180-600 or 100-400 to compliment the 600 PF

[Anjin San]

Remember that if you shoot Z 100-400 with a Z9/Z9 in DX mode, you have an equivalent of 150-600 mm in a 19.5 mpix image. It wasn't too long ago that a 20 mpix image on a D5, D6 or D500 was just great.

True…and leaving it in FX and cropping to someplace between FX and DX works as well for me…in particular for BIF where I would do that before shifting to DX as it's easier to keep the bird in the frame in FX.

 

[Cameron T]

Remember that if you shoot Z 100-400 with a Z9/Z9 in DX mode, you have an equivalent of 150-600 mm in a 19.5 mpix image. It wasn't too long ago that a 20 mpix image on a D5, D6 or D500 was just great.

This is true... But then you can use the 180-600 and have a full 45mp, or the equivalent of 270-900 at 20mp.

 

[MJR]

Remember that if you shoot Z 100-400 with a Z9/Z9 in DX mode, you have an equivalent of 150-600 mm in a 19.5 mpix image. It wasn't too long ago that a 20 mpix image on a D5, D6 or D500 was just great.

On a Z9 in DX mode the 20MP is still great. I have my DISP button programed to switch between FX and DX. Just a press of the button instantly switches. You can set the mode to be flashing in the corner of your display to alert you to which mode your in. Personally I do not see IQ suffer.

 

[Woodpecker]

Remember that if you shoot Z 100-400 with a Z9/Z9 in DX mode, you have an equivalent of 150-600 mm in a 19.5 mpix image. It wasn't too long ago that a 20 mpix image on a D5, D6 or D500 was just great.

Yup, fully agree and I didn't even have that becaue I shot a D4s . And its pictures - if not cropped to 16:9 - are still more than a 100% full screen view on a 5K display .

But to be fair, it has to be remembered what @Steve told us about cropping and noise. If you shoot something like the D4s with sensor pixels like elephant feet compared with what you have with 45+ MPx sensors of these days, it's still not the same. Just take a Z8, a D850 and a D4s and compare SNR 18% charts (digital) at DXOmark you'll see that the oldie still has about 2 stops advantage in the high ISO range.

Of course we have all these software tools, but the fact that a machine put on the market almost 10 years ago can deliver this kind of result, showing that you can always tweak data, but you can't cheat or bypass physics .

The nice thing is, that your argument wonderfully applies also to the 180-600, and I would have been really glad to have had something like a 270-900 f/5.6-6.3 for my D4s in the old days .

 

[Woodpecker]

On a Z9 in DX mode the 20MP is still great. I have my DISP button programed to switch between FX and DX. Just a press of the button instantly switches. You can set the mode to be flashing in the corner of your display to alert you to which mode your in. Personally I do not see IQ suffer.

I just tried that the other day and I love it. Already on the D850 I had a button programmed to allow me choosing a different format/size by using one of the wheels. But the instand FX/DX changeover the Z body offers is just great.
I am still kind of new to my Z8 and I find new little things everyday

 

[Viathelens]

I went with the 100-400 as it offered a range that was not covered. Another think about that lens is I can get pretty close up for a long lens, I think it's around 2 feet, versus 7 to 14 feet. And, it is lighter than the 180-600: I did buy that lens and when I received it I realized it was just too heavy for me and too much bulk in a lens so I immediately sold it. I love the 100-400 and the 600PF, a great combo together.

 

[MJR]

I do not like the lens hood that comes with the 100-400mm. It is too thin and flimsy and the locking mechanism when I first got it was so tight I was afraid I might break it.

Joe
Zemlin makes great replacement hood for the Z100-400 lens. It comes in 3 different lengths. I bought the middle length.

Lens Hood 1pc, 90mm (3.54in) long. Replaces Nikon HB-103 hood. | Zemlin Photo

Bayonet-mount 1pc lens hood kit. Replaces Nikon HB-103 hood. Length: 90mm (3.54in). Maximum diameter: 110mm (4.33in). Approximate weight: 104g (3.7oz). Fits Nikon NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S.

www.zemlinphoto.com

 

[jcgamble]

I bought the 100-400mm S lens and the Z mount 1.4x tc when I got my Z9. I already had the 500mm f5.6 pf that I planned on using on my Z9. I got the 100-400mm instead of the 70-200mm S as it focused very close and it had a longer focal length than the 70-200mm.

I will likely get the 600mm pf one of these days so my system will be the 100-400mm and the 600pf and the 1.4x tc.

I do not like the lens hood that comes with the 100-400mm. It is too thin and flimsy and the locking mechanism when I first got it was so tight I was afraid I might break it. It now is much easier to attach and detach. This is a minor point. And I do not know anything about the hood that comes with the 180-600mm .

If I do need a 70-200mm I will likely get the 70-180mm.

And my walk around lens is the 24-120mm S lens.

If I were a blind or hide photographer the 180-600mm might win out over the 100-400mm. When I used to do a lot of blind shooting, I usually used three bodies with these lenses on them: 300mm f4; 70-200mm and 500mm f4. Most of the images were taken with the 500mm f4.

The Zemlin hood on the Z 100-400 is excellent.