Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 PF - Field Review Bird Photography
Is this lens a dream for bird photographers? Or is 800mm focal length sometimes too much and you are too inflexible? I have tested the Nikkor Z 800mm 1:6.3 VR S PF extensively for wildlife photography. In this video I would like to share my experiences on image quality, autofocus, stabilizer, handling and other practical aspects with you.
You can buy the lens and accessories here (affiliate links):
Nikon Z 800 f/6.3 PF: bhpho.to/49saGxX
Nikon 1.4x TC: bhpho.to/3sKX16d
Nikon 2x TC: bhpho.to/3RjZvSi
Nikon Z8: bhpho.to/3xixS4p
Nikon Z9: bhpho.to/49YeGbe
Get clean and low-noise images: tidd.ly/3VmJyNR
DXO Pure Raw 4: tidd.ly/3VmJyNR
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I have the 800 in use since it hit the shelves.It is as sharp as my Nikkor /4 TC and in the end you get used to The smaller POV of 800mm: I think this lens is best you can get on the market these days price /quality wise
Nice to hear that you like it 😊
Great video Fabian and I agree with pretty well everything you have said. I have owned and used the Z 800 PF lens since October 2022 and taken countless shots with it - pretty well all of wildlife. Most of the time, without the 1.4xTC (I don't have the 2x) but, on occasions, with it. When used correctly and in the right conditions it gives stunningly good images and, of course, represents great value, especially when compared to the Z 600 f/4 with TC! Here in the UK I regularly visit nature reserves where you can only get good photo opportunities from their hides and more often than not the subjects are a fair distance from the hides so range becomes an all important element. My other long range lens was the Z 100-400 which I found to be a superb lens - very flexible but, on too many occasions just didn't give the reach. I used the 1.4TC with the 100-400 but, when I tried back to back tests between that combination v the new Z 180-600 I found the latter, despite not being an S-Line lens, gave the better results. Now I always go out with the 180-600 mounted on one camera body and the 800 on the other - Z8 & Z9, and this gives me the best of both worlds. Despite the fact that I am 75 I can still hand hold both and carry both using the Black-Rapid twin-camera strap as this puts the load on the shoulders, not the neck
Sounds like a nice combination. Have fun
Great review! The image at 7:15 is just world class; the composition, crop and colors are incredible.
Thanks
The 800PF doesn't seem to get as much love when it comes to reviews vs the 400/600 range. Yet I find there is so much potential with this lens. Not just for wildlife but for landscapes.
For landscapes I actually prefer the Z180-600 😊
it's a great lens, wonderful IQ, renders really well, balances well on both Z8/9 and great value.
Have fun with it!
Great review Fabian 😊 I’ve had my 800 since it was released and your comments are spot on. I use the 500 PF & 300 PF for an all PF lightweight setup when I need to go shorter - they still work great in Z-land!
Sounds great, have fun!
Thanks, Fabián😊
You‘re welcome
Excellent review! Thx! I bought this lens yesterday, I am really looking forward to using it in the field.
Thanks, have fun!
Perfect timing Fabian, thank you for another great video 👌
Happy to hear that 😊
Love your Vids. Thank you so much.
Thanks
Great reviews as usual! Thanks Fabian. Viel Spaß in Spanien
Thanks! Unfortunately, I‘m already back
this lens is amazing!
Definitely
Thanks for the review, your observations were much the same as mine have been. I purchased the 800 about 4 months ago and it took a couple of trips out to get use to it. Now......what a lens !!. So far, I've used it predominantly for birding (matched to a Z9) this past winter and the imagery I'm getting is crazy good. Coming up, I will be out chasing bears. Then we will see how it performs with larger animals. Cheers,
Happy to hear that you like it
I bought my canon 500 mm f4 used. The previous owner found a white plastic lid for a corning baking/storage dish that makes a perfect lens cap. It is awesome, fits precisely. Not sure I even know where the standard hood is in my gear.
Sounds like a very inexpensive solution - nice!
I was tempted to go for the 400mm 2.8 Z TC and just have the 2x TC for the odd occasion. But I decided to go for a combo with the 400mm 4.5 and 800mm 6.3. So far I think it was a good choice. But 800mm would be far too much as 1 lens solution.
Nice. Enjoy
I have seen your video about the Nikon 800/6.3 pf, ,very good.I have a question , whether to buy the 800 or 600 zoom lens, I have a Nikon 180/600 zoom lens, and I wanted something fixed with a longer focal lenght for birds. Thank you very much, Regards.
I would say this mainly depends on how much focal length you need and how much weight you are willing to carry. But if you already have the 180-600, I would personally rather go for the 800/6.3
Great review and makes me want to switch from canon or just have this lens with a Z8 as an addition. What is also nice about Nikon is I just heard you can buy an adapter to use Sony lenses with just as good auto focus as I love the light weight smaller lenses. Have you heard of this and perhaps experimented using this adapter? Also what shorter focal length lens would you carry along side this 800mm for when it’s to much focal length? Thanks 😊
The e to z adapter works really good with sony lenses but you might see some differences while using long tele lenses other than that any lens under 200mm is great to work with
No, I never tried that. I also took my RF100-300/2.8 to Spain and was very happy with it. I also had the Z180-600 in Spain which definitely makes more sense if you are a nikon shooter (or the Z100-400)
Impressive photos, which wetlands and beaches in Valencia were you? I have gone out there to take photos but I have not found places to be at the same level as the birds to get the background out of focus.
Thanks! It was mostly in the albufera
@@FabianFoppNaturephotography thank you!!
What are your updated thoughts on Canon vs Nikon after spending more time with Nikon setups and now the 800 PF? Would you trade your Canon gear for a Nikon setup if it didn't cost any additional money to do so?
Why trade? Just get both!!
Hard to say. I would love to have the Z600/4 TC, but I also really like my RF100-300 (I have actually used that one more than my 600/4 this year)
@@FabianFoppNaturephotography the 100-300mm looks amazing, especially for certain sports, but I find even my 100-500mm too short for many scenarios. What are your thoughts on the 400mm TC vs 600mm TC? Have you used both? If you're using the 100-300mm often it sounds like a 400mm f2.8 might be a better fit than a 600mm f4, especially the Nikon TC version for even more versatility.
But the 400/2.8 only starts at 400 😉 I use my RF100-300 mostly between 135-300mm.
@@FabianFoppNaturephotography What wildlife are you mainly shooting in that focal range? That's awesome that you're able to that close to them. In my area shooting across water and small birds even 700mm (100-500 + 1.4x TC) isn't enough reach
I wish canon would start launching similar lenses to Nikon. They’re slacking
Canon just made the best birding lens on the planet with the 200-800 ;)
I definitely hope they bring more lenses 😃 But they also have some quite unique tele lenses, I love my RF100-300/2.8
I hope you're joking.@@Chris_Wolfgram
Great ! One question, where do you buy a lens cap for your 600 mm f/4 ? I've de same problem as you, but with my Nikon Z 600 mm f/4. It would be very kind of you if you would give me an answer. Best regards.
I use this one for my 600/4. I don't know if there is a Nikon version: www.augenblicke-eingefangen.de/snap-on-objektivdeckel-fuer-canon-ef/rf-600-f/4-rf-1200-f/8?number=AE21650&c=143&sPartner=55eca566
Thank you very much@@FabianFoppNaturephotography
Fabian what editing program did you use for the z800 photos shown in your video? Regards
I used Capture One and DXO PureRaw 4 for the denoising: tidd.ly/3VmJyNR
@@FabianFoppNaturephotography thank you, I use LR and my Z8 files look very poor in the final result...
I like using this lens on z8. But prefer using my 600pf with 1.4 teleconverter when this light is bright enough because it is so much smaller and lighter
Yes, the 600/6.3 is a very interesting choice as well
I think that for being a 800mm Lens it is great, but I would not use it for walking around/ hiking in the nature for a longer time, I got the new Sigma 500 5.6 DG DN OS Sports Lens two weeks ago, it is so small and light weight, very easy to use that you can carry it in your hands for several hours.
Yes. I think Sigma has a winner in the 500mm F5.6. Similar to the older Nikon 500mm F5.6 pf. Hope Nikon updates it with a future Z version 500mm F5.6. Will be wonderful and can extend it to 700mm F8 with a 1.4x teleconverter. If it doesn't come, maybe just have to go for the newly launched but more expensive 600mm F6.3 pf.
If I needed an even lighter lens I would go for the Nikon 600/6.3
@@FabianFoppNaturephotography I am still very fine with the new Sigma 500mm 5.6 DG DN OS Sports Lens which fits very fine in my old compact camera backpack, that the Nikon 600mm cannot and the Sigma is nearly half the price of the Nikon and I do not want Nikon cameras, Nikon still do not have 61 megapixels sensor.
@@victorlim5077 In some of the reviews of the new Sigma 500mm 5.6 DG DN OS Sports Lens they compare it to the older Nikon AF-S 500mm 5.6 PF ED VR Lens and they say the new Sigma performs better than Nikon. I think that Nikon Z 600mm 6.3 is too expensive, the Nikon Z 400mm 4.5 have a much nicer price. If I had Nikon I would get the Z 400mm or adapt the old 500mm 5.6
What lens is comparable in the canon line up?
I don’t think there really is one. The RF800/5.6 is in a completely different price range
This is the very best bird/BIF lens on the market from any manufacturer for any system. There is nothing sharper at 800mm+, except the F 800 f5.6 FL ED VR which weighs 10.2 lbs, slower AF, far worse VR, and costs $10k more. The Z 800 PF is noticeably sharper at f6.3 vs the Z 600 PF with 1.4x TC at f9. But, the Z 800 PF gets even sharper at f7.1 and sharper still at f8. The Z 600 PF gets less sharp if you stop it down. The Z 800 PF, Z 400 f2.8 TC and Z 600 f4 TC, are Nikon Z's exceptional super telephoto lenses. The Z 600 PF is not in that league. This is not to say its a bad lens. It is a great lens. But it is not exceptional.
Overall I would prefer the 600/4 TC. But the 800/6.3 is very nice if you want something more lightweight and you need a lot of focal length
@@FabianFoppNaturephotography I would prefer a 10-2000mm f1.2 with built in 2x TC, power zoom, built in hand warmer, and makes coffee. 😅
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Thanks