ColoPete

I had the same success finally at a local retailer. I had it back ordered from Adorama, and Amazon, and on the list at B&W, for well over six months. I ended up stumbling across one online at Mike’s Camera in Colorado which was doing online sales only during the lockdown. It has rarely left my D850 ever since. Great lens for birds and wildlife. They sometimes show up on eBay, as well.

In-lightened Loc: Kansas City

I posted a WTB on here and FredMiranda and had one within a week. Yes, used but Nikon makes good solid products. It is superb on the D500 for BIF. I just finished the warbler migration in my area and came out with several nice new to me birds. Album is in ny Flikr page. Impossible to do the kind of hiking and looking up with heavier equipment. Verrrry pleased.

photoman43

My Nikon 500mm f5.6 pf is married to my D500. I got mine through Hunts Photo and Video. Try calling Gary Faber at Hunts or someone on his sales team. You will not be disappointed.

Indrajeet Singh Loc: Goa, India

Venkatesh, I got mine last year in May. I believe they are available now. I believe B&H are stocked to supply.

Its a great lens.

Indrajeet Singh Loc: Goa, India

It pairs very well with the D500, makes an excellent combo for action.

Stats153

Just got mine the other, after an 8 month wait.

First impressions are great.

I've had the 300PF for 5 years, and love it; the 500's snappy fast focus, sharpness, and VR seem even better than the 300.

Only negative was on its delivery: FedEx left it at our mailbox, 500 feet from our front door. Since it didn't fit in the mailbox, they left it underneath, inches from the road, in a light rain. Fortunately my wife happened by before it was soaked. Amazing to me that no signature was required on a $3600 lens!

hgrinolds

I ordered from B&H at the end of Oct 2019. Still waiting.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

If you aren't going to keep it let me know. I'd love to clear up that space on your table.

davesit Loc: Media, PA

A few stores had the lens in stock a few days ago, but they are all gone now.

It is a remarkable lens for it IQ and smaller size/weight in comparison to the 500 F4. I have it paired to the D5 and the combination works very well despite the fact that the D5 is only a 20.8MP sensor.

Attached is a shot I took at Montezuma Wildlife Refuge last week.

Good luck in getting the lens.

Dave

(Download)

CWGordon

District Photo in Burke, Virginia.
Try them. Great people, too.

Also, Dans’ Camera in Allentown, PA
Again, a great bunch of people with whom to deal.

Good Luck. No guarantees, here.

CaptainBobBrown

Probably the best lens body combo out there for handheld BIFs and wildlife. I've had mine since earliest release. Only negative is that it's a little slower (f5.6) than say a much more expensive but faster 500 mm prime from Nikon (due to need to use only central part of the pF lens) but that's never been a problem for me and I've shot lots of birds handheld or with only a monopod. I could carry it all day in the field with no fatigue. Of course, the D500 with its speed and quality and crop frame makes it superlative for birds and wildlife.

Photonerd5

After waiting about nine months for this lens from B&H, I gave up and ordered from three smaller brick and mortar shops. I told each store what I was doing. Soon after I ordered from the brick and mortars, Nikon raised the price by about $200 dollars. To my surprise, about 4 weeks after I made the second set of orders one of the brick and mortars came through. At first I was nervous that I'd been given a returned lens (that probably had happened to me a while ago before I learned how to test lenses), but my copy of the super light 500 Nikor appears to be stellar. I now suspect instead that the store that sold me the lens had several earlier back orders but at the earlier price; I was moved up in line because the store could sell me the lens at the higher price. By the way, I'd be interested in knowing if the large mail order shops sometimes sell problematic returned lenses especially when supplies are limited.

I probably was the person who wrote that compared to the small stores, the odds of getting such a lens from a high volume mail order place are much lower. I think I got this notion from Thom Hogan's site.

ColoPete

Just got an email about this being back in stock at Focus Camera. https://www.focuscamera.com/nikon-af-s-nikkor-500mm-f-5-6e-pf-ed-vr-lens.html Currently in stock. There is also one on eBay (used).

Muddyvalley Loc: McMinnville, Oregon

I've got both, and I don't use the D500 much. The D850 gives a superior picture in my opinion.
I also have the 500PF, and purchased the 300PF while I was waiting. I find that the 300 PF with the addition of a 1.4 extender allows me to get almost the same reach as the 500PF and yet shoot closer to a subject such as an insect. Shorter, more versatile, and f/4 when the extender is off.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

Yes, I own one.