Feiertag
Well-known member
I'm now leaning toward getting both of them. Life is too short for me to concern myself with the cost of both lenses. I like the reach of one and the flexibility of the other.
Offense and defense, to cover all the bases.
Nikon 800mm f/6.3 VS The new upcoming 200 - 600mm
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Offense and defense, to cover all the bases.
Kip Cotter
Active member
Regrets a strong word for it; I will admit that I haven't given it much time yet. It's beautiful with stationary subjects that you're close to and the background is way in the distance - it really shines as you can imagine. But if the background is busy at all, it honestly doesn't impress me (as this can be said with all the PF's IMO). I was a bit surprised while shooting a loon awhile back at how much distortion was coming up off the lake, before and after the loon. The photos honestly looked horrible. That is no knock on the lens, but more to do with my shooting conditions. I just think it's a new tool for me that I'm not good at using - so it will take some time. But I'm used to being able to pull a lens up and be on subject, and I've struggled with this 800mm more than I would have imagined, as I used the 500mm in DX mode many times and didn't seem to struggle - maybe due to the overall size of the lens - I don't know. I find myself grabbing the 500mm more than the 800mm so far. Taking both meaningfully into the field is a bit of a pain. The 800mm is not the magic bullet (for me) that I had hoped it would be. Just being honest about my use of it so far.
Feiertag
Well-known member
Good advise. Tamron and Siga are no slouches in the glass department. I own the Tamron 24 - 70 f/2.8 (1st generation) which has served me well. I could live with the tweak.
I know some will be really upset if this is the case but, honestly, good glass is good glass regardless of who made it. If it were a good lens, at least comparable to the 200-500 it would not matter to me. Sometimes folks get hung up on things like a 3rd party making OEM parts but it really shouldn't matter.
Jeff
I hear ya...I'm used to my 500/4E and manage to focus in on flying birds [most of the time
]. I cannot image doing that nearly as easily, or repeatably, with the 800....
A little bird told me that the 200-600 will be a great lens but the 800 PF will be sharper and more expensive. Plus the wait time for the 200-600 is likely to be 6+ months unless you are NPS while the wait time for non-NPS 800 PF orders is less than 10 weeks.
Of course all this speculation and judgement. We will not know until the lens is released. Nikon could cancel the 200-600 anytime before it is released.
Feiertag
Well-known member
Thanks for the comment. I'm curious as to what camera model are you using with the 800mm.
The 800mm PF was my most used lens in 2022 (based on keeper images for personal/portfolio use) - even though I only had it for 8 months. Part of that is that I photographed a lot more birds than normal - especially small songbirds. I also had a lot of good activity on a couple of trips where that was my primary lens. But for mammals, I probably used it too much of the time and lacked the diversity of compositions the subject matter could have provided.
I think the key is the degree to which you are using the zoom lens at the long end. If you have a 200-500 or 100-400 and are regularly using it at the long end, with a teleconverter, or cropping materially, you probably need something longer and a 200-600 won't be the solution by itself. If that is the case, I'd think seriously about a 400mm f/4.5, 500mm PF, 600mm f/4, or 800mm PF. If your subject matter is heavy on mammals and wading birds, I'd get the 200-600 zoom, 400mm f/4.5, or 500mm PF. If the subject matter is dragonflies, butterflies, and small amphibians with a mix of mammals and wading birds and an occasional small bird, the 100-400 is probably a good choice.
I think the key is the degree to which you are using the zoom lens at the long end. If you have a 200-500 or 100-400 and are regularly using it at the long end, with a teleconverter, or cropping materially, you probably need something longer and a 200-600 won't be the solution by itself. If that is the case, I'd think seriously about a 400mm f/4.5, 500mm PF, 600mm f/4, or 800mm PF. If your subject matter is heavy on mammals and wading birds, I'd get the 200-600 zoom, 400mm f/4.5, or 500mm PF. If the subject matter is dragonflies, butterflies, and small amphibians with a mix of mammals and wading birds and an occasional small bird, the 100-400 is probably a good choice.
This depends on the birds. For shorebirds, 800mm is quite reasonable even in flight and even before getting that lens, I was using a 500mm PF or 600mm f/4 with 1.4 TC. It can be good for wading birds, but may be a little longer than needed if the birds are acclimated to people.I hear ya...I'm used to my 500/4E and manage to focus in on flying birds [most of the time
Kip Cotter
Active member
Z9.
Garfield
Well-known member
Sounds like you'd be a candidate for a 600/5.6PF.
Kip Cotter
Active member
I'd love one.
I would think serio about it too.
Calson
Well-known member
I have the 800mm PF and was considering adding the 200-600mm as a zoom is advantageous in many situations. But I learned of the Sigma 60-600mm lens which will be a much better choice for video as well as still photography and will buying their S mount version as soon as it becomes available.
The 60-600mm is going to be 5.5 lb lens so much heavier than a 200-600mm lens but with the 200-600mm lens I would still want to have the 100-400mm lens with me as well.
The 60-600mm is going to be 5.5 lb lens so much heavier than a 200-600mm lens but with the 200-600mm lens I would still want to have the 100-400mm lens with me as well.
ChrisM
Well-known member
This thread screams Z600mm f5.6PF!
This lens on the Z8 is the only lens that would get me shooting Nikon again (next to, nót replacing Sony).
The 800PF almost won me over, but the Z9 kept me from it.
After getting the Sony 600GM, I would not want a fixed 800mm prime. In the 24mp FF days, yes, but now with 50mp FF, I find 600mm to be more versatile.
A Z600mm f5.6 PF would weigh around 2kg? That would be perfect with the Z8.
I can handhold the 600GM, but the weight on my back when cycling and hiking is not álways welcome.
Forget about all this though, a Z600mm f5.6 PF won't ever be made, alas.
Sometimes I consider re-purchasing the 500PF to adapt on the Z8, but 500mm is a crucial 100mm short...
This lens on the Z8 is the only lens that would get me shooting Nikon again (next to, nót replacing Sony).
The 800PF almost won me over, but the Z9 kept me from it.
After getting the Sony 600GM, I would not want a fixed 800mm prime. In the 24mp FF days, yes, but now with 50mp FF, I find 600mm to be more versatile.
A Z600mm f5.6 PF would weigh around 2kg? That would be perfect with the Z8.
I can handhold the 600GM, but the weight on my back when cycling and hiking is not álways welcome.
Forget about all this though, a Z600mm f5.6 PF won't ever be made, alas.
Sometimes I consider re-purchasing the 500PF to adapt on the Z8, but 500mm is a crucial 100mm short...
I have the 800PF and used it extensively during the spring bird migration in the Great Lakes region (Lake Erie marsh lands specifically). My shooting was both on a monopod and hand held. I captured many shots of warblers and other small birds that required little or no cropping, yet still had "room" to compose in camera. The focal length plus the ability to shoot hand held for some situations was greatly appreciated.
There were times, however, when the focal length was simply too much for larger water birds like Herons. Either the entire bird could not be within a frame or the composition was too limited. For those cases, the 200-600 range would be ideal.
So, to use the analogy of apples to oranges - both are fruits, both taste good, but they are quite different. I view the 800 and pending 200-600 as complimentary since each will have capabilities and features unique to themselves. Which lens will be the most appropriate if you can buy only one, as others have stated, depends on the equipment you already have and the subject you shoot most often.
I am still engaged in wishful thinking that the 200-600 will be an S lens and surprise us by essentially being a big brother to the 100-400 S (but internal zooming) and also work as well at 500PF so I can move on from my last F-mount lens.
There were times, however, when the focal length was simply too much for larger water birds like Herons. Either the entire bird could not be within a frame or the composition was too limited. For those cases, the 200-600 range would be ideal.
So, to use the analogy of apples to oranges - both are fruits, both taste good, but they are quite different. I view the 800 and pending 200-600 as complimentary since each will have capabilities and features unique to themselves. Which lens will be the most appropriate if you can buy only one, as others have stated, depends on the equipment you already have and the subject you shoot most often.
I am still engaged in wishful thinking that the 200-600 will be an S lens and surprise us by essentially being a big brother to the 100-400 S (but internal zooming) and also work as well at 500PF so I can move on from my last F-mount lens.
What announcement that the 200-600 will be coming soon??? I have not heard or ready anything. It has just been on the roadmap for many months.
I am a bird id photographer a lot of small birds and a few Cranes and Eagles thrown in, hand held, run and gun and have used the Z800pf on my Z9 since 5-1-22 and it is the best birding lens I have ever used. I posted a few bird ID shots in the wildlife section of the forum recently.
I have had a standing order with the small brick and mortar store where I bought the Z800, 2 Z9's and Z7II.
The versatility of that focal length still appeals to me more than my Z100-400 which is my near macro lens, a little people shooting and works well on things like Swallows at close range.
So I plan on owning all 3.
I am a bird id photographer a lot of small birds and a few Cranes and Eagles thrown in, hand held, run and gun and have used the Z800pf on my Z9 since 5-1-22 and it is the best birding lens I have ever used. I posted a few bird ID shots in the wildlife section of the forum recently.
I have had a standing order with the small brick and mortar store where I bought the Z800, 2 Z9's and Z7II.
The versatility of that focal length still appeals to me more than my Z100-400 which is my near macro lens, a little people shooting and works well on things like Swallows at close range.
So I plan on owning all 3.
It’s just speculation, though the 200-600 has never been seen as an S lens.
NR has it that there’ll be 4 more lenses this year.
nikonrumors.com
NR has it that there’ll be 4 more lenses this year.
Updated Nikon Nikkor Z mirrorless lens roadmap as of May 31, 2023: four more lenses expected this year - Nikon Rumors
Here is the latest Nikon Nikkor Z mirrorless lens roadmap as of May 31, 2023: The four, not yet-announced, NIKKOR Z lenses are (all expected to be announced in 2023): NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.2 S lens (S-Line) NIKKOR Z 135mm f/1.8 S lens (S-Line) NIKKOR Z 70-180mm f/2.8 lens (non-S) NIKKOR Z 200-600mm...
nikonrumors.com
Ltgk20
Active member
I think the new Nikon 180/200-600 will be much more closely based on Sony's 200-600 rather than their own 200-500. When they released the 200-500 the Sony hadn't been released and I believe their main competition in the lower cost super-telephoto zoom space was Sigma and Tamron. Now that there is a Sony 200-600 I think Nikon knows that's the target they have to hit, both in range, weight (lighter if possible), internal zoom, aperture and price and I think they will. As to sharpness, most of what I've read suggests the Sony 200-600 competes well with the 500pf with many saying the same in the center of the frame and some saying only slightly worse.
At the end of the day I suspect Nikon's 200-600 will compete quite well with their 400f4.5, 500pf and 800pf from a sharpness in the center of the frame standpoint. I do suspect it will be heavier though (than all but the 800pf that is. I also think they will have made quite a few more of them than the super-telephoto primes so I expect them to ship more like the Z8 has than the Z9 or 800pf.
At the end of the day I suspect Nikon's 200-600 will compete quite well with their 400f4.5, 500pf and 800pf from a sharpness in the center of the frame standpoint. I do suspect it will be heavier though (than all but the 800pf that is. I also think they will have made quite a few more of them than the super-telephoto primes so I expect them to ship more like the Z8 has than the Z9 or 800pf.
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Roy
Well-known member
I had the AFS version of the 800mm but I sold it because I just wasn't using it as much as my other long glass.
Even before I went to Z lenses the 200-400 200-500 and 600mm f4 got much more use.
I'm not going to be happy if i've waited so log for the 200-600 and its a variable aperture lens.
At the moment I'm finding the 400mm f4.5 Z lens very versatile - fast AF and very Sharp.
There is also a 600mm PF on the roadmap that peeks my interest - I do like 600mm for birding ...
I have read this elsewhere but I don't see a 600mm lens on the road map other than the 600 TC. I'd jump at a 600 PF and really hope they produce one. It would be a nice complement to their (and myThere is also a 600mm PF on the roadmap that peeks my interest - I do like 600mm for birding ...
) tele lineup. 
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Feiertag
Well-known member
Nikon announced that the lens is now a fact.
Yes as the Z180-600 and @Steve has a video of his short field test of it up here. I had a standing order at a smaller brick and mortar store and have my NPS priority delivery request in to NPS.
This will not replace my Z800 but only supplement it and does not have as many lens buttons and rings so more will have to be moved to the camera for the 180-600 .... I would have paid twice the price that it came in at , a very good value, to get the same button and ring layout that I have on my Z800.
Feiertag
Well-known member
And I am anxiously waiting for my back ordered 800mm.
hopefully you get it soon .... best bird all around ID lens I have had