Nikon Z 180-600MM VS AF-S 500MM PF | How does the AF and hit rate stack up on the Z8 / Z9?
We compare the Nikon 180-600mm Z mount lens and the AF-S 500 PF lenses from Nikon on the Nikon Z9 in the field. We compare AF performance, hit rate, and color rendition.
LONG VIDEO - USE THE CHAPTERS TO NAVIUGATE TO THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE VIDEO!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
00:00 - Intro
01:25 - Testing Setup
03:19 - In the Field
07:20 - 500 pf Specs
09:27 - 180-600 Specs
12:49 - 500pf AF Performance Tests
25:47 - 180-600 AF Performance Tests
34:44 - AF Test Results
36:40 - 500 pf Hit Rate review
40:32 - 500 pf Hit Rate results
41:16 - 180-600 Hit Rate review
45:00 - 180-600 Hit Rate results
45:53 - Color Rendition Discussion
50:12 - Phase Fresnel Bokeh
51:01 - Conclusion
_____________________________________________________________
Affiliate links mean I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. This helps support my channel at no additional cost to you.
_____________________________________________________________
Zippo Heatbank 9s Rechargeable Hand Warmer amzn.to/46qyroZ
Sirui CT-3204 amzn.to/47bL6N2
Sirui PH20 amzn.to/47anCIk
Peak Design SL-BK-3 Slide, Camera Strap amzn.to/48rGL9R
Nikon Z9 amzn.to/3RPQ9OY
Siri P 325 FS + VH-10 Fluid Head combo: amzn.to/3KjgVe3
Nikon Z8 amzn.to/3qPftcs
Exascend Essential 1TB CFexpress Card Type B amzn.to/43QA5PM
Exascend 512GB Essential CFexpress Card Type B amzn.to/3CrP1rC
Exascend 256G/512G/1TB Essential CFexpress Card Type-B amzn.to/3CkWMje
Lenscoat Raincoat amzn.to/3BuKqVk
Vello BG-C18 Battery Grip amzn.to/40wJt9f
SmallRig AP-10 Carbon Fiber Tripod amzn.to/3Z5Ci86
Canon EOS R10 amzn.to/3nlJ8IX
Canon EOS R5 amzn.to/3xbg48A
Canon EOS R7 amzn.to/3ARWbow
Rode VideoMic GO II amzn.to/3DcKKtJ
Atomos Ninja V amzn.to/3DdzJZl
WANDRD PRVKE 21L Photography Backpack amzn.to/3BcYVg0
___________________________________________________________
SOCIAL MEDIA & WEB
Instagram: / sdwest11
Facebook Page: / sdwest11
Website & Shop: westakphoto.com/
WHO I AM.
My name is Scott West and I am a nature and wildlife photographer located in Alaska. I am very lucky to live in a place surrounded by amazing landscapes and even more amazing wildlife.
☊ MUSIC
Music licensed through Epidemic Sound www.epidemicsound.com/
Music licensed through Music Vine. musicvine.com/
Best Wishes
Scott
I really love this channel and love how detailed and most important information you give
Thanks. I worry when i'm editing and I see I'm already at 45 minutes. And I cut a bunch of footage out too lol. Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for the detailed comparison between these two lenses. It's exactly what I was looking for! Keep up the good work!
Glad it was helpful!
Very detailed and informative. I just received my copy of the Nikon Z 180-600 and the few frames I've taken so far with both the Z8 and Z9 have been excellent.
Grats on the lens 🎉🍻
Really enjoy your videos and your knowledge and expertise. Thank you for taking this Texan on these journeys!
Thanks for watching!
Great comparison between the two. Just got a used pf yesterday, it is an awesome little lens. Paired it with the zf to try and make the smallest lightest rig i could. The 180-600 is on the back burner for now.
That's a great light rig. the 500pf is a beast of a lens.
Thank you for a comprehensive review of the 2 lenses. I’m happy that after a 6 month wait on my preorder my 180-600 arrived. I’m using it on my Nikon Z8 body. I’d be curious to know what your autofocus set up was for this test so I can try it out on my set up. I was using this set up to photograph the birds on my birdfeeder, and would like to use your methodology. Keep up the good work. I’ll be using mine in Florida starting next week. I’m not a fan of the cold weather.
here ya go kzhead.info/sun/lM2Od5h5m6Oid5E/bejne.html
Thank you for the excellent and in-depth testing of two very fine lenses. Without exception, Nikon is hitting home runs with their new Z series lenses, especially the lenses commonly used by wildlife photographers. I own the 400 mm f/4.5, the 180 to 600 f/6.3, and the 800 mm f/6.3 lenses. Each one is pin sharp! The 400 mm lens is incredibly light and pairs well with the Z9 and Z8 bodies. It is also very sharp when using the 1.4 X teleconverter. The 180 to 600 mm lens is incredibly versatile and is an excellent lens for both mammals and birds. Throughout the zoom range images are sharp and have excellent contrast. At 600 mm the lens focuses quickly and provides sharp detail and excellent contrast. The 800 mm lens is truly excellent for birds and is hand hold able. The only drawback I have experienced is the narrower field of view makes it challenging to keep birds in flight within the frame compared to 600 mm.
Good info. And yes shooting through 800+mm is like looking through a straw at times 😜
Great Video
Thanks!
I appreciate your channel and find value in watching your videos to enhance my skills in wildlife photography. I would highly appreciate your opinion on choosing between the NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR and the NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR lens. Weight is not a concern for me; my primary goal is to prioritize sharpness and focus. thank you
If I can get my hands on them I will and thanks for the kind words 🤗
I felt the 500 PF is a bit sharper than the 180-600mm but as you said the 180-600mm has a bit more contrast than the 500pf. Would be great to compare against the 400 f4.5 as that is neither Pf nor DO.
I don't talk about sharpness much anymore as in reality all lenses produced by canon, Nikon, Sony are all more than sharp enough for what we do. Unless I see a bad performance in sharpness I probably won't talk about it much. Color rendition, contrast, etc are more of a factor. Ill be testing the 400 4.5 in next couple weeks also.
@@WILDALASKA waiting for the 400 f4.5 🙏🏽
Great comparison.
thx
It would be interesting to see such tests for z6ii and z180 600 lens.
I won't be doing the z6ii in tests myself. if the mkiii ever comes out then well see.
thanks for comparing those lenses and show your experience with them. One question: if you don't have any wildlife lens and you can chose 1, which one would you pick? 100-400 or 400 f4.5 or 500 PF or 180-600? or maybe the old Canon 500 f4 with the adapter?
500 f4 mk II with fringer #1 or get a Nikon 500 f4 . after that the 180-600
@@WILDALASKA thank you for the advice
I just got my 800PF and I have to say wow. Just amazing. I miss my 180-600 but for now my 70-200, and 400 4.5 with the 1.4x tele is a good line up. I wonder if Nikon will be out with the 300PF to compete with Sony and Canon?
Not sure o the 300 myself
The Nikon F mount 300PF works great on the Z9. I was looking at the Z 600mm prime but I decided on the Z 180-600mm and the money I saved paid for half of my Z 800mm.
i have a 500pf already and was trying to decide between 180-600, 600pf(selling 500pf) and 800pf. Because i want a one lens option, i shoot most of my work around 600 or 500pf + DX mode worst case scenario, thus looking at 800pf(keeping to 500pf as backup). I do think its an investment too, and most of the images i like are more about the portrait and story than the background the animal is in, and 500pf is backup anyways. But...as always a great review and putting options to the viewer. GZ and well done with this video.
the PF lenses have a flatter color profile and different bokeh results also.
Thanks. Great review. "Hit rate a little better" but looked like it was nearly 90% for 180-600 vs. about 50% for the 500 pf
Fair enough!
Great video now you need to get your hands on a 600mm PF it focuses faster and even though it’s a PF lens the backgrounds look really good to me. When you need a zoom the 180-600mm is great, but when you want to go light the 600mm PF is the way to go.
If I can. May be a but to get a copy of it to test 🥹 The Bokeh or background changes happen when you have temp or wind atmospheric on all the PF lenses. It's just a factor of that type of lens. Not bad, just different. The color rendition is what im really curious about on the 600 and 800 pf's
looking forward for the 200-500 comparison test
Hopefully next Tuesday or Thursday on that video.
I have that lens, and I must say the pictures are a little sharper with my d500, versus my z9 wonder if it could be the adapter?
Sharpness is excellent on both lenses. Its just the color rendition on all pf lenses is flatter then the asphericals. It's just oil the engineering of the pf gas that's inherent. Again its not bad its just flatter rendition that the other glass.
I use the 500PF on a d500. On the banks of the Amazon in pretty low light conditions , my hit rate on flying birds was even worse than in your video. I had hoped that the z8 ( on its way to me) would change things but now I've seen your excellent video, my expectations are lower.
Thanks for the info!
One word, Excellent and thorough, loved it ! one question - what tracking speed did you have the camera set on 1-5 ?
Default which I believe is 3. I haven't had a need to change it yet. I usually don't have much issue with th tracking especially in 4.1 firmware now.
@@WILDALASKA Thanks, and again…nice video comparison, cant wait for the 400 f4.5 video, if you do one.
Im not ready to trade in my 500 PF for the 180-600. But maybe the 600PF or 800PF might be worth looking at.
👍
Thank you for this video. You realy put some time in it for us. But when I look at the pictures you have shown us I can clearly pick to pictures shot with the 500PF. Those have so much detail and sharpness. Overall I think you have tested the AF from Nikon more ttan you did the lenses. The fog and other conditions makes this verry hard to realy compare. But looking at the pictures, I really think the 500PF is the winner in details and contrast. I guess the colors are more influenced by the fog or your selection. I really want the 180-600 but after seen this test... I need to see more convincing tests. But thankx again it is realy informing.
I own both of these lenses and the 500PF is noticably sharper. Lot of work in LR and Topaz Labs to even them out.
the 500 pf has very flat colors and odd bokeh. its just the nature of the glass type. The 180-600 is far superior in color rendition and bokeh results. Both lenses are extremely sharp.
Is there any lens profile baked into LR for the new Z lens that could account for the IQ differences? Also wondering if it was more hazy at the time of using the 500pf. Not to suggest that the 500pf should look better than the 180-600, but I'm surprised at how flat the 500pf looked (despite having a more vibrant yellow beak on the duck).
Photos were taken at the same time. I would take a few shots then switch lenses, back and forth. The IQ is fine on the pf lens, It's the color rendition on all pf lenses that is flatter, is what I was trying to show in the video. It's not bad or anything just a flatter color rendition. Sharpness on both lenses is great.
i WISH THE VIDEO WAS 5 MINS LONG...NOT 53 MINS.....GOOD LAWRD.
Use the chapters and jump to what you want to know 😉 My reviews are no high detail, but I like to show how the cameras or lenses perform rather than just say oh it focuses well or bad. I show you the evidence also :) and ya its LONG. But you can just to the conclusion parts on each section.
@@WILDALASKA Thank you, i have a very low attention span.
@@j.kimmer1509 understand :)