Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR Review

Sharpness at 180mm
Our sharpness tests are carried out by photographing a real-world subject rather than a test chart. The Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR was attached to a Nikon Z9 camera, which in turn was mounted on a sturdy tripod. Self-timer mode was activated to steady the camera completely. Any slight tonal changes you may see across the crops are a result of slight changes in natural light during the shooting session.

The full frame at 180mm
Centre sharpness is outstanding from wide-open at f/5.6 all the way through to f/16, with f/22 being slightly affected by diffraction and f/32 even more so.
The edges are almost as sharp as the centre, with the best results again obtained from f/5.6 through to f/16.
Aperture | Centre Crop | Edge Crop |
f/5.6 | ![]() |
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f/8 | ![]() |
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f/11 | ![]() |
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f/16 | ![]() |
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f/22 | ![]() |
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f/32 | ![]() |
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