600f4 vs 800 pf

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Terry32

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I need help with a decision. I ordered the 800pf a year ago. I was away in Yellowstone and returned home to find the 800 pf on my doorstep. I currently own the 600 f4 ed fl. I use that on a tripod only. I am a 64 year old woman and don’t have the strength I use to have. Do I sell the 600 and keep the800 or keep the 600 and send the 800 back? I do t know that the weight difference will allow me to handhold the 800. I have never had my hands on the 800, so I don’t know how it feels. I don’t want to open the 800 if I decide to send it back. Any suggestions from this who have both or have experience with both ? Thanks ahead of time.
 
If you are comfortable with the 600 f4 plus teleconverter as a means to reach 840 f5.6, AND you cannot handhold the 800, then there might be no real purpose to owning the 800 also. One might consider that for say, airline travel the 800 f6.3 is somewhat smaller and definitely lighter, but in terms of use in the field, there is no advantage I can see for using the 800 on a tripod as opposed to using the 600 plus 1.4x on a tripod. The latter rig is actually faster and more flexible.
 
Do you want to hand hold the 800? As GrandNagus50 says travel is easier with the 800 but once you get to the field the 600 gives you more flexibility. depending upon how long you have to return the 800, you could rent one for a day or two to determine if the weight and size works for you
 
Who did you order it from? B&H offers very easy returns, even if you open the package. I did this with a Nikon 200-500 a few months ago where I even did some test shots and decided it was not sharp enough. As long as you keep all the packaging and put it back the way you found it, most major players like Amazon or B&H should accept returns no problem.

I have not handled the 800PF but I did hold the new Z 600 f4 and found it too big for my use. You have the older F mount 600 f4 which is even heavier. So I think compared to what you have now the new 800 would be a welcome change in weight. Plus if you are using it on a Z camera body then you won't need the adaptor you use with your 600, which adds even more bulk and weight. So my intuition says the new lens would be a better fit, assuming you mostly shoot at that long of a focal length.
 
I have both and the 800pf with the Z9 attached is slightly lighter than the 600fl alone. I hand-hold the 800pf and carry it on a strap. The biggest difference comes from not carrying the tripod and gimbal. To me the big advantage of the 800 is the portability. If your going to be using a tripod, then that advantage disappears. I would suggest that if you're not able to hand-hold the 800pf, then the 600fl is probably your best choice.
 
I am several years older than you. I bought the 800 pf because it is lighter than the 600mm and can be hand held. After several walk about trips with the 800 pf, I find my steadiness disappears after about an hour of shooting. VR helps but I just get wobbly. So, the advantage of hand holding disappears with time. At least for me.
 
I hesitate to write this, but it all depends upon your priorities. For me, the optical advantages of an f4 lens far outweigh (pardon the pun) the desirability of a more portable lens. If the additional reach and lighter weight of the 800 PF are more important to you than a faster lens, then sell the 600; if you did, you’d probably net about what you paid for the 800.
 
I'd go along with those suggesting that if you intend to shoot them both on a tripod, you should keep the 600E FL. The 800 PF is sometimes too long, and it has a longer minimum focus distance of 16.4 feet versus 11.8 feet for the 600 f/4. Also, the 600mm is f/4, offers much more flexibility for shooing in lower light situations. Even when adding a 1.4x teleconverter, it offers 840mm at f/5.6, vs 800 PF's f/6.3. As an FYI, I have the 800 PF and find it to be a wonderful lens for birding, but I handhold it. It's considerably lighter than my 500mm f/4E FL.
 
Thank you everyone for your insight. I did take it out of the box and attached it to the camera. I can only handhold for a moment before beginning to shake. I will send it back, save the money and get a second z9 body. Thanks all!
 
Thank you everyone for your insight. I did take it out of the box and attached it to the camera. I can only handhold for a moment before beginning to shake. I will send it back, save the money and get a second z9 body. Thanks all!
I may be the only one crazy enough to do this, but the 800mm can be used on a tripod with the 1.4 and even the 2.0TC, giving you much greater reach. Not sure if that is something you need/want but for birds on a nest, etc I find it is quite handy.

 
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