Nikon Z 600mm f/4 TC hand-holdable?

ExNavyDoc · Mar 8, 2024

Been using the 400mm f/4.5 with the 1.4 TC for almost a year now on my Z8 for wildlife, mostly birds, and I find the combo is just not long enough. However, it is eminently hand-holdable. My style is to walk/hike around places, not sit in a blind or vehicle, and the 400+TC is very portable with a Magpul dual QD sling. Trying to sort out the 800mm PF vs. the 600 TC. My research seems to say that the 800 is very portable and able to be used hand-held. Wondering about the 600 TC in that regard. I'm not a big guy (5'7") but I do work out with weights a couple of times a week and carrying around a shotgun or rifle for a morning or afternoon hunting is not a problem. The cost is more-or-less secondary, but if the 600 requires a tripod and gimbal head it won't be up my alley at all. The bokeh of the 400 with a 2x TC is not to my liking on the online samples I've seen, FWIW.

Thanks for any responses, love the site and I've learned a lot lurking so far!

nmerc_photos · Mar 8, 2024

here's my input. I've owned every Nikon Z tele and tested them all pretty extensively. I'm 27 years old, 5'10" and about 205lbs, but not in very athletic shape.

something like the 400 4.5 or 600 PF are both extremely handholdable (~3lbs each). I can use these all day and feel like nothing ever happened.

the 180-600 and 800 PF are still handholdable (~5lbs each). after a couple hours you may fatigue, or if you're in an awkward position like shooting upwards. this is about as heavy as it remains "fun" for me to handhold.

The 400 TC (6.5lbs) is right about the edge of what I would want to handhold. It's doable, but not enjoyable. It becomes difficult to maintain slow shutter speeds when needed while handholding. It's hard for me to get consistent results below 1/50s, while I can easily do 1/6s with the 600PF. I much prefer to use a monopod or tripod when possible.

The 600 TC (7.2lbs) is another 11% heavier than the 400 TC. I *can* handhold it, but only for brief intervals. A couple of bursts here and there, and I instantly want to let my arms rest between bursts. also I will always feel it the next day.

These are all with a Z9 body. I'd imagine a Z8 body would help, as it reduces the weights by 1lb per setup or whatever

On the other hand, I know a couple of people twice my age or older who ONLY handhold their 400/600TC. But they are in much better shape than I am, they care more about getting the photo than I do, and they spent years using the 10lb prime lenses of past generations.

nmerc_photos · Mar 8, 2024

As another example, recently I was shooting Short Eared Owls from the roof of my vehicle. I had 2 lenses and 2 bodies.

Z9 + 400 TC
Z9 + 800 PF

I could pretty much shoot the 800PF handheld all evening without issue. With the 400TC, I was always trying to lower my arms whenever the action wasn't at its peak. YMMV

NorthernFocus · Mar 8, 2024

No one can really answer this question for you. Plus it depends on what you consider hand holdable. There's throwing a lens up to track a bird in flight for a few seconds and there's holding it up for minutes waiting for something to happen or for a bird to come out from behind an obstruction. As you know shooting a camera is a lot different than shooting a gun. You tend to have to hold the camera up for longer stretches of time. If you aim is to only use it handheld I'd certainly rent/borrow one and give it a try before plunking down the cash to buy one.

As far as the 800PF goes, I'm a weak old geezer and I've never put mine on a tripod. I do try to sit or kneel and support with an elbow on my knee when I need to stay on a subject for a long spell.

JAJohnson · Mar 8, 2024

ExNavyDoc said:
Been using the 400mm f/4.5 with the 1.4 TC for almost a year now on my Z8 for wildlife, mostly birds, and I find the combo is just not long enough.

If the 400 f/4.5 + 1.4 TC (560mm) isn’t long enough to suit your needs, will any 600mm lens be long enough?

SoCalRick · Mar 8, 2024

I shoot mine hand held all the time, while typically carrying it on a BlackRapid shoulder strap. I tried to describe in another thread just how long I could keep the lens up in the shooting position, before having to return it to my side. But as others have mentioned, everyone's strength and stamina is going to be different, so one person's hand held endurance is not going to match someone else's. Suffice it to say that I consider it usable as a hand held lens.

However, I definitely mix up my hand holding usage with also using the lens with a support. I use it a lot on my tripod with a PMG JKJr Katana gimbal head, and probably a little less often on my monopod with a PMG Tomahawk GT2 gimbal head.

I definitely enjoy the freedom of going hand held, and I get good results with this method, so I don't hesitate to take it out hand held on walks with the lens attached to my BR shoulder strap. However, if I know that I'm likely to be shooting for prolonged periods of time at one or more stationary locations, then I will often prefer to use it with my monopod, or tripod in those situations.

Sometimes, when I am heading to a location where I plan to be stationary for a while, I'll start out by walking with the lens attached to my shoulder strap, while also carrying either my monopod or tripod in my free hand. If any photo opportunities pop up along the way, I'll just carefully set my monopod/tripod down and take some shots hand held, before resuming my trek to my planned stopping point.

ExNavyDoc · Mar 8, 2024

JAJohnson said:
If the 400 f/4.5 + 1.4 TC (560mm) isn’t long enough to suit your needs, will any 600mm lens be long enough?

At the botom end, yes some of the time. What really has me interested is the built-in TC. To me it seems like having two lenses attached to one body.

Calson · Mar 8, 2024

The weight of the 600mm f/4TC lens at 7.2 lbs is exactly the same weight as the Nikon 200-400mm f/4 lens that I owned. I could use that lens in some situations on a monopod but the one time I tried shooting with it hand held for several hours my body was very sore the next day. For a 600mm hand held the 600mm PF at 3.24 lb is definitely a lens one can hand hold and the 800mm PF at 5.2 lb (that I own) can be used hand held on the Z9 with its exceptional autofocus with subject and eye detection.

Even at 5.2 lbs I prefer using a monopod with the 800mm PF with the Z9 mounted where I have a combined load of 8.1 lbs to manage. One thing about the lighter lenses and the internal optical stabilization with the Z9 is that I can use a video head and legs and have no need for a gimbal head.

mrt · Mar 9, 2024

I use the 600 TC regularly. When I’m birding out of a car I often jump out and handhold the Z9 and 600TC. I find it manageable for short periods. When I’m walking it’s mounted on a monopod. I’m in my 80th year. Here's an example of a Harrier', handheld, about 50' away with a little post processing. Many, if not most, of the pictures on my recent outing in the Klamath Basin were handheld since it was mostly a driving trip https://mrtk.smugmug.com/Klamath-Basin-22524
Marty