Help with Telephoto analysis paralysis to compliment Nikon Z 100-400

[mjais]

I strongly favor the 800mm pf. I find it to be a remarkably sharp and adept lens. It is permanently mounted on one of my Z9 bodies. I find it tracks birds in flight very well when using a wide focus frame and bird subject ID. It is my lens of choice when I go out to shoot birds.

I rely on the following combination of lenses to cover my telephoto needs:

1. 800mm pf
2. 400mm f4.5
3. 70-200mm f2.8.

I prefer to work with high IQ lenses because they work better with cropping/dx to gain reach. I almost never use TC's with this lens combination.

The only thing that might tempt me away from th 800mm pf would be the 600mm f4 tc.

With the 800mm pf I stringy recommend you use the OEM case that comes with this lens.

f you get one of these used I recommend you make sure to get the original carrying case that comes with it. The large front element on this lens is potentially vulnerable. The original case does a really excellent job of protection. The case will hold the lens with camera attached.

For my 800PF I also have a lens cap from a German brand. In the US everyone seems to use Zemlin. The Nikon cover for the front-element of the 800PF is a bit annoying and a lot of fumbling around with the cord, especially if you have to be really fast.
The 600TC has a much better cover, I think Nikon should have used a similar one for the 800PF. It's much faster to attach and remove. I have not purchased a separate lens cap for at as the German brand does not have one for the 600TC. I will probably end up buying one from Zemlin.

Do note that you will also need a separate lens foot for mounting it in a tripod, at least if you have an arca-style mount for your tripod head. It's really annoying that Nikon does not ship an arca-compatible lens foot with their expensive glass.

The 600PF has a very solid lens cap from Nikon, it's just 95mm, so nothing special is needed for that one.
Optically I find all three of these lenses to extremely sharp if the condition is righth (no heat haze, fast enought shutter speed)

 

[wotan1]

As I stated, I had the opportunity to directly compare shooting with the 600mm pf and 800mm pf at 800mm/840mm.

What I noticed is that the images from the 800mm were notably sharper. It got to the point with me that I frequently found keepers in post that I did not know I had while shooting. Working with a high IQ lens gives you greater ability to do your composition in post where you can see the image in great detail.

I was also able to shoot the 800mm pf at a wider aperture which meant I could use the narrower depth of field to improve background separation.

There was also an issue of what you can do if you need even further reach. With the 800 you are at f6.3 so if dx or cropping does not work you still can add a 1.4x tc and be at f9.

The 600mm is already at f9 at 840mm, your only option for further reach is the 2x tc which brings you down to f13. At that point you are losing autofocus performance.

For me, once I had the 800mm I found the 600mm pf to have only a narrow range where it was effective.

It comes down to where you need to operate for your particular subjects. If you don't really need 800mm reach you are obviously better off with something shorter.

 

[wotan1]

On the issue of the case, the Z800mm pf when purchased new includes a fairly robust nylon carrying case.

The case is very well built and provides substantial protection for the lens. It has a rigid base and will stand up on its own. In addition it includes a soft leatherette type cover that goes over the lens with the hood inverted.

Because of the design of the lens Nikon does not provide a front lens cover other than the leatherette hood cover. There is no front screw thread for a filter or lens cap. Because the front element is very large and prominent it is important to keep the front element protected. A substantial hood provides protection.

Zemlin makes an excellent lens cap that stays in place firmly and provides meaningful protection to the front element. I strongly recommend getting that cap.

there is nothing wrong with the OEM lens hood. It is rather large and is a fixed size,. I replaced it with the Zemlin two piece hood because the Zemlin allows you to adjust the length of the hood if you want.

With either the OEM or Zemlin hood reversed the lens fits into the case front element down. It also fits with the camera mounted including a Z9 with an aftermarket viewfinder hood.

I really like the case. It has a carry handle and also a shoulder strap. I much prefer to transport the lens in its separate case rather than in a backpack where it can bump against other equipment.

If you find this lens used look for one that has the case. You can also buy the case separately if necessary.