Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 S vs Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3
This is the most important comparison, isn’t it? Both of these lenses reach the same focal length of 600mm at a maximum aperture of f/6.3. While the prime lens is lighter (1470 g versus 2140 g), that probably isn’t enough to justify the $3100 difference in price. What about the performance?
While both lenses are sharp, it’s clear that the Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 S is sharper. Measured side-by-side in the lab, here’s how both of them rate:
We have had some requests to demonstrate differences like this with head-to-head crops for additional context. Here’s how the central performance at f/6.3 lens looks on our test chart with both lenses:
Meanwhile, here’s the corner sharpness performance:
You can see that while the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3’s performance is plenty good, especially in the center, the 600mm f/6.3 prime just has an edge that its zoom counterpart is lacking. Careful technique in the field and sharpening in post-processing can result in excellent sharpness whichever lens you’re using. However, for printing large or cropping significantly, it’s clear that the Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 S is the winner of this comparison.
Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 vs Nikon AF-S 500mm f/5.6E PF
DSLR users may be wondering how the 600mm f/6.3 stacks up to Nikon’s excellent F-mount 500mm f/5.6E PF lens. Here’s how the two test in the lab:
As you can see, the performance is exceptionally similar between the two of them. It’s a tie in my book, even though you can find a few areas where one lens is slightly ahead of the other (mainly the 600mm f/6.3 being a hair sharper in the midframes). Considering that the Nikon 500mm f/5.6E PF is such a great and well-regarded supertelephoto, it’s nice to see the 600mm f/6.3 reaching the same heights!
Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 vs Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3
Many photographers who want a supertelephoto prime under $10,000 will be deciding between the Z 600mm f/6.3 and the Z 800mm f/6.3.
Up front, I want to be clear that regardless of any sharpness differences between these two lenses as measured in a lab, you will certainly get more detail on a distant subject with the 800mm f/6.3 rather than cropping the 600mm f/6.3. For that reason, I suggest choosing between these lenses based upon the focal length that will be more beneficial to you, not based upon small differences in resolution.
With that out of the way, here are our sharpness tests from both lenses:
As you can see, at maximum aperture, the sharper lens is the 600mm f/6.3. At f/8 and narrower, the two lenses are comparable in the center, while the 600mm f/6.3 is slightly ahead in the midframes and corners. Since none of the differences are drastic (even at f/6.3), I want to reiterate my earlier suggestion: for very distant subjects, you’ll get more detail by using the 800mm f/6.3 rather than using the 600mm f/6.3 and cropping.
What about using a teleconverter? Here’s how the 600mm f/6.3 looks when using Nikon’s 1.4x TC, giving you an 840mm f/9:
Using a teleconverter retains more sharpness than cropping, and the Nikon Z 1.4x teleconverter pairs very well with the Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S. Even so, the Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S is sharper than the combination of the 600mm f/6.3 and 1.4x TC – not by a dramatic amount, but the difference is there, especially at the critical aperture of f/9 (and f/8) in the center.
Summary
The Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 S is an exceedingly sharp lens that reaches its maximum performance wide open at f/6.3. It’s clearly sharper than the Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3. That said, all Nikon supertelephoto lenses so far have been very good, and the crops above demonstrate that the 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 is hardly a bad alternative, especially for the price.
Few photos take full advantage of a lens’s sharpness anyway, with factors like slight missed focus, subject movement, or image noise all having the potential to mask these small differences. As long as your technique is good and there’s enough light, you can get very sharp photos with any of these lenses.
The next page of this review sums up everything and explains the pros and cons of the Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3. So, click the menu below to go to “Verdict”:
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