Nikon 100-400mm Z Lens VS Nikon 500mm PF on the Z9 - Which Lens Is Best for Bird Photography PART 2
Which lens is better for bird photography? The one you have with you!
I've been trying to decide on which Z lens is next. I think I'll go with the 100-400mm. Thanks for sharing.
While I love Marks work, this video made no sense. He didn’t like the 500mm because he was too close to the subject matter.
A 100-400 gave him more flexibility and a shorter reach as you would expect.
This has little to do with which lens was better for birds. He often shoots with a 600mm Sony. Does this mean a 100-400 is better than that lens?
No, it’s just a matter of choosing the right tool for the job.
500 mm is the minimum for smaller birds , i use a 8oo on a crop sensor camera , and at time it could be longer .
mikeroetex wrote:
While I love Marks work, this video made no sense. He didn’t like the 500mm because he was too close to the subject matter.
A 100-400 gave him more flexibility and a shorter reach as you would expect.
This has little to do with which lens was better for birds. He often shoots with a 600mm Sony. Does this mean a 100-400 is better than that lens?
No, it’s just a matter of choosing the right tool for the job.
If you really paid attention, Mark who is a top Wildlife shooter and longtime Nikon and Sony shooter showed that the 500mm struggled with focus at times, whereas the 100-400mm did not. That is the key take away from the comparison, not the fact that for some birds in certain areas the 500mm is too tight.
Mark often shoots with a 600mm f4 GM on his Sony A1 , A7RIV and A7SIII gear and it is perfect for other birds in other locations.
Cheers
I am still using the f mount glass with the Z9. I have a 200-500mm f/5.6, 150-600mm f/5-6.3 and 600mm f/4 G along with 1.4x Teleconverters. The Zooms are much more flexible than the 600 mm, so I tend to use them more than the 600mm even though the IQ and bokeh of the 600mm is superior. Moving around to frame the shot with a prime can scare off your subject and / or cause a less than desirable composition. The primes have their place, but I prefer the flexibility of the zooms for the majority of my shots. While waiting for the announced 200-600mm to come out, I’ll settle for the 100-400mm. Eventually, I’ll pick up the 800mm as I add more Z glass, but it is lower on my priority list.
gwilliams6 wrote:
If you really paid attention, Mark who is a top Wildlife shooter and longtime Nikon and Sony shooter showed that the 500mm struggled with focus at times, whereas the 100-400mm did not. That is the key take away from the comparison, not the fact that for some birds in certain areas the 500mm is too tight.
Mark often shoots with a 600mm f4 GM on his Sony A1 , A7RIV and A7SIII gear and it is perfect for other birds in other locations.
Cheers
. Speaking of paying attention, did you notice the 500mm struggled because once he backed up to get his composition, the birds were partly obscured by a sand dune.
When he switched to the 100-400 he was able to move closer and take the dune out of play, getting a clear look at birds.
Cheers
mikeroetex wrote:
While I love Marks work, this video made no sense. He didn’t like the 500mm because he was too close to the subject matter.
A 100-400 gave him more flexibility and a shorter reach as you would expect.
This has little to do with which lens was better for birds. He often shoots with a 600mm Sony. Does this mean a 100-400 is better than that lens?
No, it’s just a matter of choosing the right tool for the job.
Correct. Felt like Nikon paid him to root for the 100-400 to pump sales, at expense of 500. Being too close has little to do with either lens quality. Simply a matter of best Focal length choice for the situation. Duh Mark! However, Focus issues between the two lenses may have been valid.
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