200-400mm lens.
Flare/Ghosting
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 is equipped with the HK-41 carbon fiber lens hood, which helps mitigate ghosting and flare issues when mounted. Despite Nikon’s use of Super Integrated and Nano Crystal Coatings, it’s essential to avoid pointing the lens at bright light sources, such as the sun, to prevent these issues from appearing in your photos. Keeping the lens hood mounted and being mindful of the direction you point the lens will help minimize flare and ghosting.
In comparison, the Nikon 200-400mm f/4 experiences minimal flare and ghosting when used with the hood attached, as it helps prevent flare across the front element. However, there have been instances where “orbs” of light appear in shots, potentially due to internal ghosting or flaring within the lens.
The Nano coating on the newer version of the lens helps increase contrast in backlit scenes, further reducing the likelihood of flare and ghosting. It’s worth noting that removing the protective front element can provide a slight boost in contrast, which may help mitigate these issues.
In conclusion, both lenses perform well in controlling flare and ghosting, especially when using their respective lens hoods.
Vignetting
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 exhibits some vignetting wide open at all focal lengths, with measurements showing around 1.5 stops at most focal lengths. However, stopping the lens down to f/5.6 significantly reduces vignetting, and it almost disappears past f/8.
Vignetting is slightly less pronounced with the teleconverter, and at f/8, it’s hardly noticeable. While vignetting can be visually distracting in certain situations, it’s not a deal-breaker, as it can be easily corrected in post-processing.
On the other hand, the Nikon 200-400mm f/4 exhibits noticeable corner vignetting when shooting wide open, which mostly diminishes by f/8. Vignetting is generally not a significant issue and can even be beneficial for some subjects, as it subtly emphasizes the central area of the image.
In most cases, the darker corners at f/4 can enhance the appearance of your photos, particularly when shooting subjects that benefit from this effect.
In conclusion, both lenses exhibit some degree of vignetting, which is generally more prominent when shooting wide open. The 180-400mm lens shows a more noticeable reduction in vignetting when stopping down the aperture.
Distortion
The Nikon 180-400mm f/4 exhibits minimal barrel distortion at 180mm, which transitions to pincushion distortion at 250mm. The pincushion distortion is visible at both 300mm and 400mm focal lengths. However, distortion is generally not a significant issue with super-telephoto lenses, and if necessary, it can be easily corrected in post-processing using software like Photoshop or Lightroom. With the built-in 1.4x teleconverter, the distortion remains pincushion-shaped across the entire zoom range, ranging from 1% at 300mm to 1.5% at 500mm.
In contrast, the Nikon 200-400mm f/4 exhibits very low levels of distortion, which can be considered almost negligible. The linear distortion is less than half a percent (barrel) and is not easily noticeable in everyday photography. For critical use, you can further correct the minimal distortion by utilizing software like Photoshop CS2’s lens distortion filter. This impressive performance in controlling distortion is likely due to the lens’s complex optical design and the use of multiple ED elements.
In conclusion, the 200-400mm lens outperforms the 180-400mm lens in terms of distortion control, offering almost negligible distortion levels. While the 180-400mm lens does exhibit some distortion, it is generally not a significant issue for super-telephoto lenses and can be easily corrected in post-processing. However, the superior performance of the 200-400mm lens makes it the clear winner in terms of distortion management.
The 180-400mm lens stands out with its superior weather sealing, smoother focus and zoom rings, better tripod collar experience, slightly faster autofocus acquisition, enhanced optical stabilization in Sport mode, and superior sharpness and bokeh quality.
On the other hand, the 200-400mm lens is more compact and lightweight, and it excels in terms of distortion control.
Ultimately, the choice between these two lenses comes down to personal preferences, specific requirements, and budget considerations.
If you prioritize weather sealing, ease of use, and overall image quality, the 180-400mm lens might be the better choice.
However, if you value portability and minimal distortion, the 200-400mm lens is also a strong option.
Both lenses offer outstanding performance, making them suitable for photographers seeking a high-quality telephoto lens with a versatile zoom range and fixed aperture for sports and wildlife photography.
Wei was a cruise photographer who worked at Disney Cruise Line. He is a lucky traveler who has been to more than 20 countries with his camera while working on an around-the-world cruise. Photography has changed his view of the world forever. Now he wants more people to benefit from photography through his blog.
