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The Nikkor Z 600 mm f/6.3 VR S doesn't have any direct rivals among lenses designed for mirrorless cameras – that's why in our chart we compare it to several models with just similar parameters. If you stack the new lens up with the Nikkor 4/600 you lose on aperture fastness but gain a lot on weight and physical dimensions. It is also interesting that the new Nikkor is a bit lighter than its reflex camera predecessor, the Nikkor AF-S 500 mm f/5.6E PF ED VR. What's more, the Nikkor is just 20 grams heavier than the Sigma, a lens with a shorter focal length, a smaller number of elements inside, and a smaller entrance pupil. It is clear that Nikon tried their best to offer you the smallest and the lightest lens possible with such parameters. In my opinion, they succeeded. After handling the Nikkor Z 600 mm f/6.3 VR S during the testing period I found out that it is a lens that you can take on a walk and it won't prove to be too heavy for your neck after a while.

In the photo below the Nikkor Z 600 mm f/6.3 VR S is positioned between the reflex camera Sigma A 35 mm f/1.4 DG HSM and the Voigtlander Apo-Lanthar 2/50.

The tested lens starts with a metal mount that surrounds contacts and a rear element, about 2.5 cm in diameter, that doesn't move. It is hidden over 4 cm deep inside and the area around it is blackened and matted very well, without any visible electronic parts. From this side the situation looks really well.

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An immobile, black ring, about 5 cm wide, with a white dot, making an alignment with a camera easier, and the serial number is the first part of the proper lens barrel. On the slightly enlargened part of the ring you can also find an inscription with the parameters of the lens, the information about using Phase Fresnel Lens in the system; then you see the L-Fn function button that can be alloted many different functions, an AF/MF switch, allowing you to choose the focusing mechanism mode, another switch this time to choose the range of the focusing mechanism (FULL, and from 10 meters to infinity), the range of the focusing mechanism (∞–4m/13.13ft), a filter diameter, amounting to 95 mm, and information that the lens was produced in China. On the other side, opposite to the focus mechanism switches, there is also a MEMORY SET button that can save the last actual focusing distance.

Then you see a place for attaching a metal tripod collar in a form of a movable ring that allows you to choose the best position. On the ring there is also a metal plate with the name and parameters of the instrument. The Nikkor can be attached to a tripod in two different ways. One entails using the dedicated L-shaped adapter; after removing it you see a thread positioned on a tab that is a part of the ring, mentioned above.

Further on you see another immobile part of the barrel and behind it you find a manual focus ring. The ring is 36 mm wide, completely covered by rubber ribs. It is a focus-by-wire construction so it comes without any distance or/and depth-of-field scale. It moves quite smoothly, and its focus throw amounts to an angle of about 140-150 deg. That value might increase distinctly if you turn the ring slower; anyway it allows you very precise settings.

After another immobile part of the barrel you see a ribbed control ring as wide as 10 mm that can be used for clickless aperture control or exposure compensation. It moves smoothly and is properly damped.

Further on, there is an immobile part of the barrel with another function ring, L-Fn2, and three other plain buttons that lock the autofocus mechanism in place. Next to them you see an inscription 'Nikkor S'.

The next part is a big and immobile fragment of the barrel with rubber ribbing, improving your grip. It all ends with a golden stripe.

The front element is relatively flat, immobile, 89 mm in diameter. It is surrounded by a non-rotating filter thread, 95 mm in diameter, and a hood mount for a hood that is added to the accessory kit.

When it comes to the optical construction you deal here with as many as 21 elements positioned in 14 groups. Among them you can find one SR element, two ED elements, and one PF element. Inside you can also find a round aperture with nine blades that can be closed down to a value of f/32 at the maximum.

The producers also boast of sealing that protects the instrument against harsh weather conditions – all movable elements are secured by rubber seals preventing dust, dirt and humidity to invade the interior. A Nikon hydrophobic fluorine coating protects the outer optical element of the lens and is supposed to make it easier to clean.

Buyers get in the box: both caps, a tripod adapter, a soft pouch and a hood. I admit at this price-point you would expect also a solid, hard case being delivered with the lens. The soft pouch, included in the box, doesn't protect it practically at all as it is really more like a piece of cloth. Kupujący dostaje w zestawie oba dekielki, łącznik statywowy, miękki futerał oraz osłonę przeciwsłoneczną. W tej klasie cenowej oczekiwalibyśmy oferowania w zestawie solidnego, sztywnego futerału. To, co dostajemy, zasługuje bardziej na miano ściereczki lub szmatki i w zasadzie nie zapewnia żadnych, poważniejszych funkcji ochronnych.

Optical stabilization

In the press release of the producer you can find information that optical stabilization of this lens might be as efficient as 5.5 EV or even 6 EV, if you attach the lens to a Z camera, with a synchronic VR system available.

In order to check that claim we took several dozen photos with exposure times ranging from 1/800 to 1/8 of a second and the stabilization switched on and off. For every set of photos we determined a percentage of out-of-focus shots; then we presented it in a form of a graph of exposure time which was expressed in EV (with 0 EV being an equivalent of 1/640 of a second).

The maximum distance between both curves reaches a tad above 4 EV and such is, in our opinion, the real efficiency of the stabilization unit. As you see the result is distinctly short of these declared 5.5 EV but you have to remember that all results exceeding 4 EV we consider to be very good anyway, allowing you comfort during shooting.