billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

I ordered a Sony 600mm f4 from my small camera store in Kent Ohio, it arrived two days before I drove to Florida. I will be posting results from this lens through out the winter as I use it in Florida wetlands on the Sony a9 and a7r4.
I also own the Sony 200-600 mm lens.
My first impression of the 600 f4 was how light it is. It feels lighter than my Sony 200-600 (which I love). Most of the lens elements on the 600 are located in the middle and back toward the camera mount. I have it mounted on the a9 and a7r4 with the vertical grip attached.
The 600 is fast and responsive. However, there are times that I am so close to the wildlife that I miss the coverage of the 200-600.
Again, very hand hold able, very easy to carry with me for long periods of time without having to rely on a tripod like I did with my 600 f4 Nikon.
Tracking moving wildlife was a little difficult because I was used to zooming out the 200-600 once I located a bird in flight. With the 600 your already zoomed out and picking up the bird at first was a learning curve. But I learned to position the locking nut on the lens hood straight up to act as a gun site to get me started in the right direction.
Anyway, I have found using TRACKING EXPAND FLEXIBLE SPOT focusing works very well for birds in flight, also zone has worked well, but if the bird is changing directions quickly after focus is acquired Tracking Expand Flexible Spot follows the bird around the viewfinder more easily than in zone focusing.
Below is one of my first shots of a Roseate Spoonbill landing in early morning sun, Sony a7r4, at 600mm at f4, 1/4000 sec. ISO 250. I will continue to post images using both camera's and both lenses as I muster through the winter in Florida.
I would also like to report that the bird population is down dramatically from last year, this may be a local thing or it might be more wide spread. I live in Palm Beach County.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Thanks for posting. I will be interested in your continued experience with this lens. When do you change to billsony? (LOL) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Frayud Loc: Bethesda,MD

Beautiful image, BUT nothing from foreground to background is sharp.

Ourspolair

Pity you did not share the larger version. Please stay safe and well during the holidays and keep us Nikon and Sony users informed of your impressions of the new lens.

Nalu Loc: Southern Arizona

Congratulations! I pretty much have the same setup and am really pleased. Yes, you can hand hold the 600, but for me, for very short durations. I could not be working on a stationary subject and keep the lens on target for long without fatigue and shakes. As such my preference is to use the lens with support, either a monopod or tripod with gimbal heads. I also have the same two bodies. If I am doing fast moving subjects, or anticipating such, I will use the a9; it simply faster in many regards compared to the a7Riv and with zero blackout is better for tracking flight. I think it also is better in low light situations and higher ISOs. If I am doing portraits from a distance and know that I am going to want to crop a bunch, the a7Riv is the way to go with the large sensor. Also with the large sensor on the a7Riv, I am not so hesitant to use the APSC mode on the camera. I would not go that route with the a9. You didn't mention the converters. Personally I think both the 1.4 and 2x are fantastic. With my Canon gear, I was never happy with the IQ with a 2X on my 600, but with the Sony gear, I am never hesitant to go the 1200mm with the 600.

I am very sure you are going to be happy with your investment, and yes, its quite an investment. But you have one more step. For flight photography you are going to have to pick up a 400mm f/2.8 with a 1.4x on it. Keep your 600 with the a7Riv on a tripod, and the 400 on the a9 for the flyby opportunities!!!!!!!!!!!!😜😜😜😜

Have fun and keep us posted!

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Are you going to change your moniker to "billsony" now?

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

That was going to be my question also ??

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Yes, this cannot be overstated !!
.

Canisdirus

I also have the 200-600mm lens and love it. I borrowed my friend's 600mm for a weekend and decided against purchasing it. It's an AMAZING lens, but I really like having the capability of changing my fov with the one finger zoom of the 200-600mm. Yes, you gather more light and gain in bokeh with the 600mm, but I have found both can be adjusted in post-processing when needed, and the 200-600mm is just as sharp. There may be a small difference if you pixel peep, but once the image is printed, I can't see any difference at all.
I'm usually a prime guy, but in the end, stayed with the zoom.
I do think Sony now has the best 600mm lens out there in the market today. Yes, it is incredibly light and well balanced. Sony engineered the heck out of that lens.
Enjoy!!

Btw...it's not local (bird pop). Birds are down over 25% in the last 50 years...and falling.
You know the reason already... it's us.

Nalu Loc: Southern Arizona

Just to egg you on a bit more.... You have the best 600mm f/4 on the market, now you need the best 400mm f/2.8 on the market.😜😜🥂🥂. Cheers and Merry Christmas!!!!!

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Good question. For now I have a foot in each system. I still shoot my D850 with the 500mm 5.6 lens. I also like to put the 500 5.6 lens on my D500. I also have at least 15 Nikon lenses for landscape, portraits, and wildlife.
There are, for me anyway, advantages to both systems. I feel I have the best of both worlds for now.
But, you never know what the future might bring.

jaycoffman Loc: San Diego

I appreciate your review and comments. Will look for more. I am working on getting more reach for my Sony a7iii as I hope to be out again where I'll need it. I have the Sony 70-300 which is a good lens but does not have the reach I'll need. I particularly appreciate any comparisons between the 600 prime and the 200-600. Each seems to have advantages although I tend toward the flexibility of the zoom. Nice pic--I'll watch for more.

Funny about the birds--here in SOCAL we're seeing more birds since the pandemic. The wild Mexican parrots are around all the time and many song birds that we haven't seen in years are turning up. ???

Karl's Bird Photography Loc: Oregon

Ha, the 200-600 is about 2 lbs. lighter than the 600, but you will never notice that with your wallet losing weight :-)

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

You are correct about the fact that the Sony 200-600 is 4.65 lbs. while the 600 4 is 6.7 lbs.
But in your hands the 600 feels lighter than the 200-600 mainly because it is back weighted while the 200-600 is front weighted.
And, you are correct about it lightening your wallet. Fortunately I was able to sell a bunch of very nice, mint, Nikon equipment to afford it.
AND, because I got my 600 from my small camera store in Kent Ohio, I got it for a little less than it would have cost me from NYC.
I always try to buy from local camera stores first. And, at the time, B&H and Adorama both had the Sony 600 4 on back order.
I have no vices besides photography, and because I did professional photography for over 35 years, I now get to enjoy it in my retirement.
And while we are in Florida for 6 months out of the year we are easy driving distance from 5 wildlife preserves. I have not yet done any field workshops for snowbirds but I will start soon.

Karl's Bird Photography Loc: Oregon

Hey Bill, you have one of your locations listed as Oregon. I'll show you the best locations for bird photography in Oregon if I can touch your 600 lens. I had a 600 f/4 Canon and loved it. Sold it so I could get the Sony a7Riv and 200-600. The 600 was a bit sharper but I get lots more photos with the 200-600 because I can carry it everywhere, and without a tripod. I could almost handhold the 600 and with version iii, I could probably manage it. The 200-600 is great for BIF using the zoom out to find the bird and then zoom in quickly with a flick of the wrist for the capture. Have fun with your ultimate photo toy.