Three Awesome Accessories for Sony 200-600mm Lens
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- The Sony a7R IV and FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens has been quite the combo for me. Here's how I made my wildlife and bird photography setup even nicer.
LensCoat Lens Cover full review: • LensCoat Lens Cover Re...
►LensCoat Lens Cover
B&H: bhpho.to/3205Wgh | Amazon: amzn.to/2xo3o2b
►Kirk Replacement Foot
B&H: bhpho.to/35399xf
►BlackRapid Sport Strap
B&H: bhpho.to/34mfmEP | Amazon: amzn.to/2Q6K00r
►Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS
B&H: bhpho.to/2pnPutc | Amazon: amzn.to/2ZAFf28
►My full gear list: ryanmense.com/gear
My website: www.ryanmense.com
My Instagram: / ryanmense
Links may contain affiliate code that make me a small commission for any purchases. The cost of the item is always the same to you whether it's an affiliate link or not.
Got mine today thanks!!
Thanks for the tips!
Terrific video. I'm getting all 3 of these. Thank you! Well done.
Awesome! Thank you!
Thanks mate, to the point, honest and useful 🙂
Just gor the AR7IV and 200-600. Big upgrade from 7DII and Tammy 150-600. The Kirk foot is nice and makes a good carry handle.
Thanks for the heads up - especially the quick release. Not been using my BlackRapid preferring my Peak Design but can see the benefit of the Black Rapid with the big Sony zoom.
I have them both as well and used the Peak Design strap at first. The benefit to the Peak Design is that it's faster to detach from the anchors if you need to.
Great video Ryan! I got the kirk, lens coat, UV filter & peak design strap instead. However on the zoom throw, it’s very useful to me personally since its a lot shorter = quicker zooming in and out. Btw, I switched from canon 1dx & 500/4L IS set up back in March to the A9 and been adapting with the MC11. Loving the new combo since the lens delivered.
I used the Canon 500 f4 with the MC-11 for a short time too and it held up really well. Only one issue I noted was that large focus changes needed assistance by manual focusing, but that wasn’t a big deal to me. Maybe that doesn’t even happen with the a9.
As for the zoom, I’ve only zoomed out of 600mm intentionally maybe twice since I’ve had the lens, haha. But yeah, I do see the benefit if you are someone who needs it.
Nice video, thx!
New sub here from Ireland! Love your videos!
As a wedding photographer, I can't always justify long lenses, but I do enjoy bird and wildlife photography when I get the chance.
I've recently switched to Sony, so seeing what's on my nice-to-have list is always a good idea!
BTW, where did you get your cap from? Really love Sony's merch.
Thanks for watching. Haha, I have collected so so sooo much Sony swag from their press events over the past 5 years. I think that cap was from Kando 3.0 this year though.
Nice video man...I'm in the process of buying 200 to 600 mm and this video helped me alot...keep up the good work and do more videos
Sweet! Thanks for watching
Once you get it, you will love it. I upgraded from the 70-300 to the 200-600 and it was amazing!
hi I want to buy lenscoat for my sony 200-600 and I saw yours is what a good quality it's worth it thanks
Hi Bro. Where I will be find This equipments?
Hi Ryan I like your video, especially the Kirk replacement foot! Can you share which tripod and head you use for your combo? I have an A7III and 200-600+1.4X extension, looking to buy a sturdy tripod but also light enough to carry around. Thanks!
Hey Fred, good question. After I replaced the Canon stuff with the Sony I realized that the Induro GIT404XL tripod (bhpho.to/2NP7Z1Y) and Wimberley WH-200 II gimbal head (bhpho.to/35lrcyX) I owned was completely overkill with the much lighter Sony. So I ended up selling them to replace with something more appropriate. Then after I sold them, I came to another realization that I really enjoyed using the Sony combo with no tripod at all so I never did get a full-time replacement yet.
If I must have the camera on sticks - which I agree would happen more if I owned the 1.4x that I’ve only rented before, I do have an older Gitzo tripod that they don’t make any more and I have a Really Right Stuff PG-01 gimbal head (bhpho.to/2FgWmNh) that is good enough for lighter usage with the 200-600, but I wouldn’t buy it outright for that setup in mind. I did test the Jobu Jr gimbal head (bhpho.to/2QGYIu5) with the Sony combo and that was pretty nice although I’m not a fan of having the locking knobs for the pan and tilt on opposite sides. It’s very pricey but I’d be tempted to trade up to the Really Right Stuff PG-02 (bhpho.to/2sBh1sS) seeing as how I enjoy the smaller version so much.
As for the tripod if I had to buy one today I’d probably get the Gitzo GT3543LS (bhpho.to/2sL983R) since it seems to have the best balance of weight, height, folded length, and price. It’s only $40 more than the other commonly recommended tripod, the Induro GIT304L (bhpho.to/2twpHR5).
Hope that helps a little, I’m kind of in the same boat too at the moment.
I do a lot of Milky Way photography and although I am shooting at the other en of the focal length (20mm vice 600mm) I ran into a similar problem. I would have to manually focus at infinity during the daytime because autofocus doesn't work at night. My solution would also work for your zoom issues. Once I found the focus for infinity (it is never where it is marked on the lens), I would put a piece of masking tape to prevent the focus ring from moving. You could have done the same thing with your zoom ring, and masking tape is a lot cheaper than the lens cover.
FWIW, I use my 200-600 primarily for aviation photography so I like the short zoom throw. Everybody has their own needs. Happy you found a solution that works for you.
Have you heard of Bahtinov masks? These are dirt cheap and if you have access to a 3d printer you can even get one personalized for your lens. Just put one on your lens, use the manual focus zoom and go to a bright star, then rotate the focus ring until the three diffraction spikes crosses at the same point, at this point your focus is nailed and you can remove the mask.
Really nice video! I purchased the Sports Breathe because of it, seems very comfortable. I was just wondering since it isn't in the video but when you carry the lens like you show with the BR Sports Breathe, hanging at your hip camera forward, it tilts at 45 degrees, it doesn't hang horisontally. This makes a certain kind of sense since the lens is heavier in front of where the foot screws on it just seems from the way you show it that perhaps it sits horisontally, but I suppose it doesn't for you either (unless holding it with a hand)?
Just checked and it will sit at an angle if I screw the BR straight into the removed tripod foot hole. If I attach the BR to the Kirk foot it sits level.
Nice Video. I just bought a 200-600 and, in the instructions, says that you cannot attach a tripod or monopod directly to the hole in the lens. Can you attach the BlackRapid in this hole without damage the lens?
Do you know why you cannot attach the tripod directly to the lens without the foot?
Thanks.
Good on you for reading the manual, haha. I haven’t seen any damage done by attaching the BlackRapid to the hole. The Wimberley replacement lens foot also utilizes that hole to attach itself so I don’t think it could be that weak? I’ll have to look into it more.
Great video, very informative. I just wondered, is it the Max 5 or Max 4 version of the LensCoat?
Moreover, did you know about the QD adapter? It's a quick lock systems which can be attached to the Really Right Stuff lens foot of that glass. So you do not have to remove the lens foot to screw the Blackrapid adapter on it. It's a breeze to change from tripod to the strap that way.
Best,
Tom
I think I've seen the QD system in person before, but didn't really know what I was looking at at the time. I know in the video it shows me removing the foot to attach the BlackRapid adapter, but it can be mounted right to the Kirk foot as well. I just prefer having no foot when I'm using the strap. Next time I see a RRS QD adapter I'll take a closer look, thanks!
Oh, and it's the Max5 version. I've had the Max4 and Max5 both before and there's a noticeable difference in the print quality with the Max5. Animals won't care but if I'm using it all the time I want it to look nicer 🙂
Hey Ryan, thanks for this great video. I‘m also using the replacement foot from Kirk and carry the lens with a QD strap attached to the foot. It’s way more comfortable to carry than using the attachment points on the collar. After several uses in the field I recognize a slight knocking from the replacement foot. First I thought it‘s coming from the foot itself, but it seems that this small plate on the lens collar, which is fixed with these 4 tiny screws, is getting a bit loose. In different photography forums I‘ve now read, that some users had issues with loose screws on the sony lens.
Did you also have this problem or have you heard about it?
Yes, I've had these screws come loose as well. After retightening at some point last year they haven't re-loosened. If they did I might throw some loctite on them. For my lens, the entire collar is actually showing some play in it after a couple years of abuse. I might need to service it at some point for that.
@@RyanMenseWildlife Thanks Ryan for your answer. I‘m kind of disappointed by Sony, that they didn‘t apply Loctite already in assembly. I also have a scratch inside the lens on the outer element of zoom lens unit. As the lens is tack sharp and I couldn‘t see any quality issues on the photos even with a light source in different angles, I decided to keep the lens. Maybe we have to accept some weak points in build quality for this price... And check screws from time to time... ;-) But the lens itself is just awesome.
How do you find the focusing system on the R4?? I used to have A7R3 but decided to sell it since I didn’t find th focus system as fast as A73 or my A6400.
Not technically an autofocus issue but I’d say the R IV is even more finicky with getting perfectly sharp images than the R III just because of the 61MP sensor. I think the actual autofocus functions slightly faster than the R III though. Maybe not a7 III speed?? I’ve used everything listed there but at different times and different amounts of time so it’s hard to judge.
Ryan Mense Thanks! I’ve been hesitant to buy the R4 since the R3 wasn’t really my favorite camera! Anyways, keep up the good work!!
@@RyanMenseWildlife But if it's a focusing issue that's unrelated to the higher megapixel count. I too wondered this, I own the A7R3 and find it difficult to shoot birds i flight against busy high contrast backgrounds. Clear blue sky usually good focus but that makes for boring photos.
May be a stupid question, but is it possible to shoot vertically on a tripod with this lens, or is it too much weight?
Do you mean shooting in portrait orientation? If so, the balance of weight wouldn't change at all because the lens will rotate within the lens foot collar that's secured to the tripod. The lens foot would stay vertical while everything else rotates. Weight limits heavily depend on the tripod being used. You should be able to look up your specific tripod's weight limit on the web to see if it can safely hold them.
Love the content, I switched from Canon to Sony ~ 1 year ago. For Wildlife, I'm primarily shooting deer. That being said, I hope to get some bear, bobcats, and coyote as well. My needs are somewhat complicated as well. I'm physically disabled and walking is limited, as is my budget constraints. For what I'm shooting though, it works out lol. I've got a modified mini bike to get me to blinds.
Current Kit:
A7iii
Zeiss 55 1.8 (Portrait / Events)
Tamron 70-210 f4 (prefer it to the 2.8 g1 I had, works great through MC-11 and CHEAP, Portrait / Events)
Canon 400 5.6 (Wildlife)
I've run into the "Super 35" dilemma as well. Right now, I'm considering either swapping to an A7R3/4, getting a 200-600, or Crop Sensor 2nd body. There's pros / cons every way lol.
Anyone have any thoughts / direction / ideas?
So you are looking to get more reach than the 400mm with a new gear purchase then? From the three options, two of them aren't really changing the photo qualities whereas the lens is the only one there that will give you true reach plus improved qualities like a shallower depth of field for better subject separation.
The a7 III is a mighty good camera, so I'd be leaning toward the 200-600 if I were in your position I think. Or if the Sony 200-600 is too pricey, adapting one of the Sigma/Tamron 150-600 lenses using your MC-11 shouldn't be a big deal with larger, slower animals like that. I actually have the Sigma 60-600mm here with me now that I'm going to be reviewing as an adapted lens onto Sony.
Ryan Mense true, and the lens route may end up being the simplest option. The Sony 200-600 was announced like the week after I got my used 400 5.6 lol, I tried to ignore it but it just keeps looking better.
I’m looking forward to your 60-600 review. I’ve actually never used a Sigma lens with my MC-11 lol, only Tamron and Canons
Don't shoot them just take pictures
@@echo999WRLD lol I never updated this but decided on using my mc-11 for the canon Mount sigma 150-600 contemporary. I threw a camo skin on it for a little protection.
any backpack recommendation ?
Check out Atlas Packs
You mentioned mostly using manual focus. Have you tried the animal eye AF? Does it work?
It’s too aggressive from what I’ve experienced. I get a lot of false positives whenever it’s switched on, and the camera thinks that a lot of branches or patterns in an animal’s fur or so on have eyes on them. Animal Eye AF works with any focus area, so you can really narrow down the zone in which it’s checking for an eye, but even then I’ve seen it get it wrong and there’s no way in the moment to tell it it’s wrong so you end up missing shots while you fumble to turn it off. That said, I’ll still use it for pets just because you basically have unlimited chances to get a shot right so it’s not as big of a deal if the Animal Eye AF wanders to something else and misses a shot or two.
If it's of any help I use this lens and also the 100-400. I've found animal eye AF depends a lot on the color of the eye and fur/feathers. White bird with a black eye, works great if you're close enough, all black duck with a dark red or black eye no way (in fact focus often grabs the water refections which can be higher contrast). Animals in brush or high grass is particularly problematic, at least on my A7R3 and I have actually programmed the lens button to toggle manual focus, I use it quite often for still subjects.
Great insight Rob! Thanks!
got my lens the lens coat ia pain to install
I went through the same. Weight and portability of my 600f4is (version 1) got to be an issue. I bought the 400F4 DOII. It's considerably sharper with the 2x iii converter than the 600 with the 1.4x. Expensive but very lightweight (73oz)
Are you in the midwest? Thx
Have you tried leaving the Kirk foot on and screwing the strap bolt to it? I suggest giving it a try, as you then have the foot to use as a handle when carrying it at your side, distributing roughly 25-50% of the weight of the camera & lens to your hand/arm, and 50-75% onto the strap. You then have much better control of the camera & lens when hiking around. You also avoid placing any strain on the mount like you get when holding the package by the body - something that should never be done with bigger, heavier lenses.
Yeah I didn’t like having the foot there when handholding so this works better for me.
@@RyanMenseWildlife I know what you mean, when I'm not using a strap, I rotate the foot to the top, out of the way, but having it on with the strap offers so many benefits that outweigh the slight discomfort during the short time we're actually holding it up and shooting. For me anyway, it seems like I'm walking with it 90-95% and shooting 5-10%, so having the foot there is invaluable.
I kind of have the opposite thought in that I’d rather be uncomfortable for 90 percent of the time as long as when I’m shooting - when all that time I’ve spent for that one moment - is as perfect as possible. That’s how I sometimes rolled before the Sony; I’d be carrying 20 pounds between the 500mm f/4, 1.4x, 1DX, Wimberley head, and a series 4 tripod. It was pretty uncomfortable but when the shooting started, it was wonderful to be shooting off of.
With the Sony sans foot though it really isn’t an issue walking around. I keep the strap length in the sweet spot so it’s short enough it doesn’t bounce on my hip and long enough I can bring the camera to my eye and shoot verticals. Rather than using the foot as a briefcase handle like you do, I cradle the lens bottom when walking. Not much different for stabilizing it while hiking around.
I’m sure many more people will agree with your method though, so thanks for chiming in!
@@RyanMenseWildlife Yes, I too don't miss the big primes and tripod. Sony really knocked one out of the park with this lens. I shall try your method of sans-foot just out of curiosity.
@@RyanMenseWildlife I tried your method today on a two-hour trek. At first, I thought that just holding the camera body was pretty good, and possibly a better way to go, but that turned out to be fatiguing, and the focus and zoom rings were constantly rolling on my side. I tried cradling the lens in my palm, but that too got tiring. All the while I was craving the foot to be there for that high level of control, and that was not just out of habit, for I am the first one to follow the evidence and change course, but I will be going back to the foot tomorrow.
The only thing I don't like about the aftermarket feet is that they are not rounded enough for comfort, and, they can be cold on the hand in winter, requiring a thin glove.
The BlackRapid is sweet - but *use the safety tether* that came with the strap -- as you're walking around in the field it's entirely possible for the thumb-tightened screw to work its way loose. Been There, Done That. That's ~$6k that's going to go crashing to the ground if you don't have the safety tether to back it up if the connection pops. The lens has two points on it you can attach it to so E Z P Z backup and peace of mind.
Maybe I didn’t pay close enough attention, but it seemed like the tether was only long enough if I was mounting the strap direct to the camera. Is there a way to use the tether when mounted to the lens?
@@RyanMenseWildlife It's probably covered by your lens coat. Directly ahead of the lens control switches (OSS, AF/MF, etc) are two hard points for attaching a strap to the lens. Attach one end of the safety tether there, the other to the carabiner. If the screw pops out the tether will catch it all before it goes to the ground.
Oh duh, thanks.
Hi, You will find the Cotton Carrier Holder much better! Ian
I have one from a review years ago. Can't say I agree with you there.
loosen the knob and Spin the foot ring !?! then the camera isn't upside down