Tag Archives: Nikon mirrorless

Nikon 180-600mm Tests: Wildlife Images

Backyard wildlife images with the Nikon Z9

I got my hands on a Nikon Z9 to do more testing with the Nikon 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR Z Nikkor lens. With the Z9, autofocus is very fast and accurate (much faster than my old Z6). More importantly, animal eye-detection makes focusing on wildlife a breeze. You can get my wildlife and bird photography settings for the Z9 and Z8 cameras here.

I chose to leave these images un-cropped so you could get an idea of the framing. All of these subjects were within 5-10m from me. I shot all of them at 600mm and wide-open at f/6.3. Click any image to enlarge it.

One thing I will say about this combo, the Z9 and the 180-600mm have a combined weight of over 7lbs (3,300g). If you’re not using a monopod, hand-holding this lens will get tiresome after awhile. With a the Nikon Z8, you’re still dealing with a 6.3lb kit. (I certainly noticed it, although I was also at 9000′ (2743m) elevation…

Check availability of the Nikon 180-600mm Z Nikkor lens here (doing so helps support this site)

Least chipmunk (Tamias minimus) having a snack. 1/2500s f/6.3 ISO 640 (auto) @600mm Nikon Z9
Chickadee waiting its turn for the feeder. 1/2500s f/6.3 ISO 4500 (Auto) @600mm Nikon Z9
Up close with the Least chipmunk (probably about 4m away). 1/2500s f/6.3 ISO 800 (Auto) @600mm Nikon Z9

The Image Doctors #191

Nikon 70-180mm and 180-600mm Z lenses

This week, Nikon announced two new telephoto zoom lenses for Nikon Z-mount mirrorless cameras. The Nikon 70-180mm f/2.8 Z Nikkor is a compact, lightweight telephoto zoom that completes a trio of f/2.8 zooms. The 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 zoom Nikkor is a supertelephoto zoom that is sure to be popular with wildlife and bird photographers. Check prices on these lenses here.

What is Highlight-Priority Metering?

We received a listener question from our website asking about highlight-priority metering, which can be useful in certain situations. Not all cameras offer this metering mode, but we’ll describe how it works and when we use it.

The Image Doctors #129

Nikon Z9 Hands-On Review

Nikon Z9 camera with lens

Jason recently received a Nikon Z9 mirrorless camera, and we both had a chance to use it in the field. This week, we’ll discuss the major new features it offers Nikon users, and discuss how those features can change your approach to photography in the field.

The Image Doctors #126

Hands-on with the Nikon 24-120mm f/4 S

This week, we just got evaluation copies of the two newest Z-mount Nikon lenses. Since we haven’t had a lot of time to put the lenses through their paces yet, we’ll give our first impressions. This week, we’re primarily discussing the 24-120mm f/4S lens, including build and handling, features, and how it compares to other similar Nikon lenses.

Special thanks to our site sponsor B&H Photo for getting us test copies of these new lenses! Shopping from this link will help support this podcast.

The Image Doctors #122

Interview with Jessica Odell: Thoughts on the Nikon Z50

It’s thanksgiving week here in the USA, and with the focus on family this week, what better way to celebrate than to bring some family on the podcast. Jason’s sister, Jessica, visits us today to share her experiences using her Nikon Z50, which she got at the end of 2019 right before the lockdowns hit. Now that restrictions have eased up, she’s been able to get out and do some of the travel photography she’d hoped to do in 2020.

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