My Most Versatile Lens: The NIKKOR Z 100-400mm Zoom
With the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S, I was able to zoom in for a more interesting composition.
As an adventure and wildlife photographer, the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S is one of the most versatile lenses I own. My kit varies with assignments, but since adding the 100-400mm lens to my collection, I seldom leave it at home. At first glance, you might think it’s too short for wildlife, and too long for landscapes, but perhaps it’s this ambiguity that makes things interesting.
For wildlife, I often pair this lens with the NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S on a second body—I’m not disillusioned by the need for long glass in wildlife, but the 800mm, as wonderful as it is, has its limitations. With the 800mm prime lacking the flexibility of variable focal lengths and constrained by a much longer minimum focus distance, I turn to the 100–400mm lens—its manageable size and weight make it the perfect tool to bridge the gap.
I first used the 100-400mm lens when I borrowed it for an assignment in Churchill, Manitoba that involved shooting from a helicopter. Temperatures are quite frigid in the fall, and taking the doors off is simply not an option, so I only had a small window that slid open to shoot from. Flying at a minimum altitude of about 300 feet, I coordinated with the pilot to bank the helicopter for a single pass to spot a polar bear. The Nikon Z 100–400mm lens was essential—its zoom range let me start wide to locate the bear, then punch in once it was in sight, all while minimizing contact with the aircraft to reduce vibrations.
Whether the encounter was expected or not, the NIKKOR Z 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6 VR S lens proved invaluable during the salmon run. With a minimum focus distance of just 2.46ft on the wide end and 3.22ft on the telephoto end, I captured this shot at 220mm with the bear only a few meters away.
A few weeks later in Patagonia, the pairing of the 100–400mm and 800mm telephoto lenses truly proved their worth while photographing pumas. The 800mm was ideal for capturing the more elusive kittens from a distance, while the 100–400mm gave me the flexibility to reframe quickly and beautifully as their mother, Rupestre, wandered closer. Once she moved off into the distance, I seamlessly switched back to the 800mm to continue shooting.
In wildlife photography, there are no guarantees—you often get just one chance. That’s why I find this combination of focal lengths so effective across a wide range of scenarios. When an encounter begins, there’s rarely time to reposition, so having two bodies equipped with these lenses means I’m ready for whatever unfolds. That readiness was especially critical when photographing the bears and the puma, where we had just a single day to get the shot.
As the puma approached, and walked away, it was a blessing to be able to easily put the big 800mm down and switch to the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S that was comfortably on a second body hanging from my body and then switch back.
Her shy kittens played in the distance after most have left for the evening. They are incredibly sensitive to movement and sound, so it was best to simply sit still with my focal range covered for what would unfold. The NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S was necessary for this image.
When an assignment is more hiking and adventure I leave the heavy long glass at home—the 100-400mm zoom is a reasonable size lens to throw in my bag for landscapes. It is the perfect range to create scale in an image and has replaced my 70-200mm and 70-300mm lenses for those “radio your model to get into position shots”—all while still being hopeful to capture some wildlife when the opportunity arises.
Take Iceland for example, where there’s usually an opportunity for reindeers, puffins, and arctic foxes, but for the most part you went for the landscape. As an adventure photographer who specializes in telling a story, I often need to alternate between various genres of photography to be productive for my clients in a meaningful way, often with just one chance to get it done.
Radio compositions like these from my 70-300mm in Iceland will easily be replicated on the sharper NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S all while being very capable for the chance wildlife encounter.
The range of the NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S can float between genres for me, is the “it” lens for certain situations, and allows me to make the most of any wildlife encounter when paired with the NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S.
