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 p.1 #8 · 800 6.3 in addition to 400 2.8 or 600 4 | |
Thank you all for the feedback! I felt like I was asking silly questions, but the responses in here have been phenomenal!
suteetat wrote:
I used to shoot 600/4e FL as my main wildlife lens especially birds but now have 400/2.8S TC and 800PF and I think this is a perfect combination for my own use.
If I can only have one lens, I think 600/4S TC would be it.
However the 400/800 combination gives me added flexibility for F2.8 in low light.
Z8/Z9 generally have enough pixels for cropping for when 400mm is a bit too short but
f2.8 is needed.
800PF is easy to handhold and in comparison to 400S with TCx2 or 600/4e FL with TC1.4, 800PF I feel is a bit sharper so you trade weight for 1/3 stop of light. If I really need f5.6 then I always have the option of 400/2.8S with TCx2. No idea how 600/4S TC with internal TC engaged compare to 800PF though. 400/2.8S with internal TC is not as sharp as 600/4e FL but still plenty sharp for my use.
I suppose if you shoot mostly birds, 600/4S might make more sense but if you shoot mammals as well and often shoot in low light, 400/2.8S is very handy.
...Show more →
your pictures in the official 400mm TC thread were the #1 reason I started considering Nikon and the 400 haha
I really dig how much shorter it is than the RF 600, or even the Z 600. I can definitely see the appeal for the 400 2.8 paired with the 800 6.3
how would you say the image quality ranks between the naked (no converter) 800 6.3 and the 400 2.8 + 2x? and the 400 2.8 + internal TC + 2x?
I think I could probably get away with 560mm most of the time, and if the IQ at 784mm is good, that could probably do most everything. maybe get the 800 just for yellowstone or something
sandy27000 wrote:
I’m in a similar situation, although after investing in these lenses. For context I have the following lenses:
1) Nikon 120-300mm f2.8E FL - for clicking tigers, lions and other mammals - they tend to come close to the vehicles often in which case, a zoom is useful
2) Nikon 400mm f2.8S TC VR - my stock lens for birding (with TC engaged most of the time)
3) Nikon 600mm f4E FL - being sold - 600mm @ f4 or 840mm @ f5.6 is really sweet for birding given the usual distances in places I visit for birding
4) Nikon 800mm f6.3S - needless to say, very useful for birding and particularly when one is on foot
I’m keeping numbers 1, 2 and 4 by the following logic:
1) I’ll use them without external TC as much as possible
2) for birding, with 2 bodies and 2 lenses (400mm TC and 800mm PF) I get 400mm, 560mm and 800mm natively without external TC’s
3) 800mm will be my lens when I’m walking about at birding areas nearby (which I do almost every weekend) and I need to handhold for 3-4 hours continuously
We’re spoilt for choices by Nikon, optically each of the lenses I have is lovely. If I had to pick just one, I’d pick the 400mm f2.8S TC VR. Hope this helped. ...Show more →
another person who swapped from 600 to the 400 with TC aha.
for walking around is the 800 really noticeably better? I do a lot of walking (2-4 miles at a time) during Spring for owlets, warblers, etc.
In the past I've used the EF 300 2.8 II + 2x which is 600 f5.6 at about ~6lbs.
my thinking was I would love the 400 for that type of walk around, but now I am having to consider the 800...
George DeCamp wrote:
I think the "pros" are just copying me, suteetat and sandy27000 above 🤣 just kidding! Actually that's what I use also the 400TC and the 800pf. When I'm out mostly shooting small birds in the park the 800pf is perfect! In the back yard the 400TC is great because I can use the 400 end for hummingbirds and have the TC engaged for the birds further away. I love both lenses but the 400TC is just amazingly good from 400 and up!
I also have the new 180-600 on order I think it will be a great lens for keeping with me on road trips to see the kids etc so I have something to use if I want to head to the birding sites where they live and not have to bring the really expensive stuff with me.
I'm sure the 600TC is awesome maybe even more so for most but I love what I have!!...Show more →
how do you find the image quality compares between the 400 2.8 and 800 6.3? is the 400 a clear winner when no teles? is there a certain amount of teles you can add to the 400 before it starts "feeling" like the 800 in terms of IQ?
I've also been eyeballing that 180-600 but I can't tell if I'd rather have the 100-400, 180-600, or the 400 4.5.... Nikon really has spoiled people with all these amazing lenses!
gannis wrote:
I think it really depends on what you photograph. If you photograph large mammals, 400 2.8 is the best lens. But if you are primarily a bird photographer, 600 TC is a better choice. 400 2.8 TC is an amazing lens even with the in built 1.4 TC however if you do not have a need to use the lens at 400mm/f2.8, there is no point in buying that lens over the 600 f4 TC. Also, between the 600 TC and 800PF, unless the weight difference is a big deal for you, I find that combo a bit of an overlap. I would rather look at the below combos:
1. 400 2.8TC + 800PF
or
2. 600 F4 TC + 400mm f4.5 S...Show more →
so far the majority of my time is larger birds (snowy, great horned, short eared owls, ospreys, bald eagles) but occasionally I'll take a walk for warblers
very few large mammals around me, but I do a teton/yellowstone trip every year
the 400 is definitely enticing though for future trips that I want to plan to Africa for safari and Alaska for bears
Lance B wrote:
In Z mount I don't have the Z 400 f2.8 + TC or the Z 600 f4 + TC but in Z mount I do have the Z 800 f6.3 PF and I also have the Z 100-400 f4.5-5.6 VR S. However, in F mount, I do have the 400 f2.8E FL VR and 500 f5.6 PF and use these on the Z8 and Z9 with the FTZ adaptor and they work perfectly.
If you're after a one lens super tele solution, then I would suggest that the Z 600 f4 + TC would be the best option and maybe the Z 400 f4.5 VR S as it is very light and very small to fit in the bag with the 600. If you want to get the Z 800 PF for use on small birds, then I would say that the Z 400 f2.8 + TC would be a good fit as you can add the TC for a 560 f4, or again the 400 f4.5 and use the 1.4x TC if required.
At the moment, my kit is the F mount 500 f5.6 PF (+ FTZ) and the Z 800 f6.3 PF or the Z 100-400 f4.5-5.6 VR S. I rarely use the F mount 400f2.8E FL VR (+ FTZ) due to size and weight but I will sometimes use it with the 1.4x TCII and 2x TCIII as it is such a great lens. ...Show more →
thank you for the input! I definitely feel like there are two main combo opportunities as others have pointed out:
400 2.8 + 800 6 .3
400 4.5 + 600 4
and then whatever zooms are needed to fill in multiple roles
robert_in_ca wrote:
I was a Canon shooter and I sold my R3, R5 and all my RF L series glass to move over to Nikon for the 400mm 2.8 TC
I’ve owned the Z 800mm PF and 600mm 4.0 TC and I decided to stick with the 400mm 2.8 TC. For me I found the versatility of the 400mm to serve my needs better as I primarily shoot large mammals.
The 800mm PF is a solid choice to augment the 400mm 2.8 TC, but since it’s a pretty niche focal length I decided to keep things simple by just using the x1.4 teleconverter with the 400mm. Or as Lance pointed out, you could go with the 600mm and the 400mm 4.5. ...Show more →
coming from Canon, how was the transition to the Z8 or Z9? I have slight worries about the animal eye AF and how it works. also button mapping in general on the bodies
good to hear another Canon swapper though! I have had many local photographers make the swap from Sony/Canon this year..
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