I have both 800's, and the following provides more detail on the f5.6E, as there's already much discussion on the f6.3S PF. My reasons are backup/redundancy and priority need to have access to this excellent super telephoto on either DSLRs, or a Z9, with all the advantages of reach etc. It is also 2 primes in one with its bespoke TC125.
My intensive experience with the 800 PF in mid 2022 confirmed my earlier findings using a 400 f2.8+TC2 over 3+ years... There're remarkable and unique benefits of the longer telephoto reach with an 800 rig. Thereafter I resolved never to be caught out if my 800 PF is compromised.... so took the plunge mid 2022 on a Used 800 f5.6E FL.
As the Used markets changed through 2022 in the rush to the Z9 and all the new fantastic Z Glass, this 800 f5.6E copy cost almost the same Used as the new 800 PF! The retailer was overwhelmed with big glass that was not moving as it had until very recently! There has been an unprecedented flood of Used telephotos, notably exotics, into the local Used market.
I'm still compare my copies thoroughly on subjects representative of how I photograph wildlife - especially to ascertain how the 3 F TC combinations perform on the 800 f5.6E. So far I find they are all reliable in decent atmospheric conditions on the Z9, but provided one doesn't need to crop/push extreme subject distances.
This legendary prime that's the 800 f5.6E has the better IQ IME (but it's a close call against the 800 PF) and it's in the league of the 400 f2.8E FL, in fact, the high IQ of the 800 f5.6E doesn't drop IME with its bespoke TC125 as a 1000 f7.1. The D6 confers the advantage in lowlight as it still focuses with TC14 as a 1120 f8 (it's f9 with the 800 PF + ZTC14).
BUT it's heavy (4.6kg+camera) and long, especially with the big hood! However a ~6kg rig is manageable in a vehicle but demands due care and planning.
The prevailing light levels can be a challenge - even in the tropics particularly with a Teleconverter on either 8 Hundred. This
leopard-crocodile encounter taken @ 1/400 on a beanbag was under low cloud, and it did not culminate in fast action; as the cat lost interest. He wandered off to relax and yawn and groom as cats do! Otherwise, I would have been forced to push the ISO up to 12800 or higher to try and freeze the frames at f13.
As the day heats up in savannas, Heat haze is a too frequent a hazard with any telephoto. This applies especially with shooting over bare earth and rock, basalts especially (equally calcretes in the Kalahari or Etosha). So it becomes frustrating with a 800mm especially, let alone pushing out to 1120 or 1600mm.
Obviously the 800 PF is the optic of choice for hiking etc. I also can confirm the well known fact that the Z TCs are the sharper. They also have the much tighter fit in the bayonet mounts. There's plenty of Discussion with examples here on BCG demonstrating its optical excellence. Two relevant thread fyi
Hi all, Brought this up in another thread, but curious if anyone has any thoughts on the two 800s in terms of comparing them. I own the 800 5.6 and also the 500 5.6. I moved over to the Z system over the winter, so traded in/sold the D500, D850 and D6. My intent is to use the longer teles for...
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@Steve . I am a Nature conservation photographer. I sold all my DSLR cameras and all the lenses except the 300mm f2.8. I also kept my medium format gear for now to use for landscape and portrait. My main photography subjects are, like Steve and most of you Wildlife: goes from the tiny insects...
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