Nikon Ships Nikkor Z 120-300mm f/2.8 TC VR S in November at $13,999.95

Nikon has set a mid-November ship date and a $13,999.95 suggested retail price for the Nikkor Z 120-300mm f/2.8 TC VR S, the professional telephoto zoom it first confirmed as a development project in early May. The lens is fully unveiled, not a rumor, and it carries one specification no competitor matches: a built-in 1.4x teleconverter engaged by a switch on the barrel. No other 120-300mm f/2.8 zoom on the market includes a teleconverter.

That switch is the business case. With the converter disengaged, working pros get a 120-300mm f/2.8 covering indoor sports such as basketball and hockey. Flipped on, the lens becomes a 168-420mm f/4 equivalent — in practice, very close to Nikon's classic, much-loved 200-400mm f/4 F-mount lens — for baseball, soccer, football and large-mammal wildlife work. One body, two working ranges. No separate teleconverter to carry, mount, or misplace courtside.

Nikon's optical claims are specific. "Despite being a zoom lens, it delivers outstanding rendering performance comparable to that of a prime lens across the entire frame," the company said, citing "superior resolution and large, natural bokeh" that captures athletes' facial expressions and movement in fine detail. Those claims await independent testing; no measured results exist yet.

What sits inside the glass?

The formula runs to 30 elements in 24 groups behind a nine-bladed diaphragm: one ED element, one fluorite element, a short-wavelength refractive (SR) element, a Super ED element, and one aspherical element. Nikon coats the glass with ARNEO to suppress ghosting and flare plus its Meso Amorphous Coat, which the company calls its best anti-reflection performance in its history.

The weight figure matters for anyone hauling this on a sideline or a safari. At 2,735 grams — just over six pounds — the new lens is 515 grams (1.1 pounds) lighter than its predecessor despite adding the teleconverter. Nikon credits thinner lens elements and lighter autofocus motors, the same approach that slimmed the Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S II.

How does it compare to the F-mount legend?

This is not Nikon's first full-frame 120-300mm f/2.8. The AF-S 120-300mm f/2.8E FL ED SR VR, discontinued, used 25 elements in 19 groups and weighed 3,250 grams — nearly 7.2 pounds. That lens followed the same playbook, with a development announcement before its full unveiling in early 2020.

Physical specs: roughly 353.5mm (13.9 inches) long, 128mm (5.1 inches) maximum diameter, a 112mm front filter thread, and support for 46mm drop-in filters. The tripod foot is Arca Swiss-compatible, matching the 70-200mm f/2.8 II, so most standard tripods need no separate plate; the collar adds a rubber cushion and integrated finger grip.

What does this change for working shooters?

Autofocus uses Nikon's Silky Swift VCM (SSVCM) system, which the company positions as extremely fast and accurate. The internally focusing design closes to 0.98 meters (3.22 feet) at 120mm and two meters (6.6 feet) at 300mm. Maximum reproduction ratio is 0.18x at 150mm without the converter; engaged, it rises to 0.25x at a 210mm equivalent.

Vibration reduction reaches up to 6.5 stops at the center and edges when paired with a Synchro VR body — at announcement, the Z9, Z8, Z6 III, Z5 II, Z5 IIC, Zf and ZR qualify. Photographers on other Z bodies should expect less.

At $13,999.95, the lens is a five-figure capital expense that effectively replaces two focal-length kits for many sports and wildlife assignments. Independent resolution and AF tests will determine whether the prime-level claims hold; the November shipment gives reviewers and buyers the answer in a matter of weeks.