Thanks for comparing these two lenses. I was especially interested in seeing the results, having sold my Sony 200-600 a few months back, and hoping for a comparable Nikon Z lens.
Earlier this year i was in New Mexico for the Sandhill Crane migration and met up with a Sony shooter who loved the Sony 200-600. He had another Sony Camera with the 600MM F4. While he admits that the Prime is somewhat better optically, the 200-600 was so close he has to look at the Exif data to tell which camera it came from. I was in the transition from a D850 and 200-500 Nikon to mirrorless and was considering using the Sony 200-600 on the Z9/Z8 i was yet to buy. Now i have the Z8 and wanting to pull the trigger on a new long lens. the 180-600 Z looks like the ticket, a Nikon 600 F4 is just too heavy for my style of shooting. But i keep coming back to the 500PF lens light, sharp, and almost has fanatical following. I am so looking forward to your comparison of the Sony and Nikon zooms to help me make a decision.
Ordered mine day one,hearing end of august,hope it’s sooner.This almost rounds out my Z lense collection missing the 14-24 2.8 however. Cheers mate,glad you have yours.
@@chipsrafferty8362 Well it wasn't, but now that I have used it, it could be. But I am also thinking about the 35mm and the 135mm which are also on my list ... hard to choose :)
Hi Matt!! We have a question. Our Nikon z8 is arriving next week and we are hesitating with the cards. Which were the best? Or which one are you working with? 128 or 256 cfexpress for photos and videos? Thank a lot from France , Alsace!
This is a holding video, isn’t it? Explaining how two different lenses are not the same(?!) by reading out the specs. I will drop by for the in the field comparison though.
The one lens I think would be fun to include is the Canon that sits in the middle of the 100-400 and the 200-600 range. It’s an L lens, but to stay compact, the aperture goes to 7.1 on the 500 end. I believe size and weight is similar to the 100-400 Nikon and Sony versions.
Any obvious build quality or materials differences you've noticed that might drive pricing difference? Initial testing I have seen seems to show the Z has the edge over the F mount 200-500 in sharpness. I will likely get the Z since I chose the 400 f/4.5 Z over the 100-400Z.
Nice video Matt - it seems the Nikon is the better value having a longer focal range, and brighter aperture for a significant portion of the range (300-490mm) @f/6 where the Sony is at 6.3 - this is only a 1/6 stop difference, but does mean slightly faster shutter speeds and/or slightly lower ISO's and every bit does count - especially when photographing fast action. The Nikon is also marginally lighter. And it is $300 less expensive which is relevant - in this case it is literally 15% less expensive than the Sony. Of course, all of this means little if IQ isn't as good, but judging from the entire line of Z mount lenses from Nikon (both S line and non-S line), IQ has never been the downside point with all Z mount Nikkors performing well in this area - so I would be surprises if IQ is not as good (if not better) than the Sony. Finally, AF acquisition speed is a relevant metric when comparing these lenses as they will be used almost exclusively for fast action whether that be wild life or sports and as such it will be interesting to see how they stack up in this respect. Assuming that they do stack up in IQ and focus speed, then it seems that the Nikon would be the clear winner at $300 less and with most aspects - save for number of aperture blades being superior to the Sony - and I doubt that 9 vs. 11 blades is going to effect deeply out of focus backgrounds too much - at least not $300 worth when you are losing so much else with the Sony. Looking forward to your part II where I am sure you will answer these questions that are still unresolved. Thanks for the video! -PD
These lenses are almost exclusively shot at 600mm (and 900mm via crop mode or on a crop sensor camera), and everything wider than that just doesn't matter. Wider does matter on a 100-400 lens, because those lenses are often used for day landscape, captive animal, macro-ish use, and a few other things, where you can and will get up close. Most people would say that lighter and cheaper is a good thing. I would have preferred Nikon jack up the price to $3k, f5.6 at the long end, a bit heavier and larger, and make it an "S" lens like the Z 100-400. The Z 100-400 is great with the 1.4x TC, and it is usable with the 2.0x TC. We'll see about the Z 180-600. The Sony 200-600 is not good with a 1.4x TC, and its a dumpster fire with the 2.0x TC.
@@Yupthereitism The Sony version has poor AF with the 1.4x TC, and it barely works at all with the 2.0x TC. I am talking on an A1. So, we'll see. If the Nikon version has even just mediocre IQ and AF with the 1.4x TC, this is a slam dunk for Nikon.
Hi Matt, I like portraiture and videography. What do you think is better suited between 50mm 1.2 and 70-200mm 2.8? I am relatively new and own a Z6II and a couple of S lenses.
There are 2 other benefits to buying the 180-600. It's always better to get the native mount. They just work better. Plus you get the full amount of IBIS when using a native mount lens. The other thing is the cost of the adapter to use the Sony lens on top of the lens costing more. Unless you have several E mount lenses that you adapt.
Timing on the 180-600 was oddly at a time when I was seriously looking at the 200-600, and pairing it with a A7RIV. Still can't decide on the 180-600 until production copies are being used by owners giving feedback, but given that I opted for a Z9 for action/wildlife after it was announced, means it's more or less a forgone conclusion that I will be using that as my long lens in the future.
Nikons 180-600 really threw a spanner in the works… could you do a comparison to the 100-400 from a landscape point of view? Is the sharpness around the same/not far off? The extra 200 mil from the 100-400 could be useful for additional wildlife benefit but I’m primarily landscape shooter.
@siddharthsriram2685 lol..youre making up a story...I saw the comparison at fredmiranda website and the Sony 200-600 is not sharper than the Nikon 500pf.. Its the other way around..Telephoto primes are always sharper than zooms..stop making fake news...
For my own benefit I had made up a comparison chart between the two lenses (Have the Nikon on Pre-Order), correct me if I am wrong, you can remove just the foot on the Sony and replace it with an Arca Swiss Foot but for the Nikon the foot is not removable, you would have to get a new collar and foot assembly. The Nikon has Normal and Sport Modes selectable in the camera body for VR while the Sony has 3 VR modes according to some site I read but I think it only has 2 can you confirm. The Sony has Nano coating but the Nikon does not only the Florine coating that Sony also has. The Nikon has 1 more ED Element and as you stated is lighter and a tad shorter and has the larger reproduction Ratio. It will be interesting to see if the Stepper Motor is as fast focusing (seems fast enough to me) vs the Sony Direct Drive Super Sonic Motor (Sounds more impressive but is It?). Thanks Matt and take care - Jeff
Love your videos and I am a Nikon/Nikor fan and yes it appears this Nikor lens is better then it’s comparison. But what Nikon fans cares about a Sony lens and what Sony fan cares about a Nikon lens??? We don’t care about each other lenses. Nikon fans don’t want to hear stats about some older competitors lens. Nikons new lens just came to market and a lot of people still can’t get one, all we want to hear about right now is the Nikon lens, that’s it, hearing about Sony is a waste of our time. Never going to own the Sony lens don’t care to hear anything about it, especially on a Nikon channel. What is important is seeing everything about the lens and examples of what it can do.
Im a Nikon shooter but removing the VR contol switches off the lens is stupid!!! Im primarily a large water birds and raptors shooter so sometimes If the birds are just flying up a river perpendicular to me, I won't use VR...But if some Kingfishers or Terns show up I want VR...So when i need to go from no VR to VR I have maybe 3 to 5 seconds to switch and I would realky prefer to reach up and slide a switch...And then we have normal and sport mode...2 different worlds with the Nikon 200-500mm...That needs to be a fast switch..I don't know, maybe if they could make it visible in the EVF ( the modes ) and make it where the lens or a programmable button could be assigned to switch the modes it might be ok but only if it were visible in the EVF
Matt, this is off topic but I'd like to hear your take on the service advisory Nikon sent out last week for the Z8, which I learned about just today. I'm a little heartbroken because I have a big trip to Japan next month but Hong Kong Nikon's service center was caught without parts ready to do the repairs.
Hi Jim, my Z8 is in the same boat. But in my (is it two months?) since getting it I have had no problems at all with mounting and un-mounting. So right now I am in no hurry, I have lots of videos to shoot, and work to do, so I will hold onto mine for the time being, always double check lens mounting, and service when I have a spare week :). How are you going mounting and un-mounting lenses? Cheers Matt
Don't Panic. If your lens locks, then it will not un-lock and fall off. When the white dot on the lens is at the 12 o'clock position and you hear the click, it is locked. I have always ensured my lens locks, on every brand of camera. Assumed everyone else did to.
If Nikon hear the people, they should be introduce the ArcSwiss 20 years ago… and as a Wildlife photographer the switch for the distance (with the not trust AF in Nikon) is a must. The AF is not reliable as Sony and I suppose to have the flagship “Z9”
The comment about the missing VR switch is nonsense IMHO. Nikon lets you control it by software, which makes it possible to be changed by switching settings banks etc. The limiter not having a near focus setting though is annoying for wildlife.
@@MattIrwinPhotography But the Apple comparison makes no sense. I never witnessed or heard about Nikon surveying photographers about switch use. Doing it in software simply has a different set of tradeoffs, and you can't have a hardware switch differ from what the software wants to do.
@@mm8276352 Nikon do survey's they just don't survey every user. It is a sample set. Which is the way most surveys are actually conducted. And I was speculating about this point. But a survey could be you ask 1% or 10% of your user base, and get an understanding. Have a read of this humansofdata.atlan.com/2017/07/6-sampling-techniques-choose-representative-subset/ It could also be possible, but I suspect unlikely that data is collected during servicing. And I have not read the T and C's on Snapbridge, but it also could conceivably collect this sort of data and send it (this is a complete speculation on my part, but it would be possible, if the system is created to do it).
If you own either the Z8 or Z9, no question you buy the Nikon 180-600mm. But if you don't own a Z8 or Z9 and you want to get into wildlife, sport or fasting moving objects affordably. You have to consider Sony, since they have several mid-range or APSC with superior AF than Nikon mid-range and APSC cameras.
This is apples to oranges here. If you shoot Sony you aren't interested in the Nikon lens at all. If you shoot Nikon, well the Nikon lens will focus better and much more consistently than using the Sony lens with the Megadap adapter anyway, all tests have shown that adaptor to be hit or miss. Check out top Wildlife shooter Mark Smith's tests using the Megadap with the Sony 200-600mm lens on the Nikon Z9, he was less than impressed with the adapter's inconsistent focus ability. The Sony 200-600mm has been out since summer 2019, four years ago. I got one of the first ones released in the USA with my Sony SPS (Sony Pro Support) Priority. I have used this superb lens for all kinds of subjects all around the world for four years now. Nikon is late to the party and has had all of Sony's experience to look back on when designing their lens, and it shows. I am happy for Nikon Z-mount shooters that have longed for such a lens, it seems excellent. But I would not have traded my four years of use of the Sony 200-600mm and the countless thousands of great photos I have made with it around the world to have had to wait for the Nikon one. Celebrate this new Nikon lens for what it is , but dont try to compare it with a Sony lens that has been the absolute benchmark in this range for the past four years. Nikon's aim was squarely on that class-leading Sony lens. Nikon users will use this Nikon lens, and Sony shooters will use the Sony lens. And we all know that Nikon has been underpricing its Z gear to try and pull itself out of a distant third place in fullframe mirrorless gear sales. It is good business for Nikon and good for their loyal fanbase. Nikon and Sony have a long history of business relationships with the top Nikons using Sony-made sensors for many years. And now Nikon is partnering with Tamron for both Tamron-badged and Nikon-badged z-mount lenses based on current Tamron E-mount lenses. Sony owns part of Tamron. Sony users will continue to love their 200-600mm lenses and will await a version two in the not too distant future for sure. Enjoy the lens and whatever differences between the two that makes you feel better about Nikon, but Sony users will not be switching brands for this lens. FYI, I was a pro Nikon and Canon user for over four decades (both brands) before moving over to Sony in 2017. I am happy Nikon has clawed its way back with the Z9/Z8 and its latest lenses, but I am sticking with Sony . Did you know that the top news services in the world, Associated Press, UK Press, Canadian Press, all Gannett Media including USA Today have all moved exclusively to Sony mirrorless gear for ALL their staff photographers and staff videographers worldwide. AFP (Agence France Presse) helped develop and test the Nikon Z9 and AFP uses the Nikon Z-mount gear for all their staffers worldwide. Cheers and best to you and all Nikon Z-mount users on an excellent new 180-600mm lens.
@@MattIrwinPhotography that A7RV does not have a stacked sensor, so not the best for fastest readout and AF performance vs the stacked sensor of a Z9 or Z8. It would be better to test the Sony 200-600mm on a stacked sensor. A1, or A9II. FYI as a pro I have owned Sony A6500, A7RII, A7RIII, A7III, A9, and currently own Sony A1, A7RIV, A7SIII. Cheers
@@6gwilliams I understand 6g. This is the camera I have access to. The A7 R5 seems to be plenty fast for AF. Indeed the scanning speed of the sensor is not stacked speeds. I will not be looking at rolling shutter. I am not sure what all the concern is about here. This is simply me taking a look. I am not going to come out and say "SONY FAIL" or "NIKON FAIL", this is not that sort of channel. I will refer you to, Nikon not being late to the party of image making. The D500, D850 (new in 2017) and 200-500 have been performing admirably long before the 2019 release of the Sony 200-600. This is a misdirection. They simply where not in the mirrorless market, like Canon, until 2018. The level of energy that seems to come out of Sony users, in attempting to cast as many 'Nikon failures' as possible is befuddling. When today an A1 costs $6500 USD, Z8 $3999 USD. And I would argue overall the Z8 is more well rounded camera with far better ergonomics to boot. And the A1 does not have firmware updates which cheaper Sony cameras have today. What does the future hold? you wrote "Celebrate this new Nikon lens for what it is , but dont try to compare it with a Sony lens that has been the absolute benchmark in this range for the past four years. " - what are worried about, and to be honest I am not even sure what you are saying, other than telling me what I should and should not be doing ... What? you wrote "Nikon and Sony have a long history of business relationships with the top Nikons using Sony-made sensors for many years. And now Nikon is partnering with Tamron for both Tamron-badged and Nikon-badged z-mount lenses based on current Tamron E-mount lenses. Sony owns part of Tamron" - honestly what are you so worried about ... and lets be transparent, Tamron make Sony lenses for Sony - LOL, so does that make it good or bad? you wrote "Distant third place" 'Late to the party" take a look at your language and approach. If you are so in love with Sony, and so out of love with Nikon, why do you even care? you wrote "Enjoy the lens and whatever differences between the two that makes you feel better about Nikon ..." are you serious ... is this the school yard ... you wrote "I am happy Nikon has clawed its way back with the Z9/Z8 and its latest lenses ..." - LOL I own Sony A7R and Sony A7R III various lenses, Hasselblad, Fuji, Nikon, Pentax and more ... I just get the machine that works for my use case at the time, and it now spans 4 decades of time . My identity is not tied up in a camera brand being 'better' or 'on top' of the market. Otherwise I suppose that would have been Canon most of these last 4 decades. Take care and enjoy
@@MattIrwinPhotography Boy you totally misunderstand me and are fighting so hard for Nikon. I am ONLY talking about Nikon in mirrorless, and in mirrorless Nikon is a distant third in the marketplace, just a fact, and was late to the fullframe mirrorless party. I am not talking about or commenting about ANY Nikon DSLR cameras ,or comparing ANY Nikon DSLR-designed lenses at all with mirrorless lenses. And Tamron makes it own E-mount lenses but DOES NOT make Sony's lenses, LOL. Get real here. I have loved Nikon for decades and will always love Nikon, just as I love Canon, and Fuji, and Hasselblad , Leica , Pentax, and Olympus, Sony and all the cameras I have used as a longtime pro. And the excellent Nikon 200-500mm lens is a DSLR-designed lens and NOT comparable with the Mirrorless-designed Sony 200-600mm lens, which every tester and reviewer admits was the target lens for this Nikon mirrorless lens. You dont seem to take any disagreement well . I am a subscriber to your channel and I appreciate your efforts, but you need to be more accurate and less defensive when you misinterpret and criticize a subscriber's valid comments. I have been in this business as a pro for over 50 years as a Worldwide Award Winning Photographer and a Professor of Photography at a state university in the USA, and as an administrator of a few Facebook Photography groups, and I know what I am talking about here. I am sorry you totally misunderstood me. And do better research. If you are going to test and compare products against each other you should strive for a more even playing field and using one lens on a stacked sensor camera and using the other lens on a non-stacked sensor camera is NOT an even playing field IMHO. Cheers and best to you. I look forward to your part two.
The major difference, imo, is just the price. Sony needs to adjust because it’s a much older lens and even if you dropped it in between current and the Nikon it would help. I shot the 200-600 for a year and it was a pleasure for sure. But Nikon ecosystem is growing fast for wildlife folks like myself and Sony has nothing in between this lens and the huge primes. Nikon is definitely better in this respect. (Nikon needs some cheaper cameras that operate like the Canon R8 or R7
You forgot to compare the MOST important thing, Matt. The aesthetics. The Sony's grey is just so bla. I was going to say bat-shit boring, but that would be rude. As photographers, surely the visuals must count pretty high. Otherwise, we might as well be audio guys.
I know I'll probably get verbally abused for this comment from Nikon fanboys and maybe you, but that's what I'm reading between your words. Funny that you want to compare an older Sony lens that is not in their GM series against a brand new one, but why not instead compare the Sony 50mm.f.1.2 GM against the Nikon Z 50mm.f.1.2 which are not that old, and so you can also just look at the weight and the size, if such tests are really necessary for you? You also praise Nikon for not having so many buttons on the lens, but if it had been the other way around, I think your opinion would also have been in Nikon's favor (Provoke a little here because I can see your agenda). In all honesty, there must be a hidden agenda from you where you want to disparage Sony, which is the big ugly wolf that has overtaken Nikon in 2nd place on the camera market. However, all this is totally uninteresting, just that everyone is happy with their equipment, so there is no reason to sneak an older lens from Sony into a test because you don't like this brand (unfortunately, it's again little too obvious). However, I don't write fanboy, although it's ok, as long as you don't disparage other brands! Yes, I use Sony, but I really hope that Nikon has made a really good lens, because that's perfectly fine with me, because why shouldn't Nikon users enjoy a good Nikon lens?
Let’s see what happens in part 2 before you get too excited. There is no agenda. It was the most logical lens to compare with this new Nikon lens and a friend of mine offered to lend it to me.
Several reasons to compare the Nikon lens is new, there are a ton of 50mm 1.2 comparison videos and this is the most popular super telephoto zoom lens. The only thing that strikes me as off is your comment crying about it. This is mostly a Nikon gear channel and I am curious if they're just keeping up with the competition and curious of how this new lens performs in general. So Kudos to Matt Irwin for the comparison. Sonys don't suit my larger hands either way.
It would be nice if Nikon had limiter switches to match their variable aperture ranges. I've given up complaining to Nikon about the lack of Arca Swiss. I look forward to the next video - although the adapted Sony AF may not be fair...🦘
I was just watching the Auto Capture feature on RUclips on the Z9. There is a focus distance range setting in it. Matt, do you think that the focus distance range can be software driven? If Nikon can do that, it would be a game changer. For video, stills, etc in normal use.
![Nikon 180-600 Z vs Sigma 150-600 C [And Sharpness Testing]](/img/1.gif)
Thanks for the video. Any time frame on the "next video" comparing these two lenses in the field or did I miss it?
Already waiting for part 2 !!!
When is part 2 coming out? Anxiously waiting for the comparison.
Thank you for wonderful job you are doing. I am just curious - was there already that part 2 video?
Thanks for comparing these two lenses. I was especially interested in seeing the results, having sold my Sony 200-600 a few months back, and hoping for a comparable Nikon Z lens.
I’ll be curious to see how much focus breathing reduces the “effective” focal length of the Nikon at close focus distances, compared to the Sony
Please test the focusing speed and accuracy with the Nikon 180-600mm. Would be helpful to decide whether I should upgrade my 200-500mm or not.
Earlier this year i was in New Mexico for the Sandhill Crane migration and met up with a Sony shooter who loved the Sony 200-600. He had another Sony Camera with the 600MM F4. While he admits that the Prime is somewhat better optically, the 200-600 was so close he has to look at the Exif data to tell which camera it came from. I was in the transition from a D850 and 200-500 Nikon to mirrorless and was considering using the Sony 200-600 on the Z9/Z8 i was yet to buy. Now i have the Z8 and wanting to pull the trigger on a new long lens. the 180-600 Z looks like the ticket, a Nikon 600 F4 is just too heavy for my style of shooting. But i keep coming back to the 500PF lens light, sharp, and almost has fanatical following. I am so looking forward to your comparison of the Sony and Nikon zooms to help me make a decision.
3 weeks ago, where will part 2 be?
1 year and no part 2
Nice review. One small error @5:30. The Sony has a removable tripod foot, but does *not* have a removable collar like the Nikon.
Very Nice comparison of Sony & Nikon lenses, eagerly waiting for you next video showing the results...👍🏼
Nice video, looking forward to the next video!
Ordered mine day one,hearing end of august,hope it’s sooner.This almost rounds out my Z lense collection missing the 14-24 2.8 however.
Cheers mate,glad you have yours.
Congratulations. This one is Nikon’s and has to go back soon.
@@MattIrwinPhotography 🥲is this on your wish list?
@@chipsrafferty8362 Well it wasn't, but now that I have used it, it could be. But I am also thinking about the 35mm and the 135mm which are also on my list ... hard to choose :)
Amazing intro, music. Great video Matt.
Thanks for this video !! Audio is a quite quiet on this one, for some reason.
Hi Matt!! We have a question. Our Nikon z8 is arriving next week and we are hesitating with the cards. Which were the best? Or which one are you working with? 128 or 256 cfexpress for photos and videos? Thank a lot from France , Alsace!
This is a holding video, isn’t it? Explaining how two different lenses are not the same(?!) by reading out the specs. I will drop by for the in the field comparison though.
The one lens I think would be fun to include is the Canon that sits in the middle of the 100-400 and the 200-600 range. It’s an L lens, but to stay compact, the aperture goes to 7.1 on the 500 end. I believe size and weight is similar to the 100-400 Nikon and Sony versions.
Any obvious build quality or materials differences you've noticed that might drive pricing difference? Initial testing I have seen seems to show the Z has the edge over the F mount 200-500 in sharpness. I will likely get the Z since I chose the 400 f/4.5 Z over the 100-400Z.
I've pre-ordered the Nikkor 180-600, which means I'll be able to sell my 200-500. I would love to see how it performs with the 2xTC
Nice comparison, but where is part 2 though? Its been 3 months since part one 🙂
We're all loking forward to it
Nice video Matt - it seems the Nikon is the better value having a longer focal range, and brighter aperture for a significant portion of the range (300-490mm) @f/6 where the Sony is at 6.3 - this is only a 1/6 stop difference, but does mean slightly faster shutter speeds and/or slightly lower ISO's and every bit does count - especially when photographing fast action.
The Nikon is also marginally lighter. And it is $300 less expensive which is relevant - in this case it is literally 15% less expensive than the Sony.
Of course, all of this means little if IQ isn't as good, but judging from the entire line of Z mount lenses from Nikon (both S line and non-S line), IQ has never been the downside point with all Z mount Nikkors performing well in this area - so I would be surprises if IQ is not as good (if not better) than the Sony.
Finally, AF acquisition speed is a relevant metric when comparing these lenses as they will be used almost exclusively for fast action whether that be wild life or sports and as such it will be interesting to see how they stack up in this respect.
Assuming that they do stack up in IQ and focus speed, then it seems that the Nikon would be the clear winner at $300 less and with most aspects - save for number of aperture blades being superior to the Sony - and I doubt that 9 vs. 11 blades is going to effect deeply out of focus backgrounds too much - at least not $300 worth when you are losing so much else with the Sony.
Looking forward to your part II where I am sure you will answer these questions that are still unresolved.
Thanks for the video!
-PD
These lenses are almost exclusively shot at 600mm (and 900mm via crop mode or on a crop sensor camera), and everything wider than that just doesn't matter. Wider does matter on a 100-400 lens, because those lenses are often used for day landscape, captive animal, macro-ish use, and a few other things, where you can and will get up close. Most people would say that lighter and cheaper is a good thing. I would have preferred Nikon jack up the price to $3k, f5.6 at the long end, a bit heavier and larger, and make it an "S" lens like the Z 100-400. The Z 100-400 is great with the 1.4x TC, and it is usable with the 2.0x TC. We'll see about the Z 180-600. The Sony 200-600 is not good with a 1.4x TC, and its a dumpster fire with the 2.0x TC.
The Sony is going to be better focusing
Yeah it will be really interesting to see how it performs. I just need a day without constant rain and greys sky !!!!
@@Yupthereitism The Sony version has poor AF with the 1.4x TC, and it barely works at all with the 2.0x TC. I am talking on an A1. So, we'll see. If the Nikon version has even just mediocre IQ and AF with the 1.4x TC, this is a slam dunk for Nikon.
how about the focus motor specs . can you compare that too
Hi Matt, I like portraiture and videography. What do you think is better suited between 50mm 1.2 and 70-200mm 2.8? I am relatively new and own a Z6II and a couple of S lenses.
Would have loved to see follow up video to part 1.
I am still waiting for another review copy ... :)
There are 2 other benefits to buying the 180-600. It's always better to get the native mount. They just work better. Plus you get the full amount of IBIS when using a native mount lens. The other thing is the cost of the adapter to use the Sony lens on top of the lens costing more. Unless you have several E mount lenses that you adapt.
Still better to have switches Matt rather than be in the menu . Just my 2 cents worth . Thanks Matt.
Nice comparison. Thanks Matt.
Interesting!
Anything too the Nikon z8 (certain serial numbers) are being recalled because the lens will not lock onto the body?
Very valuable comparison
Please include the AF-S
200-500mm Nikkor. PS also
95mm filter size
Can the VR on/off function be customized to a button on the lens or camera?
Timing on the 180-600 was oddly at a time when I was seriously looking at the 200-600, and pairing it with a A7RIV.
Still can't decide on the 180-600 until production copies are being used by owners giving feedback, but given that I opted for a Z9 for action/wildlife after it was announced, means it's more or less a forgone conclusion that I will be using that as my long lens in the future.
thanks and waiting the next video😊
hoping to get my z180-600 to use on my repaired Z8 !! not that it broke - the advisory, Thanks for the review
Nikons 180-600 really threw a spanner in the works… could you do a comparison to the 100-400 from a landscape point of view? Is the sharpness around the same/not far off? The extra 200 mil from the 100-400 could be useful for additional wildlife benefit but I’m primarily landscape shooter.
Another home run from Nikon.
It is interesting to see the difference in the physics between the two lenses even though the end result is about the same.
@siddharthsriram2685 lol..youre making up a story...I saw the comparison at fredmiranda website and the Sony 200-600 is not sharper than the Nikon 500pf.. Its the other way around..Telephoto primes are always sharper than zooms..stop making fake news...
For my own benefit I had made up a comparison chart between the two lenses (Have the Nikon on Pre-Order), correct me if I am wrong, you can remove just the foot on the Sony and replace it with an Arca Swiss Foot but for the Nikon the foot is not removable, you would have to get a new collar and foot assembly. The Nikon has Normal and Sport Modes selectable in the camera body for VR while the Sony has 3 VR modes according to some site I read but I think it only has 2 can you confirm. The Sony has Nano coating but the Nikon does not only the Florine coating that Sony also has. The Nikon has 1 more ED Element and as you stated is lighter and a tad shorter and has the larger reproduction Ratio. It will be interesting to see if the Stepper Motor is as fast focusing (seems fast enough to me) vs the Sony Direct Drive Super Sonic Motor (Sounds more impressive but is It?). Thanks Matt and take care - Jeff
Love your videos and I am a Nikon/Nikor fan and yes it appears this Nikor lens is better then it’s comparison. But what Nikon fans cares about a Sony lens and what Sony fan cares about a Nikon lens??? We don’t care about each other lenses. Nikon fans don’t want to hear stats about some older competitors lens. Nikons new lens just came to market and a lot of people still can’t get one, all we want to hear about right now is the Nikon lens, that’s it, hearing about Sony is a waste of our time. Never going to own the Sony lens don’t care to hear anything about it, especially on a Nikon channel. What is important is seeing everything about the lens and examples of what it can do.
I received the e-mail from MEGADAP the day after I sold all my Sony lenses to The Camera Exchange :D Including the 200-600 :)
Great video Matt Irwin
I want to see a Nikkor Z 180-600mm Vs Nikkor Z 24-200mm lens
Is the 180-600 worth it? sence the 24-200 is a super zoom lens
Only thing they have in common is 200mm…how do they compare? The 180-600mm would be considered a super tele zoom…not the 24-200mm
@@hondahoon2479 24-200 has a 8x magnification and the 180-600mm has a 3.3x magnification.
atleast what i know so far
Im a Nikon shooter but removing the VR contol switches off the lens is stupid!!! Im primarily a large water birds and raptors shooter so sometimes If the birds are just flying up a river perpendicular to me, I won't use VR...But if some Kingfishers or Terns show up I want VR...So when i need to go from no VR to VR I have maybe 3 to 5 seconds to switch and I would realky prefer to reach up and slide a switch...And then we have normal and sport mode...2 different worlds with the Nikon 200-500mm...That needs to be a fast switch..I don't know, maybe if they could make it visible in the EVF ( the modes ) and make it where the lens or a programmable button could be assigned to switch the modes it might be ok but only if it were visible in the EVF
Matt, this is off topic but I'd like to hear your take on the service advisory Nikon sent out last week for the Z8, which I learned about just today. I'm a little heartbroken because I have a big trip to Japan next month but Hong Kong Nikon's service center was caught without parts ready to do the repairs.
Hi Jim, my Z8 is in the same boat. But in my (is it two months?) since getting it I have had no problems at all with mounting and un-mounting. So right now I am in no hurry, I have lots of videos to shoot, and work to do, so I will hold onto mine for the time being, always double check lens mounting, and service when I have a spare week :). How are you going mounting and un-mounting lenses? Cheers Matt
same here just 1month old z8 😢.. but may be if your lens is properly locking now , take it for trip and service it afterwards
@@MattIrwinPhotographywas saying same but 1 min late 😂🤝
Don't Panic. If your lens locks, then it will not un-lock and fall off. When the white dot on the lens is at the 12 o'clock position and you hear the click, it is locked. I have always ensured my lens locks, on every brand of camera. Assumed everyone else did to.
Enjoy your videos. The audio on this video is very quiet.
The Nikon lens is 20% more expensive than the Sony in Sweden.
Not only in Sweden, in the whole Europe the Nikon lens costs 20% more than the Sony.
If Nikon hear the people, they should be introduce the ArcSwiss 20 years ago… and as a Wildlife photographer the switch for the distance (with the not trust AF in Nikon) is a must. The AF is not reliable as Sony and I suppose to have the flagship “Z9”
None of the major camera manufacturers have Arca swiss plates on their lenses.
Weird, here in germany the Sony lens i 400€ cheaper than the new Nikon lens.
In Europe every Nikon item is to expensive!!
in india both lenses have same prices in shops but nikon website shows more compared to sony .
Audio level is very low...
The comment about the missing VR switch is nonsense IMHO. Nikon lets you control it by software, which makes it possible to be changed by switching settings banks etc. The limiter not having a near focus setting though is annoying for wildlife.
I showed the software … ?
@@MattIrwinPhotography But the Apple comparison makes no sense. I never witnessed or heard about Nikon surveying photographers about switch use. Doing it in software simply has a different set of tradeoffs, and you can't have a hardware switch differ from what the software wants to do.
@@mm8276352 Nikon do survey's they just don't survey every user. It is a sample set. Which is the way most surveys are actually conducted. And I was speculating about this point. But a survey could be you ask 1% or 10% of your user base, and get an understanding. Have a read of this humansofdata.atlan.com/2017/07/6-sampling-techniques-choose-representative-subset/ It could also be possible, but I suspect unlikely that data is collected during servicing. And I have not read the T and C's on Snapbridge, but it also could conceivably collect this sort of data and send it (this is a complete speculation on my part, but it would be possible, if the system is created to do it).
Hi in Australia the sony is $600 cheaper then nikon.:"sony $2260 au"
The sound is too soft
If you own either the Z8 or Z9, no question you buy the Nikon 180-600mm. But if you don't own a Z8 or Z9 and you want to get into wildlife, sport or fasting moving objects affordably. You have to consider Sony, since they have several mid-range or APSC with superior AF than Nikon mid-range and APSC cameras.
This is apples to oranges here. If you shoot Sony you aren't interested in the Nikon lens at all. If you shoot Nikon, well the Nikon lens will focus better and much more consistently than using the Sony lens with the Megadap adapter anyway, all tests have shown that adaptor to be hit or miss. Check out top Wildlife shooter Mark Smith's tests using the Megadap with the Sony 200-600mm lens on the Nikon Z9, he was less than impressed with the adapter's inconsistent focus ability. The Sony 200-600mm has been out since summer 2019, four years ago. I got one of the first ones released in the USA with my Sony SPS (Sony Pro Support) Priority. I have used this superb lens for all kinds of subjects all around the world for four years now. Nikon is late to the party and has had all of Sony's experience to look back on when designing their lens, and it shows. I am happy for Nikon Z-mount shooters that have longed for such a lens, it seems excellent. But I would not have traded my four years of use of the Sony 200-600mm and the countless thousands of great photos I have made with it around the world to have had to wait for the Nikon one. Celebrate this new Nikon lens for what it is , but dont try to compare it with a Sony lens that has been the absolute benchmark in this range for the past four years. Nikon's aim was squarely on that class-leading Sony lens. Nikon users will use this Nikon lens, and Sony shooters will use the Sony lens. And we all know that Nikon has been underpricing its Z gear to try and pull itself out of a distant third place in fullframe mirrorless gear sales. It is good business for Nikon and good for their loyal fanbase. Nikon and Sony have a long history of business relationships with the top Nikons using Sony-made sensors for many years. And now Nikon is partnering with Tamron for both Tamron-badged and Nikon-badged z-mount lenses based on current Tamron E-mount lenses. Sony owns part of Tamron. Sony users will continue to love their 200-600mm lenses and will await a version two in the not too distant future for sure. Enjoy the lens and whatever differences between the two that makes you feel better about Nikon, but Sony users will not be switching brands for this lens. FYI, I was a pro Nikon and Canon user for over four decades (both brands) before moving over to Sony in 2017. I am happy Nikon has clawed its way back with the Z9/Z8 and its latest lenses, but I am sticking with Sony . Did you know that the top news services in the world, Associated Press, UK Press, Canadian Press, all Gannett Media including USA Today have all moved exclusively to Sony mirrorless gear for ALL their staff photographers and staff videographers worldwide. AFP (Agence France Presse) helped develop and test the Nikon Z9 and AFP uses the Nikon Z-mount gear for all their staffers worldwide. Cheers and best to you and all Nikon Z-mount users on an excellent new 180-600mm lens.
I have a Sony A7R V to test with.
@@MattIrwinPhotography that A7RV does not have a stacked sensor, so not the best for fastest readout and AF performance vs the stacked sensor of a Z9 or Z8. It would be better to test the Sony 200-600mm on a stacked sensor. A1, or A9II. FYI as a pro I have owned Sony A6500, A7RII, A7RIII, A7III, A9, and currently own Sony A1, A7RIV, A7SIII. Cheers
@@6gwilliams I understand 6g. This is the camera I have access to. The A7 R5 seems to be plenty fast for AF. Indeed the scanning speed of the sensor is not stacked speeds. I will not be looking at rolling shutter. I am not sure what all the concern is about here. This is simply me taking a look. I am not going to come out and say "SONY FAIL" or "NIKON FAIL", this is not that sort of channel.
I will refer you to, Nikon not being late to the party of image making. The D500, D850 (new in 2017) and 200-500 have been performing admirably long before the 2019 release of the Sony 200-600. This is a misdirection. They simply where not in the mirrorless market, like Canon, until 2018. The level of energy that seems to come out of Sony users, in attempting to cast as many 'Nikon failures' as possible is befuddling. When today an A1 costs $6500 USD, Z8 $3999 USD. And I would argue overall the Z8 is more well rounded camera with far better ergonomics to boot. And the A1 does not have firmware updates which cheaper Sony cameras have today. What does the future hold?
you wrote
"Celebrate this new Nikon lens for what it is , but dont try to compare it with a Sony lens that has been the absolute benchmark in this range for the past four years. " - what are worried about, and to be honest I am not even sure what you are saying, other than telling me what I should and should not be doing ... What?
you wrote
"Nikon and Sony have a long history of business relationships with the top Nikons using Sony-made sensors for many years. And now Nikon is partnering with Tamron for both Tamron-badged and Nikon-badged z-mount lenses based on current Tamron E-mount lenses. Sony owns part of Tamron" - honestly what are you so worried about ... and lets be transparent, Tamron make Sony lenses for Sony - LOL, so does that make it good or bad?
you wrote
"Distant third place" 'Late to the party" take a look at your language and approach. If you are so in love with Sony, and so out of love with Nikon, why do you even care?
you wrote
"Enjoy the lens and whatever differences between the two that makes you feel better about Nikon ..." are you serious ... is this the school yard ...
you wrote
"I am happy Nikon has clawed its way back with the Z9/Z8 and its latest lenses ..." - LOL
I own Sony A7R and Sony A7R III various lenses, Hasselblad, Fuji, Nikon, Pentax and more ... I just get the machine that works for my use case at the time, and it now spans 4 decades of time . My identity is not tied up in a camera brand being 'better' or 'on top' of the market. Otherwise I suppose that would have been Canon most of these last 4 decades.
Take care and enjoy
@@MattIrwinPhotography Boy you totally misunderstand me and are fighting so hard for Nikon. I am ONLY talking about Nikon in mirrorless, and in mirrorless Nikon is a distant third in the marketplace, just a fact, and was late to the fullframe mirrorless party. I am not talking about or commenting about ANY Nikon DSLR cameras ,or comparing ANY Nikon DSLR-designed lenses at all with mirrorless lenses. And Tamron makes it own E-mount lenses but DOES NOT make Sony's lenses, LOL. Get real here. I have loved Nikon for decades and will always love Nikon, just as I love Canon, and Fuji, and Hasselblad , Leica , Pentax, and Olympus, Sony and all the cameras I have used as a longtime pro. And the excellent Nikon 200-500mm lens is a DSLR-designed lens and NOT comparable with the Mirrorless-designed Sony 200-600mm lens, which every tester and reviewer admits was the target lens for this Nikon mirrorless lens. You dont seem to take any disagreement well . I am a subscriber to your channel and I appreciate your efforts, but you need to be more accurate and less defensive when you misinterpret and criticize a subscriber's valid comments. I have been in this business as a pro for over 50 years as a Worldwide Award Winning Photographer and a Professor of Photography at a state university in the USA, and as an administrator of a few Facebook Photography groups, and I know what I am talking about here. I am sorry you totally misunderstood me. And do better research. If you are going to test and compare products against each other you should strive for a more even playing field and using one lens on a stacked sensor camera and using the other lens on a non-stacked sensor camera is NOT an even playing field IMHO. Cheers and best to you. I look forward to your part two.
I just read your words.
The major difference, imo, is just the price. Sony needs to adjust because it’s a much older lens and even if you dropped it in between current and the Nikon it would help.
I shot the 200-600 for a year and it was a pleasure for sure. But Nikon ecosystem is growing fast for wildlife folks like myself and Sony has nothing in between this lens and the huge primes. Nikon is definitely better in this respect. (Nikon needs some cheaper cameras that operate like the Canon R8 or R7
Please increase your audio level, you're too soft.
@4:08 here is the nasty Sony trick. So well done Nikon then!
You are obviously not a Sony shooter. I've never known Sony to have a f6, since 2012 at least. It's not a lens thing, it's a by body design thing.
I own a A7R III and A7R, and I never noticed, as I largely shoot wide open.
I have seen side by side images and the sony wins in image IQ
You forgot to compare the MOST important thing, Matt. The aesthetics. The Sony's grey is just so bla. I was going to say bat-shit boring, but that would be rude. As photographers, surely the visuals must count pretty high. Otherwise, we might as well be audio guys.
too much sitting here talking about and no image comparison samples.
I would ditch that microphone...😊
far out what's wrong with it? Seemed ok to me.
@@MattIrwinPhotographySeems okay to me. 😊
Tony & Chelsea Northrup still likes Sony more....
who cares?
Hi - where or when did Tony and Chelsea say they preferred Sony? Tony prefers Z8 over RV!
They’re Sony “diehards”…they actually said the Sony A7RV had better ergonomics than the R5 & Z8 😂
Haven't watched that channel since the launch of the Canon EOS R.
আজাইরা রিভিউ। ধুরবাল।
I know I'll probably get verbally abused for this comment from Nikon fanboys and maybe you, but that's what I'm reading between your words.
Funny that you want to compare an older Sony lens that is not in their GM series against a brand new one, but why not instead compare the Sony 50mm.f.1.2 GM against the Nikon Z 50mm.f.1.2 which are not that old, and so you can also just look at the weight and the size, if such tests are really necessary for you?
You also praise Nikon for not having so many buttons on the lens, but if it had been the other way around, I think your opinion would also have been in Nikon's favor (Provoke a little here because I can see your agenda).
In all honesty, there must be a hidden agenda from you where you want to disparage Sony, which is the big ugly wolf that has overtaken Nikon in 2nd place on the camera market. However, all this is totally uninteresting, just that everyone is happy with their equipment, so there is no reason to sneak an older lens from Sony into a test because you don't like this brand (unfortunately, it's again little too obvious).
However, I don't write fanboy, although it's ok, as long as you don't disparage other brands!
Yes, I use Sony, but I really hope that Nikon has made a really good lens, because that's perfectly fine with me, because why shouldn't Nikon users enjoy a good Nikon lens?
Let’s see what happens in part 2 before you get too excited. There is no agenda. It was the most logical lens to compare with this new Nikon lens and a friend of mine offered to lend it to me.
Several reasons to compare the Nikon lens is new, there are a ton of 50mm 1.2 comparison videos and this is the most popular super telephoto zoom lens. The only thing that strikes me as off is your comment crying about it. This is mostly a Nikon gear channel and I am curious if they're just keeping up with the competition and curious of how this new lens performs in general. So Kudos to Matt Irwin for the comparison. Sonys don't suit my larger hands either way.
It would be nice if Nikon had limiter switches to match their variable aperture ranges.
I've given up complaining to Nikon about the lack of Arca Swiss.
I look forward to the next video - although the adapted Sony AF may not be fair...🦘
I have the Sony A7R5 to test with.
I was just watching the Auto Capture feature on RUclips on the Z9. There is a focus distance range setting in it. Matt, do you think that the focus distance range can be software driven? If Nikon can do that, it would be a game changer. For video, stills, etc in normal use.
Probably more fair because it is coming out of the same camera on the same sensor.