800mm f6.3S PF Review - Thom Hogan

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JAS said:
I do find the review to match my experience to date. He does list this lens as Highly Recommended subject to your own use cases. Comments about heat distortion and other minor issues are accurate. Each of us can look at our own use case and see how this lens fits in our scheme. I do not travel to Africa, but I do shoot small birds and other small animals at closer distances . Additionally, I have mobility limitations that do not always allow me to get closer to the subject.

For example, my favorite GBH rookery is right next to a well travelled road, on private property, across a swamp. That is as close as I can get and my shots with the 500 PF are cropped to about 9 or 16mp. The 800 with and without the TC14 will support shots with less cropping. We shall see.

In any case, this lens is at the top of my cost tolerance curve, and provides incredible value at that cost. It let's me do things I could not do without it and it is a key piece of my kit these days.
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I must have been one of the very lucky ones and got my 800mm PF back in April last year. I totally agree with heat distortion and at one point I thought I had a faulty lens. I have experienced heat distortion before with the 500mm PF, but nothing on the scale of the 800mm PF. Having said that it is an excellent lens for the money and in the summer months use it early mornings and evenings and avoid during the daytime, but of course those are the times wildlife photographers like anyway. The other obvious point is that the lens is f/6.3 so in the winter months in northern latitudes expect to have high ISO’s, but then this does not seem to be an issue for the Z9.
 
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John Lord said:
I must have been one of the very lucky ones and got my 800mm PF back in April last year. I totally agree with heat distortion and at one point I thought I had a faulty lens. I have experienced heat distortion before with the 500mm PF, but nothing on the scale of the 800mm PF. Having said that it is an excellent lens for the money and in the summer months use it early mornings and evenings and avoid during the daytime, but of course those are the times wildlife photographers like anyway. The other obvious point is that the lens is f/6.3 so in the winter months in northern latitudes expect to have high ISO’s, but then this does not seem to be an issue for the Z9.
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Welcome to BCG! Glad you joined us!
 
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John Lord said:
I must have been one of the very lucky ones and got my 800mm PF back in April last year. I totally agree with heat distortion and at one point I thought I had a faulty lens. I have experienced heat distortion before with the 500mm PF, but nothing on the scale of the 800mm PF. Having said that it is an excellent lens for the money and in the summer months use it early mornings and evenings and avoid during the daytime, but of course those are the times wildlife photographers like anyway. The other obvious point is that the lens is f/6.3 so in the winter months in northern latitudes expect to have high ISO’s, but then this does not seem to be an issue for the Z9.
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Ken Miracle said:
Getting closer is not always advisable but the 800 also does not overcome atmospheric distortion.

I have had the 800 pf since 5-1-22. I have photographers ask about it because they are having trouble getting "in focus" photos of birds accross a lake etc. with 300, 400, 500 to 600mm focal lenghts. I first alert them about atmospheric distortion not being overcome by the 800mm. Some have shared their images and it is seldom a focus issue but is an atmospheric distortion issue. So first I tell them about atmospheric distortion that is present any time there is a temperature variation between the air you are shooting through and the surface of water (frozen or liquid) or land you are shooting accross. As that temp differential gets larger and/or the distances get greater the impact gets more dramatic.

Unlike Thom whose wildlife photography is mostly mammals from a safari vehicle. I am a run and gun on foot bird photographer with subjects in a wide range of weather, distances, terrain, habitat, sitting, hiding in the brush, running and flying. I am a citizen scientist and search for and photograph a lot of very small birds like sparrows and gnatcatchers and larger like eagles, geese and swans. I hand hold and do not use blinds/hides.

One strong caveat I have about trying to get closer. There are many times it is better that you do not try to get closer to avoid disturbing the animal's hunting, causing nest abandonment or disclosure to predators etc.. No photograph is worth harming the subject by depriving them of food, stressing to the point of exhaustion or exposing them unduly to predators. In those cases the 800mm really shines and I frequently have the Z9 in DX mode so 1200mm equivalent FOV to be able to stay further away.

I have a 1.4TC and carry it sometimes but have not used it on the 800 pf except for tests. Since my subjects and I are on the move and one second I might be shooting a sparrow in the brush at close to minimum focus distance and suddenly a hawk or falcon flys by or vice versa, there is no time to add or subtract a TC and frequently barely enough time to push one button on my lens to toggle between dx or fx mode.
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Welcome to Back country gallery this is what my experience is with atmospheric distortion is. As @NorthernFocus said atmosopehic distortion is the same for the same shot whether 500pf or 800pf and I have used both and 600 f/4E. 800pf does not overcome atmospheric distortion but it does not make it worse than another lens would if both used for the same shot at the same time and distance. @Steve has covered atmospheric distortion in his books and in some great videos.
 
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Ken,
Very informative on how you use your 800Z lens. I am going to try some of your settings. Watch, Steve will have a new Ebook on the 800 and the Z9 and call it a birds eye view.
 
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The issue of heat distortion or as I call it mirage which affects all glass at long range. I learned all about mirage long range rifle shooting. Back when I shot long range rifle, 600-1000 yards, I would reduce my magnification trying to see the target. With the 800 I usually wait for a cloud. Shooting early in the morning also helps me on very bright days. Heavy clouds or a light misty rain will eliminate mirage. Hope this helps. Keep shooting, Dale
 
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Nikondale said:
The issue of heat distortion or as I call it, mirage effects all glass at long range. I learned all about mirage long range rifle shooting. Back when I shot long range rifle, 600-1000 yards, I would reduce my magnification trying to see the target. With the 800 I usually wait for a cloud. Shooting early in the morning also helps me on very bright days. Heavy clouds or a light misty rain will eliminate mirage. Hope this helps. Keep shooting, Dale
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Yes indeed you can adjust for wind and other variables but trying to hit a target at that range especially in severe mirage/atmospheric distortion situations is a challenge! I have encountered in my youth hunting jack rabbits at long range on snowy winter days using my old low magnification 2.5 power weaver on a my old model 70 .270 with hand loaded 90 grain hollow points.

Hence the reason I call it atmospheric distortion rather than heat distortion because it can happen at any temperature. It just takes an adequate temperature and/or humidity difference between the surface you are shooting over and the atmosphere you are shooting through and the greater that temperature or humidity difference is the more distortion will be present. So it happens well below freezing and may not happen at 100 f.

It can also happen when photographing through columns of air with significant differentials .... think of raptors riding thermals and those thermals have temperature differentials of varying degrees from the surrounding atmosphere. I have photographed raptors a 1,000 yards away that are crystal clear but others that are not at 50 yards up in a strong thermal.
 
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I moved from Nikon DSLR cameras and lenses to the Z9 and z-mount lenses. As a NPS member I was still lucky to get orders filled for two Z9 cameras and the 400mm f/4.5, 600mm TC, and 800mm PF. A great advantage with Sony and with Canon is the availability of their cameras and lenses in marked contrast to Nikon which takes 18 months after announcing a new camera or lens to get them produced in numbers that make them available to the general public.
 
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Keith2012 said:
I just received my z 800 6.3 lens a few days ago. What are some good options for an arca swiss plate or replacement foot?
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https://www.hejnarphotostore.com/ I have used Hejnar on my Z800 pf for a year and have replaced all the stock feet on my lenses with Hejnar ... beautifully machined ... longer with out interfering with with hood reversed ... does not raise the center of gravity, arcaswiss, threads for straps or mag pull etc. and built by a superb machinist in Bloomingdale, Illinois.

I hand hold target rifle style with the foot resting in the palm of my hand and the extra length and not increase in the center of gravity is important to me. Those who use it on a tripod say it makes balancing easier.
 
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Calson said:
I added a 100mm plate to the foot which provides more adjustment range than is possible with a third party foot. Cost me less than $20 for one with two mounting screws.
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The Hejnar replacement foot provides more adjustment than this plate 6.65 inches or 168.91 mm and does not raise the center of gravity or interfere with the hood reversed. But it does cost more.
 
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