p.46 #1 · Pre-order: Sony FE 200-600 f5.6-6.3 G OSS ($1,998)
Alex Phan wrote:
lol...returned the lens back to Sony today.
I'll have my full review with sample later today. BUT to make it short... this lens doesn't have linear XD motor inside; therefore, infinity to MFD is quite slow. In another word, bird fly toward you will be a problem. This is where your experience kick in to compensate for it.
I invited Sony manager out to shot burrow owl with me this morning and he has a hard time to get the owl flying toward him from a field that has the same color as the owl (those that shot Burrowing owls in CA know what i'm talking about). But this short coming is not a surprise thing since Sony brass already talk about it in an interview recently.
If you already have 100-400 / 1.4x TC, i don't see the benefit of getting this lens. Don't get me wrong, the AF speed is fast, IQ is great. Slap on 1.4x TC, AF tracking speed is good (but not in-coming). Slap on 2x TC, i was able to track swallow with no problem BUT the image quality is so soft. (expected too)
This lens would be a good transition for folk from DSLR camp that want native lens, no hassle of adapting. Affordable price.
For 95% of normal user, it get a passing grade. For the remain 5% that expect nothing but the best, this is not for you. There is a REASON why prime lenses is 6 times more. There is no such free lunch after all.
p.46 #2 · Pre-order: Sony FE 200-600 f5.6-6.3 G OSS ($1,998)
"In terms of autofocus performance, the 200-600mm lens is extremely responsive, offering swift single-shot AF speeds as well as excellent tracking performance. The lens uses a Direct Drive Super Sonic Wave Motor, or DDSSM, for driving autofocus adjustments. Unlike the 600mm f/4 or 400mm f/2.8 lens, which both use Sony's newer XD Linear Motors, the 200-600mm doesn't require this higher-speed, higher-precision linear AF motor system since the focusing group inside the 200-600mm is smaller and lighter than those in the supertelephoto primes. So, even though the 200-600mm doesn't utilize Sony's fanciest, uber-precise AF motors, AF performance proved fast and accurate.I should point out that I'm not a full-time professional sports or bird photographer, so there were times where I did miss focus. However, I'm more comfortable chalking that up to user error rather than placing blame on the lens. Overall, there was never a time where I felt frustrated or disappointed in the focusing performance of the lens."
p.46 #3 · Pre-order: Sony FE 200-600 f5.6-6.3 G OSS ($1,998)
mike1812 wrote:
I agree that this lens should be mostly easily hand-holdable, but I will want an Arca-swiss foot for those times I want to put it on a monopod (I can't see me using a tripod, but I do have a bad shoulder and from time to time need to rely on a monopod for some relief). Everyone has differing needs/wants.
I used to dis monopods but after Steve Nikon Perry showed using a gimbal on a monopod my attitude changed. I still vastly prefer to be mobile on foot, but some places (Bosque) the mono+gimbal was really nice (in the cold).
p.46 #7 · Pre-order: Sony FE 200-600 f5.6-6.3 G OSS ($1,998)
Maybe I missed it but what does the 100-400mm GM use?
LBJ2 wrote:
"In terms of autofocus performance, the 200-600mm lens is extremely responsive, offering swift single-shot AF speeds as well as excellent tracking performance. The lens uses a Direct Drive Super Sonic Wave Motor, or DDSSM, for driving autofocus adjustments. Unlike the 600mm f/4 or 400mm f/2.8 lens, which both use Sony's newer XD Linear Motors, the 200-600mm doesn't require this higher-speed, higher-precision linear AF motor system since the focusing group inside the 200-600mm is smaller and lighter than those in the supertelephoto primes. So, even though the 200-600mm doesn't utilize Sony's fanciest, uber-precise AF motors, AF performance proved fast and accurate.I should point out that I'm not a full-time professional sports or bird photographer, so there were times where I did miss focus. However, I'm more comfortable chalking that up to user error rather than placing blame on the lens. Overall, there was never a time where I felt frustrated or disappointed in the focusing performance of the lens."
p.46 #8 · Pre-order: Sony FE 200-600 f5.6-6.3 G OSS ($1,998)
AlphaPhotography wrote:
Maybe I missed it but what does the 100-400mm GM use?
The 100-400GM uses a combination of the DDSSM (same as the 200-600) and a double linear motor. So the 100-400GM may well have an AF edge.
I intend to test the two back to back as much as possible during my return period for the 200-600. If the AF isn't up to fast BIF like the 100-400/1.4TC has proven to be with small BIF shooting then I'd rather keep the 100-400 and look towards the 400 or 600GM instead of the 200-600.
The GM 100-400 is already known by many of us to be BIF worthy AF and a great match for up to 20FPS on the A9 and performs very well with 1.4xTC. I too along with several others owning the GM will be comparing with the new 200-600 with the GM 100-400 and + 1.4TC. Should be interesting to see what people come back with and which lens stays and which goes and how many will keep both.
I use the A9 + GM 100-400 for BIF and Motocross. For BIF I also use 1.4xTC and sometimes 2xTC
p.46 #11 · Pre-order: Sony FE 200-600 f5.6-6.3 G OSS ($1,998)
The reoccurring theme that I keep seeing in different threads is, most of the wildlife shooters use an a9.
I don't want to say the better wildlife shooters cause I've seen many good shots taken with other cameras as well.
It's more of a consistency thing, that more of their shots are in focus than people like me that the price point for it, is a bit high.
Although this lens appears to be good, I think having an a9 in my camera bag to go with the 100-400 and the tc's, would be
a better move, rather than having so much redundant overlap of zooms.
So, I'll be saving some cash to get an used a9 after the a9II comes out.
p.46 #12 · Pre-order: Sony FE 200-600 f5.6-6.3 G OSS ($1,998)
I use the A7rIII...and the Canon 5Ds - five frames per second is plenty fast enough.
It is easy to spend money on gear...I try and save it up for places to go to photograph...
Your mind (composing the photo; where to stand; what light is best...where to go to get the best opportunity to get the shot you want etc etc) to me are much more important than gear.
Whatever gear you have, you can figure out its strengths and weaknesses...maximize the strengths!
p.46 #13 · Pre-order: Sony FE 200-600 f5.6-6.3 G OSS ($1,998)
There must be some reason why 200-600 is so much cheaper than 100-400 while offers much better reach. I presume 200-600 won't have as good AF performance as 100-400. All youtubers showed great samples from 200-600 but nobody mentioned keeper rate. looking forward to check on proper reviews when this lens hits market.
p.46 #14 · Pre-order: Sony FE 200-600 f5.6-6.3 G OSS ($1,998)
davev wrote:
The reoccurring theme that I keep seeing in different threads is, most of the wildlife shooters use an a9.
I don't want to say the better wildlife shooters cause I've seen many good shots taken with other cameras as well.
It's more of a consistency thing, that more of their shots are in focus than people like me that the price point for it, is a bit high.
Although this lens appears to be good, I think having an a9 in my camera bag to go with the 100-400 and the tc's, would be
a better move, rather than having so much redundant overlap of zooms.
So, I'll be saving some cash to get an used a9 after the a9II comes out....Show more →
I think it comes down to a choice in pixel density or speed. If you want to focus on bif images, I definitely think that the a9 is the way to go. It also depends on whether or not you will be using the camera for anything else. I can’t justify the cost of both an A7r iii and a9 and I don’t want to give up the low ISO Dynamic range and resolution for my other types of photography.
p.46 #15 · Pre-order: Sony FE 200-600 f5.6-6.3 G OSS ($1,998)
rdcny wrote:
I use the A7rIII...and the Canon 5Ds - five frames per second is plenty fast enough.
It is easy to spend money on gear...I try and save it up for places to go to photograph...
Your mind (composing the photo; where to stand; what light is best...where to go to get the best opportunity to get the shot you want etc etc) to me are much more important than gear.
Whatever gear you have, you can figure out its strengths and weaknesses...maximize the strengths!
💯 absolutely. Togs have been making it happen long before AF and high tech showed up in our cameras and lenses. Even though I love utilizing the latest greatest in my workflow( that will never change for me), there is also significant gratification to utilizing our skills/experience with just the basics like taking a Leica Rangefinder to the track and wielding age-old, Zone Focusing😁
p.46 #16 · Pre-order: Sony FE 200-600 f5.6-6.3 G OSS ($1,998)
rdcny wrote:
I use the A7rIII...and the Canon 5Ds - five frames per second is plenty fast enough.
It is easy to spend money on gear...I try and save it up for places to go to photograph...
Your mind (composing the photo; where to stand; what light is best...where to go to get the best opportunity to get the shot you want etc etc) to me are much more important than gear.
Whatever gear you have, you can figure out its strengths and weaknesses...maximize the strengths!
It holds true IF what your mind set on your gear IS IN FOCUS. I had A7RII, but focus was always an issue... A9 images looks like a lot more defined because of precise AF!
Not all situations require latest equipment though, as this demonstrates:
LBJ2 wrote:
💯 absolutely. Togs have been making it happen long before AF and high tech showed up in our cameras and lenses. Even though I love utilizing the latest greatest in my workflow( that will never change for me), there is also significant gratification to utilizing our skills/experience with just the basics like taking a Leica Rangefinder to the track and wielding age-old, Zone Focusing😁
p.46 #18 · Pre-order: Sony FE 200-600 f5.6-6.3 G OSS ($1,998)
arbitrage wrote:
The 100-400GM uses a combination of the DDSSM (same as the 200-600) and a double linear motor. So the 100-400GM may well have an AF edge.
I intend to test the two back to back as much as possible during my return period for the 200-600. If the AF isn't up to fast BIF like the 100-400/1.4TC has proven to be with small BIF shooting then I'd rather keep the 100-400 and look towards the 400 or 600GM instead of the 200-600.
The 200-600 has big shoes to fill....
Beautiful pictures. May I ask, under what situations do you decide to go higher than 2500 ss?
p.46 #19 · Pre-order: Sony FE 200-600 f5.6-6.3 G OSS ($1,998)
milkod2001 wrote:
There must be some reason why 200-600 is so much cheaper than 100-400 while offers much better reach. I presume 200-600 won't have as good AF performance as 100-400. All youtubers showed great samples from 200-600 but nobody mentioned keeper rate. looking forward to check on proper reviews when this lens hits market.
Also keep in mind 200-600 is 3x whereas 100-400 is 4x.
p.46 #20 · Pre-order: Sony FE 200-600 f5.6-6.3 G OSS ($1,998)
shadow9d9 wrote:
Beautiful pictures. May I ask, under what situations do you decide to go higher than 2500 ss?
Thanks. The biggest issue with some of those pictures is to have a chance to do a quick pan with the subject, I had to frame wide and crop rather heavily. Which shows up in more pixelation after the crop (especially the wren shot). Ideally framing similarly on a higher MP camera with the same type of AF performance would be ideal.
As far as the shutter speed, I try to push it as high as possible depending on how high my ISO is going to go to get there. Lately I've been pushing it higher than I used to and certainly some of these should have been shot at a faster SS, like the Tanager shot. Also me showing off a single sharp frame doesn't tell us much about how many keepers I got in a burst and how many attempts it took. I can say for some of these it took many attempts and I think the presented shot was the only one critically sharp. Certainly the wren was the only sharp shot after 5-10 attempts of him flying back and forth from cattail to nest. The Bluebird and Turnstone had a lot more sharp shots in a burst and I was able to repeatedly get them in flight on a number of attempts. I've attempted most of these same birds with my Nikon gear and been less successful. Although still able to have some success on the larger ones like Bluebird and once on a Tanager.
