Thanks, Matt, well done. I've owned my Z600pf for just over a month and love its size and weight, oh and the image quality too! I have no regrets because this lens is fun.
Great successor to the F mount 500 PF. Agree the weight and size of Z 600 f/6.3 together with the Z8 is a perfect combination for wildlife photography on the go without compromise on image quality…
The 180-600mm has been soooo brilliant I don't think this will make it to my kit. The 500mm PF still adapts so beautifully as well I'm not inclined to replace that just yet. Good on Nikon for continuing to give us choices but I've matured enough in my journey I'm not ruled by the G.A.S. Thanks as always for the review. Cheers!
Great review as usual Matt. Just took delivery of my 600PF and love the size/weight and how it balances on my Z9. I now will be parting with both my 500PF, (the last of my 21 F lenses gone) and the 400/4.5 to fund this lens. I did manage a great deal with over 25% off the RRP here in OZ, which made this a great deal! Looking forward to giving it a full work out on an upcoming Kenya work trip.
Great review as ever Matt, thanks. The 600mm pf is astounding, I think that's the only word for it. I've had mine for a couple of months or so and it just blows my mind. Low light shots at iso 8000 or 10,000, then with a run through De-noise in Lightroom produces incredible detail and sharpness. In good light, it is blisteringly good. The F mount 500 pf is an amazing lens in it's own right, but this is a step up in optical acuity . And as you say, only a stop and a third less than the f4 600mm, incredible!
The 600 Pf is one of the best lens releases in 2023.I bought it when it hit the shelves.The sharpness at 600 mm is comparable with the F4 lenses and the AF is much better than de Nikon 180 -600!
Good review Matt. Brilliant lens. I had 180-600 but returned it. Too heavy to take with me daily for nature walk 600pf…wonderful and its balance at speed and sharpness make it a delight to use. 500 pf now sold but to those who’ve kept theirs, well done it’s still a classic.
Great review Mary. Awaiting notification of shipping from Nikon. I have the 500mm PF and love it. I'll part with it when the 600 arrives. Anxiously awaiting!!!
Happy New Year, Matt! Amazing shots as always and a very nice review. Have a great 2024, and I look forward to seeing more great content from you this year!
This is a wonderful lens! Thank you Nikon for the excellent glass. Terrific review Matt !!! I already have the 180-600 so I don't think I will get this one, but I still want it !.
Thanks Matt for a wonderfully informative video. I have the 180-600 and have been enjoying the flexibility of the zoom lens however even mounted on the Z8, it is a beast. While I can shoot handheld, after 30 minutes it can be very challenging. I also have the 400 4.5, which I truly love for its acuity and weight. So perhaps, one day I will pick up the 600…fingers crossed.
It is a great lens. I sold my 400 4.5 to get this one. Also performs very well with the 1.4 teleconverter. Fits in my small camera bag with my z8, Nikon 70-180 and Nikon 16-28 + filters and spare batteries. Just need some good weather conditions now so I can get shooting.
Great product review, thanks for that, Matt. I am the happy one who has the piece since a week. When I first held it with my Z9 targeting an item far away two things were stunning: immediate focus, awesome stabilization. And the weight - I do not intend to visit the gym every day in order to hold > 8 pounds of gear when shooting wildlife. Happy about your quality results, will test soon in Antarctica ...
Could you ask someone at Nikon to cut grooves into the tripod foot so that the buyer doesn't have to buy anything more for the Arca system? Tamron knows.
I have opted for the 180-600 F5.6-6.3 despite planning to never buy variable aperture zoom. I will partner it with my trusted and now elderly 500F4G f-mount prime. It’s heavy but F4 is F4. I don’t own a PF lens. I content myself with realisation that you can’t buy everything. It has to fit in with what you already have. I cannot say I will never buy the 600 Pf prime but right now it is not something that offers me extra value.
My 500mm f5.6 PF pairs very well with my Z9 so I believe this PF lens is an outstanding lens (S coating glass). If its MRSP was around US $4K, it would be a hot cake which could create a long waiting list. The reason is the MSRP of 400mm f4.5 VR S is US $3246.95 and the MSRP of Z TC-1.4x is US $546.95. Thank you so much for sharing and belated Happy New Year.
If shooting wildlife and fast moving subjects, it may not be possible to keep them at the center where both the pf and zoom are indistinguishable. The pf will allow cropping from any portion of the image in post. If video is going to be a significant usecase, sharpness beyond center is not much of a concern. I got the pf for crop-ability, knowing my tiny biceps and backache from my full-time keyboard job would simply mean how often I pick the lens. I pair with Z8.
Hello Matt, a friend of mine has this 600mm and I have the older F mount 500mm of, the image quality of both is very good but the 600mm is just that much better to me, it’s faster focusing and even a bit sharper. So mush so I am going to be order one in 2024 but I think I will keep the 500mm as well.. good chat with Bobby the other day. Keep well, keep safe and have a fun 2024
Hello Matt, Yes my 600mm is here, first impression well made and balanced very well with the Z9. Focusing seem quicker than my 500mm PF, just a bit and the images from it are very good, sharp.
Nice review of a nice lens. I am all set with my 4.5/400mm / 6.3/800mm combo. I don’t know if a 5.6/800mm makes any sense. Maybe a 4.5/800mm but imagine the weight and price of such a beast… There are other lenses that are more needed (imho) than another super tele. A 14mm (either small and light or fast aperture or both), a longer macro lens, a budget travel telezoom, a tilt-shift lens, … and the 1.2/35mm of course.
That looks like a beautiful lense. I have the 300 f4 pfe, it is f mount but who cares. I use it on my 850, incredible. Sharp as a tack and 1/2 *the size. If that 600 is like the 300 guess who's getting one. Great video thanks for the great video.
Thanks, Matt! if money grew on trees, I'd buy this lens. The 400 f/4.5 is nice and maybe a bit more versatile for my use case ... but this is nice! So compact and light. And, as I've found with the 400 + 1.4 TC, 6.3 is quite useable in most situations. Not forgetting the VR here. The thing is, despite my opening proviso, it's also pretty affordable for what it offers.
I just love my 400/4.5 S lens which I can crop to 600mm with my Z8. Or, depending what I'm doing. it's also awesome with my Z6 II. I will get the 1.4 teleconverter this year and the 180-600mm lens which is currently on back order.
A epic lens for sure! But the 180-600 is also a fantastic lens. You can’t go wrong with either lens especially now with how Nikon autofocus and detection modes are. As for sharpness sure it is sharper to a degree but it doesn’t take much now a days to make your images crisper with other Nikon lenses in post processing. Nikon is truly making superior glass in the Z mount category. Do we need the 800mm I am sure there are enough people out there who would love to see and use it. I just want to see Nikon release a 14mm ultrawide f1.8 or 1.4. And more retro styled lenses for the Zf, like a 50,75 and a 100mm.
Doubt there's going to be an 800 f/5.6. The 800 PF already got the gold ring treatment, and it's only a ⅓ stop difference, whereas the jump from the 600 PF to the 600 F4 is 1⅓ . Although the old 800 f/5.6 seems to be a bit sharper, so maybe there would be some potential for a future $20,000 lens, lol.
A lot of these influencers are greatly underestimating the Z 800 PF, because they always just want to pump the next thing. The F 800 f5.6 FL ED is quite an amazing lens when it comes to sharpness and it also has the bespoke 1.25x TC. The Z 800 PF beats it in every other way. A Z version of the f5.6 would have to be even sharper than the FL ED lens (the sharpest FF 800mm on the market), include a built in TC, and undercut the RF 800 f5.6 in size, weight and price. I would not hold my breath on that.
@@KungPowEnterFist I got the 800 PF myself and I love it. People often tend to forget that it's about 1/3 the price of the only two better/equal options for reaching 800mm and it's significantly lighter than both the 800 FL ED and the Z 600 TC. I surely wouldn't get a more expensive 800mm lens, if Nikon was to make one. 😅
@@cy9nvs The Z 800 f6.3 PF is sharper than the Z 600 f4 with the internal 1.4x TC engaged or with the external 1.4x TC. Its not a huge difference, but if you want to split hairs the PF edges out the win. The only lens at 800mm or more that is sharper is the F 800 f5.6 FL ED. The handholdability and weight/balance of the Z 800 PF is truly amazing, however, so any attempt at a Z f5.6 would need a hook. Like, built in TC.
Nice review Matt👍 This is defo a lightweight one lens wildlife set up combined with the 1.4xtc option I would love to try for a couple of months. Being a Fuji shooter I am very jealous of this lens and the 800mm Pf for my wildlife shooting 😢 hey Nikon would you like to loan me one with a Z8? 😂😂 🤣😬🙏
I just got the 180-600 and I have the 500PF. I may eventually replace the 500 with the 600 because I like to hike and shoot birds. That's where the size and weight really matters. But for now, I'll stick with what I've got.
It looks like spherical aberration is well-controlled. I don’t see any glow around the white birds. Unless you removed it with the photo editor, the lack of chromatic aberration is also impressive.
@3:28 And that is the problem with social media right there. Ricci did not "comprehensively" test this lens in any regard. But then it gets repeated here. And then another video repeats what you said. And so on, until there are ten videos saying its super sharp based on Ricci, a paid Nikon promotor, saying its super sharp who based his paid opinion supported by a poorly designed test of sharpness that proved absolutely nothing. I am not saying the Z 600 PF is not sharp. I am saying that you as a content creator owe it to us to do your own tests and demonstrate whether it is sharp or not. Ricci's tests are worthless. @17:50 There is already a "premium" 800 for the Z mount. Its called the Z 800 f6.3 PF, which is underpriced big time. The only current non-premium super tele primes for the Z mount are the Z 400 f4.5 and the Z 600 f6.3 PF, which are semi-premium at best and both are overpriced. IMO, the Z 600 f6.3 PF should not have gotten the gold ring. Lots and lots of 600 f6.3's out there regardless of how sharp it may be. All these lenses are sharp enough and post processing sharpness tools have jumped leaps and bounds in the last few years. Lens sharpness is just not as big a differentiating factor as it once was. For the Z 600 PF to be "premium" it would have had to be an f5 or f5.6 at the most and include a premium bag like the other gold ring premium super tele primes. $4800 is way too much for what you get. I would not be surprised to see a $500 discount by Summer.
I get the giggles when peeps argue about differences in sharpness and tests if one must zoom in to 200% to see any difference. No need for further (half-)pixel peeping tests for me. Where the Z 600mm shines is the overall package, and the size/weight of that package. Combine with image quality and gold is well deserved in my opinion.
@@marcusbraun8889 Like I said, post processing sharpening tools have jumped leaps and bounds over the last few years. I would have accepted more weight and size up to the same weight and size of the Z 800 PF to get a 600 f5. Drop in filters would have been fine as well.
@@KungPowEnterFist - Everyone wants Nikon to make exactly what they want. Nikon however has to try to come up with lenses, which are enough different from each other not to compete with each other. Your suggestion would take it as you say in weight/size territory of the 800 Pf - and price wise, too. So two lenses which differ by 200mm and f5 vs f6.3. Two close to each other. There's more differentiation between the two lenses as it is now.
@@marcusbraun8889 Everyone claims to want stuff, but only few of us actually buy and use this stuff. The Z 600 PF is not selling well at all and has been in stock since day 1. By contrast, the Z 800 PF was sold out for over a year after its launch. The "differentiation" strategy did not work. The Z 600 PF will be on sale by the end of this Summer. Its overpriced for what it is and is not.
FTZ is pure shit and will get losen very fast depending on your use case but if you buy FTZ every 2 years then qhy not. As much as I dreamed of 600 FL I'll never give so much money when already having z800 which is actually short for the birds in my country. Long story short, this is very subjective as everything 😄🥂
Thanks, Matt, well done. I've owned my Z600pf for just over a month and love its size and weight, oh and the image quality too! I have no regrets because this lens is fun.
Great successor to the F mount 500 PF. Agree the weight and size of Z 600 f/6.3 together with the Z8 is a perfect combination for wildlife photography on the go without compromise on image quality…
Phenomenal long distance shot of the buildings. No atmosphere distortion. Great capture. Thanks! 👏
The 180-600mm has been soooo brilliant I don't think this will make it to my kit. The 500mm PF still adapts so beautifully as well I'm not inclined to replace that just yet. Good on Nikon for continuing to give us choices but I've matured enough in my journey I'm not ruled by the G.A.S. Thanks as always for the review. Cheers!
Great review as usual Matt. Just took delivery of my 600PF and love the size/weight and how it balances on my Z9. I now will be parting with both my 500PF, (the last of my 21 F lenses gone) and the 400/4.5 to fund this lens. I did manage a great deal with over 25% off the RRP here in OZ, which made this a great deal! Looking forward to giving it a full work out on an upcoming Kenya work trip.
Great review as ever Matt, thanks. The 600mm pf is astounding, I think that's the only word for it. I've had mine for a couple of months or so and it just blows my mind. Low light shots at iso 8000 or 10,000, then with a run through De-noise in Lightroom produces incredible detail and sharpness. In good light, it is blisteringly good. The F mount 500 pf is an amazing lens in it's own right, but this is a step up in optical acuity . And as you say, only a stop and a third less than the f4 600mm, incredible!
The 600 Pf is one of the best lens releases in 2023.I bought it when it hit the shelves.The sharpness at 600 mm is comparable with the F4 lenses and the AF is much better than de Nikon 180 -600!
Good review Matt. Brilliant lens. I had 180-600 but returned it. Too heavy to take with me daily for nature walk 600pf…wonderful and its balance at speed and sharpness make it a delight to use. 500 pf now sold but to those who’ve kept theirs, well done it’s still a classic.
Great review Mary. Awaiting notification of shipping from Nikon. I have the 500mm PF and love it. I'll part with it when the 600 arrives. Anxiously awaiting!!!
Happy New Year, Matt! Amazing shots as always and a very nice review. Have a great 2024, and I look forward to seeing more great content from you this year!
This is a wonderful lens! Thank you Nikon for the excellent glass. Terrific review Matt !!! I already have the 180-600 so I don't think I will get this one, but I still want it !.
Thanks Matt for a wonderfully informative video. I have the 180-600 and have been enjoying the flexibility of the zoom lens however even mounted on the Z8, it is a beast. While I can shoot handheld, after 30 minutes it can be very challenging. I also have the 400 4.5, which I truly love for its acuity and weight. So perhaps, one day I will pick up the 600…fingers crossed.
It is a great lens. I sold my 400 4.5 to get this one. Also performs very well with the 1.4 teleconverter. Fits in my small camera bag with my z8, Nikon 70-180 and Nikon 16-28 + filters and spare batteries. Just need some good weather conditions now so I can get shooting.
Great product review, thanks for that, Matt. I am the happy one who has the piece since a week. When I first held it with my Z9 targeting an item far away two things were stunning: immediate focus, awesome stabilization. And the weight - I do not intend to visit the gym every day in order to hold > 8 pounds of gear when shooting wildlife. Happy about your quality results, will test soon in Antarctica ...
Great shots as usual, thanks! At 18’40 you did a classic “Roger Moore eyebrow”...that’s a skill few of us can do 👏👏
Just ordered finally decide between 180-600 and 800pf, went middle and sold 500pf.
Could you ask someone at Nikon to cut grooves into the tripod foot so that the buyer doesn't have to buy anything more for the Arca system? Tamron knows.
I have opted for the 180-600 F5.6-6.3 despite planning to never buy variable aperture zoom. I will partner it with my trusted and now elderly 500F4G f-mount prime. It’s heavy but F4 is F4. I don’t own a PF lens. I content myself with realisation that you can’t buy everything. It has to fit in with what you already have.
I cannot say I will never buy the 600 Pf prime but right now it is not something that offers me extra value.
My 500mm f5.6 PF pairs very well with my Z9 so I believe this PF lens is an outstanding lens (S coating glass). If its MRSP was around US $4K, it would be a hot cake which could create a long waiting list. The reason is the MSRP of 400mm f4.5 VR S is US $3246.95 and the MSRP of Z TC-1.4x is US $546.95. Thank you so much for sharing and belated Happy New Year.
Want this 600 pf !!!!!!!
nice examples matt
If shooting wildlife and fast moving subjects, it may not be possible to keep them at the center where both the pf and zoom are indistinguishable. The pf will allow cropping from any portion of the image in post. If video is going to be a significant usecase, sharpness beyond center is not much of a concern. I got the pf for crop-ability, knowing my tiny biceps and backache from my full-time keyboard job would simply mean how often I pick the lens. I pair with Z8.
Good review and great photos. Think I’ll stick with my 100-400 for the moment and go to the 180-600 if I decide I need more range.
as just 1 main lens I can't choose between this and the 800 pf on the z8
Hello Matt, a friend of mine has this 600mm and I have the older F mount 500mm of, the image quality of both is very good but the 600mm is just that much better to me, it’s faster focusing and even a bit sharper. So mush so I am going to be order one in 2024 but I think I will keep the 500mm as well.. good chat with Bobby the other day. Keep well, keep safe and have a fun 2024
Thanks John, let me know what you think of the 600 when it arrives :)
Hello Matt, Yes my 600mm is here, first impression well made and balanced very well with the Z9. Focusing seem quicker than my 500mm PF, just a bit and the images from it are very good, sharp.
A great lens - The choice is 600 PF perfection or 180-600 versatility ...🦘
Nice review of a nice lens. I am all set with my 4.5/400mm / 6.3/800mm combo. I don’t know if a 5.6/800mm makes any sense. Maybe a 4.5/800mm but imagine the weight and price of such a beast… There are other lenses that are more needed (imho) than another super tele. A 14mm (either small and light or fast aperture or both), a longer macro lens, a budget travel telezoom, a tilt-shift lens, … and the 1.2/35mm of course.
This one "me fait de l’œil". Will see.
That looks like a beautiful lense. I have the 300 f4 pfe, it is f mount but who cares. I use it on my 850, incredible. Sharp as a tack and 1/2 *the size. If that 600 is like the 300 guess who's getting one. Great video thanks for the great video.
Thanks, Matt! if money grew on trees, I'd buy this lens. The 400 f/4.5 is nice and maybe a bit more versatile for my use case ... but this is nice! So compact and light. And, as I've found with the 400 + 1.4 TC, 6.3 is quite useable in most situations. Not forgetting the VR here. The thing is, despite my opening proviso, it's also pretty affordable for what it offers.
Yes I would love one too. Perhaps I’m leaning towards the 180-600. Need to test it again. Cheers.
Hi Matt! Did you have a circular polarizer on the lens?
I just love my 400/4.5 S lens which I can crop to 600mm with my Z8. Or, depending what I'm doing. it's also awesome with my Z6 II. I will get the 1.4 teleconverter this year and the 180-600mm lens which is currently on back order.
A epic lens for sure! But the 180-600 is also a fantastic lens. You can’t go wrong with either lens especially now with how Nikon autofocus and detection modes are. As for sharpness sure it is sharper to a degree but it doesn’t take much now a days to make your images crisper with other Nikon lenses in post processing. Nikon is truly making superior glass in the Z mount category. Do we need the 800mm I am sure there are enough people out there who would love to see and use it. I just want to see Nikon release a 14mm ultrawide f1.8 or 1.4. And more retro styled lenses for the Zf, like a 50,75 and a 100mm.
Doubt there's going to be an 800 f/5.6.
The 800 PF already got the gold ring treatment, and it's only a ⅓ stop difference, whereas the jump from the 600 PF to the 600 F4 is 1⅓ . Although the old 800 f/5.6 seems to be a bit sharper, so maybe there would be some potential for a future $20,000 lens, lol.
A lot of these influencers are greatly underestimating the Z 800 PF, because they always just want to pump the next thing. The F 800 f5.6 FL ED is quite an amazing lens when it comes to sharpness and it also has the bespoke 1.25x TC. The Z 800 PF beats it in every other way. A Z version of the f5.6 would have to be even sharper than the FL ED lens (the sharpest FF 800mm on the market), include a built in TC, and undercut the RF 800 f5.6 in size, weight and price. I would not hold my breath on that.
@@KungPowEnterFist I got the 800 PF myself and I love it. People often tend to forget that it's about 1/3 the price of the only two better/equal options for reaching 800mm and it's significantly lighter than both the 800 FL ED and the Z 600 TC.
I surely wouldn't get a more expensive 800mm lens, if Nikon was to make one. 😅
@@cy9nvs The Z 800 f6.3 PF is sharper than the Z 600 f4 with the internal 1.4x TC engaged or with the external 1.4x TC. Its not a huge difference, but if you want to split hairs the PF edges out the win. The only lens at 800mm or more that is sharper is the F 800 f5.6 FL ED. The handholdability and weight/balance of the Z 800 PF is truly amazing, however, so any attempt at a Z f5.6 would need a hook. Like, built in TC.
I can’t imagine Nikon doing an 800 5.6 but they could. Matt, do you think Nikon will ever do a 300 2.8?
Nice review Matt👍 This is defo a lightweight one lens wildlife set up combined with the 1.4xtc option I would love to try for a couple of months. Being a Fuji shooter I am very jealous of this lens and the 800mm Pf for my wildlife shooting 😢 hey Nikon would you like to loan me one with a Z8? 😂😂 🤣😬🙏
I just got the 180-600 and I have the 500PF. I may eventually replace the 500 with the 600 because I like to hike and shoot birds. That's where the size and weight really matters. But for now, I'll stick with what I've got.
It looks like spherical aberration is well-controlled. I don’t see any glow around the white birds.
Unless you removed it with the photo editor, the lack of chromatic aberration is also impressive.
Stunning lense,almost unbelievable quality. I need a life though so even though it is brilliant, I must pass on buying it.
@3:28 And that is the problem with social media right there. Ricci did not "comprehensively" test this lens in any regard. But then it gets repeated here. And then another video repeats what you said. And so on, until there are ten videos saying its super sharp based on Ricci, a paid Nikon promotor, saying its super sharp who based his paid opinion supported by a poorly designed test of sharpness that proved absolutely nothing. I am not saying the Z 600 PF is not sharp. I am saying that you as a content creator owe it to us to do your own tests and demonstrate whether it is sharp or not. Ricci's tests are worthless. @17:50 There is already a "premium" 800 for the Z mount. Its called the Z 800 f6.3 PF, which is underpriced big time. The only current non-premium super tele primes for the Z mount are the Z 400 f4.5 and the Z 600 f6.3 PF, which are semi-premium at best and both are overpriced. IMO, the Z 600 f6.3 PF should not have gotten the gold ring. Lots and lots of 600 f6.3's out there regardless of how sharp it may be. All these lenses are sharp enough and post processing sharpness tools have jumped leaps and bounds in the last few years. Lens sharpness is just not as big a differentiating factor as it once was. For the Z 600 PF to be "premium" it would have had to be an f5 or f5.6 at the most and include a premium bag like the other gold ring premium super tele primes. $4800 is way too much for what you get. I would not be surprised to see a $500 discount by Summer.
I get the giggles when peeps argue about differences in sharpness and tests if one must zoom in to 200% to see any difference. No need for further (half-)pixel peeping tests for me.
Where the Z 600mm shines is the overall package, and the size/weight of that package. Combine with image quality and gold is well deserved in my opinion.
@@marcusbraun8889 Like I said, post processing sharpening tools have jumped leaps and bounds over the last few years. I would have accepted more weight and size up to the same weight and size of the Z 800 PF to get a 600 f5. Drop in filters would have been fine as well.
@@KungPowEnterFist - Everyone wants Nikon to make exactly what they want. Nikon however has to try to come up with lenses, which are enough different from each other not to compete with each other.
Your suggestion would take it as you say in weight/size territory of the 800 Pf - and price wise, too. So two lenses which differ by 200mm and f5 vs f6.3. Two close to each other.
There's more differentiation between the two lenses as it is now.
@@marcusbraun8889 Everyone claims to want stuff, but only few of us actually buy and use this stuff. The Z 600 PF is not selling well at all and has been in stock since day 1. By contrast, the Z 800 PF was sold out for over a year after its launch. The "differentiation" strategy did not work. The Z 600 PF will be on sale by the end of this Summer. Its overpriced for what it is and is not.
no good reason to buy it over used 600mm F4 FL! same price for ten times better lens.
FTZ is pure shit and will get losen very fast depending on your use case but if you buy FTZ every 2 years then qhy not. As much as I dreamed of 600 FL I'll never give so much money when already having z800 which is actually short for the birds in my country. Long story short, this is very subjective as everything 😄🥂
Quite clearly there’s a one word answer to that.. weight!!!