Nikon 600PF - Share Photos & Discuss!!!

[MotoPixel]

Ordered a 600pf last Tuesday and received on Wednesday morning. I was going to make do with my 500pf for a while longer and wait for a sale, but have some trips upcoming and figured I'd find some good reason to regret not having the extra reach available, so pulled the trigger.

Of course it's been raining all but a day or two since the lens arrived, so shooting opportunities have been limited, but I did catch a few birds at one of my feeders from inside the house through an open kitchen window. Temps were about the same inside and outside, so no major air temp differences causing softness. Shot handheld sitting on a stool with a high shutter speed, which due to heavy overcast caused a very high ISO! Not to worry, PL7 Prime XD is our friend!

This image is cropped to about 11mp before resizing for the site. Full res version here:

https://flic.kr/p/2pxHVa5

A pine warbler looking for a treat...very pleased with the performance, even under these conditions.

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Might as well add these two chipping wrens discussing "pecking order"...

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[MotoPixel]

I guess I'm luckier than some in the wintertime. Many times I don't have to leave my house to get interesting bird photos. I've been at this location for 10 years now, and I have just under 1/2 acre in a rural area. I've been cultivating my "space" into a Wildlife/Nature area. My friends tease me about my personal "Nature Park". These are Cedar Waxwings photographed January 24, 2024 in one of my Hawthorn trees. We never started seeing them here until I planted the berry producing Hawthorns. These photos were taken while I was standing on my covered deck.

Great set of shots Patty...I see that you also enjoy the luxury of an area to shoot where you can have a gap from where your subjects are to the background. In the seasons other than Winter, I have a background that ranges from light green with Spring leaves to Fall colors with a great pastel mix of colors. The feeder that this shot is taken at is hanging from the bottom of the tree crown, so lots of perched shots available in the branches.

Cheers!

 

[Ralph]

I guess I'm luckier than some in the wintertime. Many times I don't have to leave my house to get interesting bird photos. I've been at this location for 10 years now, and I have just under 1/2 acre in a rural area. I've been cultivating my "space" into a Wildlife/Nature area. My friends tease me about my personal "Nature Park". These are Cedar Waxwings photographed January 24, 2024 in one of my Hawthorn trees. We never started seeing them here until I planted the berry producing Hawthorns. These photos were taken while I was standing on my covered deck. View attachment 81500View attachment 81502View attachment 81503View attachment 81504

Beautiful Patty! Well done

 

[MatthewK]

I guess I'm luckier than some in the wintertime. Many times I don't have to leave my house to get interesting bird photos. I've been at this location for 10 years now, and I have just under 1/2 acre in a rural area. I've been cultivating my "space" into a Wildlife/Nature area. My friends tease me about my personal "Nature Park". These are Cedar Waxwings photographed January 24, 2024 in one of my Hawthorn trees. We never started seeing them here until I planted the berry producing Hawthorns. These photos were taken while I was standing on my covered deck. View attachment 81500View attachment 81502View attachment 81503View attachment 81504

I love the shots and your gardening strategy to bring in these beautiful birds. We have cherry, crabapple and apple trees in my backyard, but Waxwings turn their nose up at them because they never visit my yard! They're about impossible to photograph up close otherwise, as they are very skittish and tend to stick to the tops of trees.

One of the places I shoot at is the university arboretum, and I see a ton of gorgeous trees/shrubs I'd like to plant in my backyard to attract more birds. A water feature is another key element as well. Seems I have my work cut out for me to make this happen.

 

[JoelKlein]

Ordered a 600pf last Tuesday and received on Wednesday morning. I was going to make do with my 500pf for a while longer and wait for a sale, but have some trips upcoming and figured I'd find some good reason to regret not having the extra reach available, so pulled the trigger.

Of course it's been raining all but a day or two since the lens arrived, so shooting opportunities have been limited, but I did catch a few birds at one of my feeders from inside the house through an open kitchen window. Temps were about the same inside and outside, so no major air temp differences causing softness. Shot handheld sitting on a stool with a high shutter speed, which due to heavy overcast caused a very high ISO! Not to worry, PL7 Prime XD is our friend!

This image is cropped to about 11mp before resizing for the site. Full res version here:

https://flic.kr/p/2pxHVa5

A pine warbler looking for a treat...very pleased with the performance, even under these conditions.

View attachment 81514

Might as well add these two chipping wrens discussing "pecking order"...

View attachment 81520

ISO 25000, Wow!
Amazing

 

[MotoPixel]

ISO 25000, Wow!
Amazing

My sentiments exactly...helps to get plenty of pixels on the subject...gives the NR processors in PL and LRC a fighting chance to do their magic!

Did you view the version on my Flickr page...there is a huge difference in acuity between what we can show here with the size limits that are imposed. I don't fault Steve for that, it would be hugely expensive to provide for that kind of image storage capacity.

Looking forward to getting out in the field over the next few days...clear weather until Friday!

 

[MatthewK]

Ordered a 600pf last Tuesday and received on Wednesday morning. I was going to make do with my 500pf for a while longer and wait for a sale, but have some trips upcoming and figured I'd find some good reason to regret not having the extra reach available, so pulled the trigger.

Of course it's been raining all but a day or two since the lens arrived, so shooting opportunities have been limited, but I did catch a few birds at one of my feeders from inside the house through an open kitchen window. Temps were about the same inside and outside, so no major air temp differences causing softness. Shot handheld sitting on a stool with a high shutter speed, which due to heavy overcast caused a very high ISO! Not to worry, PL7 Prime XD is our friend!

This image is cropped to about 11mp before resizing for the site. Full res version here:

https://flic.kr/p/2pxHVa5

A pine warbler looking for a treat...very pleased with the performance, even under these conditions.

View attachment 81514

Might as well add these two chipping wrens discussing "pecking order"...

View attachment 81520

I'd kill to have Pine Warblers here in the winter

You are absolutely right, the acuity shown on Flickr is really nice!

 

[sinewsworn]

Z9, 600pF-our yard. Bird was being harassed by crows. The bird, a Sharp-shinned Hawk I believe1 was about 50 feet out and 30 feet up! Used DX Crop mode. What do you think?

 

[Anjin San]

I shoot with my 1.4 tc glued to my 500 PF. So I’m shooting 1050mm with the 1.5 crop factored in.(D500). That’s why I’m leaning toward the 800mm

If longer is where you spend most of the time…then yeah, the 800 is the right choice for you.

 

[MatthewK]

Went out today with the express purpose of trying the 600PF + 1.4TC. I'm not a big fan of TCs, try to avoid using them at all costs, but I was curious to see how the 600 did with it, and how it compared to my 800PF. I didn't take the 800PF though, so no direct comparison unfortunately. What remains constant is that I thoroughly enjoy using the 600PF more than the 800PF simply due to the size/weight; is the IQ still good enough with the 1.4TC, and will the loss of yet another stop of light be a detriment once Spring arrives and the forests turn darker due to the foliage. Part of me is convinced I could be happy with the 600PF and 1.4TC taking the place of the 800PF, but won't know 100% until after Spring Migration, when the 800 will reign supreme for Warblers and such.

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[Carmel Nikon]

Great photos, Matthew. Not quite springtime, but a broader array of birds than just the winter Junco's. Nice work with that 1.4 TC.

 

[MotoPixel]

I haven't tried my TC on my 600 yet, but will shoot some birds with it in the next day or so. While your shots look reasonably sharp on this site, there is no way for anyone to make any sort of fine IQ evaluation when you're limited to a 1200 pixel wide image unless you crop to a 1200 pixel image area and display here at 1:1. If you upload full-res images to Flickr or an equivalent site, it does a pretty good job when you zoom in a couple levels. Then you can do fairly critical evaluation. I'm viewing on a calibrated, 32" 4K display here.

 

[Marcepan]

Went out today with the express purpose of trying the 600PF + 1.4TC. I'm not a big fan of TCs, try to avoid using them at all costs, but I was curious to see how the 600 did with it, and how it compared to my 800PF. I didn't take the 800PF though, so no direct comparison unfortunately. What remains constant is that I thoroughly enjoy using the 600PF more than the 800PF simply due to the size/weight; is the IQ still good enough with the 1.4TC, and will the loss of yet another stop of light be a detriment once Spring arrives and the forests turn darker due to the foliage. Part of me is convinced I could be happy with the 600PF and 1.4TC taking the place of the 800PF, but won't know 100% until after Spring Migration, when the 800 will reign supreme for Warblers and such.

Thanks for Your opinion!
Would you be able to make a direct image quality comparison of 600 + TC 1.4 vs 800 PF?
Of course, there are several available, but they are often contradictory.
This could be a stationary target, such as printed text on a piece of paper.

 

[MatthewK]

I haven't tried my TC on my 600 yet, but will shoot some birds with it in the next day or so. While your shots look reasonably sharp on this site, there is no way for anyone to make any sort of fine IQ evaluation when you're limited to a 1200 pixel wide image unless you crop to a 1200 pixel image area and display here at 1:1. If you upload full-res images to Flickr or an equivalent site, it does a pretty good job when you zoom in a couple levels. Then you can do fairly critical evaluation. I'm viewing on a calibrated, 32" 4K display here.

100% agree, everything can be made to look sharp at 1200px

Thanks for Your opinion!
Would you be able to make a direct image quality comparison of 600 + TC 1.4 vs 800 PF?
Of course, there are several available, but they are often contradictory.
This could be a stationary target, such as printed text on a piece of paper.

I'll try to get some comparison shots up onto Flickr here at some point, might not be anything too exciting though.

EDIT: Ok, I got some quick hand held shots side-by-side just now in my back yard with the 600PF and 180-600 (both w/wo 1.4TC), and the 800PF. Posted crops below, hosted on Flickr. Go easy on me, I'm definitely not claiming to be a legitimate tester. What can I say about the results though? All the lenses are great, I'd not hesitate to shoot any of them based on IQ, and that's a good thing because it leaves one free to choose based on things other than IQ. In regards to the 180-600 though... I think I have a red-hot copy, because it easily keeps up with these primes. When I watch/read other comparisons saying it's not as sharp or crisp, I sorta scratch my head because I just don't see it.

800PF by M K, on Flickr
600PF + 1.4TC by M K, on Flickr
180-600 + 1.4TC by M K, on Flickr

 

[MotoPixel]

Before it got totally dark here, I took a few shots to get a sense of "worst case" and pushing the limits of the camera and NR processing. These shots were taken with the 600pf, TC1.4x in DX mode at ISO 25600...EFL 1260mm. Obviously, one does not want to make a habit of this, but if you're doing bird ID or such, you take your shots when you can get them. I'm looking forward to seeing how this performs in decent light!

Here is a link to the album on Flickr so you can view in full res, uncropped with minimal processing other than Prime XD: https://www.flickr.com/gp/motopixel/5YH2NDt2ti

Full DX Frame rendered to 1920 wide

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1200 px crop from full DX frame (not sure how the site might scale this)

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Full DX Frame rendered to 1920 wide

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1200px crop from full DX frame

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[MotoPixel]

100% agree, everything can be made to look sharp at 1200px

I'll try to get some comparison shots up onto Flickr here at some point, might not be anything too exciting though.

EDIT: Ok, I got some quick hand held shots side-by-side just now in my back yard with the 600PF and 180-600 (both w/wo 1.4TC), and the 800PF. Posted crops below, hosted on Flickr. Go easy on me, I'm definitely not claiming to be a legitimate tester. What can I say about the results though? All the lenses are great, I'd not hesitate to shoot any of them based on IQ, and that's a good thing because it leaves one free to choose based on things other than IQ. In regards to the 180-600 though... I think I have a red-hot copy, because it easily keeps up with these primes. When I watch/read other comparisons saying it's not as sharp or crisp, I sorta scratch my head because I just don't see it.

They certainly all look remarkably similar here and on Flickr. One thing I noticed on Flickr is that if I click on any of these photos to zoom in on them, they don't zoom, which they will if they're greater than the resolution of the monitor they're being viewed on.

Are you uploading the same files to Flickr as you're posting here? If so, that serves no benefit. You need to upload the full resolution jpgs or png's to Flickr, not the reduced size ones you use here. I generally render full size jpgs at a quality setting that keeps them below, but as close to the 20MB file size limit on Flickr. For Z8 FX resolution files, 99% or 98% quality setting generally keeps you under the 20MB limit.

 

[MatthewK]

They certainly all look remarkably similar here and on Flickr. One thing I noticed on Flickr is that if I click on any of these photos to zoom in on them, they don't zoom, which they will if they're greater than the resolution of the monitor they're being viewed on.

Are you uploading the same files to Flickr as you're posting here? If so, that serves no benefit. You need to upload the full resolution jpgs or png's to Flickr, not the reduced size ones you use here. I generally render full size jpgs at a quality setting that keeps them below, but as close to the 20MB file size limit on Flickr. For Z8 FX resolution files, 99% or 98% quality setting generally keeps you under the 20MB limit.

Let me take another look.. I export full size jpeg from LR, and then upload to Flickr. Must be hitting the limit or something. Those are 100% crops as well. Maybe I have to have a Flickr Pro account? (I just have the free)

EDIT: not sure why it's doing this.. I export full size jpegs that are well under the 20MB limit I really don't do this comparison test shot stuff ever, so someone'll have to tell me what's up.

 

[Marcepan]

100% agree, everything can be made to look sharp at 1200px

I'll try to get some comparison shots up onto Flickr here at some point, might not be anything too exciting though.

EDIT: Ok, I got some quick hand held shots side-by-side just now in my back yard with the 600PF and 180-600 (both w/wo 1.4TC), and the 800PF. Posted crops below, hosted on Flickr. Go easy on me, I'm definitely not claiming to be a legitimate tester. What can I say about the results though? All the lenses are great, I'd not hesitate to shoot any of them based on IQ, and that's a good thing because it leaves one free to choose based on things other than IQ. In regards to the 180-600 though... I think I have a red-hot copy, because it easily keeps up with these primes. When I watch/read other comparisons saying it's not as sharp or crisp, I sorta scratch my head because I just don't see it.

800PF by M K, on Flickr
600PF + 1.4TC by M K, on Flickr
180-600 + 1.4TC by M K, on Flickr

You are great!

I look at the photos and according to what I see - 3rd place 800 PF, 2nd place 180-600 + 1.4, 1st place 600 PF + 1.4.
And how do you rate these pictures?

 

[Asafser]

100% agree, everything can be made to look sharp at 1200px

I'll try to get some comparison shots up onto Flickr here at some point, might not be anything too exciting though.

EDIT: Ok, I got some quick hand held shots side-by-side just now in my back yard with the 600PF and 180-600 (both w/wo 1.4TC), and the 800PF. Posted crops below, hosted on Flickr. Go easy on me, I'm definitely not claiming to be a legitimate tester. What can I say about the results though? All the lenses are great, I'd not hesitate to shoot any of them based on IQ, and that's a good thing because it leaves one free to choose based on things other than IQ. In regards to the 180-600 though... I think I have a red-hot copy, because it easily keeps up with these primes. When I watch/read other comparisons saying it's not as sharp or crisp, I sorta scratch my head because I just don't see it.

800PF by M K, on Flickr
600PF + 1.4TC by M K, on Flickr
180-600 + 1.4TC by M K, on Flickr

Thank you for the effort Really like your work throughout this thread!
its very interesting results and resemble Ricci YouTube vid in which the 600pf+1.4tc was sharper than the 800pf, BUT here in your testing the 800pf looks really bad and I do wonder if it might just be a miss focus, heat haze or something else. I do think a more controlled test should be done using tripod and single point focus in order to achieve more telling results .

p.s. the 600pf+1.4tc just looks amazing regardless...

 

[MatthewK]

You are great!

I look at the photos and according to what I see - 3rd place 800 PF, 2nd place 180-600 + 1.4, 1st place 600 PF + 1.4.
And how do you rate these pictures?

With these samples, I’d agree with that ranking. The 600PF is downright the best of the bunch, while the 180-600 nipping at its heels in the center but noticeably softer at the corners, and the 800PF not doing as well as I expected it too. I’m going to do another round today and see if these results hold true.

Before taking the next set of shots, just want to be sure I get the parameters correct: do I shoot all lenses from the same distance, or do I move for each shot so that I have the target at the same size in frame?

Thank you for the effort Really like your work throughout this thread!
its very interesting results and resemble Ricci YouTube vid in which the 600pf+1.4tc was sharper than the 800pf, BUT here in your testing the 800pf looks really bad and I do wonder if it might just be a miss focus, heat haze or something else. I do think a more controlled test should be done using tripod and single point focus in order to achieve more telling results .

p.s. the 600pf+1.4tc just looks amazing regardless...

Yeah, I am going to retake the shots today with a bit more control and acumen (tripod, timer, etc). Perhaps shooting them indoors would help, but I don’t think I have enough distance and lighting, plus I want closer to real world as possible.

The 800PF should look a good bit better, for sure. Over the last year that lens has time and time again delivered exemplary photos that were as sharp and clear as any I’ve ever seen, so I will withhold further critique until I get a better set of comparison shots today. Needless to say though, seeing both the 600 and 180-600 hold up with the 1.4 TC is nice.

 

[Asafser]

With these samples, I’d agree with that ranking. The 600PF is downright the best of the bunch, while the 180-600 nipping at its heels in the center but noticeably softer at the corners, and the 800PF not doing as well as I expected it too. I’m going to do another round today and see if these results hold true.

Before taking the next set of shots, just want to be sure I get the parameters correct: do I shoot all lenses from the same distance, or do I move for each shot so that I have the target at the same size in frame?


Yeah, I am going to retake the shots today with a bit more control and acumen (tripod, timer, etc). Perhaps shooting them indoors would help, but I don’t think I have enough distance and lighting, plus I want closer to real world as possible.

The 800PF should look a good bit better, for sure. Over the last year that lens has time and time again delivered exemplary photos that were as sharp and clear as any I’ve ever seen, so I will withhold further critique until I get a better set of comparison shots today. Needless to say though, seeing both the 600 and 180-600 hold up with the 1.4 TC is nice.

Just a thought:
Another point with the 800pf that maybe affected the results: it’s giant lens hood. After watching Steve videos on the topic, I think there is a chance it could be a factor too, maybe it creating a micro temp difference between the inside hood area and the environment causing heat wave issues ?
I don’t know how your test environment and distance to subject are, but if you encounter similar results again it something you might consider, and remove the hood just for test purposes , although in real life field conditions I usually wouldn’t remove the hood and risk the front element.

A bit off topic in the 600pf thread, and a bit rushing ahead in conclusions, But If it is indeed a factor with the 800pf maybe something like a shorter Zemlin hood is a solution. I’m thinking about it for my own 800 lens…

 

[Marcepan]

With these samples, I’d agree with that ranking. The 600PF is downright the best of the bunch, while the 180-600 nipping at its heels in the center but noticeably softer at the corners, and the 800PF not doing as well as I expected it too. I’m going to do another round today and see if these results hold true.

Before taking the next set of shots, just want to be sure I get the parameters correct: do I shoot all lenses from the same distance, or do I move for each shot so that I have the target at the same size in frame?

In my opinion, the parameters are correct.
What I would also do is make a round with the model at the edge of the frame.

 

[Asafser]

In my opinion, the parameters are correct.
What I would also do is make a round with the model at the edge of the frame.

likewise , I think the parameters are correct and the 800/840 differences are not that big to be an issue , so just in order for less hassle it would be fine to shoot from the same distance.

 

[MatthewK]

Just a thought:
Another point with the 800pf that maybe affected the results: it’s giant lens hood. After watching Steve videos on the topic, I think there is a chance it could be a factor too, maybe it creating a micro temp difference between the inside hood area and the environment causing heat wave issues ?
I don’t know how your test environment and distance to subject are, but if you encounter similar results again it something you might consider, and remove the hood just for test purposes , although in real life field conditions I usually wouldn’t remove the hood and risk the front element.

A bit off topic in the 600pf thread, and a bit rushing ahead in conclusions, But If it is indeed a factor with the 800pf maybe something like a shorter Zemlin hood is a solution. I’m thinking about it for my own 800 lens…

I didn't want to admit it, but I think that was my error. It was about 40 degrees out, the lenses were room temp from the bag, and I didn't take the lens hoods off. Better test shots coming later today.

I do have the short Zemlin hood for the 800PF though, it's a great bit of gear to have and makes it a lot easier to maneuver in close environments.

In my opinion, the parameters are correct.
What I would also do is make a round with the model at the edge of the frame.

So those shots I took has two stuffed animals, with the wolf being at the edge of the frame for just such comparisons. For the re-shoot today, I'll just take two shots of the same target, centered and at edge of frame

 

[MotoPixel]

Let me take another look.. I export full size jpeg from LR, and then upload to Flickr. Must be hitting the limit or something. Those are 100% crops as well. Maybe I have to have a Flickr Pro account? (I just have the free)

EDIT: not sure why it's doing this.. I export full size jpegs that are well under the 20MB limit I really don't do this comparison test shot stuff ever, so someone'll have to tell me what's up.

Yes, could have something to do with being a free account, I'll look into that. For reference, the last set with the Chickadee were uploaded to Flickr with the full DX resolution of 5396 x 3592 and the crops were at 1200 x 799. The files I upload to this site are rendered from PL to a 1920 x whatever, depending on the aspect ratio, if I've cropped it to something other than 3:2. I stick with 1920 for the longest edge when I upload here directly.

All this points out a sad fact...for the way many or most people are viewing images on their computers or even worse, their phones, just about anything can look "good enough for the masses".

Last year someone asked a question about which might be the preferred lens to use in the overlap regions of the 14-30 and the 24-120 and also the 24-120 and 100-400 lenses. There are subtle differences and coming up with a real-world situation was challenging. Went to a nearby college campus and spent a couple hours shooting some shots of an area on one of the greens with buildings on the far side. I give Steve a great deal of credit in doing the tests that he does, it's work, during and after the shooting!

Nikon Lens Overlap Comparison

Comparison tests of Nikon 14-30mm, 24-120mm and 100-400mm in the overlap areas of 24 and 30mm and 100 and 120mm at a couple apertures. In most cases there are 2 photos at each setting. All files imported in LRC with default settings and exported to full-resolution jpgs without sharpening on...

flic.kr

Looking forward to your next upload...

Cheers!