p.35 #2 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
lukemeup wrote:
Looking forward to what you can do with it when you have it for more than a couple days, Lance. Mine is hopefully showing up tomorrow. Lots of rain in the immediate forecast here though.
Thanks, Luke. Been raining here all day also so, I had limited ability to get anything decent.
p.35 #4 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
Lance B wrote:
Just received my 800 f6.3 PF and hoping to get out and give it a test run today. 😁
Congratulations Lance,
You are going to love the 800PF...
As is so often the case, mine arrived at the wrong time for assessing its "raw" capabilities. Winter in MN is a torture test on a telephoto lenses. Finding subjects is a challenge, weather is a challenge, and light can be a challenge. With the exception of my pair of outings with long-eared owls, much of my shooting has been at a distance. With that said, here is the good news:
1. I think the lens has better bokeh than the 500PF, especially with backlit subjects. This was my only complaint with the 500PF.
2. I have found it to be extremely sharp when shooting subjects like birds where you can fill the frame with FX or DX crop.
3. It can be handheld fairly easily, though not as easily as the 500PF. My coyote experiences (2 thus far) have all been fast grab and handheld shooting situations at high ISO and low light. I even managed to catch some decent images with VR off (my error) w/ the DX crop on the Z9.
4. As my coyotes and eagle on the snow illustrate, there is not a hint of chromatic aberration.
5. Finally, the 800PF packs nicely with a second long lens in a Backlight 36L. I now have 3 bodies attached to 3 lenses w/ hoods reversed in my bag (Z6 24-120, Z6ii 400 f4.5, and Z9 880PF). If I put the Z6ii on the 800PF, I could actually pack the lens with Zemlin medium-sized hood ready to shoot.. the Z9 is just a touch too thick).
Things that challenged me...
1. I don't like the OEM hood locking mechanism. I'd rather have a one button push and twist instead of slide and twist. I purchased the Zemlin hood for its quicker attachment.
2. I wish there was a VR switch on the lens. I don't like using menus to turn it on and off.
3. I wish I was a better photographer and made fewer mistakes in the field
I am looking forward to seeing some of those beautiful summer birds you can capture this time of year Down Under.
p.35 #6 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
OwlsEyes wrote:
Congratulations Lance,
You are going to love the 800PF...
As is so often the case, mine arrived at the wrong time for assessing its "raw" capabilities. Winter in MN is a torture test on a telephoto lenses. Finding subjects is a challenge, weather is a challenge, and light can be a challenge. With the exception of my pair of outings with long-eared owls, much of my shooting has been at a distance. With that said, here is the good news:
1. I think the lens has better bokeh than the 500PF, especially with backlit subjects. This was my only complaint with the 500PF.
2. I have found it to be extremely sharp when shooting subjects like birds where you can fill the frame with FX or DX crop.
3. It can be handheld fairly easily, though not as easily as the 500PF. My coyote experiences (2 thus far) have all been fast grab and handheld shooting situations at high ISO and low light. I even managed to catch some decent images with VR off (my error) w/ the DX crop on the Z9.
4. As my coyotes and eagle on the snow illustrate, there is not a hint of chromatic aberration.
5. Finally, the 800PF packs nicely with a second long lens in a Backlight 36L. I now have 3 bodies attached to 3 lenses w/ hoods reversed in my bag (Z6 24-120, Z6ii 400 f4.5, and Z9 880PF). If I put the Z6ii on the 800PF, I could actually pack the lens with Zemlin medium-sized hood ready to shoot.. the Z9 is just a touch too thick).
Things that challenged me...
1. I don't like the OEM hood locking mechanism. I'd rather have a one button push and twist instead of slide and twist. I purchased the Zemlin hood for its quicker attachment.
2. I wish there was a VR switch on the lens. I don't like using menus to turn it on and off.
3. I wish I was a better photographer and made fewer mistakes in the field
I am looking forward to seeing some of those beautiful summer birds you can capture this time of year Down Under.
Thank you very much, Bruce. And thank you for your thoughts on the 800. I don't know if you remember, I did have extensive use of the lens from a friend who received his and couldn't use it for about a week way back in August and did post some images here. I agree with what you have said above.
p.35 #7 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
Oh that's right Lance... that was quite some time ago.
Once you have the lens, you will likely face the issue that I did... what to keep and what to sell.
In the end I settled on the 24-120, 400, 800 w/ 3 bodies. I have two more wants, and then I'm set. I'll need to get the Z1.4x that I returned to help pay for the 800PF and an ultra wide. At first I was thinking about the 20mm f1.8S, but now that Voigtlander has introduced a chipped 15mm f4.5, I might go with that. It looks to be quite compact and this would squeeze into my bag.
p.35 #12 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
Got the new toy in the late afternoon, so managed to take it for just a short spin nearby. Oh boy, handling this is completely different than 400 4.5 .
Baby steps but I'm sure I'll learn. Also - not sure I'd be able to handhold 600 TC that's 2 pounds heavier.
p.35 #14 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
lukemeup wrote:
Got the new toy in the late afternoon, so managed to take it for just a short spin nearby. Oh boy, handling this is completely different than 400 4.5 .
Baby steps but I'm sure I'll learn. Also - not sure I'd be able to handhold 600 TC that's 2 pounds heavier.
p.35 #17 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
Eric214 wrote:
A few recent Eagle shots from Conowingo Dam
These are nice Eric.. Is the work cropped, is so... how heavy? I am curious because it seems like you have more background detail than I would expect at 800mm.
I am just beginning to learn how to make the most of my lens, and I am trying to use it as a way to isolate my subjects against an otherwise distracting background.
It looks like this was a fund morning of photography!
regards,
bruce
p.35 #18 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
OwlsEyes wrote:
These are nice Eric.. Is the work cropped, is so... how heavy? I am curious because it seems like you have more background detail than I would expect at 800mm.
I am just beginning to learn how to make the most of my lens, and I am trying to use it as a way to isolate my subjects against an otherwise distracting background.
It looks like this was a fund morning of photography!
regards,
bruce
Yes they were all about 80-100% crop expert the the 2 eagles fighting which was about 50% crop. I was about 50-60 yards from them and they were in a hill 1 for of the ground so no chance with the background
p.35 #19 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
Eric214 wrote:
Yes they were all about 80-100% crop expert the the 2 eagles fighting which was about 50% crop. I was about 50-60 yards from them and they were in a hill 1 for of the ground so no chance with the background
Ok... thanks for the details, as this is what I thought
I find that the 800PF does a nice job knocking out the background when a heavy crop is not required (let's say a final file of 30MP w/ a Z9/Z7), but as you reveal... there is no "magic bullet" when the subject to lens difference is large.
The coyotes I posted were DX crops (about 20MP), and I was disappointed by the lack of isolation. My subject to lens distance was huge... 100 meters, maybe more... This is a reminder that getting close (enough) with the right lens matters more than just having the right lens.
Please note.. this is not a dig on your images, as they show some amazing action and reflect the lens's capacity to render a very sharp photograph.
p.35 #20 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
OwlsEyes wrote:
Ok... thanks for the details, as this is what I thought
I find that the 800PF does a nice job knocking out the background when a heavy crop is not required (let's say a final file of 30MP w/ a Z9/Z7), but as you reveal... there is no "magic bullet" when the subject to lens difference is large.
The coyotes I posted were DX crops (about 20MP), and I was disappointed by the lack of isolation. My subject to lens distance was huge... 100 meters, maybe more... This is a reminder that getting close (enough) with the right lens matters more than just having the right lens.
Please note.. this is not a dig on your images, as they show some amazing action and reflect the lens's capacity to render a very sharp photograph.
You have to realize this is an f6.3 and due too the compression of 800mm this lens really punches much higher than it's f6.3 weight class. I think it does better than the 500 F5.6 PF
Lots of rain in the immediate forecast here though. 
