Nikon Is Developing A 120-300mm f/2.8 S Lens

credits: Nikon

Nikon has announced that it is developing a new high-end telephoto zoom lens, the Nikkor Z 120-300mm f/2.8 TC VR S, and one of the biggest details is right in the name, it includes a built-in 1.4x teleconverter. That means the lens can extend its range from 120-300mm f/2.8 to roughly 168-420mm f/4 without needing an external converter. The lens will be part of Nikon’s premium S-Line lineup for full-frame Z-mount cameras.

The new lens looks like a direct mirrorless successor to the AF-S Nikkor 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR from 2020, which ended up being Nikon’s final F-mount lens before the DSLR era effectively wrapped up. That lens built a strong reputation because it combined the flexibility of a zoom with image quality that could compete with, and in some cases outperform, Nikon’s 300mm f/2.8 prime lenses. Nikon has not shared any optical specs yet, but considering how strong its recent S-Line telephotos have been, expectations are naturally pretty high.

Nikon also has not released detailed technical information, but the single product image does reveal a few things. The lens appears to include at least two customisable function buttons, a rotating tripod collar, and separate zoom, focus, and customisable control rings. There also seems to be a drop-in filter system near the mount, similar to what Nikon uses on lenses like the Nikkor Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S. No release date or price has been announced yet, although the older F-mount version launched at $9,500, and this new model adds a built-in teleconverter on top of that.