p.38 #1 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
Same location as yesterday (I decided to get my owl fill before they're gone for the season). Except... no owls until the full dusk this time. Cold & windy too. You never know what you gonna get though.
p.38 #2 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
lukemeup wrote:
Same location as yesterday (I decided to get my owl fill before they're gone for the season). Except... no owls until the full dusk this time. Cold & windy too. You never know what you gonna get though.
A cornucopia of opportunities for you Luke... I fight like mad to get a lens on anything during the bleak period of November to March in MN... it appears like opportunity pours like a rainstorm for you.
These were a pleasure to view... so much variety!
p.38 #3 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
I'm glad you all are keeping this thread so active. I haven't made the move to mirrorless yet, but it is on the horizon. I'm still debating between this lens and a 600mm f/4 E FL. I'm curious how people have found the working distance for this lens? The minimum focus distance requires a bit of distance; does the 800mm focal length make up for it? Have you all found that birds are more receptive to your presence when working from further back? From what I can tell, small subjects seem to be plenty large in the frame. Any other insights?
p.38 #4 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
OwlsEyes wrote:
A cornucopia of opportunities for you Luke... I fight like mad to get a lens on anything during the bleak period of November to March in MN... it appears like opportunity pours like a rainstorm for you.
These were a pleasure to view... so much variety!
regards,
bruce
Same problem here in Wisconsin. Must be nice to have birds to shoot year round, which is one of the big reasons we’re planning a move to the south.
p.38 #5 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
OwlsEyes wrote:
A cornucopia of opportunities for you Luke... I fight like mad to get a lens on anything during the bleak period of November to March in MN... it appears like opportunity pours like a rainstorm for you.
These were a pleasure to view... so much variety!
I'm indeed spoiled here a bit. I go on my outings without expectations & more often that not come back with some usable images. Even when not much happens though - I get my dose of nature & activity.
p.38 #6 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
OwlsEyes wrote:
I wish you luck and hope that you adapt to the Sony system without any issues. It was not he 800PF that almost drove me to that place, but the lack of a long-lens zoom option like the Sony 200-600G. While I never made the leap, i did consider it. The introduction of the 100-400 and 400 f4.5 brought me back into the fold.
I enter the follow point with the acknowledgement that I have a Nikon bias... if you have not made the switch yet, there are some legitimate options that will bring your optical quality close to the 800PF and keep your kit light. You are probably aware of these... 500PF + TC14iii or 400 f4.5 w/ a pair of Z converters... while neither will be as good as the 800 PF, they are about equal (if not sharper) than what you will get with the Sony 200-600. On the other hand, the Sony offers you a very high quality zoom and the lighter camera body...
Thanks Bruce, all good points. Pricing here in NZ is different to elsewhere and in reality I suspect the A1 will be a temporary solution for me. The A1 is actually cheaper here than a Z9 which in turn is cheaper that the Z800. So I can pick up an A1 and 200-600 for about the price of a Z800mm and that will be fun to use until I can get my hands on a Z800mm. I prefer the integrated grip of the Z9, don't want to invest in 8Tb+ of CFE A (BIG money) that I have in CFE B and do not want to part with the 400/4.5 and 1.4x which is the nicest long lens I have ever used.
I have just returned from 2 months travelling overseas and took with me a Z9, Z6, Z14-24/2.8, Z24-120, Z400/4.5, Z1.4x, 9Tb of storage, chargers, batteries filters and card reader. It all fits into a Lowepro Nova 5 AW shoulder bag, weighs 7.4kg and will fit under the seat of even a small regional airliner and admirably covers all my landscape, travel and wildlife video/photo needs. In fact this comprises my full photo/video kit now, I have sold everything else. This is actually a more compact and lighter package than can be assembled with equivalent capabilities from the Sony catalogue.
So although I get grumpy and petulant with Nikon's inability to supply, I have a feeling that the Z system is going to prove the best fit for my particular needs but it will be fun to try out another excellent system for a while!
p.38 #8 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
I grumble about the challenges of finding wildlife during Minnesota's long winter, but I feel as if I have had some decent opportunities to photograph coyotes this year. My last good MN coyote year was 2016, so having legitimate photo opportunities 3 weekends in a row feels like an unexpected bonus for me. While the shooting here will never be as dramatic or exciting as photographing winter coyotes in Yellowstone, the bleak and foreboding landscapes throughout my region allows me to produce the minimalist images I love to make.
While I missed the "money shot" when the coyote looked straight at me from the peak of a small hill, this image is the closest I've been to any individuals in this pack. Compared to my previous shots, it is clear that this is a different and younger individual. I actually had to give a howl to freeze it for a precious moment... grateful for 20 fps, DX mode, fast AF, and great VR on the 800PF.
regards,
bruce
NIKON Z 9NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens800mmf/6.31/2000s4500 ISO+1.0 EV
p.38 #9 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
Drizzle all day & barely any light so I tested the lens on some other subjects. Mostly small birds in the thicket of branches & the Z9/800PF combo performed admirably. I wish I had Lance's backyard birds to photograph.
p.38 #11 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
Heavy overcast day with drizzle today. I saw this kingfisher on the other side of Coquitlam River (I'd say ~25m away).
1/320s, 5000 iso, DX crop. I think still usable but in the light like this this is as good as it gets (on the plus side I think I know where it has a nest now).
p.38 #12 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
suteetat wrote:
If it is not too late, rumor over here is that Nikon may finally released 200-600 at the same time with Z8. Nikon may announce this at CP+ which is not far away. However, there were so many rumors of launch date for both products in the past that I got bit tired of waiting (for Z8) as well. At least over here, 800PF seemed to showed up a little more readily than last year. I think Nikon is finally catching up to a certain extent.
p.38 #13 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
I assume that a Nikon Z8 and Z200-600mm would be a direct counterpart to the Sony A7RV+200-600G.
That would provide a nice way of comparing the two systems and see where they stand in 2023 relative to each other.
Nikon should have the benefit of a newer 200-600mm design (for which they took their time btw), but the Sony is very good, so I would not be surprised if they both bold hold up well.
Personally, I would be most interested in a Z8+Z400mm f4.5+Z1.4TC
p.38 #14 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
lukemeup wrote:
Heavy overcast day with drizzle today. I saw this kingfisher on the other side of Coquitlam River (I'd say ~25m away).
1/320s, 5000 iso, DX crop. I think still usable but in the light like this this is as good as it gets (on the plus side I think I know where it has a nest now).
In case you're not aware. Kingfishers don't have nests exactly. They borrow holes in the dirt wall above their water/food source like a creek bank. Just look for the holes and you'll find their "nest"
p.38 #15 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
Eric214 wrote:
Well done!
In case you're not aware. Kingfishers don't have nests exactly. They borrow holes in the dirt wall above their water/food source like a creek bank. Just look for the holes and you'll find their "nest"
That's what I meant. I saw it disappear under the branches nearby & pretty sure it's where it has its hole in the river bank.
CP+ is tomorrow. Hopefully we will hear something, Z8+85/1.2 or Z8+ 200-600 is anybody's guess at the moment.
Keep my fingers crossed.
My wish would be for a baby Z9, may be slower but with higher resolution with all the Z9 goodness rather than
direct competitor to A7r V ie high resolution non stacked sensor. I have not touch A7r V but if it has the same
laggy EVF and significant blackout like A7r IV and Z8 has the same thing, I will be rather disappointed. Z9 EVF (or A1/A9) is just too addictive
Couldn't ask for more detail than what you've captured here. The 800PF focuses close enough to catch a full frame image of a small parrot... w/ DX crop, it focuses close enough to fill the frame with a finch-sized bird. This is great for bird photographers that are enamored with feather detail.
As I've state in the past (probably too often), I'm not a bird photographer.. I consider myself more of an environmental photographer seeking to represent wildlife, trees, and other natural subjects in the context of their place. With the 800PF, I now have the capabilities of doing this in a very different way... my more wary wildlife subjects can now have a more prominent place in the frame without exhibiting the "fearful apprehension" that is often visible when I am within their comfort "bubble."
p.38 #19 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
OwlsEyes wrote:
Couldn't ask for more detail than what you've captured here. The 800PF focuses close enough to catch a full frame image of a small parrot... w/ DX crop, it focuses close enough to fill the frame with a finch-sized bird. This is great for bird photographers that are enamored with feather detail.
As I've state in the past (probably too often), I'm not a bird photographer.. I consider myself more of an environmental photographer seeking to represent wildlife, trees, and other natural subjects in the context of their place. With the 800PF, I now have the capabilities of doing this in a very different way... my more wary wildlife subjects can now have a more prominent place in the frame without exhibiting the "fearful apprehension" that is often visible when I am within their comfort "bubble."
As I debate whether to pursue an 800mm or an older 600mm, working distance is something I often think about. I’m glad to hear you say that you find it helpful with wary subjects. I’d think that would be a big plus for this lens.
p.38 #20 · Official 800PF image and discussion thread
OwlsEyes wrote:
Couldn't ask for more detail than what you've captured here. The 800PF focuses close enough to catch a full frame image of a small parrot... w/ DX crop, it focuses close enough to fill the frame with a finch-sized bird. This is great for bird photographers that are enamored with feather detail.
As I've state in the past (probably too often), I'm not a bird photographer.. I consider myself more of an environmental photographer seeking to represent wildlife, trees, and other natural subjects in the context of their place. With the 800PF, I now have the capabilities of doing this in a very different way... my more wary wildlife subjects can now have a more prominent place in the frame without exhibiting the "fearful apprehension" that is often visible when I am within their comfort "bubble."
There has been a bit of discussion about the minimum focus distance and at 5mts being too long. Yes, 5mts is a long MFD, but not in the context of the long focal length of 800mm. In reality, its not that different to other tele lenses in the line-up when you take into account their focal length.
The 400 f2.8E FL VR has a MFD of 2.6mts. Double the focal length to get to 800mm and you have 5.2mts. In other words, if you moved in to be twice as close, it would not really give you any extra subject size other than the slight differences in "reproduction ratio" which are all similar as well. The 500 f4E FL VR has an MFD of 3.6mts - (800/500) = 1.6 x 3.6 = 5.76mts. The 600 f4 has a MFD of 4.4mts - (800/600) = 1.33 x 4.4 = 5.86mts. The 800 f5.6E FL VR has a MFD of 5.6mts - case closed!
I mounted the 500 PF and I focused on the same spot and according to the distance scale, the bird was just over the 5mt mark. So, you can certainly fill the frame with a small to medium sized bird like a Rainbow Lorikeet. Their body size excluding their longish tail would only be about 125-150mm (5-6") and including their tail about 200-250mm (8-10").
