Nikon just discontinued my favorite lens. Here’s why I’m struggling to find a Z-Mount replacement

Word on the street is that Nikon has just discontinued a raft of F-mount lenses. Which isn’t really surprising, considering the company hasn’t released a lens for its ever-dwindling DSLR line-up since it announced the Nikon AF-S 120-300mm F/2.8E FL ED SR VR back in 2019.

But one discontinued lens caught my eye in particular, the Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4E PF ED VR, which I think is one of the best Nikon lenses for DSLRs. (You can check out the list of half a dozen discontinued lenses at Nikon Rumors.)

I’ve been fortunate enough to use this lens on a number of occasions and it’s one of the few F-Mount lenses I’d recommend to any Z-Series photographer. Why? Because there’s no Z-mount equivalent. I guess the closest you can get is the Nikon Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S, but it's more than twice the weight and a lot more expensive, too.

My most used F-Mount lens of all time – bar the Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G – is the Nikon AF-S 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR, which is also listed to be discontinued. In that instance, Z-Mount has it covered via the very reasonably priced Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR and pro-line Nikon Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S.

The Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4E PF ED VR, by comparison, definitely leaves a prime-shaped hole in Nikon’s lens line-up, and it’s one I hope is filled very soon.

Until then, you can always pick up the lens on the used market for a good discount, although it has held its price better than many other AF-S lenses. Obviously, there being no Z-Mount equivalent is one reason why, but this lens stands out regardless.

Not only is it reasonably priced, but it’s extremely small for a full-frame DSLR-era 300mm prime. So small that it launched back in 2015 as the smallest lens in its class, weighing just 545g. As such, you can easily handhold it all day – even with the Nikon FTZ Adapter attached. And, finally, it’s exceedingly sharp, even when wide open. I’ve used it with a 2x teleconverter and it was still razor-sharp.

The PF designation in the name stands for Phase Fresnel, which is a type of specialist lens element present within the construction. At the time of its release, the Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4E PF ED VR was the first F-Mount lens to feature a PF element, used to dramatically reduce chromatic aberration.

Overall, I get why the Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4E PF ED VR is being discontinued. It’s no secret that Nikon’s focus is almost entirely on mirrorless nowadays, but I’ll hold out hope that we could see something similar work its way into the Nikon Z-lens line-up sooner rather than later.

Whether you’re a DSLR or Z-Mount user, if you’re looking to add a compact super-telephoto lens to your arsenal, I’d highly recommend picking up the Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4E PF ED VR on the used market. Heck, even the older Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4D is a great budget buy, especially when paired with a Z-Series camera with in-built image stabilization.

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