Download sample RAW files: geni.us/200800 200-800mm at B&H: bhpho.to/43p2lKf NEW Sony Setup Guide: geni.us/AlphaSetup

@castieldiallo2945

3 ай бұрын

informative review, mathew. i see your lifestyle change is paying dividends.

@bladerealm124

3 ай бұрын

Matt how is the IQ of a comparable Nikon or sony setup with 1.4x TC vs the Canon 200-800mm? Nikon 180-600mm +1.4x on Z8/Z9 vs Sony 200-600mm +1.4x on A1 vs Canon 200-800mm on R5? The long throw and external zoom of the Canon seems inferior to the Nikon and Sony but the extra reach without TC looks nice to have.

I think ISO is a compromise like anything else in photography. I do agree that its preferable to shoot lower ISO if you can, but i think dismissing programs like DxO pure raw these days is a bit of a mistake. Will an image shot at 12,800 ISO look like one shot at 100 ISO? No. But it becomes a massively improved image. I certainly dont blink anymore when it comes to shooting at higher ISOs. Jan made a good video recently comparing DxO Pure Raw 4 against some of the competition. It produces some incredible results.

Thank you for the honest video Mat. I wonder how the Sony and Nikon zooms compare all at 600mm and all at the same aperture in image Quality and AF speed?

I recently bought a R6 Mk 2 and have the 200 -800 on backorder. The R6 Mk 2 seems to handle higher ISO very well, at least with my limited experience with it. Maybe another Mk 2 owner can chime in.

The r5 doesn’t have bird-detect autofocus? What does that mean and why does my r5 work so well with birds?

Matt Granger the Gear Range 😂 Laughed way too hard at this one! Nice one!

This is a really cool lens to settle with. I have been using the RF100-500 as my wildlife/birding/travel/hiking/macro lens for two years and love this thing. There are however moments where I definitely wanted more reach and more light, especially when using it in a hide in the early morning hours. Therefore I am saving up for the RF600f4, which is gonna be great for stationary work and also in combination with an extender. Even though the 200-800 sounds excellent, for the point where I am at, it would not make my current struggles go away.

I love my EF 600mm f4 II lens. It takes extenders very well and doubles as a good fitness companion, as carrying heavy gear on walks in nature is all the cardio I need with bodybuilding to be shredded. No joke. Lol But some days you don’t want to lug around a big lens. You miss some shots if you aren’t ready. Plus, at f9 with this lens as long as you have a clear background I think it can work very well. Even with my 600mm I often shoot as low as 250 shutter and get sharp shots if needed. So with this lens I think you can get away with some good images if you plan your backgrounds. Just have to make sure you don’t have crappy backgrounds. That is key

And if you're not in forested low-light areas, you are probably in hot, open areas with heat distortion. Compromises indeed.

Fantastic video review. I HATED the AF ring on this when i first got it an almost returned it due to the placement. Most don't realize how important it is when your subject is burred in the bush to help the camera find the eye or what ever it is you are focusing on. For the price, it is a beast of a lens that allows anyone who wants to just go out and have fun taking photos to get presentable photos. Having said that, I HATE this on the R7 - not a good combo. I like it a lot on the R5 but love it on the R3 even at some higher ISO. I do watch that and vary y shutter speed while watching the ISO. Not a low light monster.. For low light, I do use my 600 F4 with or without a 1.4 extender, but as you said, and I say all the time - nothing is perfect. It is easy to carry whereas my 600 F4 does get heavy after about 10 minutes. Trade offs. The other combo I really like is the R7 with the 100-500 for dragonflies. I also notice when you showed the back screen you were using one of the focus zone modes. Works well for Nikon but for Canon, I use the eye AF button and it tracks better for me. I rarely use the zones - it is either single point or eye AF and the Canon locks on and tracks that way - even for bees and it blows my mind. Another thing we all fail to mention and I think newer shooters that look at lenses like this, is the art or skill in developing the raw photo.... but that is a subject for another video. Thank you for another great review and video.

U are good at photography

I’m enjoying this paired with the R7. Works nicely for soccer and baseball as well.

Thank you for your video Matt. Very informative. Sorry but I was fixated on your hat (orange camo). I really like it. Where did you get it? 😄

@mattgranger

3 ай бұрын

haha. it is a 507 cap, you can see them here: geni.us/kt507b This one is an anniversary edition I got in store in Taiwan.

@zsolthary5903

3 ай бұрын

@@mattgranger Much appreciated. Thank you.

On the topic of everything being a trade off, a brighter apature usually trades off reach, if you crop a 600mm F6.3 file to 800mm, the noise actually becomes comparable to using 800mm F9 and not cropping.

@Agora1981

3 ай бұрын

Maybe, but you don't buy a zoom lens to only shoot at 800. Whit this in mind, you have very bad aperture to start from 200mm. At 650mm you already get the f9 and at 200 f6.3. My point is the offerings from Sony and Nikon are so much better with the 200-600 and 180-600..

@truthseeker6804

3 ай бұрын

@@Agora1981 this is sharper than Sony 200-600 throughout the zoom ranges. plus the extra reach makes this a great value, i would take it anyday.

@livejames9374

3 ай бұрын

@@truthseeker6804no it isnt

@KurtisPape

3 ай бұрын

@@truthseeker6804 From what I have seen, at 600mm the Canon is sharper wide open, but the Sony becomes sharper at 600mm if you shut the aperture to F8, so the apertures end up being the same. The Sony at 840mm F9 with a 1.4x TC is almost identical to the Canon at 800mm F9, both results are a little soft.

@truthseeker6804

3 ай бұрын

@@KurtisPape if you have to stop the sony down to match this in sharpness it makes the sony a much worse value proposition, and this goes further to 800 without TC, and we all know TC reduces image quality alot, it makes this a much greater value, at a similar price!

I got my 200-800 a few weeks back and can say for certain it's a really sharp lens. The point about high ISO is noted - but this has always been the case. Modern software from the likes of Topaz, DxO etc does make one heck of a difference these days and mustn't be dismissed.

One major site has certain users always claiming ISO is just a number. They are clearly wrong. Also getting it right out of Camera will always be better then what can be done later in software. The just released Sigma 500mm will cost one about $3000 plus that's 300mm shorter and sure it's 5.6 and super light, but $3000 is a bit much for most. So exactly which 3rd party lens makers are exactly getting it right pricewise plus good performance for users.

How does it compare to the Nikon Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 ???

It would be amazing if I could actually purchase one!

It would be interesting to see how this compares to the Leica $35000 bird photography setup.😅

Looks like an interesting optic. I don't shoot canon, so it's moot anyway, but I don't think it would be for me. Unlike the 24-70/2 they make (which is cool!), I don't watch this thinking 'oh my system needs it!' This is the next step from the original sigma bigma 50-500 though. A big sacrifice in light gathering compared to standards at the time, in exchange for reach, all in the hope the iso performance will off set. I bet in the long run, this lens will be very popular with twitchers and other people who are birders first and photographers second. Quality isn't as important as proof you saw that one unique, rare migrant :)

@adamadamis

3 ай бұрын

Canon make a 28-70 F/2 - not 24 70.

@scriptosaurusrex

3 ай бұрын

@@adamadamis that one then. Thanks.

Didn't expect a Hong Kong video! Almost got the lens today in Kong Kok but held off. I want it for cars and planes... But I also want to try birds.

@mattgranger

17 күн бұрын

I live in HK :)

@hkgspotter1

17 күн бұрын

@@mattgranger I guessed that 😀

Hard to beat the focal range and for those that travel - hard to beat the size. I'm not sure how people travel with big 600mm f4 lenses to be honest.

Seems like this lens would be better for Landscapes and maybe... maybe portraits. From all the results I have seen from many youtubers I am not really impressed. I liked what you said "mid tear results" and yeah, thats what I'd say it's about a 6 out of 10. Not bad at all but not the best either.

If you are a black and white shooter parhaps it is easier to use a high iso range.

I rented this lens for a week, and for my purposes, this lens is the Holy grail. Sucks that their has been so little availability :( But I'll eventually have to buy one.... by which time it will hopefully be "in stock" as a refurb, for $400 or $500 off ;)

Wait how does the R5 not have separate bird detect mode? Because, I thought Nikon was always “catching up” according to the interwebz 😏

@livejames9374

3 ай бұрын

The animal eye af works good enough where a specific bird mode isn’t needed.

@mattgranger

3 ай бұрын

haha, ok sure.

@truthseeker6804

3 ай бұрын

user error

@mattgranger

3 ай бұрын

@truthseeker6804 thank you for showing us it’s not only Sony that has fanboys defensive enough of their toys, to shield them from any feedback that isn’t 100% positive. Canon are in the game too 👍🏼

@truthseeker6804

3 ай бұрын

​@@mattgranger i havent heard of anyone complain about the r5 af with birds using this lens, so its user error. sorry if that hurt you but its the truth. secondly, youre a nikon fanboy.

Thanks Matt!! Another reason to get canon gear(from a nikon/leica shooter) i'm impressed.

Yea. great value. There just aren't any in stock and there haven't been since 6 Nov. 2023.

With my RF 100-500 F/4.5-7.1 and 1.4x extender, I max out at 700mm and F/10. In comparison, 800mm at F/9 sounds like a bargain. Too bad this lens is out of stock for, like, forever. I'll wait, but I'll eventually get it.

Nikon may not allow it. As with Sony, licensing is probably done on a lens-by-lens basis. Nikon will do its own cost/benefit analysis.

Apart from iso and aperture considerations, my impression is that this is a lens quite sensitive to sensors. Food on R6, ok on R5, so so on R7.

@mattgranger

3 ай бұрын

I wonder why?

@markeccleston2896

2 ай бұрын

The R7 has a diffraction limit of f/6.3, R5 f/9, and R6 f/11. You might get a stop above if you don't crop. Otherwise, you are going to see the softening. I would only use this lens on full frame, and certainly not with an extender on any camera body.

looks like a slightly brighter equivalent to the Leica 100-400 for MFT. I wonder how it compares.

Who else wants 200-400mm with 1.4x built in? ;)

I'll leave the bird photos to the birders! I could justify a 400mm lens for sports, but for me 400mm is the cut off.

ive compared lower iso and denoised images multiple times and in most circumstances the results are on par. so i disagree with some of your statements. for the price this lens doesnt have any competition. also i think the focus problem was user error.

@mattgranger

3 ай бұрын

Thanks the feedback - enjoy your Canons

@peterjacoby3399

3 ай бұрын

When you compared did you run denoise on both the high ISO and lower ISO files? However good you can get a high ISO image to look, you can get a lower ISO image to look better still, right?

@truthseeker6804

3 ай бұрын

@@peterjacoby3399 if the denoised 12800 iso image brings you to a results comparable to iso 800, and the denoised iso 3200 image brings you to a result comparable to iso 200, in the end both iso 200 and iso 800 images are good. so although you make a good point, the end results is what matters. im not suggesting denoising fixes every image perfectly, but it fixes most images ive run it through. its better to get nearer the subject with 800m and denoise, than have to heavy crop in post and lose resolution.

Different tools for different applications.

For Planespotters like myself, this would be a perfect lens.

@mattgranger

3 ай бұрын

May I ask, what is the appeal of plane spotting? No disrespect, I don’t think I get it

@midoujmg

3 ай бұрын

@@mattgranger In my case is a way of enjoying photography and airplanes.

@mattgranger

3 ай бұрын

Haha. Ok got it

Sounds like a great lens. Too bad you can't get them! I have had my name on multiple lists since December. The guy at my local camera store said that stores are getting an average of one per month. He estimated that I would get mine in the later half of 2025.

It should be black plastic as it is NOT AN L SERIES LENS!!!

The IS is suck too compare to Nikon 180-600.

F9 🤢

But it's soooo ugly!!!!

@mattgranger

3 ай бұрын

😂