Re: Official Nikon Z 180-600mm f5.6-6.3 VR Image Thread
AlphaPhotography wrote:
Oh damn, I was loving your 600PF photos but the 180-600mm looks excellent too. So you found the 600PF to be too similar to the 180-600mm and think the extra reach of the 800mm is worthwhile? The 600PF looks so perfect as far as size/weight go but for the money it is awfully close to the 800 and getting up into used 600F4 ranges. There are too many good choices right now with Nikon but I think starting with the 180-600mm is my best bet and then deciding from there. If I like the system enough I may sell my Canon gear and go all in with a Z8 + 600TC.
If you're on the fence about the 180-600 vs. 600PF, def recommend the 180-600. It gives up very little to the prime, and unless you're shooting at extremes, you won't see a difference in practice. The 186 is a full lb heavier, and it's noticeable, but it's more than manageable hand-held for an all-day shoot. I also believe the 186 pairs better with the 800PF because of the 50% shorter MFD, whereas the 600PF is only 3' shorter than the 800PF.
Now, the 600PF vs. 800PF: completely different use cases, I think. For birding, 600mm is more of a general purpose, wider lens, and I find it much easier to use than the 800. You can have the 600PF pinch hit as an 800 w/ the 1.4TC, and it's just as sharp as the 800PF but you're at f/9 so you need good light. If you're needing to regularly shoot at 800, get the 800PF. For small birds only, the 800PF can't be beat.
In my opinion, the 600PF begs to be shot alone, it's the lens to get if you know for sure you're a 600mm shooter or that's the exact length you need for a particular subject. If you think to buy it and pair it with a 100-400 or another lens, then you might as well go for the 180-600 because you've just lost the weight advantage by bringing a backpack and another lens.
So with the 600PF and 800PF you basically can't come close to filling the frame with small birds?
If you take a look at my Flickr page, there's a decent sampling of what's possible with these lenses in terms of size in frame & composition. How often are you wanting to fill the frame with a bird though? Personally, I think the perch and environment are just as important, so want to include some of that. This is part of the reason too that I tend towards a 600mm lens vs the 800, for more breathing room in composition. The 800 can fill the frame if you hit it just right though, and the 600 can get close if you are ok with cropping a little bit.
Mar 14, 2024 at 01:49 PM
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