The 600mm f4 Comparison Page for Pentax AF

There is nothing quite so useful for bird photography as a 600/f4 lens.

Birds usually keep their distance, unless visiting a feeder site, so focal lengths of 600mm, 900mm, and 1200mm are often required.

Only a 600/4 can give these focal lengths and still retain a reasonably large aperture.
I really, really like the 600/4 lens. I think everyone willing to tote the weight and pay the price should own one.

Pentax is my favorite among the available 600/4 lenses. The build and optical quality is equal to any lens, and the total cost of Pentax system ownership is substantially lower than N, C, or M.


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 There's more to price than just the cost of the lens. Add a couple of matched teleconvertors, and there goes four, five, or six hundred dollars. Then get that big ball head or Wimberly head, and there goes another three to five hundred.

Now, since we are looking at supporting a 15 lb lens and a three pound head, we have to fork over four hundred or so for a heavy-duty tripod. Except maybe you're like me and you run out of money before the big tripod purchase came up, so you make do with that old Bogen 3021 and watch it carefully so it doesn't collapse.

 So now we've spent lots on the lens, the TCs, the head, and the tripod, and we're almost home free. Just a few more things - a remote release cord, a Long Lens Bag, a special quick-release plate, and some all-risks insurance to cover the investment.

Oh, and don't forget to buy a second AF body if you don't already own one. It will come in handy.

Pentax, Sigma, Canon, Nikon, and Minolta: 600mm f4

Lens Angle of
View		 Groups/
Elements		 Min. Focus Filter Diameter x Length Weight Cost,
1999 US Dollars
Pentax FA* 600mm f/4 ED[IF] 4.2 7/9 16.4' (5m) 43mm internal 6.9" x 18"
(176mm x
457mm)		 15 lb
240 oz
(6800g)		 $6482 new
($4600 used)
Canon EF 600mm f4L IS USM 4.1 13/17 18'
(5.4m)		 52mm drop in Length 18"
(457mm)		 11.5 lb
(5207g)		 $9899 new
Nikon AF-S 600mm f4D ED-IF 4.1 7/10 19.5'
(6m)		 52mm drop in Length 18"
(457mm)		 12.8 lb
(204 oz)
(5712g)		 $8999 new
Minolta AF 600mm f/4 APO G 4.1 9/10 20'
(6.1m)		 integral Length 17.8"
(450mm)		 12.1 lb
(194 oz)
(5432g)		 $8299 new

Pros and Cons

Pentax FA* 600mm f/4 ED[IF] Pros: Significantly less expensive than the competition. Focuses closer that the rest also.

Cons: Matched teleconvertors 1.4XL and 2.0XL are manual focus only. There are no Pentax brand AF teleconvertors, and the Pentax 1.7x AF Adapter is unusable on this lens. This is the heaviest of a group of heavy lenses. It's AF drive comes from the drive pin in the camera body, so slower/smaller body motors may affect AF speed. Also, I have no information about the Pentax AF time to rack from close focus to infinity (lens is driven by the body), compared to USM or Silent Wave technology from C and N in which the lens contains its own motor.
Canon EF 600mm f4L IS USM Pros: Image Stabilization (IS) technology allows shooting on a monopod with this lens at slower shutter speeds. Canon also has the convenient Full-Time Manual Focusing feature on hypersonic motor USM lenses such as this. It has matched teleconvertors EF 1.4x ($380) and EF 2x ($310). Autofocus is achieved with the 1.4x TC, the 2x allows AF with the EOS-3 (center point only). At 11.5 lb, this is a very light 600/4, a significant advantage if one carries it any distance.

Cons: This is the highest priced 600/4 of the group by far. As with Canon's 300/2.8, the large number of groups/elements leaves me questioning the design. Since it is a relatively new design, I recommend researching some objective lens tests and user reports before buying.
Nikon AF-S 600mm f4D ED-IF Pros: Incorporates Nikons Silent Wave motor, equivalent to Canon's Hypersonic motors I suppose.

Cons: Long close-focus distance of 19.5'. It's also priced in the top tier.

Minolta AF 600mm f/4 APO G Pros: Light weight for a 600/4. Second lowest price of the group, but still $1800 more expensive than the Pentax.

Cons: The 20' close focus distance is the longest of the group.

 

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Last updated 12-Mar-2000. All images © John Mustarde. All opinions are my own. Information for this article was gathered from a variety of sources - please comment if you find a significant error. Pentax, Nikon, Minolta, Canon, and Sigma are copyrighted trademarks of the respective companies, and I am in no way affiliated with them nor have they authorized or verified any of this information.