Is it worth buying a 600mm f4 lens for your wildlife photography? by "Camilla & I"

I still think I’d go for the 400 2.8 with a 1.4 takes it to f4 and you have that flexibility with good low light capabilities

Good video and great dragon fly shots and good luck with your submissions! Lots to think about for such a good but large and expensive lens. Do you find an autofocus difference between your 200-600 and you 600 ? Also curious what you think of 400 2.8 and 1.4 teleconverter, a little more flexibility and a little smaller?

Mark, an interesting video. I have been very tempted by the 600 F4 recently - but have so far not pulled the trigger. As I mentioned in a previous video comment, I went for the 400 F2.8 as I annually go to Africa on safari, and for big game the 400 is definitely the lens - occasionally could use a 600, but a lot of the time that would be too tight for the subject. The other reason I went for the 400 is the F2.8 aperture for poor light and plenty of bokeh, plus can always extend the 400 if required either using a teleconverter or APS-C crop (to take to 600), which with the Sony A1 still gives 21mp image which is enough unless making a large print. All the same, the 600 F4 continues to tempt me particularly when shooting birds, but I find it difficult to justify even to myself having two £12k lenses and no way I would part with the 400 - it is wonderful! BTW I find 400 F2.8 images even cropped are still clearer than 200-600 F5.6-6.3 images uncropped. One question I have for you is what bag do you use to carry the 600 with A1 attached, as that combination seems too large for most available bags? My current Think tank bag just about accommodates the 400 with the body attached, but would not take the extra length of the 600.

Great video Mark waiting for the dragon-fly's to hit South Lincolnshire. :)

I love the lovely blurred background a 600mm F4 produces. Lugging it around though is a bit of a killer. Wouldn't want to part with mine even though it's so heavy. All the best, Steve.

£10,000 plus the fee for the physio/chiro to sort the back out after lugging that around!

My dream lens.

Great video Mark !!! 👍

Ooooh would love that lens, but hey my wife would kill me. just a quick question if i may, have you done a video on A1 video settings ?

4 Kg I wish My Nikon is 5.1Kg

Informative and thought-provoking. I had a trial of this lens a short while back and my big issue with it (apart from its cost and weight) is how much it limits you when, say, you are in a hide and your target might appear just a few feet in front of you, rendering you unable to get it fully in frame. I went for the Sony 200-600 and I find it much more versatile for my purposes. Yes, a maximum aperture of f6.3 @ 600 can be a limiter but with the vastly improved high ISO performance of Sony's newer range of cameras it does not result in the noise problem that previous generations did.

I do keep getting very tempted to go for 600 F4 or 400 F2.8 but it is a massive investment. Great video Mark

Have you tried it with any teleconverters

Yes, have had the Canon 600mm F4 V2 for quite a while now and just love it. I also have the 100-400, and taken about 10 shots with it in the last 5 years, the 600 lives on the R5. Can I ask what tripod you're using there ! Lovely dragonfly shots !!! 🤠😎

25 years in the waiting, its purchase represented a much-dreamed about reality for me. Superb lens which I shoot wide open at f4. Great bokeh, great resolving power when used with an A1. f4 is the way to go and I will keep on using it as long as I can carry it. Don't forget the resolving power of the lens...crop in, crop in and keep going!! Richard Bedford, RSPB Agency Bird Photographer.

i think it's totally worth it, i just love big camera stuff and everytime I pull out my Sony A77M2 and one of these high speed fat lenses I start drooling even if they costed me spare change compared to the new Sony Lens G series. The Minolta 600mm f4 is my go to, and since I mostly go take photos alone I can feel confident nobody is going to feel like I'm flexing. Yes, I flex to myself.

I can get a slightly older, (and sharper), 600mm F4 mkii for much less than $10,000.

Great video. Good explanation. One have to consider that this is investment for several years. As you said people drink and smoke that money in one year.