Nikon is Developing a 120-300mm f/2.8 S with a 1.4x Teleconverter

Nikon has announced that it is developing a new telephoto lens: the Nikkor Z 120-300mm f/2.8 TC VR S, which includes a built-in 1.4x teleconverter.

The lens will be part of Nikon’s S line of high-end optics and will be compatible with its full-frame (which Nikon calls FX) mirrorless cameras. The lens appears to be a modern replacement for the AF-S Nikkor 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR lens that was released in February of 2020. It is no longer in production.

Buy the AF-S Nikkor 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR new on B&HBuy the AF-S Nikkor 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR used on KEH.com

When Nikon released it, which ended up being the company’s final F-mount lens, photographers immediately wondered when it might come to Nikkor Z mount. After all, the company had launched the Z system a year and a half earlier. It wasn’t just the timing that made the AF-S 120-300mm f/2.8 professional telephoto zoom lens notable, though; it was the lens’s performance: it was the kind of lens a photographer would buy an FTZ adapter to use. Nikon saved its best for last and sent the DSLR era out with an impeccable swan song.

While mirrorless photographers these days are plenty familiar with the concept of a zoom lens being a “bag of primes,” the 120-300mm f/2.8’s performance was unique in the telephoto segment at the time. The lens outpaced Nikon’s well-regarded 300mm f/2.8 prime in terms of image quality and had the flexibility of zoom to boot. It was genuinely a lens without weakness.

Now Nikon has finally brought this telephoto zoom to its mirrorless Nikon Z system with new bells and whistles. If Nikon’s other recent Nikkor Z lenses are any indication, the new Nikkor Z 120-300mm f/2.8 may very well best its predecessor, but bars do not get harder to clear than that.

“As part of the S-Line series of Nikkor Z lenses, the Nikkor Z 120-300mm f/2.8 TC VR S is a telephoto zoom lens offering a focal length range of 120mm to 420mm, enabled by a built-in teleconverter that extends its focal length by 1.4×,” Nikon says. “The superior optical performance and mobility of this lens will support professional photographers’ imaging expression in genres such as sports photography and beyond.”

As is the case with all development announcements, Nikon did not provide any further details.

“Nikon will continue to pursue a new dimension in optical performance while meeting users’ needs, contributing to the development of imaging culture, with the hope of expanding possibilities for imaging expression,” Nikon concludes.

The only way to glean more information about this lens is to look at the single image the company provided. Firstly, at least two custom function buttons are visible, the lens collar appears to be rotatable (which indicates there is likely a tripod foot on it as well), and the lens appears to have a zoom ring, manual focus ring, and customizable function ring (the last of which is located just behind the custom function button near the front of the lens).

Near the back of the lens, there is a small knob, which looks to be the same design Nikon used for its drop-in filters on the Nikkor Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S.

Buy the Nikkor Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S new on B&HBuy the Nikkor Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S used on KEH.com

Nikon did not reveal the state of the lens in the development cycle, so it may be several months, if not longer, before this lens is fully announced and becomes available to the public. For reference, Nikon announced the F-mount version of this lens in September of 2019, five months before it hit store shelves.

The company also did not share a price range photographers can expect, but the aforementioned F-mount 120-300mm f/2.8E debuted at $9,500. Bear in mind, though, that the lens did not have a built-in teleconverter.

Additional reporting by Jeremy Gray.

Image credits: Nikon