p.4 #1 · Official 600PF image and discussion thread
rdyabout5jqc wrote:
I own the Z400 f/4.5 and about a week ago added the 600 pf. My primary interest is bird and nature photography. I often hike and have to carry equipment for several miles. I frequently shoot without a tripod or monopod. I shoot primarily with the z9.
I have found the 400 is an excellent lens but sometimes subjects are out of reasonable reach. I have used it with 1.4x tc and used DX or severe crop and have gotten acceptable images. But still some subjects need more reach.
I am finding the 600 pf at 600mm does notably better than the 400 with tc. The 600's reach can also be extended with cropping, dx and/or tc with acceptable results.
I have tried the 800 pf but I find it to be too big and heavy for more than brief handheld work. I would also not want to pack the 400 and 800 plus tripod/monopod for very far. Too much gear.
HOWEVER, I can comfortably carry the 400 and 600 plus a monopod with Wimberley mini gimbal long distances.
The 600 pf also seems to work well on the z9 at much higher iso settings. I have gotten some surprisingly sharp images that way.
p.4 #2 · Official 600PF image and discussion thread
I can't believe I missed this (been out of photography due to personal issues the last couple months.) I never thought they'd actually deliver my dream lens. Definitely made my "wish list."
p.4 #4 · Official 600PF image and discussion thread
TurtleCat15 wrote:
I kind of suspected it would be similar. Having the extra speed of the Z mount is tempting but the price differential is enough to make me rethink that. I’ve got a Z6ii right now so I’d probably apply that kind of differential to a Z8 before going with a small improvement.
If I understand your current gear... Z6II and 500PF... if you are seeking to get the best performance and image quality with the least money spent, your transition to a Z8 will offer you more than putting a 600PF on the Z6II. Don't get me wrong, the Z6II is a fine camera (it's my 3rd string camera after the Z9 and Z8), but using a Z8 with your 500PF gives you all the AF benefits of the Z8 and more cropping latitude. The 600PF on your Z6II will result in marginal AF improvements and 100mm which would be easily made up by cropping to 600mm w/ a Z8.
p.4 #9 · Official 600PF image and discussion thread
This lens continues to impress in testing. Latest Ricci video comparing it to many other options shows it besting the 600E for IQ.
More surprising is it looks better with a 1.4TC at 840mm than the 800PF does bare. Ricci was surprised at that one also so plans to redo the testing.
p.4 #12 · Official 600PF image and discussion thread
arbitrage wrote:
This lens continues to impress in testing. Latest Ricci video comparing it to many other options shows it besting the 600E for IQ.
More surprising is it looks better with a 1.4TC at 840mm than the 800PF does bare. Ricci was surprised at that one also so plans to redo the testing.
Hmmm. Surprising indeed. The 600PF is obviously very sharp (I wish I had it), but I wish he had done these comparisons at the same F values. The 600E was at F4. I would have liked to see it stopped down a bit. Also, I wonder why he did not redo the comparison with the 800PF to confirm his finding before posting the video…
p.4 #13 · Official 600PF image and discussion thread
arbitrage wrote:
This lens continues to impress in testing. Latest Ricci video comparing it to many other options shows it besting the 600E for IQ.
More surprising is it looks better with a 1.4TC at 840mm than the 800PF does bare. Ricci was surprised at that one also so plans to redo the testing.
Certainly does not concur with Steve Perry's findings. Nor with common sense frankly. And then there is the question of f6.3 vs f9...
p.4 #14 · Official 600PF image and discussion thread
Dbltfarmer wrote:
Got mine today and took it out for some shots late this afternoon. I think it is a good lens and I really like the extra reach above the 500pf.
How did the new firmware detect the horse’s eye? I didn’t have much luck with 4.0
p.4 #15 · Official 600PF image and discussion thread
Alistair1 wrote:
Certainly does not concur with Steve Perry's findings. Nor with common sense frankly. And then there is the question of f6.3 vs f9...
A bit odd to me too. I love the lens and continue to enjoy it. Agree the TC doesn't take much away but I'm having a hard time believing it is 800PF equal or better quality.
p.4 #16 · Official 600PF image and discussion thread
David Garcia wrote:
How did the new firmware detect the horse’s eye? I didn’t have much luck with 4.0
With 4.1 I believe the eye detect works better on large animals. I have not had much luck with Bison, Horses or cattle but it seems better with the 4.1 firmware.
p.4 #17 · Official 600PF image and discussion thread
Alistair1 wrote:
Certainly does not concur with Steve Perry's findings. Nor with common sense frankly. And then there is the question of f6.3 vs f9...
Going by a variety of images posted with both lenses, the 800PF still stands out, it seems to me.
I can understand the urge to make these test chart comparisons, but I don't put that much value in the myself. They should only be used to get a feel of baseline sharpness, and even then it's tricky to say one lens is "better" than another based on these test chart shots. It's safe to say that 600mm f6.3 is much more appealing than 840mm f9.
But of course the 800PF does not do 600mm and 600mm is easier to use than 800mm...
p.4 #18 · Official 600PF image and discussion thread
Dbltfarmer wrote:
With 4.1 I believe the eye detect works better on large animals. I have not had much luck with Bison, Horses or cattle but it seems better with the 4.1 firmware.
I tried shooting horses with the Z9 before 4.01 was released. Not much luck at all. I haven’t tried horses with 4.01, but will soon try… still waiting on the next firmware update for the Z8.
