Hey ! its been a While 🙂 but what a better way get back to it than with a new Lens and one of my favourites as well ! I hope you find this video useful and if you have any questions let me know !
I had a suspicion when you were shooting with MH you had this there to test with him. Looks amazing and at that price point, wow. Thanks for this and welcome back.
Not saying 6.3 isn't good, but counting on IBIS and VR to shoot what are probably predominantly moving subjects doesn't make as much sense as an extra stop of light collection. Having said that, I want the 800PF with a Z9.
@@885wc yeah hear ya, actual light is better than VR light. That said I shoot lots of wildlife video at f8 base on d5 and z6ii - much slower shutter - but also VR can be used for some really creative relative motion shots. I've shot ducks and geese at 500mm and 1/100 successfully for flighty shots :) blurred wings
Nice to see the Z400mmf2.8 lens with this z800 f6.3 in a comparison in areas say daytime and nighttime at a sports event under floodlights as an example like day to night test like Cricket, motor sports of Football or Rugby settings plus wildlife
Nikon absolutely knocking the mirrorless concept out of the park, what a lens, just hoping availability is favourable, I may have to use my Nikon NPS membership to aid acquisition 😀👏👍 Thanks for the info Ricci 👍
Dude,if your an NPS member why would you A,let us know B.even think about using your favored status,while your thinking about it you are losing your place in the queue.
Why not point out the fact that you can buy 2 honda motorbikes or even a small car ffs and still be left with change ,The Z9 and the 800mm together certainly isn't affordable
@@colintraveller that is not the point and you know it. It's that a working pro who needs an 800 can extend their arsenal by a massive margin/put that money toward other business expenses if they choose Nikon over Canon
@@PASquared Just pointing out a stone cold hard fact .. Also with the money Canon , Nikon and Sony charge you could also buy a Holiday in the Pacific Islands or African Safari funny you don't see a mass of them all going to Africa . Buy they are all happy to make video , some even become brand ambassadors because there channels are popular , but those brands don't buy them expensive Holidays to upsell there product rather ironic
Very helpful and thanks for putting it together. Owning the 800 5.6 I was really curious to see a comparison, and I'll be making the switch over to it, should be wonderful with the Z9. Sounds like there is no loss in sharpness or focusing which is amazing.
Thank you for the thorough review. This is the perfect lens for the kind of birding I do, and obviously it will compliment my Z9 exceptionally well. My pocketbook is still reeling from the Z9 purchase, so this lens may wind up being a Christmas present to myself since it will probably be that long before I can save up enough to buy it.
@@RicciTalks 600F4, 400PF and 200-600 will complete the tele lens line up and something no other brand can match. Absolutely Stunning and I'M totally impressed!!!
Great review Ricci. After 6 months of shooting birds exclusively here are my findings with the Z9 and the latest firmware. The good; 1) Image quality is beautiful. 2) Easy to carry and swing around for tracking birds. 3) Hood is easily removable (no screws). 4) The bag is perfect. 5) VR is magic in this lens. 6) Bokeh is far better than some people claim. It is better than my trusty 500 PF (soft and smooth). Just remember that the objects from and back must have some 6 to 10 ft from your subject, it is an F 6.3. Now for the bad; 1) Slower focus than the 600 mm TC (same as 500 pf), even slower with 1.4 TC. 2) The focusing distance is annoying (5 meters). To close; With what I know now, I would definitely buy it again today. It is my preferred lens for birding by a long shot.
I really thought that you would have shown this lens off in the video with Morten! Given the more compact nature of this lens I am giving it some serious consideration. Great information as always Ricci. Thanks
I have this lens now and coupled with the Z9 its everything they say about it plus !! Was considering the z600mm tc but that lens was out of my price range at $30k NZD. The Z800 can easily be used hand held, takes great photos and can take photos of small birds relatively close up. Top marks Nikon.
Ordered mine, I’m so excited i can finally have a 800mm. So much easier for me to keep from disturbing the wildlife and getting more natural shots. Sooooo looking forward to the arrival of this beast!
When the first specifications were released on this lens I compared it to my 500mmPF with TC-14E III and FTZII, a combo that works surprisingly well on my Z9. I'm sure lots of viewers are using the very same combo. The specifications are similar, with the 800mmPF offering 100mm more reach and 2/3 more light. But the 500mm+TC14+FTZ is about a pound lighter, gives me the option of removing the TC and using the 500mm by itself and saves me $6,500. So...I've already ordered a 800mm and been granted NPS priority, but I'm not fully committed to purchasing the lens from the camera dealer once NPS ships it (I asked and the dealer has lots of preorders for the lens and is more than happy to sell it to someone else if I don't get it.) I'd love to see the 800mm compared to the 500mm+TC14+FTZ in terms of image quality as well as handling and balance since I would be using it handheld most of the time. Thank you!
Very nice to see you back again. Just starting to see how much I use the 100-400 with the 1.4 TC, but if I find out here in the western U.S. that I need a longer throw, this looks to be an ideal lens at a very reasonable price point given what it is. Thank you as always.
I have this lens and it is unbelievable. With the 1.4 extender, it is effectively 1120 mm for a full frame sensor. This is unreal in the field for bird photography, and the image stabilization and light weight actually make it possible, with care, to hand hold this combination. By the way, it is pronounced "fray-nell", not "fres-nell", as it named after the French engineer and physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel who described the lens design.
Now that would be pretty darn good 👍 I'm a Canon guy, but I've been shooting with an APS-C body and the 800 F11, for a 1280mm equivalent. What is the aperture of the F6 3 + 1.4 TC ? Would that be an F9 ? That would be doable....
Appreciate your honesty with what you think will work well together and what possibly will not. Looking forward to one of your future videos on the 200-600 !!!!!! Hopefully!!
I think I agree about the manual focus ring placement, many years of muscle memory are going to have me reaching past it! Thank you for providing the absolute BEST Nikon product information on the Internet! P.S. I pre-ordered mine at 3 am on April 6.
Nice presentation, Ricci. Not for my use cases, though, but interesting optical technology. A nerdy bit in addition. As I saw some dilettantes, in the interwebs elsewhere, discuss "phase Fresnel", it struck me that most people assume that this is equal to a "Fresnel" lens and it is not - that's why it's called "phase Fresnel" (PF). The original Fresnel lens replaced a huge blob of glass by a set of glass rings that optically mimic the huge blob. That was easy to make, got mounted in a metal frame and zero resolution was needed to focus light in a light house. The idea already existed before Mr. Fresnel by the way and if you understand integral/differential calculus then consider a Fresnel lens as a saw tooth pattern that mimics a huge glass element. In matte glass focusing screens, Fresnel rings got cut/polished in for example and this remained visible to the naked eye. That makes a big lens element thin and flat but does not necessarily make a lens shorter. In the case of the focusing screens the space was needed for the mirror to flip up or the pentaprism. This PF lens is physically shorter than 50% of the focal length and that means it does optical tricks. (a) Being shorter than its focal length - being longer or shorter than the focal length does not depend on Fresnel concepts. (b) It may prevent focus breathing and this means it actually is a zoomlens that shifts its apparent focal length to shorter (a wider angle of view) when we focus closer by than infinity so as to precisely compensate the focusing effect. This implies that it retains a constant aperture f/number too. (c) It probably has internal focusing, meaning that it shifts selected/designed-for-that elements in order to focus closer by, instead of having a fixed set of elements that is moved away from the sensor to focus closer by. As such a, b, c optical tricks often cause e.g. chromatic aberration and correcting such problems requires more elements - look e.g. at the 1.8S primes and 2.8S zooms - the way I understand it is that Nikon uses PF to correct that and thus prevent having to use (many) more elements to arrive at the same high optical quality. My guess is that the PF is just a gradated coating on an otherwise normal element.
Thank you so much. Please can you make a video on all the different kind of lens coating Nikon use and also please can you do a video on mainly the Z line comparison between 100-400, 500PF and 800 PF. AF performance on the original Z7 .. Will I be able to use both with my Z9 and Z7?
Hi Ricci. I’ve looked at this video several times since you put it out - as well as Steve Perry’s on the same lens. As much as the new 600 6.3 is similarly attractive, I think the 800 pf will be my next long lens for my new Z8. Partly because I already have the 500mm 5.6 pf that works great on the Z8 with the “old” FTZ, making the 600 more or less redundant. Your sample images - and Steve’s - with this lens were simply outstanding. I especially liked your portrait shots of the great blue heron - grey heron to those east of the Atlantic. In any case, thanks very much for your work. I just noticed the lens is in stock at my local camera store. Cheers.
Thank you so much for this video. I'm intrigued by its light weight vs carrying and using my older 600mm f/4 VR. I'm really torn between adding this lens or selling my current 600 and getting the new 600mm TC. I'd be grateful for any thoughts you have. I photograph a lot of birds, but like to take shots of larger mamals when the opportunities arise. I should add that I have the 300mm and 500mm PF lenses already as well. I shoot with the Z9, Z7II, and D500. Thank you!
So, So glad you are back. Love your videos. Looks like I will be getting the TC1.4 along with this 800. I enjoy small bird photography and think the 800 will pair nicely with the Z9.
Oh well I will have more comments very shortly since I bought one already but could arrive very soon I hope! Few questions. 1 weather Sealed quality I am from Costa Rica and as you all might know it can be rainy at times! 2. Can the vibration reduction be turn off for video. Or it’s silent? Since I have not seen any real testing in the tropics of the Z9 ( just got one last week and I am testing it myself against worse case scenarios as I am watching this) wonder if the focus tracking would be a problem in heavily vine and tangled cover rainforest! I am still figuring out what is the best setting in ground dwelling birds such as Antpittas, Wrens etc! I am extremely excited to make a real review for the 800 mm and your video gave me a good starting ground! Thanks a lot and I will be sending you my experience shortly maybe it becomes handy for someone out there!
great vid. being totally fed up with the weight of the F mount 300 f2.8 and 600 f4, finally bit the bullet and have a z8 arriving. then the decisions really begin. what to replace that glass with. ordered the 400 f4.5, since there is no Z 300mm, and considering this 800mm to accompany it. shoot wildlife...
Hi Ricci, great presentation as always! One thing though I would like to know is how the bokeh will show up in diffrent light situations. I could see at one of your elk pictures that the unsharp background wasn't nice at all because it showed up with a kind of double exposure effect so to speak. It didn't just look blury but also as if it was unsharp because of movements of the camera or something. Do you understand what I mean? I also want to know if these effects show up even more badly in back light conditions and with backgrounds with severe reflections like waves at the sea. Thank you.
Great video and I'm interested in it too. Here in Florida I can use it but not all the time as things get pretty close to you and it would be out of frame some what. But other times it would be perfect and we have lots of light here so that shouldn't be much of an issue. Also Nikon has a new release on the horizon that might be a 61 mp but that's just rumor and speculation but would really add to the crop factor too. Enjoyed it and found it informative too. Thanks
Great lens. Way out of my price range. I wonder how many months people who order this will have to wait. I'm still waiting for the Z9 I ordered on 28 October.
Thanks Ricci. Great video! I really am hoping the availability is there for us that want to buy this lens. It will be perfect for my wildlife photography.
Great review. Thanks. I would like some commentary on how this lens works with a D850, F mount adapter and 1.4X tele. Thanks Ricci, always an education.
😄😄😄 Thank you for sharing. The Nikon Z800mm is undeniably a beautiful lens but it's continuously out of stock. I have been waiting for it over 6 months !!!
Great Video, it was just the information I needed since I‘m fotographing small birds like you. So how fast is the autofocus, especially compared to the 400 2.8? I‘m still a bit torn between these two lenses but I‘m leaning more towards the 800…
I think the 400mm is slightly faster from point to point focus but I was very impressed with the 800s ability to track and keep a bird in focus I was expecting it to focus slower than it actually does
Thanks for the review. Looks like a great lens addition for z mount. I’m wondering how it will compare to the 200-600m . Will the 200-600 mm lens be also a pf style lens or similar to the 200-500 f mount and similar fstop . On the 800 mm pf Can you confirm that the hood reverse’s on the lens with the cover for transport. In other words it’s more compact than the standard way the hood is installed on the lens.. It’s great to see your back making videos. Thanks
Ricci great to see you again! Agree it would be great to have a comparison with this and the 100-400 with the 2X teleconverter. I just received the 100-400 and am loving it both alone and with the 1.4 TC. there's a pretty big light gathering difference between 800 f6.3 and 800 f11. I'm mostly shooting around 600mm but getting to 800 for small birds would be fantastic
I have the 100-400 and own both TCs (1.4 and 2.0). I decided to rent the 400 f4.5 and the 800 f 6.3 and get to work selecting my summer lens. After one week and about 50 000 shots on the Z9, it became very clear that nothing compares to 800 for reach and IQ. It is bigger, but it is so much better to get the shot. The only performance test that the 400 4.5 won was the focusing speed (no TC attached). The 100-400 did win on versatility. For IQ, reach, low light, VR, speed at full range, and feel were all won by the 800 easily. I really like this thing, and it is smaller than people think.
Good video, as always. Somewhat off-topic: in a video you were in (I can't remember which, or which channel even) you were talking about the Z9. Specifically View mode(photoLv). You said one of the two settings (I don't remember which), could adversly affect something - was it auto-focus speed or frame rate?
Ricci, I enjoyed your review. I shot with this last week in Yellowstone and didn't have fantastic results. I have rented it again for my next trip into the park in a couple of weeks before I purchase. The size and weight is amazing, do you believe Nikon gave up any qaulity to get there? Your review has convinced me to give it another serious try. Thanks
Hello Ricci, Yes this lens look amazing, but as in the last 10 month I have a Z7ii, 5 Z mount lenses and yes the amazing Z9 I think that I need to save a bit first? But saying that it a very good price. Thanks for your thoughts and work. Keep well, keep safe and enjoy your photography.
This video helped me make the decision to buy mine and I love it. What is your strategy for VR on this lens? I've used it mostly with the Z9 and now I'm playing with it on the Z8. I usually leave it on set to sport mode. For BIF, I'm usually at 1/3200 and wonder if the VR on is hurting me... I tend to think my issue is me just panning a bit quickly, but I still get some softness sometimes... Thanks, Tony.
Now, I'm very intrigued with this, but without have it in my hands, I question myself (and you). I owe the 600 FL that I use with the z9. I find the 600 FL so well balanced that , handhelded, that extra weight of 1.3 kg , with a side strap (belt), combined to a technique of holding and rest, doesn't make me feel tired to give up. I use to use the tc1.4iii when light is good, and the naked lens when I go in places like rain forests. So 840mm F5.6 or 600mm F4. And the ability to have two lenses in one, while once you have 800 you have to die at 800. I actually can't see almost difference in quality/speed , so I can't be more happy than this with my solution; and maybe it's me but I'm able to reach 1/250 on still subjects in both the combination (sometimes I reached the 1/125 with the 600mm) so good is the Ibis in the z cameras , z9 on the top. Because you have them, both in your hands, what would be the gamechanger in this lens, that could make me plan to change my gear for this new one? Ok the size/weight, but from your size comparing, it looks to me that the 600 is just, what, 5/8cm longer? I saw another First Look video and he was so happy about it. Is the improvement so much compared to the 600 FL quality with the tc1.4iii to make the change? Simone
Great information, want to ask about af performance, I am using 500mm pf with D 850 and manytimes I feel , this combination autofocus is not great , does same kind of af problem you face with 800pf or it may improve with newer bodies like z 8 or 9?
Hey Ricci, good to have you back. It really obvious that Nikon has target the professional photographer market with amazing new gear (Z9, 400mm 2.8, 800mm 6.3, etc.). But for us hobbyist photographer (except for hobbyist who are wealthy or have a RUclips channel to support their hobby) I feel Nikon has left us on stranded island. Don’t get me wrong, Nikon great cameras I really love my Z50 for travel. In my opinion their mid range cameras (Z5, Z6II, Z7II) has fallen behind the competition with AF. It would be great to see a D500 replacement with 200-600mm z lens that affordable. Canon has the R5 (pricey for me) and the R6. I am not going to mention the S__Y offering. I have been a Nikon user for many years, so I am hoping that Nikon will address the hobbyist photographer market. Looking forward to your next video.
I think you might be thinking a little too short term Nikon can not make everything and suit every market all in one go they started with enthusiast then went entry then went pro so it takes time to get cameras out to suit everyone’s needs long term I think nikon has some really strong offerings and things that you can not get from any other brand
Great to have you back, you have been missed. Are you going to do an in-depth review of the Z 400 f/2.8 with built-in TC lens? This seems like a simply fantastic lens so I am wanting to hear your thoughts.
Hi Ricci, thanks for the video ! I was just looking at the official Nikon description and it says that focus breathing is suppressed. Is it possible that they corrected the focus breathing that you experienced for the final production model ?
Hi. Thank you for video, it was very informative. Have you done any comparison of the Z400 f2.8 with 2XTC to the Z800 f6.3? If so, would appreciate your thoughts.
Hey Ricci! Fantastic video as always, I really enjoy the content you are producing. Is there anything you can say about the firmware update for the Z9? 😂 It did say it was scheduled for release in spring
I believe that because of the other elements , for example the ED ones, the lens is not as light weight as it could have been, but it's pretty amazing. It's about. 90g heavier than the. 200-500mm Nikon and 30% heavier (555g) than the. 150-600 contemporary. Clearly the other lenses are zooms, shorter and equal or faster in aperture terms. The difference between 600mm and. 800mm is just 33%. And there is the price, clearly at 6500 US$ the lenses is cheap for an 800mm but the zoom lenses are far less expensive. I believe that this lens will be a revolution with the rental houses (if Nikon is able to supply the demand before the Canon R1 steals the spotlight ) it makes the Z system super attractive for wildlife.
I own this lens. Love it. But I recently acquired a Hasselblad X2D, and one of my main uses of the lens is moonrise/moonset landscape photography. Now there is a slight temptation to trade it for the f mount 800 to be able to adapt it on the Hasselblad, but that all sounds like a pain in the butt. Have you compared this z to the f mount directly?
this lens is so much better than I was expecting at f6.3. I had dismissed this lens just for wildlife but it appears a wider audience will be able to utilise this lens. Still waiting to get my 2nd Nikon Z9 and z400mmf2.8 lens but alas no news.
Do you think it would be reasonable or possible for Nikon to relase a firmware up date for previous Z mount S line lenses with the addition of focus set points? IE- being able to set a lens to infinity for astrophotography and be able to assign that focus point to a control button? It would be amazing if they could...
Thank you for this fantastic video. I’ve ordered the 800pf via NPS for my Z9 and was wondering how much better the 800 will be vs my 500f4 FL ED (love it) which I’m currently using with an FTZ2 and cropping my photos. Will the 800 be better? Is the reach that much more of an advantage if I can crop my 45.7Mp Z9 shots from my 500f4? Thanks.
Thanks Ricci for a great video, just wondering with the minimum focus distance and small birds how much the average robin sized bird fills the frame. I saw your close up picture of the Robins, was that near the minimum focusing distance or there abouts? Just wondering about smaller birds like fire crest etc, how it would much you could fill the frame? Keep up the good work! Kind regards Anthony
The Robin shots are pretty much At closest focus distance I had to take a step back ! You could ways use a TC if you need to get closer as that wouldn’t change the closest focus distance
That's probably my dream lens.... And I'm a Canon user. I could honestly see myself jumping ship just to use this lens > except that Nikon doesn't make a pro level APS-C camera to put it on. Canon doesn't exactly make a pro level APS-C either... But for all of their faults, my R7's do pretty darn good. I need a crop body for the extra reach. A straight 800mm would feel WAY short to me, as I'm used to shooting at a 1280mm equivalent.
@@birdiec2769 I tried that with my R5 for a few months. It dropped my 45mp to 17. I get 32 mp with my R7, and it's always in crop mode. But really, regardless of all the MP talk, the bottom line is, I get a lot more keepers with my R7's, than I used to with my R5. Exactly why I sold my R5.
Should or should I use a front UV filter to protect the element? If I should what size it will be (the filter), is there a recommendation and how a filter will effect such a lens performance BTW, love your videos and very much appreciate them
Great video. Thanks for the pictures. What is your feeling on the bokeh of this lens compared to the boked of the 600 FL with 1.4 teleconverter? Does the 6.3 aperture allow to separate the subjects from the background as it is possible with the 600 f/4. Thanks !
Hey !
its been a While 🙂 but what a better way get back to it than with a new Lens and one of my favourites as well !
I hope you find this video useful and if you have any questions let me know !
What a lens - I'm tempted to pick up a copy.
Handholding an 800mm lens at 1/30th of a sec! that's RIDICULOUS LoL!!!
when will the z9 next firmware will be released ?
@Photo Bunny I can’t say I have seen that happen with f mount lenses … it does happen with some memory cards tho
@@ganeshbeee Even the 1/100th photo! Very impressive. Nice work, beautiful photos & video.
This was jsut Ricci flexing how spoiled he is with all that kit. 😜
Says Seth who has a Z9 GFX and an A1 🤣
@@RicciTalks I can’t hear you over that mountain of pre released $14k a piece glass you got there. What’d you say?
I had a suspicion when you were shooting with MH you had this there to test with him. Looks amazing and at that price point, wow. Thanks for this and welcome back.
Thank you Ricci for your thoughts and inputs. Always very informative and really appreciate how straight forward you are about your thoughts on it.
I think going for f6.3 instead of f5.6 was a smart decision for keeping the weight in check considering the VR with IBIS is pretty effective.
As you go longer, the F stop gets more dramatic / bokeh-ish. I think an 8000 6.3 still probably slaps p hard
Not saying 6.3 isn't good, but counting on IBIS and VR to shoot what are probably predominantly moving subjects doesn't make as much sense as an extra stop of light collection. Having said that, I want the 800PF with a Z9.
@@885wc yeah hear ya, actual light is better than VR light. That said I shoot lots of wildlife video at f8 base on d5 and z6ii - much slower shutter - but also VR can be used for some really creative relative motion shots. I've shot ducks and geese at 500mm and 1/100 successfully for flighty shots :) blurred wings
Nice to see the Z400mmf2.8 lens with this z800 f6.3 in a comparison in areas say daytime and nighttime at a sports event under floodlights as an example like day to night test like Cricket, motor sports of Football or Rugby settings plus wildlife
Welcome back! Thanks for the worthy informations, hope to see you again soon!
Great video as usual. I would love to see comparison between z 800mm f6.3 pf and z 400mm f2.8 with 2x TC. Thank you.
Looking forward to the comparison of 400/2.8 with 2.0x TC vs 800/6.3
Hello Ricci, is this comparrison (400 2.8 + TC20 vs 800) still on your to do list? Thanks in advance !
Nikon absolutely knocking the mirrorless concept out of the park, what a lens, just hoping availability is favourable, I may have to use my Nikon NPS membership to aid acquisition 😀👏👍 Thanks for the info Ricci 👍
Thanks for watching
Dude,if your an NPS member why would you
A,let us know
B.even think about using your favored status,while your thinking about it you are losing your place in the queue.
For $500 US more than the Canon 800 5.6, you can get the Nikon 800 6.3 and TWO Z9s. Insane
Why not point out the fact that you can buy 2 honda motorbikes or even a small car ffs and still be left with change ,The Z9 and the 800mm together certainly isn't affordable
@@colintraveller that is not the point and you know it. It's that a working pro who needs an 800 can extend their arsenal by a massive margin/put that money toward other business expenses if they choose Nikon over Canon
@@PASquared Just pointing out a stone cold hard fact .. Also with the money Canon , Nikon and Sony charge you could also buy a Holiday in the Pacific Islands or African Safari funny you don't see a mass of them all going to Africa . Buy they are all happy to make video , some even become brand ambassadors because there channels are popular , but those brands don't buy them expensive Holidays to upsell there product rather ironic
Are you going to fill the whole internet with this stupid non-sense ?
@@12345fowler You upset
Very helpful and thanks for putting it together. Owning the 800 5.6 I was really curious to see a comparison, and I'll be making the switch over to it, should be wonderful with the Z9. Sounds like there is no loss in sharpness or focusing which is amazing.
Thank you for the thorough review. This is the perfect lens for the kind of birding I do, and obviously it will compliment my Z9 exceptionally well. My pocketbook is still reeling from the Z9 purchase, so this lens may wind up being a Christmas present to myself since it will probably be that long before I can save up enough to buy it.
you do some amazing work - the photography is fantastic.
Thank you 😊
Hi Ricci, thank you for this video! Yes, it would be interesting if you could make this comparison with the 400 mm f/2.8 with the teleconverter.
That lens looks like a dream come true! Hope I can afford it in a couple of years
Hi Ricci, many thanks for this video. This lens seems amazing for the price point.
Impatiently waiting for the 600mm f4s with built in tc. 600mm is also my favorite focal length.
It would complete the line up I think
@@RicciTalks 600F4, 400PF and 200-600 will complete the tele lens line up and something no other brand can match. Absolutely Stunning and I'M totally impressed!!!
Great review Ricci. After 6 months of shooting birds exclusively here are my findings with the Z9 and the latest firmware. The good; 1) Image quality is beautiful. 2) Easy to carry and swing around for tracking birds. 3) Hood is easily removable (no screws). 4) The bag is perfect. 5) VR is magic in this lens. 6) Bokeh is far better than some people claim. It is better than my trusty 500 PF (soft and smooth). Just remember that the objects from and back must have some 6 to 10 ft from your subject, it is an F 6.3. Now for the bad; 1) Slower focus than the 600 mm TC (same as 500 pf), even slower with 1.4 TC. 2) The focusing distance is annoying (5 meters). To close; With what I know now, I would definitely buy it again today. It is my preferred lens for birding by a long shot.
I really thought that you would have shown this lens off in the video with Morten!
Given the more compact nature of this lens I am giving it some serious consideration.
Great information as always Ricci. Thanks
I have this lens now and coupled with the Z9 its everything they say about it plus !! Was considering the z600mm tc but that lens was out of my price range at $30k NZD. The Z800 can easily be used hand held, takes great photos and can take photos of small birds relatively close up. Top marks Nikon.
Ordered mine, I’m so excited i can finally have a 800mm. So much easier for me to keep from disturbing the wildlife and getting more natural shots. Sooooo looking forward to the arrival of this beast!
Thanks for sharing, we missed your videos, been a while. Have one on pre-order as I type look forward to using it.
When the first specifications were released on this lens I compared it to my 500mmPF with TC-14E III and FTZII, a combo that works surprisingly well on my Z9. I'm sure lots of viewers are using the very same combo.
The specifications are similar, with the 800mmPF offering 100mm more reach and 2/3 more light. But the 500mm+TC14+FTZ is about a pound lighter, gives me the option of removing the TC and using the 500mm by itself and saves me $6,500. So...I've already ordered a 800mm and been granted NPS priority, but I'm not fully committed to purchasing the lens from the camera dealer once NPS ships it (I asked and the dealer has lots of preorders for the lens and is more than happy to sell it to someone else if I don't get it.)
I'd love to see the 800mm compared to the 500mm+TC14+FTZ in terms of image quality as well as handling and balance since I would be using it handheld most of the time.
Thank you!
Agree, the 500mmPF with 1.4 TC is excellent, in DX crop it works fine as well. DxO PureRAW3 recovers low light small bird photos.
Very nice to see you back again. Just starting to see how much I use the 100-400 with the 1.4 TC, but if I find out here in the western U.S. that I need a longer throw, this looks to be an ideal lens at a very reasonable price point given what it is. Thank you as always.
I have this lens and it is unbelievable. With the 1.4 extender, it is effectively 1120 mm for a full frame sensor. This is unreal in the field for bird photography, and the image stabilization and light weight actually make it possible, with care, to hand hold this combination. By the way, it is pronounced "fray-nell", not "fres-nell", as it named after the French engineer and physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel who described the lens design.
*Fruh-nel
Now that would be pretty darn good 👍 I'm a Canon guy, but I've been shooting with an APS-C body and the 800 F11, for a 1280mm equivalent.
What is the aperture of the F6 3 + 1.4 TC ? Would that be an F9 ?
That would be doable....
Ricci - welcome back! Missed you - great to see you in a new video. All the best /Chris.
Thanks for sharing the information for this lens. Also love the video you did with Morten.
Thanks for watching
Thank you Ricci for your excellent review, I have preordered the 800mm and I'm second in the queue at my local camera shop, can't wait to get it!
Appreciate your honesty with what you think will work well together and what possibly will not. Looking forward to one of your future videos on the 200-600 !!!!!! Hopefully!!
One day
@@RicciTalks why have I got a feeling you already have a pre production copy!!
Amazing quality.
I think I agree about the manual focus ring placement, many years of muscle memory are going to have me reaching past it! Thank you for providing the absolute BEST Nikon product information on the Internet! P.S. I pre-ordered mine at 3 am on April 6.
First in line :)
Nice presentation, Ricci. Not for my use cases, though, but interesting optical technology. A nerdy bit in addition. As I saw some dilettantes, in the interwebs elsewhere, discuss "phase Fresnel", it struck me that most people assume that this is equal to a "Fresnel" lens and it is not - that's why it's called "phase Fresnel" (PF).
The original Fresnel lens replaced a huge blob of glass by a set of glass rings that optically mimic the huge blob. That was easy to make, got mounted in a metal frame and zero resolution was needed to focus light in a light house. The idea already existed before Mr. Fresnel by the way and if you understand integral/differential calculus then consider a Fresnel lens as a saw tooth pattern that mimics a huge glass element. In matte glass focusing screens, Fresnel rings got cut/polished in for example and this remained visible to the naked eye.
That makes a big lens element thin and flat but does not necessarily make a lens shorter. In the case of the focusing screens the space was needed for the mirror to flip up or the pentaprism.
This PF lens is physically shorter than 50% of the focal length and that means it does optical tricks. (a) Being shorter than its focal length - being longer or shorter than the focal length does not depend on Fresnel concepts. (b) It may prevent focus breathing and this means it actually is a zoomlens that shifts its apparent focal length to shorter (a wider angle of view) when we focus closer by than infinity so as to precisely compensate the focusing effect. This implies that it retains a constant aperture f/number too. (c) It probably has internal focusing, meaning that it shifts selected/designed-for-that elements in order to focus closer by, instead of having a fixed set of elements that is moved away from the sensor to focus closer by.
As such a, b, c optical tricks often cause e.g. chromatic aberration and correcting such problems requires more elements - look e.g. at the 1.8S primes and 2.8S zooms - the way I understand it is that Nikon uses PF to correct that and thus prevent having to use (many) more elements to arrive at the same high optical quality. My guess is that the PF is just a gradated coating on an otherwise normal element.
Great to see you back here. I'm sure you had fun with Morten. Take care!
Just placed an order for the 800mm PF. Still waiting for my Z9 which I ordered last October.
Thank you so much. Please can you make a video on all the different kind of lens coating Nikon use and also please can you do a video on mainly the Z line comparison between 100-400, 500PF and 800 PF. AF performance on the original Z7 .. Will I be able to use both with my Z9 and Z7?
Glad to see you back. I've booked for one and hope to be one of the first to get it.
Mine just arrived. But I'm in the UK now and can only lay my hands on it on Tuesday next week.
Thank-you kind sir! love the size and weight, performance of PF glass have both the 300 and 500 - the price will be the deciding factor
Great review as always. Will you do a review of the 400MM f2.8 soon? That is the one I am most interested in.
Hi Ricci. I’ve looked at this video several times since you put it out - as well as Steve Perry’s on the same lens. As much as the new 600 6.3 is similarly attractive, I think the 800 pf will be my next long lens for my new Z8. Partly because I already have the 500mm 5.6 pf that works great on the Z8 with the “old” FTZ, making the 600 more or less redundant.
Your sample images - and Steve’s - with this lens were simply outstanding. I especially liked your portrait shots of the great blue heron - grey heron to those east of the Atlantic.
In any case, thanks very much for your work. I just noticed the lens is in stock at my local camera store. Cheers.
Would love to see the 400mm + 2tc against the 800mm , in a controlled setting . Show us the comparison 1:1 😃. Great videos
you're the best video maker in this area, well done
Thanks a lot 😊
Great video. You have a a nice setup of cameras and lenses. 👍🏼👍🏼
Happy to see a new video from you, Ricci. You are the Nikon Guru here.
Thank you for watching them
Hi Ricci, great lens. With PF technology is it possible to use with faster Apertures? Like 2.8 or 4
Excellent review! Have you heard if there are any other shorter PF Z lenses in the works!
Ricci - another great vid and I place my preorder for it at Gray's today.
Thank you so much for this video. I'm intrigued by its light weight vs carrying and using my older 600mm f/4 VR. I'm really torn between adding this lens or selling my current 600 and getting the new 600mm TC. I'd be grateful for any thoughts you have. I photograph a lot of birds, but like to take shots of larger mamals when the opportunities arise. I should add that I have the 300mm and 500mm PF lenses already as well. I shoot with the Z9, Z7II, and D500. Thank you!
So, So glad you are back. Love your videos. Looks like I will be getting the TC1.4 along with this 800. I enjoy small bird photography and think the 800 will pair nicely with the Z9.
great video, thanks ricci, what a stunning lens
Oh well I will have more comments very shortly since I bought one already but could arrive very soon I hope! Few questions. 1 weather Sealed quality I am from Costa Rica and as you all might know it can be rainy at times! 2. Can the vibration reduction be turn off for video. Or it’s silent? Since I have not seen any real testing in the tropics of the Z9 ( just got one last week and I am testing it myself against worse case scenarios as I am watching this) wonder if the focus tracking would be a problem in heavily vine and tangled cover rainforest! I am still figuring out what is the best setting in ground dwelling birds such as Antpittas, Wrens etc! I am extremely excited to make a real review for the 800 mm and your video gave me a good starting ground! Thanks a lot and I will be sending you my experience shortly maybe it becomes handy for someone out there!
great vid. being totally fed up with the weight of the F mount 300 f2.8 and 600 f4, finally bit the bullet and have a z8 arriving. then the decisions really begin. what to replace that glass with. ordered the 400 f4.5, since there is no Z 300mm, and considering this 800mm to accompany it. shoot wildlife...
Hi Ricci, great presentation as always! One thing though I would like to know is how the bokeh will show up in diffrent light situations. I could see at one of your elk pictures that the unsharp background wasn't nice at all because it showed up with a kind of double exposure effect so to speak. It didn't just look blury but also as if it was unsharp because of movements of the camera or something. Do you understand what I mean?
I also want to know if these effects show up even more badly in back light conditions and with backgrounds with severe reflections like waves at the sea.
Thank you.
Interesting review. It’s not a lens I will ever need but neat to see what Nikon can do.
Great video and I'm interested in it too. Here in Florida I can use it but not all the time as things get pretty close to you and it would be out of frame some what. But other times it would be perfect and we have lots of light here so that shouldn't be much of an issue. Also Nikon has a new release on the horizon that might be a 61 mp but that's just rumor and speculation but would really add to the crop factor too. Enjoyed it and found it informative too. Thanks
Great lens. Way out of my price range.
I wonder how many months people who order this will have to wait.
I'm still waiting for the Z9 I ordered on 28 October.
Nice to see you back. Liked the video just hope I can afford one.
Beautiful images, Ricci!
Thanks Ricci. Great video! I really am hoping the availability is there for us that want to buy this lens. It will be perfect for my wildlife photography.
As long as you pre order it certainly will not be available on store shelves
Great review. Thanks. I would like some commentary on how this lens works with a D850, F mount adapter and 1.4X tele. Thanks Ricci, always an education.
You can't use this lens on a D850. The Z lens mount is larger than F-mount so it's possible to use F glass on Z but not Z glass on F.
😄😄😄 Thank you for sharing. The Nikon Z800mm is undeniably a beautiful lens but it's continuously out of stock. I have been waiting for it over 6 months !!!
What is that pretty music? LOVE my 500 PF !!!
Great Video, it was just the information I needed since I‘m fotographing small birds like you. So how fast is the autofocus, especially compared to the 400 2.8? I‘m still a bit torn between these two lenses but I‘m leaning more towards the 800…
I think the 400mm is slightly faster from point to point focus but I was very impressed with the 800s ability to track and keep a bird in focus I was expecting it to focus slower than it actually does
@@RicciTalks Thank you for your answer. I preordered mine minutes ago and hopefully it arrives in early may, even though I‘m not an NPS member.
Sounds like a must have lens.
Thanks for the review. Looks like a great lens addition for z mount. I’m wondering how it will compare to the 200-600m . Will the 200-600 mm lens be also a pf style lens or similar to the 200-500 f mount and similar fstop
. On the 800 mm pf Can you confirm that the hood reverse’s on the lens with the cover for transport. In other words it’s more compact than the standard way the hood is installed on the lens.. It’s great to see your back making videos. Thanks
Ricci great to see you again! Agree it would be great to have a comparison with this and the 100-400 with the 2X teleconverter. I just received the 100-400 and am loving it both alone and with the 1.4 TC. there's a pretty big light gathering difference between 800 f6.3 and 800 f11. I'm mostly shooting around 600mm but getting to 800 for small birds would be fantastic
I have the 100-400 and own both TCs (1.4 and 2.0). I decided to rent the 400 f4.5 and the 800 f 6.3 and get to work selecting my summer lens. After one week and about 50 000 shots on the Z9, it became very clear that nothing compares to 800 for reach and IQ. It is bigger, but it is so much better to get the shot. The only performance test that the 400 4.5 won was the focusing speed (no TC attached). The 100-400 did win on versatility. For IQ, reach, low light, VR, speed at full range, and feel were all won by the 800 easily. I really like this thing, and it is smaller than people think.
Good video, as always. Somewhat off-topic: in a video you were in (I can't remember which, or which channel even) you were talking about the Z9. Specifically View mode(photoLv). You said one of the two settings (I don't remember which), could adversly affect something - was it auto-focus speed or frame rate?
Those are some really nice bird pictures.
Ricci, I enjoyed your review. I shot with this last week in Yellowstone and didn't have fantastic results. I have rented it again for my next trip into the park in a couple of weeks before I purchase. The size and weight is amazing, do you believe Nikon gave up any qaulity to get there? Your review has convinced me to give it another serious try. Thanks
Hello Ricci, Yes this lens look amazing, but as in the last 10 month I have a Z7ii, 5 Z mount lenses and yes the amazing Z9 I think that I need to save a bit first? But saying that it a very good price. Thanks for your thoughts and work. Keep well, keep safe and enjoy your photography.
Welcome back!
Nothing but good reviews on this lens. Looking forward to getting my own copy…whenever Nikon can keep up with demand 😒 pretty frustrating.
This video helped me make the decision to buy mine and I love it. What is your strategy for VR on this lens? I've used it mostly with the Z9 and now I'm playing with it on the Z8. I usually leave it on set to sport mode. For BIF, I'm usually at 1/3200 and wonder if the VR on is hurting me... I tend to think my issue is me just panning a bit quickly, but I still get some softness sometimes... Thanks, Tony.
Now, I'm very intrigued with this, but without have it in my hands, I question myself (and you).
I owe the 600 FL that I use with the z9.
I find the 600 FL so well balanced that , handhelded, that extra weight of 1.3 kg , with a side strap (belt), combined to a technique of holding and rest, doesn't make me feel tired to give up.
I use to use the tc1.4iii when light is good, and the naked lens when I go in places like rain forests. So 840mm F5.6 or 600mm F4. And the ability to have two lenses in one, while once you have 800 you have to die at 800.
I actually can't see almost difference in quality/speed , so I can't be more happy than this with my solution; and maybe it's me but I'm able to reach 1/250 on still subjects in both the combination (sometimes I reached the 1/125 with the 600mm) so good is the Ibis in the z cameras , z9 on the top.
Because you have them, both in your hands, what would be the gamechanger in this lens, that could make me plan to change my gear for this new one?
Ok the size/weight, but from your size comparing, it looks to me that the 600 is just, what, 5/8cm longer?
I saw another First Look video and he was so happy about it.
Is the improvement so much compared to the 600 FL quality with the tc1.4iii to make the change?
Simone
HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII, I'm glad to see you and you look OK.
Great information, want to ask about af performance, I am using 500mm pf with D 850 and manytimes I feel , this combination autofocus is not great , does same kind of af problem you face with 800pf or it may improve with newer bodies like z 8 or 9?
Hey Ricci, good to have you back. It really obvious that Nikon has target the professional photographer market with amazing new gear (Z9, 400mm 2.8, 800mm 6.3, etc.). But for us hobbyist photographer (except for hobbyist who are wealthy or have a RUclips channel to support their hobby) I feel Nikon has left us on stranded island. Don’t get me wrong, Nikon great cameras I really love my Z50 for travel. In my opinion their mid range cameras (Z5, Z6II, Z7II) has fallen behind the competition with AF. It would be great to see a D500 replacement with 200-600mm z lens that affordable. Canon has the R5 (pricey for me) and the R6. I am not going to mention the S__Y offering. I have been a Nikon user for many years, so I am hoping that Nikon will address the hobbyist photographer market. Looking forward to your next video.
I think you might be thinking a little too short term
Nikon can not make everything and suit every market all in one go they started with enthusiast then went entry then went pro so it takes time to get cameras out to suit everyone’s needs
long term I think nikon has some really strong offerings and things that you can not get from any other brand
Great to have you back, you have been missed. Are you going to do an in-depth review of the Z 400 f/2.8 with built-in TC lens? This seems like a simply fantastic lens so I am wanting to hear your thoughts.
Yes I put it on hold because the 800mm was a serious contender
Hi Ricci, thanks for the video !
I was just looking at the official Nikon description and it says that focus breathing is suppressed.
Is it possible that they corrected the focus breathing that you experienced for the final production model ?
Hi. Thank you for video, it was very informative. Have you done any comparison of the Z400 f2.8 with 2XTC to the Z800 f6.3? If so, would appreciate your thoughts.
Ricci it is awesome to have you back and this was an amazing review. I am definitely sold on this lens. I can't wait for it to arrive.
Hey Ricci! Fantastic video as always, I really enjoy the content you are producing. Is there anything you can say about the firmware update for the Z9? 😂 It did say it was scheduled for release in spring
Nooooooo
You changed the intro music up! I like this one.
I believe that because of the other elements , for example the ED ones, the lens is not as light weight as it could have been, but it's pretty amazing. It's about. 90g heavier than the. 200-500mm Nikon and 30% heavier (555g) than the. 150-600 contemporary. Clearly the other lenses are zooms, shorter and equal or faster in aperture terms. The difference between 600mm and. 800mm is just 33%. And there is the price, clearly at 6500 US$ the lenses is cheap for an 800mm but the zoom lenses are far less expensive. I believe that this lens will be a revolution with the rental houses (if Nikon is able to supply the demand before the Canon R1 steals the spotlight ) it makes the Z system super attractive for wildlife.
Great stuff
After a long time... Missed you Ricci ❤️🙌🏼
thanks Ricci! i am buying one!
Nice video! Would you be able to do a comparesing video to 600mm F4? I have one and thinking if it worth it
Fantastic work! I would love to see you do a comparison of the 100-400s + 2xTC vs the 800m PF. How far is the gap between the two setups?
It’s noticeable but I appreciate the price gap is pretty noticeable too ! So I’ll look at doing that
Excellent review. Thank you.
I own this lens. Love it. But I recently acquired a Hasselblad X2D, and one of my main uses of the lens is moonrise/moonset landscape photography. Now there is a slight temptation to trade it for the f mount 800 to be able to adapt it on the Hasselblad, but that all sounds like a pain in the butt. Have you compared this z to the f mount directly?
this lens is so much better than I was expecting at f6.3. I had dismissed this lens just for wildlife but it appears a wider audience will be able to utilise this lens. Still waiting to get my 2nd Nikon Z9 and z400mmf2.8 lens but alas no news.
400mm f2.8 is shipping now so should be soon
@@RicciTalks that's great to know and thanks
Do you think it would be reasonable or possible for Nikon to relase a firmware up date for previous Z mount S line lenses with the addition of focus set points? IE- being able to set a lens to infinity for astrophotography and be able to assign that focus point to a control button? It would be amazing if they could...
Thank you for this fantastic video. I’ve ordered the 800pf via NPS for my Z9 and was wondering how much better the 800 will be vs my 500f4 FL ED (love it) which I’m currently using with an FTZ2 and cropping my photos. Will the 800 be better? Is the reach that much more of an advantage if I can crop my 45.7Mp Z9 shots from my 500f4? Thanks.
Thanks very much for the very informative video.
Thanks Ricci for a great video, just wondering with the minimum focus distance and small birds how much the average robin sized bird fills the frame. I saw your close up picture of the Robins, was that near the minimum focusing distance or there abouts? Just wondering about smaller birds like fire crest etc, how it would much you could fill the frame? Keep up the good work! Kind regards Anthony
The Robin shots are pretty much At closest focus distance I had to take a step back !
You could ways use a TC if you need to get closer as that wouldn’t change the closest focus distance
That's probably my dream lens.... And I'm a Canon user. I could honestly see myself jumping ship just to use this lens > except that Nikon doesn't make a pro level APS-C camera to put it on. Canon doesn't exactly make a pro level APS-C either... But for all of their faults, my R7's do pretty darn good.
I need a crop body for the extra reach. A straight 800mm would feel WAY short to me, as I'm used to shooting at a 1280mm equivalent.
@@birdiec2769 I tried that with my R5 for a few months. It dropped my 45mp to 17. I get 32 mp with my R7, and it's always in crop mode.
But really, regardless of all the MP talk, the bottom line is, I get a lot more keepers with my R7's, than I used to with my R5. Exactly why I sold my R5.
Should or should I use a front UV filter to protect the element?
If I should what size it will be (the filter), is there a recommendation and how a filter will effect such a lens performance
BTW, love your videos and very much appreciate them
You should not
I’m against uv filters unless you live and use ur lenses in very Sandy environments
Great video. Thanks for the pictures. What is your feeling on the bokeh of this lens compared to the boked of the 600 FL with 1.4 teleconverter? Does the 6.3 aperture allow to separate the subjects from the background as it is possible with the 600 f/4. Thanks !
I think it’s good enough but I also think it’s very subjective some people prefer different bokeh