NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S

If you have this lens kindly share images it produced here and the flickr group

If ~80% of your shots are wildlife or birds then the 2022 NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S is the lens for you.

Difficult to beat the

- $6.5k price
- 2,385g weight
- 5 stops VR
- 5 meter Minimum Focus Distance

For context these discontinued Canon EF L Lenses are priced & weighed similarly but with less than 5 stops of Image Stabilization.

- $7k 2011 Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM 2,350g
- $6k 2008 Canon EF 200mm f/2L IS USM 2,520g

The price of a Z 800mm + $5.5k 2021 Nikon Z9 would equal that to a $13k 2008 Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM 4,500g 14 years ago.

It is 1/3rd-stop slower than any 800m f/5.6 lens that came before it but over a dozen years of image sensor R&D & IBIS would have overcame that already.

Weight difference of the past 25 years of select Canon EF & RF lenses.

Bonus: NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S

I would not be surprised that these RF lenses will be less than 2.2 kilograms when released within 20 months

- RF 500mm f/4.0L IS USM
- RF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM
- RF 200mm f/2.0L IS USM

The 800PF is a great lens for wildlife shooters. I got mine on release day, in April. Thus far, I have not shot it on a tripod at all. Additionally, I have hardly used my 600F4 since I got the 800PF. It's so light and easy to hand hold. It also packs and travels well.

Here's a couple samples that were shot from a boat, in varying light (sunrise, daytime, sunset)

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nkP​FqE

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2np7​8Yg

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2noV​ipt

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nnB​vRk

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2noQ​5oU

Awesome images!

If a Canon product endorser overstep their bounds and behaved like a hooligan to me yesterday I'd dump my EF system for a Z system on the strength of your feedback and image quality.

dolina wrote in post #19427159
Awesome images!

If a Canon product endorser overstep their bounds and behaved like a hooligan to me yesterday I'd dump my EF system for a Z system on the strength of your feedback and image quality.

Lol!!! I had a long relationship with Canon, before Nikon but not as long as yours.

It can be done and the sun still rises & lets.

EyeSpyEagle wrote in post #19427164
Lol!!! I had a long relationship with Canon, before Nikon but not as long as your.

It can be done and the sun still rises & lets.

I need old chrome dome to come here and tell me what I can and cannot do legally with my time & money before I switch!

If I was starting from scratch your setup is what I'd get today that should be good for the next decade or 2.

Here's a few, from land...

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nks​N2t

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nkS​wnh

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nMF​VU3

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nn8​SAc

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nn6​g33

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nm6​c7T

So this is where you've been posting after leaving the 500PF thread I'll be sharing in here someday, if I ever receive my 800PF that I've been wait-listed for the past few months. I'm actually doing ok with the 500PF on the Z9, but even with the 1.4TC I'm a little short of my preferred FL for birding. Always said an 800mm on full frame would be perfect for me, but up until this 800PF, there'd be no way I could either afford or deal with hand-holding the jumbo 800 f/5.6 offerings from Nikon/Canon. Yet again, Canon releases an amazing re-engineered lightweight RF 800mm, but it's so laughably over priced that I'll never consider it. Nikon just seems to know how to hit the sweet spot w/ wild life photographers by releasing the 300/500/800PF lenses, and while still very pricey, they're much more reasonable. No way I can see myself switching anytime soon.

Here's a few recent shots.

Z9 + 800PF

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nTh​mdi

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nT9​gqt

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nSL​Cwu

EyeSpyEagle wrote in post #19437005
Here's a few recent shots.

Z9 + 800PF

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nTh​mdi 20221009 PDM Z9 800PF - Snowy Egret FishToss-1824 by Phil McKinney

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nT9​gqt 20221009 PDM Z9 800PF - Snowy Egret with fish-1698 by Phil McKinney

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nSL​Cwu 20221009 PDM Z9 800PF - Snowy Egret with fish-1538 by Phil McKinney

The 1st 2 images made me blurt out "holy sh~t!". I later noticed in the 3rd image that the fish looks like a prop cigar in the bird's beak.

If I was on the fence between Canon's RF 800mm 5.6 & Nikon's Z 800mm 6.3 your photo would make go Nikon.

Makes me wish I took up birding in 2022 rather than around New Year's Day 2009. Avoid the old gear and bad people and be refreshed with the new gear and good people.

dolina wrote in post #19437020
The 1st 2 images made me blurt out "holy sh~t!".

That's funny!

I was saying the same thing while shooting these. It was a crazy feeding frenzy & these Snowy's were surrounding a small roadside pond, taking turns skimming the pond & snatching fish fish w/o ever stopping flight. It was a sight to see.

EyeSpyEagle wrote in post #19437041
That's funny!

I was saying the same thing while shooting these. It was a crazy feeding frenzy & these Snowy's were surrounding a small roadside pond, taking turns skimming the pond & snatching fish fish w/o ever stopping flight. It was a sight to see.

For the purpose of checking IQ and AF effectiveness could you crop down to the head with one beak's length front of the beak and back of the head?

dolina wrote in post #19437042
For the purpose of checking IQ and AF effectiveness could you crop down to the head with one beak's length front of the beak and back of the head?

Sure, I'm at work now but I'll post one later.

dolina wrote in post #19437042
For the purpose of checking IQ and AF effectiveness could you crop down to the head with one beak's length front of the beak and back of the head?

Hope this helps... I think they hold up pretty well - at least for my needs.

1) Original Shot

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nTB​xVZ

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nTB​dGW

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nTB​dGF

EyeSpyEagle wrote in post #19437109
Hope this helps... I think they hold up pretty well - at least for my needs.

1) Original Shot

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nTB​xVZ 20221009 PDM Z9 800PF - Snowy Egret Fish Toss FULLSIZE-1698-2 by Phil McKinney

2) Crop

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nTB​dGW 20221009 PDM Z9 800PF - Snowy Egret Fish Toss CROP-1698-2 by Phil McKinney

3) Crop of the other one

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2nTB​dGF 20221009 PDM Z9 800PF - Snowy Egret Fish Toss CROP-1824-2 by Phil McKinney

Showed it to my aunt. You made a sale!

I made this comparison for those looking to build up a new system. Key points are physical weight & cost.

Canon EOS R3 & Nikon Z9 are the preferred bodies but both are physically heaviest and almost 2x the price of the the next lighter/cheaper body