Review of the Nikon Z 180-600 f/5-6.3 lens | Photographing The Endangered Eastern Curlew
This is a review of the Nikon Z 180-600 f/5-6.3 lens. I've been using this lens over the past few weeks now and I have to say that it is an outstanding lens.
I tested it out photographing the critically endangered migratory shorebird, the Far Eastern Curlew and to no surprise it handled it fantastically!
This video was shot and reviewed on both the Nikon Z8 and Nikon Z9 cameras.
Chapters --
00:00 The Far Eastern Curlew
00:21 The Review Begins
01:11 Ergonomics
02:14 Focusing
02:30 Sharpness - with examples
02:55 In The Field - with the Z8
07:33 Pleasing Interlude
07:55 In The Field - with the Z9
12:45 Conclusion / Image Examples
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Learn more about the Far Eastern Curlew here: • OM System OM-1 + Shore...
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[this is not a paid or sponsored review]
Great review, I came here for the lens and stayed for the magnificent birds! I had to subscribe, thanks for sharing the video!
Thank you! Thanks for watching!
One of the best and concise video! Thanks!
Enjoyable video. Ordered mine a week ago and (if I'm lucky) I might it by Christmas. Can't wait, especially after watching your video. We have a lot of shore birds here as well, particularly around the Fraser River delta - many species of owls and eagles as well. Cheers!
Oh nice! That’ll be a great Christmas present!
Great review, thank you. I have this lens too and considering the price to what you get it's tremendous value. I love it too.
Thanks for the review! This lens looks great.
Thank you, thanks for watching. It is!!
I preordered mine the day it was announced. I got a call Thursday that it had come in. They were going to ship it to me but I had to work night shift this this weekend and I was afraid I'd miss them. I'm on vacation starting tomorrow and will be in the area where one of their stores is located. They shipped out there for me to pick up Wednesday. I can't wait to try it out.
Great lens! Great video!! 😄
Thanks for doing this video. I have the 180-600 currently on the Z6ii. Getting ready to pull the trigger on the Z8. I hope it will give the same performance as your Z9. Watched a few of your other videos about the 24-200 lens. I believe I will get the Kit Version of the Z8 that comes with the 24-120S Lens. New Subscriber from the US.
Thanks! If the rumours are true the Z8 might be getting the same autofocus update as the Z9 this year, which would be unreal. I’ve also done a review of the 24-120, its such a great lens!
The 180-600 is a great lens. I bought the 180-600mm rather than the 600mm and the money I saved paid for half of the Z 800mm. Then I upgraded the 180-600 to the amazing 100-400mm S lens. With these 2 lenses that can both be put into a carry-on bag, covers the entire range of 100mm-1,600mm. (with TCs). The 100-400 has very close focusing and fits into the case for the 70-200 lens.
Great test of the Z9 4.1 and the Z180-600. I noticed that you seldom use a lens hood. I had been taught to always use the lens hood to decrease stray light that decreases contrast, and to protect the front element of the lens. What has been your experience?
Cheers! Yeah, I suppose I should but it’s a situational thing at that location. It’s always super windy there and with a lens hood it turns the lens into a sail, so I tend to not use it. I do use a UV filter though, which is a very contentious topic in of itself haha
I Pre ordered and it was ready to ship to me but an emergency came up so I had to give up the order. Hopefully, I will get a copy in 2024. Thanks for the inspiration.
Ah no, sorry to hear. Hope everything is all good now. There’ll probably be more stock available in 2024 so you should be fine. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the videos. I also own a Z 180-600 with my Z6ii and wonder which settings and if you used a ND filter.
Thanks! For photos I generally use 1/3200, f/6.3 and auto ISO. This works for me and the locations I shoot at. Video settings, I shoot in 4k 50fps or (60 fps) 100fps (120fps) with a shutter of 1/400, f/6.3 ISO 800-4000, depending. Shooting in n-log
Oh and no ND filter
Thank you for a proper in the field review of this lens. Luckily there are several available here in New Zealand and I should have mine this week. Unfortunately, they have proven so popular that the trade in price for the 200-500 has plummeted 😢
Thank you, thanks for watching. Oh nice, you might have migratory birds arriving now in your neck of the woods too! That's not good news, I should of sold mine when the 180-600 was announced! 🥴
@@Blinsaff yes, we have our Godwits back now. They will be my first "target" next week 😀
@@ian-nz-2000 haha perfect!
I have seen that pretty much every time they released a new Z mount lens to replace an F mount lens. Sucks when you want to sell the lense you replace but I bet people who want to stick to the F mount for now or who are looking for cheap gear that is still awesome are celebrating right now 😅
I just ordered this lens ... it will go on my Zf !
Nice! Enjoy 😎
What Gimbal Head are you using . I have this Lens plus Z8 in S Africa but need a Gimbal some day >> Great Video
Thanks! I was using a Magnus GH-M1 gimbal head, but it wasn’t very good. So I just upgraded to a Benro GH5C Carbon fibre gimbal head, which js very good.
I own the Z8 and the 200-500. Currently I am really not happy with the 200-500 for BIF. I feel 80% are out of focus. I thought about the 180-600, but am afraid that it is not really faster when it comes to AF, so I g^hesitate to save up for a 400mm 4.5. How to you feel about the af compared the 200-500 to 180-600?
I feel like the 180-600 is faster to lock on and the tracking is much better and reliable on the 180-600. A massive improvement
Can u tell me more about your tripod and gimbal? Would also like recommendations for a carry case or backpack for this lens. I would love a professional gear and a budget gear recommendation plz. Thank you
Sure. The gimbal head is a Magnus Gimbal head. It’s not very good and I’m looking to upgrade. Tripod is a Benro Mach 3 carbon fibre tripod. A good bag is the LowePro 450 aw ii
@@Blinsaff thank you for the reply. Which arca Swiss type tripod head would you recommend for this lens?
@@jacky2152 the Wimberley gimbal heads are worth a look. Pricey though. Benro have good video heads. I’ve always used manfrotto video heads and they’ve handle it well. Gimbal head is probably better for fast moving subjects to be honest. Price may be your factor here
Thx for the review. Hope i have this lens someday so that i could shoot birds and animals. Do u think its possible using this lens with handhold?
Yes, I do it often. Easy to do
I'm still using my 200-500 as well! Currently with a Z7 II. I'm still very happy with it but this lens is pretty much on the top of my list of lenses I want to upgrade to. Image quality isn't really a concern for me compared to my current lens and it only seems to be a tiny bit sharper anyway with better bokeh. I really only want it for the better AF and that internal zoom with a way shorter throw :) That ridiculously long throw on the 200-500 is aweful, right now I resort to taking the camera down, zooming and then taking it back up to my eye so I can zoom faster. Not ideal but that did improve my keeper rate!
The internal zooming alone of the 180-600 is enough for an upgrade. 200-500 still takes great images though
@@BlinsaffAgreed! It's just not enough to make me want to go out and buy one immediately. If that was even possible, given that it's sold out everywhere 😁 Especially since the resale value of the 200-500 has hit rock bottom after the release of the 180-600. I should add that I bought my lens in April this year. Got it for a good price, knowing that a successor was on the way. But since I plan to upgrade to the 180-600 later when it has come down in price anyway, so like in 2 to 3 years, it didn't matter much to me. I'd also need a new lens collar anyway, I want one with Arca-Swiss.
@@Blinsaff I said I'd upgrade later, but now I was in the fortunate position to order it 😁 I had the cash, it was available and I got a discount. It all aligned so I pulled the trigger.
@@MattisProbably oh nice! Enjoy!! 😎
Hi ~ is there way way to use this on an F-Mount camera like the D500? Thanks.
No unfortunately, it's only available on Z mount cameras
@@Blinsaff thank you.
@@12Lionheart no worries
What’s happened to your lens hood and why aren’t you using it? Especially when you were shooting in the sun. Strange.
Windy conditions, made it hard stability wise.
A couple of friends bought it and they are pretty disappointed and thinking to give it back getting 600 6.3. PF. They said it lacks of sharpness at 600 mm.
Interesting. I guess that’s the difference between zooms and primes
It’s sharp at 600mm but harder to get sharp images once you get at that type of fl because of atmospherics and other factors.
The difference between a zoom and a prime (not as much as in the past, but still there), PLUS, the difference between a $1,700.00 lens and a $5,000.00 lens! The question is, with today's excellent post processing software, can you live with the slight difference in sharpness to save over three thousand dollars, and get the versatility of a zoom? After processing, how much real world difference is there?
Well, there is also people saying that between a 600 f4 and a 200-600 Sony there is no so great difference, then you try bought and you understand very well by the first is much more expensive.@@alansach8437
I was planning to buy the 600mm but when I saw the results from the 180-600mm I bought it, and the money I saved paid for half of my Z 800mm.
Why don’t you use the lense hood?
Windy days, made it hard to stabilise
That looks like Point Halloran.
It sure is!
As a guy who photographs curlews as well I'm going to be honest here if it's just photographs that you want I don't see a reason to upgrade from my d7500 dlsr and Nikon 200-500 f5.6....but for video this is amazing....❤
That's true, but that autofocus is hard to beat. I love both lenses, but the 180-600 has been more consistent and versatile so far
I'd add to that that it's generally beneficial to photography when photographers pioneer by picking up new gear. The wider flange on the Z system scoops up more light, making fantastic lenses like this one technically feasible. Nikon sharing it with a lot more people by setting quite an incredible price for this particular lens I feel is part of the same revolution in photo optics.
I think your copy isn't particularly sharp. At least compared to other reviews I've seen.
hmm ok? it's sharp on my end. Might be a youtube compression issue
@@Blinsaff Could be. Just watch out for it, in case you can compared to another copy, if there is a problem, maybe you can have it change.
I love wildlife photography, and I love my dog. Those were some pretty nasty comments about that person's pet
No one has explained to me why would you spend $12,000-$15,000 on a 400mm 2.8 when you can get just as good or better quality with the Nikon Z 180-600. It makes absolutely no sense, I can’t wait until my Nikon Z 180-600 comes in!
@@birdiec2769, there is so much photo sharpening and denoising software out there that you can take a not so good photo and really make it shine. It is a glorious time to be a Nikon Z user, you can’t pass on that reach.
Because it is 2.8. If you need to shoot in low light or fast action situations that can make all the difference in the world.
2.8………nuff said.
my 600mm f4 goes to 840mm f5.6 with 1.4 tele….enough said….
And it costs many times what this lens costs. Enough said.
@@alansach8437 Exactly...pay cheap get cheap.
@@snap-n-shootdisagree:))
the 200-500 isnt weather sealed lol.
So you’re telling me, after all these years of being out in salty air, dusty air and other un savoury conditions, that this lens isn’t weather sealed??! lmao
yep. imagine what actual weather sealed gear is like haha@@Blinsaff