Z-Mount 800mm/f6.3 PF Teaser Videos

It is all coordinated so that the 800mm/f6.3 announcement must be imminent, within the next week or so:

• Tom Mason:
  
  
• Steve Perry:
  
  

Since the lens is not yet officially announced with full specs, not much is revealed in the videos. But clearly this lens seems relatively light weight the way both of them are handling it.

The chat around the water cooler is 2.3 KG and $6K.......:eek:

Personally, I would rather see a $10K 800mm/f6.3 PF than a $6K one. That lens is going to have a very large front element, 127mm, very similar to the 400mm/f2.8, just slightly smaller. If Nikon prices to $6K, the implication is that they are cutting some corners. Otherwise, who is going to spend $14K for a 400mm/f2.8 and some similar 600mm/f4 in the future?

 

There are bargains around, but to a certain degree you do get what you pay for.

"Z-Mount 800mm/f6.3 PF Teaser Videos" ..lol

 

Who needs to be "teased"for a lens costing that amount of money.. ?

I'd say : Put it on the market and be done with it, not many people are anle to afford that thing, and less will be willing to spend the money, so a "teaser"is totally nonsense ..

Edited March 30, 2022 by c.p.m._van_het_kaar

Jared Polin also has a teaser video out. In it there's a direct size comparison to the Z-mount 400/2.8; it and the 800/6.3 have almost identical length. The 400 weighs about 2.95 kg, and Jared states that the 800 feels a bit lighter. My assumption is that it is about the same weight as the 200-500. I believe that the assumption of a $6k pric stems from a linear interpolation of the prices of the 300/4PF and 500/5.6PF based on the focal length differences (worked quite well to predict the 500PF price from the 300PF one) - without taking into account that front elements with a diameter of 100mm or more generally demand a very high premium. Taking the front element diameter into account in another linear interpolation leads to a price point of $8k-$9k - which would still be a bargain compared to the price of the F-mount 500/4 which has almost the same front element diameter as the 800/6.3 and costs just over $10k. Which is my prediction for the price of the 800PF as well; around $10k if not above.

I wonder if they have made a serious breakthrough in making PF lenses and want to upstage Canon's long teles to make a point?

 

Is there a usual 'day' to make announcements?

Matt Irwin also has an 800 PF video out:

Irvin mentioned that he had the lens for about a week, which is considerably longer than some others.

 

Clearly Nikon has synchronized these teaser video releases as part of the marketing. I am sure the official announcement is within days.

I know 800mm f6.3 isn't that fast or 2.3>2.8kg isn't so heavy, but...

 

I wonder how well this might work for tracked astro?

 

I can hear the cries around Christmas.....

 

"You can have a nice telescope or an 800mm camera lens, but not both!"

 

or can you...?* :D

 

* I know it's apples to oranges, but you get the idea!

Why didn't Matt use a lens hood? Didn't Nikon let him have one?

 

They are very crucial on my 300mm and 500mm FP as i get odd flair, not the concentic rings some have reported, but big veiling flair if the sun is anywhere the front element.

 

I'm going to investigate hood extensions as I don't believe they are as long as they could be and still avoid vignetting.

PF lenses can give colorful flare with bright light sources in the frame so it may not be ideal for astro. But every lens is its own compromise. Given that people typically use 25 kg setups for telescope with tracking, saving some weight on the lens itself doesn't seem to make much sense (how would one make long exposures with no vibration with a PF 800mm? Does not seem likely to succeed.)

 

It's a lens for wildlife photography where portability and reach are key.

the FX AF-S 800MM F/5.6 had its dedicateted 1.25x TC resulting in efectivly 1000mm , i read nothing anywhere about a TC for the Z PF version anywhere,

The FX 800mm is faster at F/5.6. though, so possibly there will not be a TC for the Z 800mm ...

You can use the Z TCs with the 800 PF.

 

The 1.25x TC was likely made for the 800/5.6 to make the aperture enough for autofocusing with DSLR; mirrorless cameras can autofocus lenses with smaller apertures so there is no need for a special low-magnification TC.

where portability and reach are key

The small, portable trackers, such as the StarAdventurer can handle up to 5KG, so a Z body + 800mm PF should be OK.

 

The 500PF works OK, vibration wise, with my ungripped D850, but yes the 800mm might be a step too far!

Possibly, but the FX version could also be used with the existing 1.4 TC's on camera's using AF, that can focus with F/8.0 (so all recent DSLR's , since it is a F/5.6 lens ,..

The small, portable trackers, such as the StarAdventurer can handle up to 5KG, so a Z body + 800mm PF should be OK.

 

The 500PF works OK, vibration wise, with my ungripped D850, but yes the 800mm might be a step too far!

 

Such a tracker may hold the weight of the lens but that's different from being vibration free when pointed to the sky for long exposures which is a much harder problem.

Possibly, but the FX version could also be used with the existing 1.4 TC's on camera's using AF, that can focus with F/8.0 (so all recent DSLR's , since it is a F/5.6 lens ,..

 

They can, with a very limited set of focus points (and I would argue with poor speed and accuracy especially with longer distances). I find the 500 PF with 1.4X to be unbearable as it produces poor results on any subject that moves and even with stationary subjects one frequently has to assist the autofocus with manual focusing before it can find the subject.

 

Reportedly the Z TCs produce higher quality images because the optics can use the space of the former mirror chamber. This together with the better focusing with small apertures make the idea of using a 1.4x TC with a 800mm lens more viable. Finally the availability of fully electronic shutter (in fact the only option) on the Z9 likely reduces vibration concerns greatly.

Why didn't Matt use a lens hood? Didn't Nikon let him have one?

Keep in mind that these YouTube videos are really “info-mercials” coordinated by Nikon marketing. These photographers/influencers are paid by Nikon, at least indirectly because this hot lens is leading to web site hits or YouTube income, and there will be further review videos to come. That is why they are all posted within a few hours. I think not showing the big lens hood makes the lens smaller, which is the PF’s selling point.

 

Steve Perry is using a hood in his version of the video.

If Nikon prices to $6K, the implication is that they are cutting some corners.

Everyone thought the Z9 and 500mm PF were underpriced, so i'm still hoping!

 

I think it's part of a Nikon pricing policy* to keep and/or attract users. I've chatted with quite a few birders about the 500mm PF and the envy of their non-Nikon friends. I think the 800mm PF will just up that feeling. They feel the slow, long 600mm and 800mm f11 Canons are just TOO slow for their sensors in poor to medium light. In good light they're very happy and the IQ is good for the price.

 

* I know they've just put up their prices, but that's not quite the same thing.

This lens has been officially announced: Nikon Officially Announce the Z-Mount 800mm/f6.3 PF Lens