[davidmanze]

Hi guys,
            I've been rocking the Tamron G1, then the Tamron G2 (150-600mm) for nearly five years now and had some great results with them ........... I also have the AFS 500mm ED F4D ..... but frankly it's not sharp enough and it's reputation seems to be it's only strong point .......it has to go!
 I really want a AFS-600mm F4G VR in some guise of model ..... the FL is obviously the lens of choice but it lists at €12,000 or €10,500 grey market ....(3.8 Kgs)

  ...... all these years I've been seeing loads for sale (600s)...... but the second hand market seems to have dried up (le bon coin)...... barely an AF-S 600mm around.   

   The D500/ G2 combination opens up a whole world of sports/wildlife shooting for €2,300 ....... the D500 is still the unbeatable APSc sports body and mates perfectly with the G2 to give you all the goodies, but it's really a bright sunny day lens for BIF and although sharp even at 600mm at F7.1 or more, that critical sharpness of super fine feather detail is just a little optically beyond it.
 The AF-S 500mm F5.6 FL VR is just too short a FL for the shooting I do and F8 with a converter is very limiting,  ....... 
  Where is the AF-S 600mm F5.6 FL VR? ........ that would be the perfect lens for me, but looking at the 500mm version still sold out after a year, how long will it take to arrive? (probably two years or more).
  In order to get a sharper better longer lens the stakes change considerably .... from €1,000 at 2 Kgs .......... to €10K+ and 4 Kgs (new of course)
  So, I'm on the look out for a mid range AF-S 600mm F4G VR at around the 5K euros mark but at the moment they're as rare as pink flamingo's teeth!

  https://www.flickr.com/photos/124690178@N08/

[JJ_SO]

Get a Sony and a 200-600 

I also didn't see any 600 mm around at the moment, I checked 20 of 41 Nikon related pages of my 2md hand marketplace in CH. 3 500/4, but no 600. And a couple of 150-600.

The Sigma Sports 60-600 is nothing for you? It's improved at 600 mm and a tad lighter than the "old" 150-600 Sports.

All I can say (in terms of long FL): If there would be an 600/5.6 PF, the delivery situation would even be worse than it already is with the 500/5.6 PF. And the 300/4 PF with a TC 2× III is simply not better than with the G2. It's lighter, yes, but both DSLRs and the Z 7 do struggle more with this combo as soon as I want more than center AF.

If I'd be more into birds, I really would look at the Sony combo - but the delivery situation is also not too rosy. Sony reps say the orders are much higher than expected...

[davidmanze]

Get a Sony and a 200-600 

I also didn't see any 600 mm around at the moment, I checked 20 of 41 Nikon related pages of my 2md hand marketplace in CH. 3 500/4, but no 600. And a couple of 150-600.

The Sigma Sports 60-600 is nothing for you? It's improved at 600 mm and a tad lighter than the "old" 150-600 Sports.

All I can say (in terms of long FL): If there would be an 600/5.6 PF, the delivery situation would even be worse than it already is with the 500/5.6 PF. And the 300/4 PF with a TC 2× III is simply not better than with the G2. It's lighter, yes, but both DSLRs and the Z 7 do struggle more with this combo as soon as I want more than center AF.

If I'd be more into birds, I really would look at the Sony combo - but the delivery situation is also not too rosy. Sony reps say the orders are much higher than expected...

 
  The sports 60-600mm looks a fine lens indeed but we're still at F6.3 which means no converters and too much depth of field.
  The Sony looks great as well and it's sharp wide open at 600mm ..... but F6.3, I would need an A9 and running two systems ....... not really, plus the wait.
  The 600mm F5.6 VR PF would be exactly what I'm looking for, if it matches the 500mm PF everything will be good ........ that could be a two to three year wait.
 
 
  My AF-S 500mm F4D is up for sale, luckily there is only one other on "le bon coin" at €3,000 which is overpriced ...... mine will be at €2,100 ..... as I stated the best thing about this lens is it's reputation ........ it was great in it's day, but times have well and truly moved on.

   So, it may come as a huge shock ....... but I'm half decided on buying a "brand new AF-S 600mm F4G FL VR", Nikon's latest model .......two price choices .... €10,600 grey market  12,000 official ....  (if I come across a S/H model even better) ... 
   It's the lightest from Nikon at 3.8 kgs, which I will appreciate and obviously the sharpest, with good reports when using tele-converters and giving a useful reach on the D500 ..... 
  
   Neither heaven nor hell have banking facilities .... so you might as well spend it while you have your feet firmly on the ground!

  Thanks JoJu !

[JJ_SO]

Someone is addicted to bird photography...

Cool, enjoy the hunt for a new glass - and if it's a comfort: An α9 + 600/4 would be more expensive 

[davidmanze]

Someone is addicted to bird photography...

Cool, enjoy the hunt for new glass - and if it's a comfort: An α9 + 600/4 would be more expensive 

   Yeah that Sony 600mm F4 version is probably the best as well!

    Thanks JoJu!

[Brightcolours]

You shoot APS-C, right? That A9 won't give you the same APS-C FOV for 600mm. :-P
And I doubt that the Sony is better than the Canon or Nikon.

[JJ_SO]

Go to YouTube and search for "Mark Smith" and his comparisons of BiF with Sony and Nikon. You'll see how good the α9 with the current firmware really is. 20 fps alone is pretty fast, but all shots in focus won't happen with any Nikon.

[Brightcolours]

Ah right, I thought it was about the lens. Are birders HIGH FPS'ers?

[davidmanze]

You shoot APS-C, right? That A9 won't give you the same APS-C FOV for 600mm. :-P
And I doubt that the Sony is better than the Canon or Nikon.

    I shoot both the D750 and (now) two D500s mainly the latter(s).

  Certainly the A9 in it's latest F form is very very capable ....... but too much money and too long a wait !!

 I remember when I first got my Samsung GX10 (Pentax K10) ..... for one euro extra I got the kit tele-zoom ..... and I said to myself ........

   ......... that'll do me for life !!    what actually did happened there ??

[Brightcolours]

Personally I do not get "birding". I like birds a lot, but images of birds.. why? And for who?

But I digress.

See your PM for a 2nd hand Nikkor available in the low lands.