Nikon’s new Z 800mm lens
Puffins on Skomer Island - handheld, 800mm at f/6.3, 1/3200s, ISO 320
Is it worth the investment? Well, that depends - it is definitely not for everyone - it is a specialised tool. If you enjoy wildlife, particularly skittish creatures or smaller birds, then most probably. It would also be good for photographing other subjects with a distance limitation, such as some sports (e.g. surfing or water skiing shot from shore), airplanes/air-shows and even rocket launches (you cannot get too close to those blasting off). Paparazzi would love it and probably spies too ;-)
Meadow Pipit with food for the young - lovely out-of-focus rendering - handheld, 800mm at f/6.3, 1/1600s, ISO 500
I do enjoy shooting bird life, and often I’m at 700mm (500mm plus a 1.4x teleconverter). More than 80% of the photos I have taken in Costa Rica have been at the 700mm focal length … and all of these were shot handheld. The Nikon 500mm f/5.6 PF lens is a lightweight marvel and with careful handling can produce great results with the 1.4 TC even at a modest f/8 aperture. Granted, the auto focus struggles sometimes with this combination and shooting action can result in quite high ISO settings. However, it is an eminently usable combination for distant wildlife (see my Costa Rica gallery). I also use the Nikon 500mm f/4 E with the 1.4 TC which gives me 700mm at f/5.6. This is a very good solution optically, but the downside is the weight. At 3.7kg with the TC it is a heavy lens to handhold and drag around on location. It really benefits from support which makes it less nimble when on the move outdoors. By comparison the 500mm PF with the 1.4 TC (and the FTZ adapter) is less than half the weight at a sweet 1.8kg … easily hand-holdable.
A Chough made a surprise landing whilst I was shooting Skylarks in flight - hence the less than optimal settings - handheld, 800m at f/8, 1/3200s, ISO 4500. This image is also a tad soft as it suffers somewhat from atmospheric interference (heat haze)
Combine the 500mm PF and the 1.4 teleconverter with a high pixel camera such as the Nikon Z9 and you have quite a bit of reach. Cropping without losing too much pixel quality easily gives you +1000mm equivalent focal length. The drawbacks of this setup are the use of a converter which reduces image quality somewhat and the small aperture at f/8.
Incredible detail and sharpness in this juvenile Swallow - handheld, 800mm at f/6.3, 1/800s, ISO 1400
With small skittish birds it can be hard to get close. Even at 700mm I often crop the image in post to enlarge the subject as well as for improved composition. So, when Nikon announced the Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 PF lens I was intrigued. This is a relatively lightweight long prime with 100mm additional reach and an extra 2/3 stop light gathering capability compared to the 700mm PF+TC combo. It is also native to the Nikon Z9 with the integrated vibration reduction system which promises a lot. Not surprisingly it has proven very popular, and the waiting list has been long - very long. However, I just got hold of a copy and had the opportunity to test it over 3 days on Skomer Island and the Pembrokeshire coast recently (see my previous blog for more on this fantastic nature paradise).
A chirpy Wren in the bracken on Skomer Island - handheld, 800mm at f/6.3, 1/1600s, ISO 720
These notes are my first impressions. This is not a technical review - there are plenty of those on the internet (some better than others!). This isn’t really a review at all, it is more about how this lens together with the Nikon Z9 worked for me and the experience of using it out in nature in anger over three long days - in wind, rain, overcast and sunshine - using it the way I use the 500PF+1.4TC, namely handheld trekking around the wilderness.
A juvenile Shag in full flow. The lens handled tricky light well - handheld, 800mm at f/6.3, 1/3200s, ISO 560
Unfortunately, a level of customisation was required before I took the lens out on location. It does irritate a bit that after obtaining an expensive lens, I have to dish out £200 in additional cost to make it ‘operational’. First, the Nikon lens foot has to be replaced. I cannot understand why Nikon does not provide an Arca-Swiss compatible foot with such a top-of-the-range lens. It is baffling. All my telephoto lenses have replacement feet to allow me to use them with my gimbal and tripod. So I purchased a Hejnar foot which is well made and fits perfectly by unscrewing the original foot and using the same screws to fit the new foot (hejnarphotostore.com).
Customised and ready to go: The Nikon Z 800mm with new lens cap, replacement foot and protective cover.
Secondly, the provided lens cap isn’t particularly useful. It is a pouch which is hard to remove, and it adds quite a bit of volume. So much so that the lens and hood don’t fit in my Mindshift 26L backpack. Why not provide a proper lens cap? Again, an aftermarket solution was called for. This time the Zemlin Photo lens cap which is a high-quality minimal solution, and now the lens fits in my bag (zemlinphoto.com). Lastly, a protective cover is a must for a lens that will be dragged through the outdoors in all sorts of conditions. I really like the covers from Outdoor Photography Gear - a UK based company (outdoorphotographygear.co.uk).
A tack-sharp juvenile Wheatear - every strand of feather is visible - handheld, 800mm at f/6.3, 1/2500s, ISO 1100
With the lens fully customised ready for use, I headed off to Wales for three days. The first day was overcast, with strong wind and bouts of heavy rain. Trekking around Skomer Island the lens was attached to the Nikon Z9, and strapped to my side using a BlackRapid shoulder strap, allowing easy access. A rain cover added protection from the heavy showers.
Tracking Puffins in driving rain at slow shutter speeds - handheld, 800mm at f/6.3, 1/250s, ISO 250
This setup is only 25% longer than the 700mm PF+TC setup (lens+TC+FTZ+Z9 ) and it is comfortable to carry with the shoulder strap. At 3.7kg the lens and camera are only 20% heavier than the 700mm PF+TC+FTZ+Z9 combo. It balances very well with the Z9 and it proved easy to hand-hold, helped by the fact that the lens is not too front heavy. It is a darn sight easier to handhold than the large and heavy 500mm or 600mm f/4 telephoto lenses.
Puffin coming in from sea - handheld, 800mm at f/6.3, 1/250s, ISO 500
Let me cover a couple of key initial observations: Use of VR (vibration reduction) and shooting BIF (birds-in-flight). Unlike my Nikon F-series long telephoto lenses, this lens does not have a VR adjustment switch on the barrel. It only has a focus limiter switch and the AF/Manual focus switch. Instead, you change the VR function (On, Sport, Off) using the i-menu and the command wheel. This can be done without taking your eye from the viewfinder. However, this took me a bit of getting used to, as my muscle-memory was initially trying to locate a switch on the side of the barrel. When I got used to the new way of changing VR operation it worked fine. Although, it means a two-step process: 1) push i-menu button, then 2) push the wheel, instead of a one-step switch operation.
Ridiculously good vibration reduction. This Stonechat was shot handheld at 1/100s - 800mm at f/6.3, 1/100s. ISO 160
… and a tight crop to demonstrate how tack sharp this was at 1/100s with such a long focal length
VR on this lens works in combination with the in-body stabilisation of the Z9 and it is fabulous. It is truly impressive. I could get pin-sharp images down to 1/50s which for an 800mm focal length is astonishing and highly useful. I did need to ensure I was in the correct VR mode. Initially, without the VR switch, I sometimes found myself using VR=On at fast shutter speeds of 1/3200s or 1/4000s when tracking birds in flight, which caused a distinct lack of acuity. This was not the case with VR=Sport or indeed with VR=Off at those shutter speeds. I suspect the panning action and the fast shutter speed confused the VR system as it tried to stabilise something that ran counter to the tracking movement. So without a dedicated VR switch to physically feel and detect the current VR mode, I needed to learn to check the viewfinder VR status regularly to ensure the VR mode was correct for the type of shooting I was doing.
Puffing in flight - handheld, 800mm at f/6.3, 1/3200s, ISO 720
If you’ve ever tried shooting Puffins in flight, you know they are rapid fliers with wings spinning at a frenetic pace. Picking up and tracking a small Puffin in flight is a challenge with 400mm or 500mm let alone 800mm. At 800mm focal length the angle of view is very narrow, and this creates a challenge in picking up the bird and keeping it in the viewfinder. At least the Puffin trajectory is relatively predictable so with a little patience and testing I got the hang of it. But it is distinctly harder than tracking at more ‘normal’ telephoto ranges. I then added Swallows to the challenge. Not only are swallows as fast as Puffins, but their flight pattern is erratic. Much fun was had trying to track Swallows in flight and much image storage space was wasted as a result ;-)
Tracking Swallows with their erratic flight pattern was a challenge - handheld, 800mm, f/6,3, 1/3200s, ISO 2800
Another consideration when using such a long focal length is the atmospheric interference between you and the subject. Heat haze and the like become a factor. It is also a consideration at more ‘normal’ telephoto ranges - try photographing a lion on the savannah in the midday sun and the heat shimmer makes the lion look distinctly blurry. Acuity is gone and the resulting image is near useless. At 800mm the problem is more distinct, and it was clearly an issue particularly when the sun came out (see above image of the Chough). Time of day, weather conditions and distance all play a role here and need to be considered carefully.
Puffin panning at slow shutter speed - handheld, 800mm at f/6.3, 1/250s, ISO 1100
So, how do I summarise my first impressions? Well, for what I enjoy photographing, particularly in UK or Costa Rica, or anywhere else where the photography is dedicated to birds, this lens is just about perfect. It is very sharp wide open, with good out-of-focus rendering, eminently hand-holdable, fits in my backpack (and thus on airplanes), has tremendous VR and works hand-in-glove with the Z9. And, it adds 100mm extra reach and a 2/3 stop improvement in light gathering over my 700mm PF+TC combo. It is a true gem which can capture top quality images.
Quite often 800mm is just too much … it is a specialised tool. This rabbit was shot from a hide - handheld, 800mm at f/6.3, 1/1250s, ISO 500 (image un-cropped)
… and you can see the hide reflected in the Rabbit’s eye. Incredible detail rendered.
Will I take it on safari to Africa? Or shooting bears in Canada? Probably not. Mainly because of flight restrictions when I need to be selective in lens choice. For bigger wildlife the 70-200mm and the 500mm combo is more useful. If I need extra reach, then I can still use the teleconverters. Would I love to use it in Africa for the abundance of wonderful birds or the eagles in Canada - you bet! Don’t you just hate those travel compromises :-( Will it be in my bag for the next trip to Costa Rica? Absolutely! And on location in the UK? Yes, every time I’m not in a hide when the 500mm gets me close enough! The 800mm is perfect for trekking and handholding when the target is smaller wildlife.
So, for me this lens is a ‘keeper’.
Rapid flier: Even at fast shutter speed there is a hint of movement in the wings - handheld, 800mm at f/6.3, 1/4000s, ISO 560
A Shag coming in to land - handheld, 800mm at f/6.3, 1/3200s, ISO 1000
Swallow - handheld, 800mm, f/6,3, 1/3200s, ISO 2800