Prices of the Z 600mm f/6.3 PF and Z 400mm f/4.5 after Sony's announceme...
p.4 #1Prices of the Z 600mm f/6.3 PF and Z 400mm f/4.5 after Sony's announcement.
My first long lens was Nikon 600mm f/5.6. That lens weighed 6.2LB without AF and VR. Now look at Sony 300/2.8 (600/5.6 With 2x). I remember a 12 or 13 LB 400/2.8 AF lens in 2000's. So newer design and materials made lenses lighter for sure. But usually same generation lenses from all manufacturers had similar weight so far. Look at current 400/2.8 from Nikon/Sony/Canon. They share same weight and size (Nikon’s built-in TC added few ounces). Nikon’s 400/4.5 (which I have) came out in 2022 I think. So I kind of believe Sony could shave off few ounces from 400/4.5 (I have it in pre-order). However I too have some doubts about their 600 especially without PF elements. I'm wondering if they took 400 design and made some changes to make it 600. Need to see independent reviews (No the sponsored ones).
Maxxus46 wrote:
In the meantime, I’m stuck with my significantly overweight 70-200mm f2.8 I, and now also the 600mm f6.3 PF since they still work well for me although I keep grumbling about the weightNever heard anyone grunble about the weight of the 600PF 
it's still a crazy light 600mm prime. I'd still pick the 600PF over the Sony 600 6.3GM. why? Look at the number of elements between them, physics still apply. The Sony has far less elements seated closer together, meaning it will not have internal corrections that the Nikon has, I'm betting it's not as sharp, worse bokeh (I see it in all samples I've reviewed), distortion and chromatic aberration exist. I wanted something lighter than the 180-600 , with very high IQ. The 600pf is exactly that. I don't...Show more →
Maxxus46 wrote:
cxcheng wrote
It would be great if Nikon does something disruptive like introducing a 600mm f4.5 at 2kg and half the price of the 600mm f4, and provide built in teleconverter for non pro lenses like the 189-600mm.In the meantime, I’m stuck with my significantly overweight 70-200mm f2.8 I, and now also the 600mm f6.3 PF since they still work well for me although I keep grumbling about the weight
it's still a crazy light 600mm prime. I'd still pick the 600PF over the Sony 600 6.3GM. why? Look at the number of elements between them, physics still apply. The Sony has far less elements seated closer together, meaning it will not have internal corrections that the Nikon has, I'm betting it's not as sharp, worse bokeh (I see it in all samples I've reviewed), distortion and chromatic aberration exist. I wanted something lighter than the 180-600 , with very high IQ. The 600pf is exactly that. I don't...Show more →Sep 19, 2026 at 01:21 AM
p.4 #2Prices of the Z 600mm f/6.3 PF and Z 400mm f/4.5 after Sony's announcement.
wind30 wrote:
groob wrote
RustyRus wrote
JadedWriter wrote
Please go into my Flickr library and please tell me what I haven't been able to do or would be able to do better by switching to Sony again.RustyRus wrote
Well, the good news for all of us Nikon fans is that they’re developing some new firmware! They’re also developing some new cinema lenses!That said, it’s getting harder and harder to argue against taking a serious look at Sony.
Their lens lineup is simply far more versatile than what Nikon currently offers, especially now that Sony has closed the gap on lightweight telephotos.
Cinema bodies, photo bodies, global shutter sensors, stacked action sensors, stacked high-resolution sensors, non stacked options and a massive selection of third-party lenses.
Sony has built out an incredibly complete system. Nikon still makes some fantastic cameras, but the overall ecosystem gap is becoming pretty hard to ignore.
My guess is that Nikon’s shift toward more cinema and video-focused bodies and lenses is a big part of why things feel so held up on the traditional photo side right now. There is clearly a lot of development happening, but it looks like much of that attention is being directed toward building out the video ecosystem and Red integration.
So, I genuinely would like to know what people think they’re missing out on.
Totally agree on the 14mm f/1.8. I’ve considered picking it up and adapting several times. The 50-150 is one of the lenses that is unique and not offered by others. I’d like to have similar Nikon options, but (to me) those are very much on the margins and not worth bellyaching over. I have the 14-24 f/2.8. To the extent I’m missing out on higher quality Astro photos, that is something I can overcome with technique.
Edited on Sep 21, 2026 at 06:03 AM · View previous versions
Sep 19, 2026 at 06:08 AM
p.4 #3Prices of the Z 600mm f/6.3 PF and Z 400mm f/4.5 after Sony's announcement.
As a former Sony A1 owner who switched to Nikon Z8 primarily for the 600 f6.3, I’m very satisfied with Nikon. If Sony would have had that lens several years ago, I would have stayed with them, but no reason now to switch back. Oh and Nikon also has an 800mm 6.3pf lens …
Sep 19, 2026 at 06:45 AM
p.4 #4Prices of the Z 600mm f/6.3 PF and Z 400mm f/4.5 after Sony's announcement.
groob wrote:
And if people want to pressure test my assertions, I just updated my website for the first time in 3 years (although, I remain miserably behind on the avian work): https://lylegruby.myportfolio.com/
Could not get it to open Groob.
And if people want to pressure test my assertions, I just updated my website for the first time in 3 years (although, I remain miserably behind on the avian work): https://lylegruby.myportfolio.com/
Could not get it to open Groob.
Sep 19, 2026 at 06:59 AM
p.4 #5Prices of the Z 600mm f/6.3 PF and Z 400mm f/4.5 after Sony's announcement.
bs kite wrote:
Could not get it to open Groob.
If you want to go to the trouble, you can copy and paste the link or click the Smugmug icon under my name. Either one will take you to my website.
groob wrote
And if people want to pressure test my assertions, I just updated my website for the first time in 3 years (although, I remain miserably behind on the avian work): https://lylegruby.myportfolio.com/If you want to go to the trouble, you can copy and paste the link or click the Smugmug icon under my name. Either one will take you to my website.
Sep 19, 2026 at 12:39 PM
p.4 #6Prices of the Z 600mm f/6.3 PF and Z 400mm f/4.5 after Sony's announcement.
sony user i am , in the wildlife sony playing catch up to nikon ,i guess nikon is playing catch up to sony for portrait/ event and travel ,and both are trying to catch up to canon for sports ,the competition drives innovation as users we should embrace it ,if nikon had not released those 400mm f4.5 or 600mm f6.3 i doubt sony would of either ,and if sony had not made stacked high res sensors ,nikkon would still be using a standard form sensors ,still sony does not make built in t/c lenses and nikon still has to wait 3 years for sony to release certain sensors ,ie 33mp partially stacked a75 to name but one ,and canon could and should drop 3rd party lens limitations to remain no1;on another note i doubt that sonys gm,s are poorly made becuase they are lighter ,also the weights given are without lens hood and lens foot ,so not a true representation.marketing b/s
Sep 19, 2026 at 03:31 PM
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p.4 #7Prices of the Z 600mm f/6.3 PF and Z 400mm f/4.5 after Sony's announcement.
The new Sony may very well find a home on my Z8, and I don't really care whether Nikon cuts their 600pf price or not. Just say'n.
Edited on Sep 23, 2026 at 02:16 PM · View previous versions
Edited on Sep 23, 2026 at 02:16 PM · View previous versions
Sep 19, 2026 at 04:34 PM
p.4 #8Prices of the Z 600mm f/6.3 PF and Z 400mm f/4.5 after Sony's announcement.
I don't really see anyone switching systems for those lenses. As others pointed out, the Z8/Z9 is much cheaper than the Sony/Canon offerings, and the 600mm PF and 400mm 4.5 can be bought in mint condition for cheaper than the Sony ones, even during refurb sales. I've seen 600mm PFs for $3100-3500 on average. The 400mm for $2,200 give or take. Besides, one can always adapt the Sony glass to their Z's. I've adapted the 70-200mm GM II and many primes with no issues.
Sep 19, 2026 at 04:53 PM
p.4 #9Prices of the Z 600mm f/6.3 PF and Z 400mm f/4.5 after Sony's announcement.
I just don't understand why these discussions always need to boil down to one manufacturer winning and another losing. This type of dialogue drives me nuts because it does little to further the craft of photography.
Sony, Canon, and Nikon are competing for customers and their attention. They each make compelling products and the optics they produce are almost the same. If one wants to compare pro bodies and prosumer bodies head to head, well depending on the feature set, ergonomics, and loyalty to manufacturer, one can make a compelling argument that any one of these companies beats the other.
In terms of 'techno wizardry and gimmickry,' I'll concede that Nikon is behind Sony and Canon. My preference is for the Z9 over them all, but if I were forced to leave a system, I'd go with a Canon R1 because I prefer Canon ergonomics to Sony and how a camera feels in my hand matters more than who has the sharpest lenses.
On the other hand, one could argue that Nikon is the best value, as you can buy a Z8 and 600PF for less than the price of an A1ii (equivalent sized bodies) and the new 600mm lens. Furthermore, all of what I've seen and read thus far suggests that the 600PF has better micro contrast and less aberrations due to the PF element. If you shoot mammals and large birds, this is more important than MFD. However, if you lean towards smaller birds and you need to be at 6 feet, then the Sony 600mm f6.3 is your better choice... unless you own a Nikon 400mm f4.5 and 1.4x converter, stopped down to f/8... well, they'll all look the same.
In my mind, we just need to stop thinking about these things as zero sum gain... each company is playing leap frog... Sony often pulls miles ahead with their AF, then Canon, and while Nikon is never an AF leader, its lenses have been class leading if size is not your limiting factor.
just my 2c's...
bruce
Sony, Canon, and Nikon are competing for customers and their attention. They each make compelling products and the optics they produce are almost the same. If one wants to compare pro bodies and prosumer bodies head to head, well depending on the feature set, ergonomics, and loyalty to manufacturer, one can make a compelling argument that any one of these companies beats the other.
In terms of 'techno wizardry and gimmickry,' I'll concede that Nikon is behind Sony and Canon. My preference is for the Z9 over them all, but if I were forced to leave a system, I'd go with a Canon R1 because I prefer Canon ergonomics to Sony and how a camera feels in my hand matters more than who has the sharpest lenses.
On the other hand, one could argue that Nikon is the best value, as you can buy a Z8 and 600PF for less than the price of an A1ii (equivalent sized bodies) and the new 600mm lens. Furthermore, all of what I've seen and read thus far suggests that the 600PF has better micro contrast and less aberrations due to the PF element. If you shoot mammals and large birds, this is more important than MFD. However, if you lean towards smaller birds and you need to be at 6 feet, then the Sony 600mm f6.3 is your better choice... unless you own a Nikon 400mm f4.5 and 1.4x converter, stopped down to f/8... well, they'll all look the same.
In my mind, we just need to stop thinking about these things as zero sum gain... each company is playing leap frog... Sony often pulls miles ahead with their AF, then Canon, and while Nikon is never an AF leader, its lenses have been class leading if size is not your limiting factor.
just my 2c's...
bruce
Sep 19, 2026 at 05:52 PM
p.4 #10Prices of the Z 600mm f/6.3 PF and Z 400mm f/4.5 after Sony's announcement.
OwlsEyes wrote:
I just don't understand why these discussions always need to boil down to one manufacturer winning and another losing. This type of dialogue drives me nuts because it does little to further the craft of photography.
Sony, Canon, and Nikon are competing for customers and their attention. They each make compelling products and the optics they produce are almost the same. If one wants to compare pro bodies and prosumer bodies head to head, well depending on the feature set, ergonomics, and loyalty to manufacturer, one can make a compelling argument that any one of these companies beats the other....Show more →
I just don't understand why these discussions always need to boil down to one manufacturer winning and another losing. This type of dialogue drives me nuts because it does little to further the craft of photography.
Sony, Canon, and Nikon are competing for customers and their attention. They each make compelling products and the optics they produce are almost the same. If one wants to compare pro bodies and prosumer bodies head to head, well depending on the feature set, ergonomics, and loyalty to manufacturer, one can make a compelling argument that any one of these companies beats the other....Show more →
Sep 20, 2026 at 11:22 AM
RoamingScott
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p.4 #11Prices of the Z 600mm f/6.3 PF and Z 400mm f/4.5 after Sony's announcement.
The only people that talk about winning and losing are the people desperately trying to convince themselves they bought the right thing.
Sep 20, 2026 at 11:35 AM
p.4 #12Prices of the Z 600mm f/6.3 PF and Z 400mm f/4.5 after Sony's announcement.
Such threads are a waste of time, and often lead to trollings.
The merits of any image or group of images, depend(s) on the photographer's eye and skills. I refer to sum1sgrampa now. To my eye, Gary has amassed the most exciting body of imagery, taken over many years and with MANY camera models, some quite “lowly” models now. And yet, the images he has posted with these "lowly" bodies are masterful. It is true.
My problem is weight tolerance now, There was a time when I liked heavy. No more. I have to use a tripod or monopod now. I say that because, though I have the Z8, I may upgrade to the Z9II for its video.. I love video.
Robert
The merits of any image or group of images, depend(s) on the photographer's eye and skills. I refer to sum1sgrampa now. To my eye, Gary has amassed the most exciting body of imagery, taken over many years and with MANY camera models, some quite “lowly” models now. And yet, the images he has posted with these "lowly" bodies are masterful. It is true.
My problem is weight tolerance now, There was a time when I liked heavy. No more. I have to use a tripod or monopod now. I say that because, though I have the Z8, I may upgrade to the Z9II for its video.. I love video.
Robert
Sep 20, 2026 at 11:55 AM