So the lady in charge finally approved a $15,000 budget. I've been shooting slow zooms for the better part of five years now as a semi-serious hobby, but I'm looking to step things up a notch as we recently bought a little property near Yellowstone. Started with the Fujifilm X-T3 and their 100-400mm, graduated to full-frame with Canon's R5 and 100-500mm, and presently I'm shooting Sony's A7RV with their 200-600mm. I've never owned a large supertele prime, but I'm ready to make the transition. When photographing critters at dusk, especially owls, I've been frustratingly limited by the slow zooms. I'm excited for those buttery backgrounds and low-light opportunities out here.
I'm leaning towards a) keeping my Sony A7RV and purchasing either the 400mm f/2.8 or 600mm f/4 GM along with their TCs, or b) starting fresh with Nikon and that stellar wildlife lens lineup we've all been lusting over in the other forums. I would opt for either the 400mm f/2.8 TC or the 600mm f/4 TC in Nikon, as well, and I'd pick up a 2x TC for added versatility. If I go with Nikon I would add some of their PFs down the road, whereas I don't really have many mid-range options if I stay with Sony, outside the 200-600mm.
My primary concern with Nikon is their lack of emphasis on video and no real upgrade path in a cinema line. I'm splitting my time pretty evenly these days between stills and video, and I like the idea of graduating eventually to the FX3 and adding a dedicated video camera with Sony. I've also gotten used to the smaller form factor cameras with Sony, which doesn't make a huge difference when a large prime's attached, but I really appreciate the smaller cameras when switching lenses or running a dedicated video rig. Downsides to Sony at the moment are the lack of wildlife lenses and not catering to this niche as much as Nikon does.
Finally, I realize the 400mm vs. 600mm discussion is an age-old debate among photographers, and it ultimately boils down to subject and framing preferences, and I've read through many many threads on that already, but I still have yet to decide for myself. I really like the idea of versatility with that 400mm f/2.8 but 400mm is usually short, in my limited experience. I shoot a lot of raptors out here, which would benefit from the 600mm, but I'll also be shooting all the large mammals in Yellowstone, as well. As mentioned above, I want as much background separation as possible and to stay out as late as I can, so I worry even that f/4 at times won't be enough. I also worry 600mm would be a trickier composition to navigate since this will be my primary wildlife lens for a while. "Buy the lens in the focal length you'd shoot without relying on TCs" is the advice I see from veterans like Steve Perry, but I'm not really sure what that translates to in Yellowstone with the wide variety of critter sizes and distances.
If you guys could start over in my position, what would you do? And what advice would you offer yourself in this position when starting out with long wildlife primes?
Sony, Nikon, Primes wild life, video, stills, low light, reach, weight, size, decisions, needs versus choices = capability.
"If you guys could start over in my position, what would you do? And what advice would you offer yourself in this position when starting out with long wildlife primes?"
Short answer, RENT BEFORE YOU BUY
Myself the 400-600 PF lenses, Cameras ZF for low light 14 fps, Z7III hopefully with the Sony 61 mp sensor, in the short term the Z8, why because i would in my situation use that system more often and effectively as apposed to the exotic expensive primes on a Z9, if i needed a 400 TC-600 TC i will rent it as i currently do with any exotics.
A couple of club members are getting wild life stills 30mb files from Video on their Z9..................using PF glass and just loving it.
Your doing 50 - 50 stills video already ?
The Z9 is excellent as you know for Video but the Z9 II ? is possibly about to land, well this year ?, i assume along with many other feature upgrades it will have more stops of VR and Low light focusing along the lines of the ZF, who knows.
You do Lower light dawn dusk as you say, so light gathering performance is as we know needed, it can be derived with lenses or cameras or both, how much compromise if at all is the consideration.
Choosing 400mm or 600mm is a never ending issue for many people, myself with 60 mp or 45 mp i would rather crop as i don't think 200 is as big a issue for some applications, often the only option is maybe add a pinch of compromise and move on.
That said if i had to choose a exotic to buy its the 600mm F4 TC, but gee the 600 PF being optically almost matched at 600mm for a lot less money and weight, mate hello again to a fraction of compromise if at all.
The 400 PF in rendering backgrounds is close but not perfectly matched to the F2.8, for the price of one exotic you could end up with a Z8 on a 600 PF and even with a little more permission as you say have a 400 PF on a ZF, happy days.
As we know size and weight of gear for hiking and traveling is important and Nikon has listened.
This week i sold my Z9, my girlfriend paid for it in December 2021 as a Xmase present.
Again for myself what i would consider is ............Nikon has a great selection of optics especially in the PF range, small light compact, they also have smaller cameras.
On another point, Sony has just raised the betting levels with the stunning 300 F2.8, if feel its only the start and there will be much more to come as it will be with Canon, and with the new technology direction of the A9III, switching brands may not be a wise thing just yet.
In your case Sony is important especially if one is doing more video, which i am not.
An observation of features emerging that has my attention to look out for is, the ZF, 8 stops of stabilization not 5, 10 stops of low light focus not 5 all on a larger pixel pitch 24mp sensor with a series 7 processor, 14 fps?
OK the ZF its not going to wet your lips for your wild life set up and yes the tracking isn't a Z8, Z9, the two key points of the ZF has are interesting features of what may be coming in the next generation Z7III Z8 Z9, the two key features in the ZF alone certainly
add to or compliment the light 400 F4.5, 600 F5.6, 800 F6.3 PF lenses and work in with that very light compact glass with good performance in lower light and video, now the ZF being 24mp has incredibly good ISO, i don't need or don't have a use for a 400 F2.8 TC 600 F4 TC that often.
Please the ZF is not for you, just a preview of what may be coming.
The ZF you can hand hold doing a water fall shot and have the water soft, no tripod needed as traditionally done. So again gathering light for the sensor technology and VR - IS etc compliments the PF range of glass.
2025 2026 will see some real new changes coming, the new Z9 is not far away i hear it will also be much higher in price.
Nikon is interesting on glass, Sony i starting to chase them down.
Optically the 600 PF is so close if not almost the same 600 F4 TC. But yes then one says but the rendering, ok AI post gets you there as does Topaz.
As Steve says marry the glass date the camera LOL.
I have sold my Z9 a few days ago, no regrets as its a clean new garden i can now sew again, its a brilliant tool, a) if selling the time is now, b) i don't need that much video tool c) while i have the strength and hand size of Dwayne Johnson weight for hiking or traveling is still not preferred, c) i can walk for 10 hours with the Z9 on my 200-500 push pull but i would rather carry a second camera body and different lens.
In the short term i have ordered prior to the significant price rise announced 1st or March a Z8 as a temporary bridge camera, at least i can use it everywhere especially traveling and hiking, plus it helps compliment the cabin luggage limitations 400 grams here 200 here 300 there all adds up LOL.
My end game aspiration is heading for the Z7 III subject to the size and resolution and a ZF for discrete low light general photography option, both on the 400 or 600 PF kind of glass with a 70-200 F2.8 FL i currently have. If i need a speed demon in the future i will rent or borrow as i often do with the DSLR 600F4 FL and even a D6.................while i respect the new focusing - tracking technology its not something i am fully or partly dependent on.
I mean have a look at Steve's money shots from his Sony gear..........camera gear are all just tools and the good the bad the ugly comes from YOU 90% of the time.
I would rather use a 600 PF on a ZF and get 28 out of 30 money shots than a Z9 on a 600 F4 TC with a tripod and get only 12 out of 30 opportunity's.
ONLY an opinion.
