Buying a new camera lens can be a long process, let alone choosing the right telephoto lens. Finding a lens for my Nikon Z6II was a tougher decision than it seemed at first glance. I’m going to walk you through my selection process step-by-step, taking into account my requirements and the current market offerings. I’ll explain why I ultimately chose the NIKKOR Z 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6 lens. This article will hopefully serve as a useful guide if you find yourself in a similar situation.

When you sit down with lenses that all offer the same focal length and aperture, you might think that they’ll all give almost the same outputs. But in reality their outputs vary in a variety of details. To see this difference “live,” check out our test of some Canon and Sigma lenses that—in theory—“meet” at the 35mm focal length.