I cannot agree with what Magnus is showing in his video.
I am pretty sure that his pic with the 600 of the owl -which I own too- is slightly blurry due to shake.
I made a similiar pic when I received the lens 1 week ago with this owl and my 600 f6.3 is tacksharp. Distance was roughly 7m.
TC is a completely different story. I have both the TC14 and TC20 and tested it already with the 600. The principal propblem of TC is that they increase on a large scale every little imperfection of the lens. If your copy of the lens has been assembled more to the left side and your TC more to the right, they might not match perfectly. This seems to be the case with my TC14, because up to now the pics are looking slightly blurry.
G-FOTO.de wrote:
I have to revise my observation from the last days concerning my 600 with TC.
Restless I did a real world test with a quite long SS of 1/500 in order to keep the ISO low at 2000 and see what this combo can do. And below you see the result.
Even with TC14 and only 1/500 tacksharp images are possible.
This reminds me again how careful you have to be with short time testing and its conclusions.
I guess Magnus had to do it in a rush, because he only had the 400&600 for one day. Hence little mistakes can happen easily.
100% view
Thanks for posting.
Keep posting real pictures please
It's interesting to see the variety of videos from YouTubers and influencers. However, since they often use different ISO values, different processing software, and various noise reduction settings that aren't always disclosed, it can be hard to compare them directly.
For those of us using both Lightroom Classic (LrC) and DxO, it's quite apparent how differently each software handles lens corrections—as long as corrections are on and LrC is kept at its default settings (Sharpening: 40, Detail: 25).
It would be really helpful if some of these parameters were mentioned in the tests to give us a more consistent baseline.
Otherwise, the best bet is usually to test the gear yourself before deciding.
That's probably the most reliable way anyway, especially since lens copy variation can play a significant role.
I won't use DXO unless they support the other file types for the a7r6, but I agree. Ultimately, none of us have the same style or process, and that will make this a unique experience for each user.
I have to revise my observation from the last days concerning my 600 with TC.
Restless I did a real world test with a quite long SS of 1/500 in order to keep the ISO low at 2000 and see what this combo can do. And below you see the result.
Even with TC14 and only 1/500 tacksharp images are possible.
This reminds me again how careful you have to be with short time testing and its conclusions.
I guess Magnus had to do it in a rush, because he only had the 400&600 for one day. Hence little mistakes can happen easily.
Lege Artis wrote:
...For those of us using both Lightroom Classic (LrC) and DxO, it's quite apparent how differently each software handles lens corrections—as long as corrections are on and LrC is kept at its default settings (Sharpening: 40, Detail: 25).
It would be really helpful if some of these parameters were mentioned in the tests to give us a more consistent baseline.
Otherwise, the best bet is usually to test the gear yourself before deciding.
That's probably the most reliable way anyway, especially since lens copy variation can play a significant role.
Like always testing yourself is the ONLY reliable source.
In terms of software, I only shoot RAW and all my RAW files are treated in LRc. For Wildlife I always use local masking and applying sharpnes only to the object in order to avoid sharpening the (blurred) background. All pics are AI denoised within LRc.
Currently there is no lens profile for the 600 f6.3 available. But do not expect too much from it. The ones in LRc are not as advanced as in DXO. Their lens profiles really can boost the performance of a lens.
Concerning copy variation I am not convinced when it comes to GM lenses. For G and Non-G I know it exists but with GM lenses I hardly noticed variations.
p.4 #10 · Sony FE 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS Images Thread
G-FOTO.de wrote:
I have to revise my observation from the last days concerning my 600 with TC.
Restless I did a real world test with a quite long SS of 1/500 in order to keep the ISO low at 2000 and see what this combo can do. And below you see the result.
Even with TC14 and only 1/500 tacksharp images are possible.
This reminds me again how careful you have to be with short time testing and its conclusions.
I guess Magnus had to do it in a rush, because he only had the 400&600 for one day. Hence little mistakes can happen easily.
Appreciate your update. This is why it's so important those of us who are purchasing the lens simply shoot with it. The videos and sample shots leading up to a lens release, help. I tend to enjoy seeing what others are capturing with the gear and hearing/reading about what they thought of the performance/quality of the lens or camera being reviewed. That does give me and I'm sure others hope the new gear will perform. That being said, until I shoot with it, using my own style, I never fully trust what's being shared/presented. I might hate the new lens, I might love it, until it's in my hands... I won't really know. Depending on the review times, photographers using the gear, and the possibilities of lens variations, there's room for errors. A lot of people raved about the 200-600, I received a terrible copy of the lens, shot with it, sent it back and the one I have now is stellar.
Ok... enough babble Thanks again for the update, I'm sure a lot of new images/reviews are about the hit this thread in a week or so... looking forward to other peoples experiences with the lens.
p.4 #11 · Sony FE 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS Images Thread
G-FOTO.de wrote:
Concerning copy variation I am not convinced when it comes to GM lenses. For G and Non-G I know it exists but with GM lenses I hardly noticed variations.
I tested 5 300 GM lenses in Fujiya camera store with my 2x TC.
I took a photo of a poster across the store.
Each lens behaved differently.
One was completely soft, another had way too much CA, one lacked contrast, and two were perfect except one of them pulled slightly ahead in terms of contrast.
I repeated this test multiple times with the same results.
p.4 #12 · Sony FE 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS Images Thread
aryanenzo wrote:
I tested 5 300 GM lenses in Fujiya camera store with my 2x TC.
I took a photo of a poster across the store.
Each lens behaved differently.
One was completely soft, another had way too much CA, one lacked contrast, and two were perfect except one of them pulled slightly ahead in terms of contrast.
I repeated this test multiple times with the same results.
GM lenses absolutely will have variation.
You are missing the point here. I was referring to Magnus test where he was comparing the bare 600 GM.
Talking about TC is ALWAYS a complete different story. Every single lens -especially GM lenses- are individually calibrated at the end of the production process in order to equalize variations in production. So in fact every GM lens is a unique lens in itself. Perfectly calibrated and fit for purpose.
With adding a TC to this lens you change the optical system and you might be lucky that it fits perfectly to this lens or you are unlucky and it doesn't. But it can be perfect with another lens.
p.4 #13 · Sony FE 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS Images Thread
Its a pity because everyone is praising now Magnus YT video and concluding that the new 600GM is less sharp than the rest. Better to show some real world examples to proof him wrong.
p.4 #14 · Sony FE 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS Images Thread
G-FOTO.de wrote:
Its a pity because everyone is praising now Magnus YT video and concluding that the new 600GM is less sharp than the rest. Better to show some real world examples to proof him wrong.
100% view
I don't think anyone saying 600 is not sharp. Any current lens including third party zooms will produce sharp images. Question is if the other options 'sharper' in test chart pictures. In real life we will never be able to compare sharpness like that . So most of these discussions are useless and just fun for pixel peepers including me. Almost useless, but fun
IMO be there with your camera is the most important factor to get a winning shot. For that most carriable equipment is most important. Next important factor is the reliable AF.
But we are stuck with the sharpness factor more than anything else. I'm included.
p.4 #15 · Sony FE 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS Images Thread
Jemini wrote:
I don't think anyone saying 600 is not sharp. Any current lens including third party zooms will produce sharp images. Question is if the other options 'sharper' in test chart pictures. In real life we will never be able to compare sharpness like that . So most of these discussions are useless and just fun for pixel peepers including me. Almost useless, but fun
IMO be there with your camera is the most important factor to get a winning shot. For that most carriable equipment is most important. Next important factor is the reliable AF.
But we are stuck with the sharpness factor more than anything else. I'm included....Show more →
To be fair, weight is a spec sheet number and there is little to add comment to. Autofocus speed is difficult to quantify and more subjective.
Image sharpness is relatively easy to compare between lens when shooting same subject. Sharpness has become even more important with the higher density sensor and when attaching a TC. I find the MTF charts to be of limited use as the camera companies don’t show a high enough line pairs to be meaningful.
p.4 #16 · Sony FE 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS Images Thread
I suspect there are likely variations among the 600mm f/6.3 units. In any case, if you own this lens and don't have other lenses to compare it with side-by-side, you'll likely find the 600mm f/6.3 to be excellent—better than a 200-600mm.
Personally, I’ve run further comparisons against my 300mm f/2.8 and 400mm f/4.5, and I can confirm that the 400mm f/4.5—both with and without the 1.4x TC—is slightly better than the 300mm f/2.8 setup (whether at 420mm f/4 or 600mm f/5.6).
My 400mm f/4.5 is truly outstanding, so it wouldn't surprise me if it holds a slight edge over the 600mm f/6.3.
p.4 #17 · Sony FE 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS Images Thread
Jemini wrote:
...But we are stuck with the sharpness factor more than anything else. I'm included.
And why is that?
Because perfect sharpness is the result of everything - AF, know-how about subject, know-how about equipment etc.
There is a reason why sharpness is the most important thing with long lenses.
p.4 #18 · Sony FE 600mm f/6.3 GM OSS Images Thread
Magnus mentioned in his YT comments that he has also ordered the 600mm f6.3 and it should be arriving sometime next week. He also want to spend more time testing the AF and will be doing another update on his impressions.
I might hate the new lens, I might love it, until it's in my hands... I won't really know. Depending on the review times, photographers using the gear, and the possibilities of lens variations, there's room for errors. A lot of people raved about the 200-600, I received a terrible copy of the lens, shot with it, sent it back and the one I have now is stellar. 
