Nikon 800PF Review For Wildlife Photographers (Official Discussion Thread)

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interesting....

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The Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3’s Unusual Price in Context

The consensus seems to be that Nikon’s newly-announced Z 800mm f/6.3 is selling for a good price at $6500. But that assessment only scratches the surface. In fact, for the focal length and aperture it offers, this is the least expensive exotic supertelephoto in Nikon’s recent history, by far.
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Steve said:
Nikon just announced their new 800mm PF and my extensive first-look review for wildlife photographers is ready to go!

In this first-look video, I'll answer all the burning questions you have about the 800PF. We'll talk about the specifications, the controls, features, technology, ergonomics, sharpness, rendering, autofocus, VR performance, how hand-holdable it is, how it handles in the field, and so much more! If you want the best 800PF review for wildlife photography, this is it!

Plus, I'll pass along all of my insights, thoughts, and recommendations along the way!

Check out the video below:


Can you help?
If you enjoyed the video, please share it with your Nikon friends - and feel free to pass it on any camera forums or groups who may enjoy it. Thank you so much!

PS - I also want to apologize. I was not able to perform any sniff, lick, or "wind tunnel" tests with this lens. Sadly, I also forgot to curl it like a dumbbell. Oh, the missed opportunities!
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Steve good morning, I just love your breathless delivery every time. This is just excellent so can’t wait to see the full review. First class as always. This lens looks amazing and the price point is sensational.
 
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Great review as expected! Returning the Z 105 macro I just bought and aiming for 300PF +/- 1.4TC and 800PF Z7ii Looks like Nikon is keeping me in there.
 
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I spent a good while last week and at the weekend deciding that I don't need the 800 PF when I have the 400mm f2.8 Z and 2x converter. At this price though I know I'm going to end up getting it sometime and I'd rather get the early. Hopefully we'll see a comparison against the 400mm with 2x by someone like Ricci but I can just do it myself if need be.

Before I got the 400mm I was worried that I'd get 600mm envy when it eventually came out but I think this combo will suit me down to the ground. If it turns out that the 800 PF isn't a better performer at 800mm then I'll definitely just stick with the 400mm. I'd just rather get that pre-order in whilst I figure it out than deal with being at the back of the queue later.
 
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I find it hard to understand why you’d even want a long prime. Zooms are just so good. Folk say zoom with your feet. That’s ok but not out in the wilds surely? I certainly get long lens envy but simply can’t afford the $14k for that z400mm
 
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Patrick M said:
I find it hard to understand why you’d even want a long prime. Zooms are just so good. Folk say zoom with your feet. That’s ok but not out in the wilds surely? I certainly get long lens envy but simply can’t afford the $14k for that z400mm
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For wildlife a 100-400mm is a great tool but will frequently be too short and it's a 400mm 5.6. So a 400 2.8 is a 2 stop improvement and will have higher quality. You could throw a 2x on the 100-400mm and turn it into a 200-800mm which is super versatile but it's then an f9 - f11 lens vs this new 800mm f6.3. A 200-600mm is a slightly better prospect and very versatile but you're still giving up light. The existing Nikon 200-500mm is slower to focus than a prime and has an extending barrel so it's not quite so weather resistant. The recent 180-400 f4 TC which I've used a lot is as good as it gets for a wildlife zoom but it's a big, heavy and expensive lens and you still lose a stop of light vs the 400mm f2.8 Z.

For me the main thing aside from quality is that you don't really need to cover the distances between the primes once you're beyond 300 or 400mm. So the new 400mm with built in TC gives you 400 and 560mm. If 560 is slightly too tight then I'll drop back to 400mm and do a small crop. There will be cases where 400mm is too much but then I'll go for head shots and detail. Prime lenses keep quality high and weight down. The built-in TC does make give it much more flexibility though.

There are many situations with wildlife where you just won't get close enough and you always want more reach. So you know even with an 800mm that much of the time you'll be cropping, just not as much as if you used a 600mm. So all a zoom would do (if you could buy a 400-800mm zoom) is lose you light. When I looked at my photos from the 180-400mm TC across all the trips I'd used it on I realised that almost all of the great photos I liked were shot at 400mm or 560mm. So it became a fairly easy thing to make the switch.
 
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I agree about the trade offs in costs and speed in needing a range of focal lengths in telephotos for wildlife. So the 100-400 and 180-400 TC work well in many cases, but a 800 is often demanded. I have also found there is a natural gap between one's needs from 560-600mm and then 800mm. However, I'm still cropping 800mm images far too often for less approachable subjects.

The crux has always been very high costs "to get to 800". Previously, the 400 f2.8E has been one practicable solution with TC2 III for Nikon, with versatility to use the 400 as its native prime and as a 560 f4 with TC14

This 800 f6.3S is gamechanger in this department in so many respects. In his video released this morning, Ricci notes it also pairs with Z-TC14, with 'good performance' with Z-TC2... So pushing telephotos into a rarified league of reach. He discusses TCs briefly towards the end of this video

pwaring said:
For wildlife a 100-400mm is a great tool but will frequently be too short and it's a 400mm 5.6. So a 400 2.8 is a 2 stop improvement and will have higher quality. You could throw a 2x on the 100-400mm and turn it into a 200-800mm which is super versatile but it's then an f9 - f11 lens vs this new 800mm f6.3. A 200-600mm is a slightly better prospect and very versatile but you're still giving up light. The existing Nikon 200-500mm is slower to focus than a prime and has an extending barrel so it's not quite so weather resistant. The recent 180-400 f4 TC which I've used a lot is as good as it gets for a wildlife zoom but it's a big, heavy and expensive lens and you still lose a stop of light vs the 400mm f2.8 Z.

For me the main thing aside from quality is that you don't really need to cover the distances between the primes once you're beyond 300 or 400mm. So the new 400mm with built in TC gives you 400 and 560mm. If 560 is slightly too tight then I'll drop back to 400mm and do a small crop. There will be cases where 400mm is too much but then I'll go for head shots and detail. Prime lenses keep quality high and weight down. The built-in TC does make give it much more flexibility though.

There are many situations with wildlife where you just won't get close enough and you always want more reach. So you know even with an 800mm that much of the time you'll be cropping, just not as much as if you used a 600mm. So all a zoom would do (if you could buy a 400-800mm zoom) is lose you light. When I looked at my photos from the 180-400mm TC across all the trips I'd used it on I realised that almost all of the great photos I liked were shot at 400mm or 560mm. So it became a fairly easy thing to make the switch.
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Steve said:
Nikon just announced their new 800mm PF and my extensive first-look review for wildlife photographers is ready to go!

In this first-look video, I'll answer all the burning questions you have about the 800PF. We'll talk about the specifications, the controls, features, technology, ergonomics, sharpness, rendering, autofocus, VR performance, how hand-holdable it is, how it handles in the field, and so much more! If you want the best 800PF review for wildlife photography, this is it!

Plus, I'll pass along all of my insights, thoughts, and recommendations along the way!

Check out the video below:


Can you help?
If you enjoyed the video, please share it with your Nikon friends - and feel free to pass it on any camera forums or groups who may enjoy it. Thank you so much!

PS - I also want to apologize. I was not able to perform any sniff, lick, or "wind tunnel" tests with this lens. Sadly, I also forgot to curl it like a dumbbell. Oh, the missed opportunities!
Click to expand...
Lol we will forgive you.

Nikon sure seemed to knock or out of the park. Especially at $6,500.
 
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He likes it! Price is skippy too. Hell of a 'first look' review, well done and your excitement for this lens is believable.
I'm 266 on the Z9 list soooo- be a while
 
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The funniest thing to me about the videos I've seen today is that the most critical person of the lens has been Ricci (A Nikon Employee!). He really loves it but he's not thrilled about it with a 2x, doesn't love the hood and thinks they should have moved some rings around. I always say that I think Ricci puts out incredibly informative videos but I remain a little bit wary that he'll hide something he doesn't like about a lens because he works for Nikon. I think Nikon's offerings are so good right now that he's able to be very honest and it enhances his credibility rather than damaging the brand.
 
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No one is discussing the 5m MFD. 0.16x reproduction.

5m is tough to work some of the time. Although not too much worse than say the 4.5m of the 600GM. But compared to say the Nikon 400/2.8 Z with 2.5m so that with a 2xTC you would be at 0.46x at 800 f/5.6.
 
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Hi @Steve , when you do a detailed review, can you please compare the AF speed of this lens against the 600 F4E and Sony 600 GM please? Also, the optical performance of this lens at different camera to subject distances. In the past i remember some folks were not happy with the performance of PF glass at mid to long distances and hence curious. Another complaint with the PF glass in the last was the way it rendered highlights in the background bokeh but Nikon has specifically included a sample on their website where the highlights look pleasing/ as good as other telephoto lenses.
 
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Possibly because it is a very niche problem..for folks who only photograph tiny birds like warblers etc. perhaps?

arbitrage said:
No one is discussing the 5m MFD. 0.16x reproduction.

5m is tough to work some of the time. Although not too much worse than say the 4.5m of the 600GM. But compared to say the Nikon 400/2.8 Z with 2.5m so that with a 2xTC you would be at 0.46x at 800 f/5.6.
Click to expand...
 
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arbitrage said:
No one is discussing the 5m MFD. 0.16x reproduction.

5m is tough to work some of the time. Although not too much worse than say the 4.5m of the 600GM. But compared to say the Nikon 400/2.8 Z with 2.5m so that with a 2xTC you would be at 0.46x at 800 f/5.6.
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Easy solution here, you just buy both! ;)

I think I would very rarely have 5m be a limitation. If I can get within 5m of an animal then I'm almost certainly not going to be using an 800mm. Most birds that will let you get that close in the UK aren't going to be super exciting and if I'm in a photography hide then I'd rather be using something a bit shorter because they're all set up here for around 500mm.
 
Member's gallery
Steve said:
Nikon just announced their new 800mm PF and my extensive first-look review for wildlife photographers is ready to go!

In this first-look video, I'll answer all the burning questions you have about the 800PF. We'll talk about the specifications, the controls, features, technology, ergonomics, sharpness, rendering, autofocus, VR performance, how hand-holdable it is, how it handles in the field, and so much more! If you want the best 800PF review for wildlife photography, this is it!

Plus, I'll pass along all of my insights, thoughts, and recommendations along the way!

Check out the video below:


Can you help?
If you enjoyed the video, please share it with your Nikon friends - and feel free to pass it on any camera forums or groups who may enjoy it. Thank you so much!

PS - I also want to apologize. I was not able to perform any sniff, lick, or "wind tunnel" tests with this lens. Sadly, I also forgot to curl it like a dumbbell. Oh, the missed opportunities!
Click to expand...
Wow, seems like a great lens, and at a far more accessible price for amateur photographers!
 
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arbitrage said:
No one is discussing the 5m MFD. 0.16x reproduction.

5m is tough to work some of the time. Although not too much worse than say the 4.5m of the 600GM. But compared to say the Nikon 400/2.8 Z with 2.5m so that with a 2xTC you would be at 0.46x at 800 f/5.6.
Click to expand...

It's right in between the MFD of the 600FL and 800/5.6. I'm happier it's 2 feet less than the F mount 800/5.6 so that's good!
 
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gdecamp said:
It's right in between the MFD of the 600FL and 800/5.6. I'm happier it's 2 feet less than the F mount 800/5.6 so that's good!
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*Theoretically, a subject of approx 10cm overall size (small passerine) is going to be magnified to project a ~20mm image along the longer (36mm) axis of a FX camera at 4m with a 800mm telephoto. In practice, this subject will appear to almost "fill the frame" at the MFD of 5m especially if it's moving.

*The same 10cm sized subject at ~6.5m from will be ~15mm image from the focusing plane; and with TC14 as a 1160mm, it will magnify in the same ratios at ~8m and ~9.5m.

*A ~30cm sized subject (eg. a smallish chicken or duck) can be at significantly greater distances of 13/16m and 19/23m respectively with the 800mm and 1160mm, respectively
 
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