Nikon's BEST Ultra Telephoto Prime lens - FIELD TESTED
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 มิ.ย. 2024
- In terms of maximum aperture to focal length - nothing beats the 600mm f4. It's longer than a 400mm + TC, and faster than the 800mm. And this new FL E variant from Nikkor is simply amazing for bird and wildlife photography.
I rented it from geni.us/LPTG - use code GEAROUT15 for 15% off.
You can also buy it from Amazon Worldwide: geni.us/k4cB7n
Or B&H Photo: bhpho.to/2k8GkdK
I also shot extensively with:
Nikon 70-200mm f2.8E: bhpho.to/2wRWP7q
Amazon: geni.us/70200E
2x Teleconvertor: bhpho.to/2HT6CLF
Amazon: geni.us/2xTCE
1.7x Teleconvertor: bhpho.to/2LcXX8B
Amazon: geni.us/2xTCE
And I carried:
COMPAGNON Bags: geni.us/Compagnon
bhpho.to/2rL8oIl
ThinkTANK Glass limo bag: bhpho.to/2Lfbyfv
Amazon: geni.us/glasslimo
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What would you choose? The 500mm, 600mm or 800mm?? I rented the 600mm from geni.us/LPTG - use code GEAROUT15 for 15% off.
You can also buy it from Amazon Worldwide: geni.us/k4cB7n
Or B&H Photo: bhpho.to/2k8GkdK
CHECK OUT MY upcoming Iceland tour at mattgranger.com/iceland
i'll take the 180-400 :)
you have one?
That would depend on what I want to shoot and how much running around is evolved. But in general I would rather go with a zoom. Either the Sigma 150-600 or nikon's 200-500 or something similar. Because as you said: Keeping stuff in Frame with a prime 600 or 800 is hard. Plus its rather limiting.
Having said that: I probably will not buy any of those. Because I will likely not use them often enough for the price-point. If I do I rent them.
I am still looking for a little shorter zoom lens. Like 100-400 or anything a bit longer then the 70-200. But whatever I decide it got to be reasonably light weight. If I think twice about packing them on a long hike or city trip or whatever it s no good for me.
Saving my pennies....
I’d like to try the 600mm. I was out last weekend with a 70-300mm on my Nikon D600 during the day, then using the same lens on my D800 as darkness fell. I got good cropped shots with both combinations - it would be great to try getting the shot with a lens rather than relying on the pixel-power of the FX sensors.
this is an amazing series. the commentary on the photo gear, wildlife and iceland all molded together in an entertaining video. usually i put videos on 2x to speed through life but i slowed down for this one. very much worth it. i hope you are enjoying making these bc i know it takes a lot of work
Thank you! Next one coming soon
Glad that you visited my home country, hope you have enjoyed your stay. The weather has not been good this summer, at least not in South West area of Iceland. About the video, another great addition to the Field Tested series.
Great work here Matt, the video, music and narration was extremely well done. Your photos are an add in bonus and I for one would like to see more of this from you.
Enjoyed this very much, Matt! Very informational, and beautiful pics!
Even though I don't shoot Nikon or plan on ever using such a long lens, I thoroughly enjoyed this video. It's always fun to see what the manufacturers are doing and what is available. Kudos for the new series!
Nice, good intro too! Been subscribed for a couple of years and I must say your production has turned Gold, great job!!
Cheers!!
Awesome video Matt. That lens is a bad boy. Very, very nice FIELD TESTED intro. I love the footage and the song. It's my favorite intro on TH-cam. The photos from Iceland are amazing as well. Thank you.
(Plant The Seed)! 😎
Thanks for the good advice Matt
Awesome pictures Matt.
Beautiful video, Matt
Awesome pictures in a beautiful country. How do you like the Gitzo Fluid Gimbal? I bought it, too, recently but I have not tested it much.
I’ve been waiting for a review of this lens! I just got a used 500 f4 and wish I’d have gotten a 600. I’ll probably splurge for it in the next year or so but it will likely be the VR-I and not the mark II. Thanks for the vid.
Thanks Matt. Really helpful!
Great video Matt
This video is awesome and so professional
An amazing location for testing such a lens, lens that delivers stunning images and performs at speed. Spot on for sports and wildlife. Loved the images you have here of the birds. Puffins always seem to reach out to everyone!
Great video. ...What I would like to see in the future is a test of the laowa 25mm ultra macro. That'd be great.
Love love love the intro. Cant wait to see what you do for this series.
Thanks - check out the playlist - we have done 7 of these now :)
Matt Granger oh jeez!! Sorry! I thought this was brand new. I will def check them out ;)
Great review, thanks!
6:09 love that shot!!!
Great video. Loved the new intro.
Hi Mat :). What would you choose for Wildlife Photography with a lot of hiking? 400mm 2.8 iiiof 600 f4 iii -> Canon ?
Amazing LENS !
Really enjoyable video: thank you. When I owned a Nikon D500 my favourite wildlife/birds in flight lens was my Nikkor 200 - 500mm f5.6. I found that at 500mm it pulled in birds in flight even better than my Nikkor 300mm f4 PF ED VR + TC14EIII. Brilliant though it is, I could not imagine lugging the 600mm f4 about for 7 - 8 hours a day.
I also have the 500mm and it is fantastic. It's also a lot lighter and a fair bit smaller than the 600mm, which is why I didn't get the 600. Just much easier to travel with.
I never got better BIF results than with the 300mm pf, I find the 200-500 just too heavy and too long for fast birds...
well nikon released the 500mm 5.6 which i hear is excellent. I own and use a canon 600mm f4l which I haul around a lot it's the lens that is on my camera the most.
The 200-500 is the most practical lens
Those lenses that cost as much as a car are for a tiny percentage of rich photographers (unless you're just renting it.) A realistic wildlife lens for most folks to own is the 200-500mm f5.6.
That's correct statement for most of the photographers. On the other hand, there are enough people investing a tons of money into cars as this is their hobby. Same thing, right? it depends on what is your priority.
Pretty much everyone I know is in debt, and living paycheck to paycheck (especially if they have kids.) I guess there are rich people out there who can invest tens of thousands of dollars into cars, cameras, or anything else they want to for fun. That's a small percentage of the population, though, so we ultimately agree.
Yepp...correct.
James Raymond CreativePhotography 🤣👍🏼👍🏼
@James Raymond CreativePhotography what if the mosquitoes are facing the other way?
Great video!!
Do you actually carry the sling clipped to the bottom of the camera with that lens? Aren't you worried that it will put stress on the lens mount? I use a Peak Design sling, always clipped to both lugs of my 500 f/4 FL. It's secure and makes for a comfortable and quick way to carry & shoot with the lens hand held.
Another great addition to the Field Tested series.
well i don't have the money for this type of lenses.
but what's the best 150/600 mm for nikonD7200?
the tamron g2 or the nikon contemporary??
or should i buy a 500mm in the same price range, say about 1000 bucks?
such a beautiful video...
I can't say that I am a highly experienced wildlife photographer, but from my own experiences and from the experiences of really good wildlife photographers, I can say that this is a pretty good review, especially compared to some of the others out there. You have to understand that real wildlife photography is a huge time commitment and has an extensive learning curve. If you aren't prepared to get outdoors and shooting several times a week for a year or two, perhaps you should find another genre of photography. For me, as an old guy with health issues, this regimen was just what the doctor ordered.
Right now is both the best of times and the worst of times to get into this area. Both mirrorless and lens design technologies are revolutionizing the field. However, a lot of the "products" are still vaporware. The Sony A9 is an utterly fantastic camera body, a joy to use and a harbinger of what is to come. Pair it with the Sony 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 and you have a solid path of entry to the field. With a 1.4 teleconverter you have a 550 f/8 lens, with decent optical quality, especially for a zoom lens cranked all the way out and wide open.
After a year of waiting for Sony to manufacture and deliver a worthy lens for the A9, I have given up and bought a Nikon 500mm f/4 and a Z7. I also bought the excellent Nikon 300mm f/4. This is a serious wildlife lens once you get used to getting closer to your subjects. The Z7, is a really good start for Nikon, but needs several times more computational speed to match the A9. With the A9 I can track swallows catching insects in the air and harriers flying right next to trees and shrubs. With the Z7, it had better be large in the frame, slowly moving, and flying against a contrasting background. Nikon has announced a vaporware Z9 "available soon", but right now I am done waiting. If I can't learn to live with the limitations of the Z7 I'll buy a used D5 or D850 while I'm waiting. Nikon also has a very interesting phase-Fresnel 500mm f/5.6 lens that is lighter than all heck, but is also still "new product, coming soon", just like the elusive Sony 400mm f/2.8.
I used to do amateur astronomy, and wildlife lenses are much like telescopes. Size (low f/number) matters but magnification (focal length) not so much. Stop a lens down much further than f/5.6 and diffraction blur will negate whatever lens quality you paid for. Since animals do lots of the most interesting parts of their lives when the sun is low or not in the sky at all, you will have to also use high ISOs.
Thanks for the great review
between the 3 super tele you tried already , which one would you recommend to take for Safari trip in south africa ?
Md Dragon on one of his video he was talking about the 150-600 cuz taking the plane with 600-f4 is not easy n the first one you can handle it easier 😉
Hi as a matter of urgency please reply to my question here as soon as possible. When viewing with this camera and lens re you viewing through the lens?
Nice video, nice spot of Iceland
I remember a professional wildlife photographer who wrote a book were he stated that the shortest the lens the more skilled and knowledgeable the photographer was. Food for thought.
Nice lens....I do a lot of wildlife photography so need a zoom telephoto. I use a Nikkor 200-500 f5.6, on my D500 with sometimes a 1,4 TC fitted. This has a lot of reach, and auto focuses very quickly, stabilization is excellent. I can also zoom right in and get a lovely photo of a dragonfly which is about 10ft away. It's a great package.
Another amazing video Matt, keep it up.
I have the older 600mm af-s ED II with my D850 and D4s and you are correct about that magic dust! The quality is just amazing and I got mine for under $4k. I prefer a heavy duty monopod with tilt head to my tripod and gimbal.
I'm a nature lover, but I do like architect, old and modern. Perhaps you can do some shooting in the cities for future episodes.
I go nuts over my 200-500 f 5.6 and it is my go to lens now. It produces razor sharp images.
I agree.
Excellent
I'm amazed you were actually able to hold this monster so steady. Good job.
It's not his first time :P
the beauty of a prime - faster
Build the biceps up packing that around?
I Love Iceland. always want to go there... Such a nice Island.... Shot also birds over there....
How do you find a small subject in the first place, with such a narrow field of view? Personally I think I would bolt on an additional viewfinder with a wider field of view. Kind of like a rangefinder camera, I suppose. I think that'll make it easier and quicker to find your subject, and perhaps to track it as well.
There is no substitute for lots and lots of practice.
Love the Jacket, Where did you get it from?
That is Wind cheater from Wal-Mart!
Hi Matt, do you think its worth buying the Nikon 600mm now? It seems Sony and Canon have produced even lighter 600mm. I am guessing from history we might be expecting a new and lighter 600mm in 2 years time?
I rarely use a tripod for this lens. It's very handholdable. Granted not for everyone... The VR is insanely good.
Great video and really enjoyed it. Just a question about the grey coat you wore is it waterproof and who manufactured the item.
Fully water proof with top level goretex. It’s made by 66 north
Thanks for the quick response. Looks like I will be the 2nd buyer of this jacket.
That's it... next year I'm going to Iceland :P
Have you ever used the 800 F/5.6?
This is the fov where I take most of my wild life photography. I use the olympus 300mm f4 and add a mc-14 to get a 840mm equivalent fov and f5.6 light so the pdaf of my om1.2 works like nothing I've experienced in long telephoto setup. You get really great reach with the tc for birds and can remove the x1.4 tc and use it for larger animals. In my case the compact size make it perfect for hand holding for hours and most importantly be able to track quickly combined with the system speed. I used to rent a 500mm f4 on a ff setup and it was almost unusable to track anything been too heavy and slow.
One important aspect to have on a lens like that is a manual clutch focusing system else finding your subject is a nightmare. It is a lot harder than it seems to take a photo of a bird in flight with that kind of reach specially if it's moving toward your or at an angle but it's also rewarding when you get it.
I use my 600 mm f/4 with a monopod instead of a tripod, much easier to move around, it takes the burden of the weight but you cannot let you hands off the camera otherwise you will cry for a few days
I can't wait for the new 300-600mm f/4 zoom. Going to be an epic sports/wildlife lens.
How soon do ya think they will release it ? Would ya happen to know the $$$ cost ?
Lol three years later are you still waiting for it?
I have the 800mm, I find hand holding is ok and it’s much better to use your knees or a hand on a rock (to stop scratches) as a tripod (with rough clothes) than bring a tripod. A tripod turns a bit of shoulder pain after a long walk into a real slog and ruins the fun. Side note 8:06 it is a f7 with the tc, not f8, but as you lose f5.6 af points it doesn’t make much odds.
Dream lens
I love my Sigmonster hooked up to my d850.
Thank you Matt for a great video... Maybe you should of taken that new Nikon 180-400 ? Would like to here your review of that compared to the far cheaper 200-500. Thank you again for the great content.
I like shoot birds it’s always a challenge ❤️❤️❤️
Try using Winchester ...it is not that challenging shooting birds :)
Sigma 500mm F4 at 45% the cost of the Nikon 600mm F4?
'
many lens are big problems with badly blur focuses as depth of fields...
cannot adjustment / canoot fix / cannot repair
Incredible series, keep it up! I'm a budget-minded amateur so for now a (Nikon) Tamron 150-600mm (Gen 1) is my birding lens. Once I hit MegaMill I'll upgrade to the used-car priced lenses ;)
Ever thoughtabout buying a just one ?
Great!
@ 9:00 you. said you are not happy with the quality of the teleconverter, I know that Nikon manufactures one of a kind teleconverter to each of those beasts, and it is calibrated to the particular lens you buy, I doubt if with the rental you had furnished that particular teleconverter, that could be the reason of the loss of the quality?
What about the 800 5.6?
What's wrong with (9:36)? It is sharp.
matt you are always best for me . I think this video is in my beautiful country iceland
Like your coat where did you get and what model is it.
Auke Bierma I have the same question!
Its $925. Yikes. www.66north.com/us/men/parkas/tvioddi-gore-tex-down-parka/?item=W11114-728&size=S
Hi Matt I hav the 600mm E FL as you tested her, only for answer on something you say in the end of this video, you say something like it not was easy to us. That depends on what you are us to I belive you are agree in that, you normal like to have a 85mm or something, I have shot birds for 30 years and doing this not ones a month but every day of the week. And the 600mm f/4 have never be so light as right now I was also think the same on the last model :) but after 30 years with bird I think this is amazing light lens, and it is so sharp as a lens can be right now, so things are depend of what you doing and at last yes it cost a lot of money but I need only this one and my D5 and now I have the D850 to, and I am not rich at all but birds is my life Best wishes from Norway
Astrophotography. Excellent lens.
Wow 👌
Can this be attached to the Nikon P900 to extend it's zoom?
But this could be attached to Nikon 1” cameras
Nice jacket bro
Perhaps you should test out the 180-400 with built in tc.
That's a lens that has a lot of people scratching their collective heads.
Nikon has/had the 200-400 for years. That lens was never a large seller, and was priced around $7k. The 180-400 at over $12,400 including the converter IMO doesn't make sense.
The 180-400 must appeal to those with more money than brains.
Gunga Dinn perhaps so, but he was complaining about the inflexibility of a 600 prime for tracking birds. Personally I don’t think I’ll ever own any of them.
All I can say in regards to follow focusing, is that it takes lost of practice, lots of practice.
I own a 300mmf/2.8 AF-s, a 500mm f/4.0 P lens and an 800 f/5.6 AI-S lens. If I were to sell them, they'd be worth about 30-40% of the new purchase price. I've got no intention of selling them. They work well for my current needs.
Way back in the day, Nikon made a 1000mm and a 1200mm manual focus lens. These weren't mirror lenses, but refractive lenses. Professional photographers used them and got stunning images, on film. I've got no idea on the hit rate, but they were used. In today's digital world, manual focus lenses still have a place. Every lens doesn't require a focusing motor.
We as photographers are getting lazy. No one focuses by eye, or uses hand held light meters. These are skills no longer being taught.
Quick question: Will this lens "blow out" backgrounds MORE than any other lens in Nikon's range?
can do with most lenses? foreground subject, background separation distance?
The lens itself is a sculpted piece of art
For sitting birds, nothing beats P1000!
Hmmm, think I'll stick to a 200 500 f5.6.
Most practical lens
You are very strong. For me handhold 500 f4 is the limit.
1,000mm PF f/4 ?
No 500m pf?
It seems easier and much less expensive to just grab a bag of seeds or whatever the birds find tasty and get closer. :-)
Clever
Great vid Matt. What neck strap are you using? Thanks
I use BlackRapid Straps - geni.us/Blackrapid
Damn, that was quick. Lol. Thank You :)
Cheapest practical option....Nikon 200-500. Crop mode. 750mm. Add kenko tc for 100 $$. It’s 1000mm.
thank you so much Matt...here from British Columbia...As a senior with limited income at the moment I really love the places you take me to visually. This Iceland one particularly fascinated me. I want to go there in the near future though my interest is in Trolls...(not the internet kind)...I'd like to know who made your jacket in this video...I have a background in the photo industry so your advice about renting versus jumping out and buying such specialized optics is a very wise and professional thing to advise.
thanks mate. The jacket I wore in this video I bought in Iceland - brand is 66 North.
I feel the same way with the Canon 600 and 1.4, 2.0 tc. The 1.4 matches up great but the 2x just seems to be a little off. I’ve got some shots with it I like but more often they look soft.
indeed putting 2x tc on 600 gives a little like haze to the image, thou 1200 mm is super useful, and i feel like canon 600mm f4 L IS mk2 is a bit faster focusing (if you manage to get the subject in viewfinder, i was shooting fighter jets) than canon 70-200mm f2.8 mk2 which is super fast focus grab lens.
Learn to get closer lol...
Ever been on Safari? Or at a bird migration cliff face?
600mm x1,4 is 860mm??? Where can i get a TC 17E III???
NikonのZ9は買うのか？？
The Nikon 400mm f/2.8 is the best Super Telephoto lens ever by any manufacturer. You didn't even include it in your question above. Big blunder!
Nice to see another Field Tested ;)
Good as always. Only the audio was a bit overdriven. at least in the first few mins.
400mm with a 2x kills the 600mm f4 because you end up at 800mm f5.6 and the autofocus is still fast and gets sharper photos than a 600mm.
That Nikon Guy
Interesting video, but your editing transitions are not as smooth as they could be. Especially in the beginning of the video.
I know that the P900 and P1000 are limited for obvious reasons and their image quality is not as good as with a high end DSLR setup but for $1k you get 3000mm of zoom and they still take sharp crisp images of moving subjects. So I would definitely just carry a second camera instead of this lens 🤷🏼♂️
Moving subjects? No way. In good light and stationary subjects it has good quality if you don’t crop and maybe limit it to 2400mm.
3:51 HUMAN TRIPOD
HUMAN TRIPOD
After using the Sigma 150-600mm Sports for 2 years now, I really wonder if I could ever use a prime. The photos I took covers the entire range.
Shang-Hsien Yang the primes are faster and are much sharper. But for most people, the 150-600 is sharp enough
Austin indeed, the Sigma 150-600 Sports is pretty slow in terms of AF. I am willing to pay much more for something with equivalent focal length/sharpness but with faster AF.
I meant faster aperture (wider), but I suppose AF speed could be a factor. I have the tamron 150-600 G2, and while I haven't used the sigma sport version, I am happy with the AF speed of it. I've managed to get a dragonfly in focus several frames in a row on a d810 when it was zigzagging all over the place
For birding I find the prime worth it since I would always be at 600mm or 500mm on my 500mm zoom anyway. A long prime like that doesn't replace a tele zoom and when I forget my tele zoom home and only bring the prime I often regret it. Last week again I was setup for bird and had a dear come at me relatively close and had to remove my TC hoping it wasn't too close. With my zoom I would had gotten better shots no doubt. In my mind for pure birding the prime is king. For mix shooting a zoom is more useful but if you already have the long tele zoom, getting a prime is a really nice addition. Unfortunately with the price of those lenses it's quite and investment.
Send me this lens 😊 A dream lens
Rich photographers...
for us mortals, a P900 80x optical tiny sensor camera will suffice until we lotto