Kenny88
Active member
Never pre-ordered any of Nikon product's before, how accurate are their release dates for products? In the case of the 180-600mm, it's stated for 3rd week of August. Hoping that'll be the case.
Nikon 180-600 Official Announcement / Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Steve
- Start date
If you would like to post, you'll need to register. Note that if you have a BCG store account, you'll need a new, separate account here (we keep the two sites separate for security purposes).
agrumpyoldsod
Well-known member
It is all about supply and demand (ie where you are on their list for the order) the longer you wait to order the longer it will be for you to get you hands on this popular lens.
Yes we all hope Nikon made a bunch of these lenses and that waiting lists will be short -- but while I also hope Nikon made lots of the lenses and they are with or on the way to many outlets world wide I want waiting lists to be vast - reflecting the great value and very high interest folk have in this lens. Ultimately it is upto Nikon alone to worry about this and we their customers to wait to receive out slice of the cake.
Yes we all hope Nikon made a bunch of these lenses and that waiting lists will be short -- but while I also hope Nikon made lots of the lenses and they are with or on the way to many outlets world wide I want waiting lists to be vast - reflecting the great value and very high interest folk have in this lens. Ultimately it is upto Nikon alone to worry about this and we their customers to wait to receive out slice of the cake.
Last edited:
I would love to know how many of these lenses they will have ready for distribution when they start shipping. In fact - as a matter of interest - I wonder what has been their best selling lens to date and where the 180-600 will be placed.
fcotterill
Well-known member
The demand for this 180-600 Z can be guessed at by the minimum known sales of the popular 200-500 f5.6E (released Aug 2015, nearly 4 years before any MILC equivalent in FX).
It's 240 473 on Photosynthesis - considering the under reporting the real total is well over 1/4 million units in the wild.
In its combination of price and quality, Nikon probably designed this lens to counter the popular Sigma and Tamron superzooms
It's 240 473 on Photosynthesis - considering the under reporting the real total is well over 1/4 million units in the wild.
In its combination of price and quality, Nikon probably designed this lens to counter the popular Sigma and Tamron superzooms
Many wouldn't have touched the 200-500 - yet they will order the 180-600, - Give it 5 years, and I think this may be the best selling long lens ever by Nikon - but of course I am really just guessing based on my own perception 
Johan Schmidt
Well-known member
Correct B7 was set to ISO - thanks
Johan Schmidt
Well-known member
Correct B7 was set to ISO - thanks
Correct B7 was set to ISO - thanks
If you were to assume 250-300,000 units worldwide over the 8 years of production, first year production was probably less than 50,000. I'd expect similar numbers or a bit lower for the 180-600. That works out to around 4000+ units per month or around 10,000 units shipped in August. That sounds low, but there are probably only 10-15,000 Z9 owners and a similar number of Z8 owners who will be buying this lens in the first year. That suggests to me it will need an APS-C camera to support ongoing demand. Mitigating demand is the fact that a lot of people already have 200-500, 150-600, or similar lenses that will work with the FTZ.
If you have already placed an order, I would expect to see it take up to 3 months for the first week orders to be shipped. B&H will probably be a bit slower due to high pre-orders.
Kenny88
Active member
So the release date that Nikon says isn't the actual date when retailers will have in stock? That's misleading....
Cameron T
Well-known member
Kenny88
Active member
Was quoting Eric's post who said that it'll take up to 3 months for the first week orders to be shipped.
Cameron T
Well-known member
Yes... Which means they'll start shipping on the date they can officially sell them. That's still the release date.
If they get more ordered than the supply, it doesn't mean the release date was wrong...
It means they probably won't have enough lenses to meet initial demand. That's true for every new camera and almost every new lens. The 180-600 is very popular. A 2-3 month wait after the initial shipment is pretty good for a high demand item.
As with other gear, if you need it sooner, place your order as early as possible through a medium to smaller shop.
fcotterill
Well-known member
Earlier this year I heard on reliable authority the 200-600 Z had become a 180-600 and it was likely to be announced mid year ie June /July; previously there had been rumours for April/May (thus together with the Z8).
Then about 6 weeks ago, the timing changed to August/September.
The possible explanation is Nikon decided not to delay the announcement of the 180-600 Z for any longer.... and so it happened finally on June 21st; but shipping is being withheld until August/September to ensure production has sufficient units to fill the first round of orders.
Local dealers stand pleasantly amazed at the tight timing of the Z8 rollout, for which Nikon turned over a new leaf: compared to delays of the D850, and especially Z9, let alone 500 PF and 800 PF etc!
Long story short - so far in 2023 Nikon has tightened up its game on product launches.
Then about 6 weeks ago, the timing changed to August/September.
The possible explanation is Nikon decided not to delay the announcement of the 180-600 Z for any longer.... and so it happened finally on June 21st; but shipping is being withheld until August/September to ensure production has sufficient units to fill the first round of orders.
Local dealers stand pleasantly amazed at the tight timing of the Z8 rollout, for which Nikon turned over a new leaf: compared to delays of the D850, and especially Z9, let alone 500 PF and 800 PF etc!
Long story short - so far in 2023 Nikon has tightened up its game on product launches.
Chris K
Well-known member
Have you used them to truck a medium-sized lens like the 180-600? (I have a 500PF and have been using sling backpacks, which are a tight squeeze!). Which do you prefer when shooting with a long lens? The 26L seems like it has a ton more space for not much more weight, but nothing is more obtrusive when shooting than an albatross of a backpack, and the 18L certainly seems large enough for 4-lenses and some food/water?
I imagine that if someone like Polin had a prototype and was told to go nuts, Nikon would fear that if the lens was less than what Nikon feels is representative, that Polin might post those photos as representative (cause what does he know about the 180-600?), and the world would see a 180-600 that looks like a superzoom... suddenly "Sony is better", and the lens' reputation is trashed with a very tough road to recovery.
Ricci, on the other hand, surely (I'll speculate) sent files and his comparison video to Nikon before publishing with a "seem about right?" note attached. And Ricci's video I think puts the lens roughly where we all expected it might be.
That said, to my eye the 500PF looks a fair bit sharper than the 180-600 from that single (admittedly not-that-useful) comparison. The difference to me seemed like when I was considering replacing my 500PF with the 100-400+1.4x. It wasn't bad, but the 500PF had enough of a sharpness advantage that the resulting images took better to sharpening in post. "Razor sharp" versus simply "good", if I may. And the 500PF loses very little with a TC.
Now, the 180-600 is longer than the 500PF, and to be fair I shoot my 500PF with a 1.4x a lot. But I'm surprised to find myself in a bit of a dilemma... the 500PF is either longer or sharper depending on my TC needs, and it's smaller to a degree where it even fits in some small bags. The 180-600 will require a backpack and it's 1lbs heavier, but the zoom means it can handle both wildlife and landscapes when I'm out shooting birds.
I was expecting the "third ring" to settle the tie and be enthusiastic about the 180-600 replacing my 500PF, but I'm left with a bit of a mixed bag. I've got it pre-ordered in the same way I had an 800PF pre-ordered... not sure about it yet, but I want to save my place in line.
I agree- Nikon seems to have tightened up the planning for the initial shipments so it is coordinated with filling as many pre-orders as possible. They don't want to do crazy things with production either.
I'm sure they expected the 180-600 to be a big hit. The 200-500 was successful, people have been clamoring for the 200-600 for a long time, and now they have a great camera in the market to support the new long lens.
The strategy also seems to including dominating the news cycle. A series of releases will keep them in the news better than a big bang and done.
MatthewK
Well-known member
There is a big size and weight jump between the 18 and 26L, to the 36L. The two smaller bags are nice and compact, great to travel with, can easily be carried regularly, look like a sensibly normal backpack. Conversely, the 36L is a kitchen sink that fits everything and more, but is much heavier and cumbersome to deal with, one I wouldn't want to travel with, but would be comfortable if you choose to do so. The 36L adds ~2" of depth, so it can fit the Z9 and larger diameter lens hoods (800PF, 600TC, etc), so that's the one you'll need if shooting the bigger gear.
18L vs 26L: almost the same length and depth, but most of the extra capacity comes from the width, as it adds another column. The 26L is slightly deeper, and can barely just fit a Z9 if you're ok with it fitting tight against the lid.
My recommendations:
- 18L: Great for going minimal. If you're shooting a regular size camera and a few small lenses. I used the 18L for my D500 + 500PF (hood in shooting position), and had some space to spare for more lenses if need be. Just got back from a trip where I took my Z8 + 100-400 and 1.4TC, Fuji X-T5 + 16 f/1.4 and 35 f/1.4, and still had a little space for binoculars and other small gear. If you're a Z8+400 4.5 shooter, this is the perfect bag.
- 26L: this is almost the perfect sized bag, and the one I'd recommend for do-it all duty. It can carry a lot but still maintains a smaller look. Very pleasant size for travel. Surprisingly, it just fits my Z8 + 800PF w/ reversed Zemlin hood (the hood does slightly bump into the closed lid though), and 100-400. This bag will be perfect for the 180-600, though I'll have to measure w/ hood to see if it'll fit in shooting position.
- 36L: the albatross bag, use if you're wanting to carry everything. This is where I store my gear at home, and use to carry stuff by car. Fits everything, with room to spare. If you live in a place that gets cold in the winter, the extra storage space for gloves/hat/etc is clutch. Haven't took it on a flight yet, but I can see it being a burden (good luck if there's no overhead space left and you have to put it under seat... goodbye foot room!)
Chris K
Well-known member
Wow, that’s awesome info, thanks so much, @MatthewK! Your 18L kit with the XT5 is very close to what I use (Z9, 500PF, XT5, 16/2.8, 35/1.4, and either a 60/2.4 or 80/2.8).
The 26L sounds like the sweet spot if I’m going to get one backpack. I sometimes want to bring my macro flash, or substitute my XT5 for a GFX kit, so if the added room of the 26L doesn’t add up to much added bulk/weight, it seems the best approach to avoid buying my fourth backpack!
Thanks again for the info. Regardless of whether I get the 180-600 or stick with the 500PF the 26L seems like a winner!
The 26L sounds like the sweet spot if I’m going to get one backpack. I sometimes want to bring my macro flash, or substitute my XT5 for a GFX kit, so if the added room of the 26L doesn’t add up to much added bulk/weight, it seems the best approach to avoid buying my fourth backpack!
Thanks again for the info. Regardless of whether I get the 180-600 or stick with the 500PF the 26L seems like a winner!
and to stop the hemorrhaging to Sony.
fcotterill
Well-known member
I use fStop Lotus as smallest, and I also have a Mindshift Elite 45 which has many novel features including ICU, its detaching hood and belt etc, but I prefer fStop Tilopa DuraDiamond for space for accessories and superior harness.
Camera Backpacks for 800 mm PF
I use the Mindshift Backlight 36L for the 800 PF and Z9. The other lenses are the 500pf with 1.4x TCIII attached and the 24-70 f2.8S: That is my backpack that I use if I need one and it is fantastic. Think Tank has a lot of versatile stuff that works for this bird nut :cool:
bcgforums.com
MatthewK
Well-known member
Nice! Yep, the 26L sounds like the winner for your use case, especially since you have the Z9. The 26L is just deep enough to fit the Z9, though it's tight.
Kenny88
Active member
For those that placed their pre-orders, I"m curious whether you had to pay the full amount of the lens, or was a deposit was enough. One store said I must pay the full amount of the lens and be charged right away, subsequently another store said they need the full amount as well. I would think a deposit would be sufficient enough.
luckmurph
Well-known member
10% deposit Grays UK
Kenny88
Active member
That's decent - one shop wanted 50% if not the full amount. In your case, do you get your 10% back in the event that you cancel/change your mind? In my case, the deposit is loss if cancelled - I guess they want to ensure that people who place the order is serious about it. Well, given that the demand is likely high, they should give a refund - I'm sure someone else will snatch it up.
Last edited:
abc123brian
Well-known member
My local store requires a $100 deposit that is refundable. Some stores like Adorama and B&H don’t require a deposit.
- Status