Will there be a 300/4 in Z mount

Arijit Banerjee · Oct 19, 2025

The 300mm f4 PF is an amazing lens to carry. With the 1.4TC it is to me the best birding combination, as long as I am ready to work hard. Native 300mm loves mammals on safari. On the ZF, it balances well, weight was never an issue and is beautifully sharp and contrasty. It did well on my D500 and it likes the ZF too.

Sharing 2 images from earlier this year. Wild Tigers in Ranthambhore National Park, India.

Please do share your thoughts.

--
Arijit

Mike Arledge · Oct 19, 2025

I am looking to re-add the 300 PF to my kit, I find I miss its style. What would you want a native 300 F4 to do it does not? Be smaller?

Satyaa · Oct 19, 2025

Eventually Nikon will make all F mount lenses in Z mount, I expect.

Arijit Banerjee said:
The 300mm f4 PF is an amazing lens to carry. With the 1.4TC it is to me the best birding combination, as long as I am ready to work hard.

I don't know what you mean by 'work hard' but the Z 400/4.5 might be that lens matching your combination.

Arijit Banerjee said:
Native 300mm loves mammals on safari. On the ZF, it balances well, weight was never an issue and is beautifully sharp and contrasty. It did well on my D500 and it likes the ZF too.

Sharing 2 images from earlier this year. Wild Tigers in Ranthambhore National Park, India.

Of all the animals tigers fascinate me. I love these two images.

Arijit Banerjee said:
Please do share your thoughts.

--
See my profile (About me) for gear and my posting policy. My profile picture is of the first film camera I used in the early 80s, photo credit the internet.

BasilG · Oct 19, 2025

Beautiful photographs!

My guess is that they will make it eventually, but it is probably not next on the list. The 400/4.5 is bigger (and more expensive) but pretty good. And has a wider aperture than the 300/4 + TC combos.

Arijit Banerjee · Oct 19, 2025

Mike Arledge said:
What would you want a native 300 F4 to do it does not? Be smaller?

Amen to that brother!

anotherMike · Oct 19, 2025

I wish, I'd buy a native 300/4 in Z in an instant and get rid of the 100-400 immediately.

But I don't expect there will be one.

cyuill2007 · Oct 19, 2025

I have rented a 300mm f/4 PF lens twice. Great lens! Tiny for what it is.

Some of the Z-series prime telephotos seem to be 100mm off of their F-mount counterparts. There is a Z 600mm f/6.3 PF lens rather than a 500mm f/5.6 PF. There is a Z 400mm f/4.5 lens rather than a 300mm f/4 PF. I think the 400 might be as close as they get to the 300 PF. A number of us wanted an F-mount AF-S 400mm lens, but it never arrived. Ah well!

Arijit Banerjee · Oct 19, 2025

Satyaa said:
Eventually Nikon will make all F mount lenses in Z mount, I expect.

Arijit Banerjee said:

The 300mm f4 PF is an amazing lens to carry. With the 1.4TC it is to me the best birding combination, as long as I am ready to work hard.

Click to expand...

I don't know what you mean by 'work hard' but the Z 400/4.5 might be that lens matching your combination.

Birding, in my experience takes leg work. Patience and many misses for sure. Field craft cannot be replaced by focal length and the ultimate fun, the thrill is in the stalk, not the shot itself. An awesome average day on Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary would be 15-20 kms on foot. Intermittent breaks as needed, but the overall experience is top class, better than any hide with a feeder. This is what the ‘hard work’ to me is about. I have nothing against hides or guides personally, only it does not suit my style.

I use the 400/4.5. It stays on my Z8 . Very nice lens that doesn’t seem to like its TC

. Too tight for mammals. But very easy to use. Wish it had a shorter MGD though.

Satyaa said:
Satyaa said:

Native 300mm loves mammals on safari. On the ZF, it balances well, weight was never an issue and is beautifully sharp and contrasty. It did well on my D500 and it likes the ZF too.

Sharing 2 images from earlier this year. Wild Tigers in Ranthambhore National Park, India.

Click to expand...

Of all the animals tigers fascinate me. I love these two images.

amazing cats. Tigers are indeed beautiful. Glad you liked the images.

regards,

Satyaa said:
Satyaa said:

Please do share your thoughts.

Click to expand...

--
See my profile (About me) for gear and my posting policy. My profile picture is of the first film camera I used in the early 80s, photo credit the internet.

--
Arijit

Arijit Banerjee · Oct 19, 2025

The 400/4.5 is a lovely lens. I use mine on a Z8 for birding. But in our parts mammals - Tigers, Leopards - often come quite close and the 400mm becomes tight. There are tomes I had got my self the 400 zoom instead.

While there is a slight aperture advantage indeed, with a TC, the 300 is 420mm and much lighter a setup. F5.6, i think they perform just as well - slightly stopped down, hard to make a difference between the two.

Arijit Banerjee · Oct 19, 2025

We can keep hoping for one Mike.

Arijit Banerjee · Oct 19, 2025

Guess you are right. I sold off the 500 PF to get the ZF. It was a great lens and gave me very nice output on the D500 and even the Z8. But i was looking for something lighter.

PF lenses, especially the 500/5.6 did seem to handle out of focus highlights in the background in a slightly strange manner. Here the 400/4.5 does much better.

Satyaa · Oct 19, 2025

Arijit Banerjee said:
Satyaa said:

Eventually Nikon will make all F mount lenses in Z mount, I expect.

Arijit Banerjee said:

The 300mm f4 PF is an amazing lens to carry. With the 1.4TC it is to me the best birding combination, as long as I am ready to work hard.

Click to expand...

I don't know what you mean by 'work hard' but the Z 400/4.5 might be that lens matching your combination.

Click to expand...

Birding, in my experience takes leg work. Patience and many misses for sure. Field craft cannot be replaced by focal length and the ultimate fun, the thrill is in the stalk, not the shot itself. An awesome average day on Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary would be 15-20 kms on foot. Intermittent breaks as needed, but the overall experience is top class, better than any hide with a feeder. This is what the ‘hard work’ to me is about. I have nothing against hides or guides personally, only it does not suit my style.

I understand all you said above. I wasn't sure if the specific 300mm+TC1.4 required more hard work, as you mentioned those two in the same sentence.

Arijit Banerjee said:
I use the 400/4.5. It stays on my Z8 . Very nice lens that doesn’t seem to like its TC . Too tight for mammals. But very easy to use. Wish it had a shorter MGD though.

+1

Arijit Banerjee said:
Arijit Banerjee said:

Arijit Banerjee said:

Native 300mm loves mammals on safari. On the ZF, it balances well, weight was never an issue and is beautifully sharp and contrasty. It did well on my D500 and it likes the ZF too.

Sharing 2 images from earlier this year. Wild Tigers in Ranthambhore National Park, India.

Click to expand...

Of all the animals tigers fascinate me. I love these two images.

Click to expand...

amazing cats. Tigers are indeed beautiful. Glad you liked the images.

regards,

Arijit Banerjee said:

Arijit Banerjee said:

Please do share your thoughts.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

--
See my profile (About me) for gear and my posting policy. My profile picture is of the first film camera I used in the early 80s, photo credit the internet.

Leonard Shepherd · Oct 19, 2025

My speculation is it is not a priority for the Z system – implying if there is to be a new one probably not sooner than two years away.

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Will there be a 300/4 in Z mount

Arijit Banerjee

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