Video

Bogen morphed in manfrotto...gitzo and manfrotto were later purchased by a Chinese company

The lower price, flexibility of a zoom, great sharpness, internall zooming and focusing, makes the Z180-600 the BEST option! for the price and small aperture the 600PF simply doesn't worth, just to get a little bit more of sharpness that most people won't even notice and a 300 grams less in your arms? NOPE!

Great review Scott! I bought one and will be delivered Tuesday!!!

This guy knows his stuff. You cant just walk teh forest and expect to get good shots. You have to sit for hours....and be low. 300 good for less timid birds.........very hard with really timid birds like wild ducks that can be very timid. 400 needed on them most times (or more). this guys knows his tuff bigtime.

I'd like to share my setup for hiking with my gear: I am using the Peak Design Capture Clip which I put onto the Straps of my evoc camera backpack. I use it with my Canon EOS 5D Mk IV and a Sigma 150-600mm lens and that works really well. I like the fact, that the camera is close to my body, doesn,t swing around, I have both hands free and can even use hiking sticks. The evoc backback has a separate compartment on the side to hold a hydration bladder (2 litres) which has a hole on the bottom. So in case your bladder geats leaky, the camera gear is safe. I can also strap on my sturdy Rollei tripod onto the evoc - so I can carry up to 33 lbs / 15kg of stuff around.

Small correction, most of the cameras you listed as being ISO invariant are only invariant throughout portions of their ISO ranges, e.g. the Z9 is ISO invariant from ISO 64 to ISO 400, and then when its dual gain kicks in, from ISO 500 onwards, so it is not invariant between say ISO 200 and ISO 500. Also, the older sensor in the Canon EOS RP is not ISO invariant throughout most of its range (100-2500), although above that it is.

My wife and I both shoot, her with 150-600 sigma c, and I with the 200-500 F5.6 the 200-500 focuses really slow.

thanks for tossing in the 200-500mF5.6 for comparison. I was kinda annoyed the 180-600 was only 6.3 thinking the bokeh wasn't comparable to the F5.6. Boy was I wrong.

I have the 180-600 and love it, really enjoyed the comparison. Especially the end which you mentioned the 400 f4.5! I just picked up the 400 to ad some walkability. I ve got the best of both now!

At f/6.3 I would take the 800 PF but it's too special for my usage. ( and pricey ! ) The question is more 180-600 f/6.3 VS 400 f/4.5 actually. The value and versatility of the zoom is really hard to beat

Thanks so much for sharing this info! I had just received my Tilta cage from B&H and I didn't know why it wouldn't slide onto my Z9. Your video was the only one I could find. When you talked about removing the little triangular things, that solved my problem. Tilta should have let you have the cage for free. You're doing a service for them that they should have done. Thanks again!

Compare to 28-400mm (where B&H they give a 5 stars) and this lens only 4.5 stars, so which is better if you are hiking on the trails. I can see 180-600mm if you are stationary.

Was considering buying it today but after watching this I'm not entirely convinced...thanks for your insights

Through review …thanks

The 180-600 is great value. Its flexibility makes more a more sensible choice than my old prime 500 for most situations. That alone justifies its purchase. Minimum focus is actually a very big deal quite often I find.

Just so people know you can adapt a Nikon d lens f mount with a $15 f to xf adapter. You seem to imply that you are getting something more with your d lens on the ZF, you don’t non AF (FTZ adapter only does af with af-s lenses the lenses with motors) I shot fuji xf and GFX for fours year professionally and just switched back to Nikon with the Z8) the D lenses work the same on both. That’s not to say I would stay with Fuji, no way.

wonder where i can buy a tilta cage for my nikon D850 camera,

A good video head will cost you money. A bad video head will cost you shots. I have wasted money on cheap video heads, including the Manfrotto 502, and can’t stress enough to think twice about investing a bit more for a better one. The 502 is an ergonomic nightmare, and mine has developed some rough spots. I suggest avoiding the 502 entirely. I replaced it with a Sachtler FSB-6, which is in another league altogether. It has a counter balance which is a must have for video work. Factor in the entire weight of your rig to make sure the counter balance can accommodate it. There are some other brands that make great, good performing video heads. I recently watched videos on the Siri SVH15 head, and it looks amazing. Bottom line is buy quality and it will outlast your current camera. Buy cheap and you will regret it.

Great video Scott, Liked & Subscribed. I don't have any of these yet, I'm using the 500mm f/4 FL ED VR lens with the FTZii adapter on my Z8. I will get a Z mount lens at some point and this video answered a lot of questions. I'm leaning towards the 400mm f/4.5 due to the weight savings but would love the 180-600mm as well for the zoom ability & when subjects are super close. I can carry the 500mm no problem but so many times I spot eagles & hawks from the car and trying to wrangle that thing into position without hitting the rearview mirror is no easy task especially when in a hurry. Thanks again for a great video.

If you need it, the PF 600 is a very nice lens However it's fixed focal range may be suited for certain situations. The 180 600mm lens works for me for versatile focus range use applications "for me" and cost as an amateur enthusiasts.

Great review and I appreciate your content. I have the z180-600 and agree with your assessment on the lens. My only issue is AF when panning with bird inside the small/large focus box with AF-C. Even with a custom C1 some of the frames were sharp and others were off. I bought the lens for Airshows to get the 4 planes together and able to zoom in on the pilot as needed. Great option for song, shore birds Eagles or other birds!! Agree with the comment on 400 with a 1.4TC as another option to have lightness, sharpness, and value in a similar range for the money!

Great comparison. I own the 400 4.5 and the 180-600 with frequent comparisons. The speed and size of the 400.4.5 (with TC) are unmatched for tracking birds. Optically, the only lens that matches or beats the 400 4.5 is my beloved 400 2.8 TC. That said, the 180 - 600 is on my Z9 60% of the time. The rest of the time it is the 400 2.8 TC, and only use the 400 4.5 or the 100-400 for travel. For Alaska I took the 100-400 and the 400 2.8 TC (and some TCs). Along with the 24-120 F4. Nikon is making only great lenses this days. I have followed your reviews for most of my lenses and tripod. Your work is phenomenal, thank you!

Cheaper lighter faster and it is not a Pf lens so better out of focus. 400mm 4.5

Great comparison Scott, and one of a couple of similar ones with both of these lens that I've viewed. I sum the comparison up with any prime vs zoom in this way, and also from my own experience..." A prime lens will offer sharpness at the cost of flexibility, where a zoom lens will offer flexibility at the cost on sharpness".. The sharpness comparison too with the 400mm + 1.4 = 560mm vs the 600pf is interesting, but in my own shooting habits of bif, 560mm is nowhere near enough for these targets, and i find that my 600pf + 1.4 = 840mm is at times a minimal requirement.. No doubt though, the 180-600 is brilliant bang for buck, and probably best suited for people who regularly use its convenient zoom range, but most birders/bif want a long focal length 99.9% of the time..Cheers

I love my 180-600. Yes, the 600mm prime is faster and a bit sharper. But to me the slightly increased sharpness doesn't really justify the higher price. The 180-600 just has SUCH good value! Personally I love having more flexibility, too and in that regard the zoom lens has the advantage by default. I was shooting a magpie the other day that sat a couple meters away from me and I could just switch between close-ups and the whole bird in the frame by turning the zoom ring a little. Can't do that with a prime! Weight also isn't an issue for me. Yes, the prime is lighter. But I also had no issues with the 200-500 when it comes to weight. It's an all day lens for me. Tamron really did design an amazing lens for Nikon.

I have the Z 180-600 (on a Z9) and the f mount 500mm PF. The 500 is vastly superior in image quality. While I do not have the 600PF, my real world results with the 180-600 are VERY different from the material presented here.

Огромное спасибо за обзор, очень полезная информация. У меня нет фикса 600 s f6.3, но есть 400 s f4.5, который вместе с конвертером 1.4 дает 560мм. Именно эту связку я тестировал. И скажу одну неприятную вещь для 180-600 f6.3 - в контровом свете хроматические абберации ну очень сильные, а вот у а 400 s f4.5 даже с конвертером полный порядок. В общем и целом, объектив 180-600 f6.3 хорошее стекло, если знать его недостатки. Но я люблю снимать в контровом свете, поэтому данные недостатки для меня довольно критичны.

Thanks for sharing!I do not understand two things in the video quite well: Why did you choose a white screen (google-starting page) for comparing the color of the two monitors? It is hard to see how the two monitors do not match. And secondly, what was Datacolors answer on the question to the offset? Did you confront them with a mismatch, where their product should come in? I get an error after calibration of my BenQ with the BenQ software using the data color spyder, and I am not sure if it is the monitor/software, or an issue with the three year old calibration tool. Do you have any experience in some kind of aging of the calibration devices?

I own both 180-600mm zoom (Z8) -. 600mm PF (Z9). I photo Polo - horses running with a person on it's back to hit the ball. Boring as heck game, very fun photography. For this 600PF is the winner, the 180-600 gets use but I shoot many more with the 600. Focus speed it the deal, period. Today, 7-21-24, I had only the 180-600 as I only used one camera, Z9. My keeper rate dropped, I very much like the 600 best. I usually use two cameras, but the Z8 was traded for a Z9 and that camera has not arrived.

Very very interesting, thanks!

I know this video is 2yrs old (at the time of my post) what are you feelings of the E-9H? its seams more adjustable. I am not a wildlife photographer, but sometimes I need one of these when shooting fashion runway, grand prix or having fun shooting stars (sky not actors)

Focus speed isn't fair to compare 2.4m to infinity and 4m to infinity. Especially because the first meters take the longest. You should have limited the distance from 4m or 6m to infinity on both so they have the same distance to travel. I guess that this would equal the field more

Is this a APSC or full frame lens?

Thanks for the nice video.Miller and Sachtler are expensive, but for videographers who use it daily, it's worth it. It's gear made to last, and servicable. I have been using the Miller CX2 head (75mm bowl, cameras up to 8 kg) and it has served me fantastically for 10 years now and is still going strong. It is the smoothest video head I have ever used, better even than the Sachtler FSB series in my opinion. Indeed they do have proprietary plates. I like to use them with the Kessler Kwik Release Receiver V2, which takes larger Arca Swiss plates. Their plates are a bit expensive, but the ProAim BP213 and BP214 (I mainly use this type) plates fit perfectly with this system. I like their plates for video gear, as they have 4 legs so you can easily put the cameras down in a stable manner. The Kessler Kwik Release would work well with the Arca Swiss plate under longer lenses too I think, it's strong and adjustable in clamping force. The only downside is the added weight.

Had my 180-600 for nearly a year now, used it yesterday at Abberton reservoir photographing Cattle Egrets and Grey Herons at 150 yards and spoonbills at 350 yards.1.4 extender and switching DX in and out on my Z9. Looked at results last night and found the feather detail amazing. I also own the 400 /4.5 which is stupendous. Used the 400/2.8 in Scotland for a week and fell in love with it but way out of my price range. Nice video Scott looking forward to the next one,

Great videos, just a couple thoughts/suggestions for future comparisons. Your comparison used for Chromatic Aberration isnt very good because its an easy situation. CA is most dramatic when in high contrast backlit situations. Doing the same example but with a softbox directly behind the subject would give you a more extreme example that might differentiate these lenses better. The other one that it is often difficult to compare sharpness because modern lenses tend to outresolve the sensor. The prime may actually be much sharper but you can’t see it because the camera is the limiting factor. One of the most relevant ways to test further would be to compare them both using the same telecoonverter. If one lenses is only barely outresolving the sensor while the other is significantly outresolving the sensor you will see that difference when the image circle is magnified by a TC. I suspect that the prime in this example handles a 2x TC far better because of this but thats just a hunch, I haven’t tested them myself cheers!

Scott that was awesome. Thanks a lot for that detailed comparison. Very well presented and convinced me that buying 180-600 was a right decision. It’s a beast of a lens and one of the best value deals out there.

Well Scott I'm glad that your copy of the Nikkor 180-600 does not have any chromatic aberration. The truth is that this lens has a lot of chromatic aberration. Mostly blue an some yellow fringing and some times you can see it even in a scene that has not that much of a contrast. Mine is sharp yes but only with close or relatively close subjects. If something is far away, and I don't mean in those times of the day that you can experience atmospheric turbulence or the subject is miles away, this lens can not focus properly at all no matter what AF mode I try with my Z8. But this last one it might be related to the Z8 autofocus capabilities. Robert May has the same experience with the Nikkor 180~600 . Video link: czcams.com/video/WgpqC9stpTc/video.html

I have been using the 400 f/4.5 with 1.4TC with my Z50 for several months now. Very happy with that lens TC combo. Now, just waiting for the D500 replacement.

Love your reviews where practical aspects take precedence over technical aspects. Not that technical aspects don't matter, but how we use them is way more important

I got the 180-600 and traded in my 200-400 f4. I didn't shoot them side by side but the 200-400f4 looks better from my memories but not too much. But the 180-600 is lighter and longer and iq is good enough. The AF for the n180-600 was faster than the old 200-400 f4 vr2 so you get more keeper for bif. With topaz lab ai sharpener, denoise and up scaling can make the image look way better than the small differences between the lenses.

Did you compare the lens with a x1.4 teleconverter

Thanks so much for another great review video!! And totally agree with you. Last September, I bought Z8 with 400/4.5 S lens &1.4 TC due to 180-600 had a long wait, now I have 180-600 for about 2 month now... really like both lens. And yes, 400+1.4 TC is almost the same with 600PF, it's also a 400 itself 🤣🤣

Love using my 180-600mm for wildlife photography. The versatility of the zoom allows me to compose my photos to my liking. And I value the $2,600 savings over the 600pf.

I got he 180-600 a year ago for my Z6. Now I have the Z8 and it is the combo I use all the time.

I don't know how Nikon lenses perform with extenders but in the Canon ecosystem AF slows by 25% with the 1.4x and 50% with the 2x - so depending on if you are shooting fast action (and what you compare it with e.g. a zoom or a prime at the equivalent focal length) maybe not a good solution.

180-600.. Focuses closer, at 180mm good for butterflies, at 300-500 mammals and 600 for birds. $2600 cheaper compared to the 600mm PF. For the 600mm PF to justify that price it should have been 600mm f5.6

This is by far the most helpful comparison vid I’ve seen. And even as a standalone review for each. For my use case, I’m super excited to get the 180-600 🥳👏🏻

I really want to see this comparison done with the 100-400 with a 1.4TC vs the 180-600

Great video as always. You do the best lens and everything camera reviews!