Nikon Z 180 600mm: How sharp is it? Optimal Aperture and focal length

[@leonfisher]

The photos I've seen taken with this lens all seem very good to me. I've been on the wait list for months and months.

[@kieranhayesphotography]

Hi Leon, This is a very critical review of this lens and the images you are seeing are zoomed in at 200% so it really is pixel peeping to the extreme :-). Tbh I am very happy with the lens and I think the results from it are amazing. I have just heard so many people saying it's so soft and no good and others saying it's incredible that I decided to put up a far more technical review and people can judge for themselves. Even when you compare the images side by side with the s class 70-200 F2.8 lens at the same focal length and looking in at 200% there is very little difference between them. I would highly recommend this lens to anyone but it was never ever going to beat a prime lens and those pixel peepers will notice that. Thanks again for watching, have a great weekend and fingers crossed that lens arrives soon for you.

[@davids2720]

Once again, I agree with your observations on this lens. I also have the 2XTC and occasionally use it with the 180-600mm and have been pleasantly surprised by the image quality this combination produces, to be honest. Whilst I wasn't expecting the performance of one of the mega expensive prime telephotos, it has certainly exceeded my expectations. I tend to shoot most of my stuff at f11, so good to see the scientific approach of the test charts vindicate my choice! Thanks for the vid Kieran.

[@kieranhayesphotography]

Hi David and thanks for watching. Ya it really is a remarkable lens and in all honesty a lot better than it should be. I have used it a few times with the x2 TC and the results as you say are useable. I am looking forward to using this a lot more over the coming weeks. Thanks again and have a great weekend.

[@MichaelSeneschal]

This is a great and detailed review. While shooting charts isn’t everything, I find they are an important part of getting to know the lens for when you’re out in the field using it in real-world scenarios. For instance, noticing that shooting at f/8 provides better sharpness means that when photographing something with fine detail, like a bird, it would be beneficial to stop down a little, if possible. All super great info here. From my personal tests, I’ve found that the 2X-TC works far better with S-line lenses as well. I was excited about using the 2X-TC with the 180-600 because of how well the TC performs with my 70-200 S-Line lens. But now that I have this setup (180-600 and 2X-TC), I’ve concluded that I’ll just shoot at 600 and if I need more reach, I’ll crop in post. Those S-Line lenses are something else! :) Always great and informative videos! Thanks!

[@kieranhayesphotography]

Hi Michael, thanks for the feedback and yes I completely with everything you said there. Funnily, I always tell people on workshops that for photography knowledge is power and even today that's so true. This lens for the price is truly amazing and while it may not be an S class lens these results show it's not too far off either. Thanks again for watching and have a great weekend.

[@richardwarren4031]

I really don't find the size or weight of this lens to be any sort of "issue", Kieran - because I use it on a tripod, with a gimbal to adjust the angle/direction. I was a body builder when I was half this age, but reality has overtaken that and now I have to admit that "I'm no longer as young as I used to be." None of us are, of course,. but it's only when you get to my age that you ever actually admit it! What I HAVE been finding, over the past 10 years or so, is that the quality of the lenses and the cameras has spiked. You can do things now, that you couldn't have dreamed of doing, a few short years ago! And this lens is just another example, of the many quality products out there, for us to use. And they're not all obscenely expensive, either. There are some guys out there, paying 20 grand or more for a telephoto lens. But you simply don't need to, any longer!

[@kieranhayesphotography]

Richard I couldn't agree more with you. I think this lens is truly stunning and when I complain about the size and weight I do so as a landscape photographer because that's how most people know me. When I have my bag jammed with a load of gear climbing up the side of a hill (mountain) my bad back starts shouting at me so I prefer to travel light now. I am honestly not complaining about this lens and I think anyone that does needs their head examined. We are so lucky to have such amazing gear for fairly reasonable prices.

[@Chromedome62]

Great review. Thanks for the details!

[@kieranhayesphotography]

Hi Dennis, thanks for that and glad you enjoyed it 👍

[@willynelsonitis]

I've had a lot of lenses. No lens is perfect by 'every' measure but many lenses do some things extremely well. To wit, the 180-600 at max. aperture may not equal a prime lens but a prime lens doesn't zoom. As a user of Photoshop since ver. 1, I have learned how to post-process my images and, with a little TLC, files at or near max aperture from the 180-600 are perfectly acceptable (read: very good!). Wide open, the 180-600 may not create SOOC images equal to a significantly more expensive prime when -- key point -- viewed at 100% but after post-processing, results can be very close if not indistinguishable (not to mention when reproduction ratios are less than 100%). Stopping down to f/7.1 at 600mm even brings images up a notch for anyone seeking to minimize processing. Unless I'm in need of greater DOF, I don't expect my 180-600 will ever see f/11. YMMV Thanks for the video, Kieran.

[@kieranhayesphotography]

Completely agree with you, if you pixel peep then a prime is better but I always prefer the everyday function of a zoom. You get more shots with it then. Post processing has come on so much now that as you say the differences are only slight now. That was the main reason I did the video just to help point it out. There is so much more to a photograph than ultimate sharpness. Have a great week and thankfully for the feedback and for watching.

[@bobbullethalf]

A great all-around lens, especially for fast action sports. I never have to spend thousands of dollars on a prime lens in this focal range, especially with the photo editing software that is out there that can denoise and sharpen images, it is a great time to be a photographer, if you can find this lens get it or get on the list.

[@kieranhayesphotography]

Exactly, it's a pure bargain and an amazing all round lens. As you say what a time to be a photographer oh and don't get me started on software :-)

[@waynekirk8951]

Great review Kieran thanks, FYI, I shoot birds with the 500pf/z8 combo mostly @ 5.6, and I recently borrowed and tested, with a view to buy, the 180-600 @ mostly 600mm 6.3, and I was disappointed with the results compared to the prime..I attach a 1.4 TC to the prime 90% of the time for BIF, which does soften the results minutely and mirrors the results of the 600 in this regard but without the TC its Tackness all the way, needless to say, I'm passing on the 180-600 on my results only..Cheers .......ps thanks for the great info on the Pro Grade CF type B card...brilliant

[@kieranhayesphotography]

Hi Wayne, thanks for the feedback and for watching the video. I always say if you need a prime then you need a prime :-) We all look at things slightly differently and my hope is to get a few lenses from Nikon so I can do this with all of them and then people can see for themselves the differences between them. Now in saying that, I was talking to someone who said they got a 180-600 and they sent it back as they were not happy with it and after watching my videos they went to a store to try one again and ended out buying it as the results were really good the second time around, after that I have heard one or two more people with similar experiences so maybe there was a slightly off batch released at some stage. A while ago I was using both the 600 F6.3 and the 600mm F4 and I compared them with the Z180-600 and boy they are different lenses alright but also a different price tag on them :-)

[@waynekirk8951]

@kieranhayesphotography cheers, your thoughts on the 600 z/6.3 "S"as a replacement for my ageing f mount 500pf for the reach and image quality, and it's pretty affordable really for what your getting... Wayne

[@kieranhayesphotography]

In total honesty I was playing a lot more with the 600 f4 tc but in saying that the 600mm F6.3 did balance very nicely on the Z8 and it's a good bit lighter than the 180-600, the images were tack sharp on it as you would expect and the focus memory or focus recal button is handy. The extra lens fn buttons are nice but the thing that struck me most about the lens was how nicely it balanced like the weight was a lot closer to the camera body and not over hanging your grip like with some lenses. The lens collar is also a lot better then the 180-600, I was overall very impressed with it and it's one of the lenses I am hoping Nikon will send me over the next few months to test out completely. It kind of made me a little jealous of people that own it, I just wouldn't have enough use for it :-)

[@waynekirk8951]

@@kieranhayesphotography thanks..

[@livejames9374]

Good comprehensive sharpness review and thoughts. I’m not sure how the lens beats diffraction by being sharper at f11. Is that even possible? I don’t think it is. Maybe we are seeing field curvature for why f11 looks sharper and test chart isn’t necessarily representative of real world.

[@kieranhayesphotography]

Hi James, very good question there. What makes me think it's not field curvature is central image sharpness and corner image sharpness seem to match at specific apertures on the various focal lengths. Very true as you say diffraction should start to kick in but that would also explain why when you go up to 500mm the images sharpness also starts to soften slightly. 400mm is just that slight bit sharper. If I were being critical I would say if they lens is slightly off in its design then diffraction might not be as much of a cost to its sharpness then as F8 was clearly softer. Bearing in mind all these images are zoomed in at 200% also which is fairly heavy pixel peeping. I am certainly no lens engineer and if some can explain this to me I am more than happy to listen. The only thing I wills at is these tests mirror my real world experiences with the lens, I mentioned a few of them in my earlier review. Thanks for watching and if you can provide any more insight I am very interested in hearing more 👍 I

[@livejames9374]

@@kieranhayesphotography good points. Thanks for taking the time to make the video.

[@kieranhayesphotography]

My pleasure James and have a great weekend.

[@RussandLoz]

Oh dear, so it's sharpest at apertures you can't really shoot with real light conditions at the long end, glad I got a prime lens...

[@kieranhayesphotography]

Ya, it was always going to be sharpest at a stop or two down and never be a prime beater. For what you get it's incredible though and I have used it a good bit now in real world conditions and it's very usable. Very happy with the images it achieves but again as I say in the video it's no prime beater for sharpness, then again the zoom is also a massive advantage at times as is the price. It's all about how you are going to use it I suppose. Thanks for watching and have a great weekend.

[@tomdearie5165]

I shoot both the 400mm f/4.5 and the 180-600mm in the field and, while the zoom can’t compete with the 2x$ 400mm for either sharpness or tonal quality, it performs well at f/6.3 and very well at f/7.1. The 400mm+1.4TC is even a bit better than the 180-600mm at 560mm. However, proper post production closes the gap between two a fair amount. But the advantage of the 180-600mm is in its use in the field. e.g. I can do a tangential pass of a subject in my kayak, taking a wide shot, close context shot, a portrait, and a tight portrait all in one pass. Then the animal is gone. I can’t do that with my beloved 400mm. Not every situation is in a kayak, but you get my drift (pun intended! 😎🛶). The 180-600mm also performs respectably with the 1.4TC for big distance situations that are common in the Canadian back country. The main downfall of the 180-600mm in my experience is in very challenging light and, of course, weight. I find the 180-600mm slightly less well behaved than my old 200-500mm in harsh light and significantly weaker than the 400mm. And, of course, the 400mm lets me shoot further into blue hour due to its gathering of twice as much light - very important for Canadian mammals. Re weight, it’s an easy lift at about a pound lighter than the 200-500mm, but the 400mm 4/4.5 is feather light and a joy to carry. Still - they’re both in my backpack every time I’m out in the field. Cheers!

[@kieranhayesphotography]

@@tomdearie5165 Hi Tom, thanks a million for the input, it's always great to hear another photographers ideas and even better when they confirm your own 😉. In all seriousness though you can't beat a prime for low light situations, weight and sharpness. The 180-600 considering it's price in my mind is completely awesome. Enjoy the lens and when you said kayak and camera in the one sentence I froze a little. I used to do a lot of white water kayaking before, so I had flash backs 😂

[@RussandLoz]

@@tomdearie5165 yes I have missed shots as I couldn’t zoom out. But most the time I need further focal length. I’ve been getting on well with the 1.4 but is sharpest at f8.

[@tomdearie5165]

@@kieranhayesphotography Laughing - I get the bug-eyes a lot re kayak+wildlife rig, but I do most of my shooting from the water, Definitely no whitewater. Class I and II water mostly. My kayak is a super stable rigid inflatable called an Airvolution - I can stand up in it. And the rig goes in a submersible backpack called a CORSurf when mounting and dismounting from the boat. … and insurance. 😎 Whitewater is for real men. 😳

[@bobrutan4735]

Very good analysis, but I think it is maybe a little too nice on the 180-600. I came from the D850 and 200-500 lens to the Z8 and the 180-600m. I have to say that it has been nothing but a BIG disappointment. My bird images on the 200-500 at F5.6 were significantly sharper than the 180-600mm at F6.3. Since the majority of my time is early morning bird photography in Ohio, it is very seldom possible to shoot at F11 and get a high enough shutter speed without significant ISO. In conditions where the mornings are brighter, F11 is still not an ideal option. I know most on this page will not agree with me, but I find the softness of the 180-6000 unacceptable, I think Nikon marketing won this go around with a lot of hype and I wish that I had stayed with my D850 and 200-500! Yes, I have watched all the videos from all the experts that I track and have made adjustments as defined. So far, nothing has taken the photos to an acceptable sharpness. The only option I have not tried at this point is fine tuning and I will be doing that this week. I also will try turning off VR and see if that makes a difference. Lately, I have been shooting on a tripod to see if these old arms of mine are moving a little - still soft! It also seems that even though the focal point locks onto the birds head/eyes, it seems to jump around during the burst and the keeper rate of photos is less than that from the D850 combo. My unprofessional observations and I do not claim to be as smart as the professionals that post on KZbin. For those anxiously awaiting the delivery of their 180-600, I would say go with caution and consider keeping your 200-500 and D850.

[@kieranhayesphotography]

Hi, sorry to hear you are not happy with your 180-600mm lens. I have heard of a few other people with similiar issues and scarily a few of them tried another copy of the lens and found it be sharper. That's not a good sign from a quality control perspective but maybe you have a copy that's just slightly off. Again I have had no issues and I personally bought this lens the same as anyone else. Regarding burst mode and Bird AF I have found the hit rate to be very good but again my lens might be sharper than your copy so if it's fractionally off focus that could be seriously impacting your shots then. Can you return the lens or ask to try another copy?

[@bobrutan4735]

@@kieranhayesphotography thank you for your reply. I have purchased many lens and cameras over the last several decades and typically have been able to address the issues. This is one that disturbs me as it does appear to be bad Quality Control and knowing they are behind on their vendor replenishment makes me wonder even more if things are not being overlooked. I have contacted the vendor and am awaiting their response. I know they are behind on filling orders so it may not be a quick solution for a swap. If so, I will contact Nikon. If I had not had the 850 and 200-500 combo for years to compare these results to, I might have accepted this. Thanks again for your quick reply.

[@kieranhayesphotography]

The quality control aspect of it in my mind just isn't acceptable in this day and age, yes there maybe a high demand but that in itself is no excuse I would think. It's nearly as easy to make something right as something wrong now so there are no excuses for this in my mind. If some of these lens are off then I would love to know how they left the factory like that. I am a big Nikon fan but at the same time everyone needs to be called out when they make a mistake and ship it out. I hope you get a good copy and please do let me know how you get on.

[@bobrutan4735]

Thanks. I am looking at a new batch of photos today. Will try and contact Nikon.

[@kieranhayesphotography]

@@bobrutan4735 good luck🤞

[@BigFoot-w4d]

180-600 is NOT a sharp at all. The AF is inconsistent.

[@kieranhayesphotography]

Did you watch the video? I am not being smart here now. This video is literally tests shots fired off at a lens testing chart.Not my opinion but more or less fact. Again not being smart with you at all. I ha e heard of a few 180-600 that were not at all sharp so maybe you have or had one of them. Again I am not saying it's a sharp as a prime which I am fairly certain I say in the video also but for a zoom with this focal length shift and at that price I am more than happy with its results. Then again that's why I did this video it's not about my opinion more about the results from the lens. What's sharp for one person is like a full butter knife to the next. Thanks for watching and have a good weekend.