Your experience or knoledge of Nikon 200-500mm lens.
Oct 16, 2016 08:18:59 #
I'm considering a Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 E ED VR lens for use on my Nikon D610 and would greatly appreciate any input on the lens. Will be using it for wildlife shots in the rocky mts and grandkids sports. The grandkids are playing on much larger fields now so 300mm just isn't quite enough.
Oct 16, 2016 08:26:01 #
Oct 16, 2016 08:27:19 #
Oct 16, 2016 08:39:17 #
It is my main wildlife lens especially on the D500 but before I got the D500 I used it with the D810 excellent quality
Oct 16, 2016 08:40:42 #
Excellent lens. Much sharper than my previous Sigma 150-500.
Awesome VR yields sharp handheld images. You keep VR on when using a tripod with this lens.
The only dowsides are that it is big and heavy and, unlike Sigma, does not come with a padded case.
Awesome VR yields sharp handheld images. You keep VR on when using a tripod with this lens.
The only dowsides are that it is big and heavy and, unlike Sigma, does not come with a padded case.
Oct 16, 2016 08:54:17 #
jkoar wrote:
Consider getting the 1.4x teleconverter with it.
I would rent one before buying,particularly if you are fussy about the fine detail image quality. That way you can be the judge! I enjoy mine and after a few thousand shots and comparisons, I rarely use the TCIII.
Oct 16, 2016 10:07:55 #
My only discontent with the lens is the lens collar - it does not rotate smoothly. I replaced mine with the Kirk collar and the lens support device and it made a huge difference https://www.kirkphoto.com/lens-collar-for-nikon-200-500mm-f-5-6e-afs-ed-vr.html. It also does not work well with a side mount gimbal head - the camera is too close to the head for your fingers to access the right-side controls. I love the lens itself - It is on its way to South Africa with me in two weeks mounted on a D500
Oct 16, 2016 10:14:28 #
FoxT wrote:
I'm considering a Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 E ED VR lens for use on my Nikon D610 and would greatly appreciate any input on the lens. Will be using it for wildlife shots in the rocky mts and grandkids sports. The grandkids are playing on much larger fields now so 300mm just isn't quite enough.
I use this lens with both my Nikon Df and Nikon D7200. It is very sharp and offers wonder IQ.
I concur with MtnMan that it is large and heavy. While I have shot hand held with good results, mostly I use it with a tripod.
Oct 17, 2016 06:24:58 #
And there you have it - unanimous praise of performance. I like it too...
Oct 17, 2016 06:38:22 #
A little on the heavy side...if you plan on hand holdig this lens...start weight training now...lol
Oct 17, 2016 06:39:17 #
From Dpreview forum (not me writing):
"To me, the Sigma 150-600S seems to outperform the Nikon 200-500 in terms of AF speed and sharpness but it costs $600 more than the Nikon and it's heavier than the Nikon but the Sigma has 100 mm more reach than the Nikon. A tough decision."
I know that Sigma 150-600S is very sharp (if you do your homework with calibrating!), and heavy. But I also think that you will be very happy with any one of the newer telezooms.
"To me, the Sigma 150-600S seems to outperform the Nikon 200-500 in terms of AF speed and sharpness but it costs $600 more than the Nikon and it's heavier than the Nikon but the Sigma has 100 mm more reach than the Nikon. A tough decision."
I know that Sigma 150-600S is very sharp (if you do your homework with calibrating!), and heavy. But I also think that you will be very happy with any one of the newer telezooms.
Oct 17, 2016 07:00:52 #
I have seen a video comparing the 200-500 with the new 300 f4. If the combination of the 300 f4 with a 1.4 or even 1.7x is a possible alternative to your needs, you might want to look for that video, because there is a very real difference in size and convenience. Hey...I found it....one of the first things the reviewer mentioned was quality control problem with the 200-500. It took three lenses before he got a sharp 200-500mm....so it's important that you have a good return policy when purchasing this lens.
About the 13 minute (or shortly after), auto focus is compared. This may be of particular interest. Overall, this is an outstanding video. In conclusion, Steve Perry ranks both lenses very high. He does say that those shooting full frame would probably find the 300mm, even combined with a 1.4x, to be too short. However, it works perfectly with a crop camera. I would say, however, if an outstanding image is captured on a full frame sensor, it can always be cropped in p/p to obtain the same result.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1obqCxg52Q
About the 13 minute (or shortly after), auto focus is compared. This may be of particular interest. Overall, this is an outstanding video. In conclusion, Steve Perry ranks both lenses very high. He does say that those shooting full frame would probably find the 300mm, even combined with a 1.4x, to be too short. However, it works perfectly with a crop camera. I would say, however, if an outstanding image is captured on a full frame sensor, it can always be cropped in p/p to obtain the same result.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1obqCxg52Q
Oct 17, 2016 07:07:31 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
FoxT wrote:
I'm considering a Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 E ED VR lens for use on my Nikon D610 and would greatly appreciate any input on the lens. Will be using it for wildlife shots in the rocky mts and grandkids sports. The grandkids are playing on much larger fields now so 300mm just isn't quite enough.
I have used the 200-500 for about a year now to photograph birds in flight. It focuses fast and is very sharp, I usually use 6.3, seems really sharp there and the background usually goes out of focus nicely. I use group auto focus mode and use the center focusing spot on my screen, Nikon then picks the four spots around that one, it tracks well there and the background goes nicely out of focus. I have used the lens on the D4s and the balance is good. I add a battery pack to my D500 and D810 for balance. I reverse the tripod collar and use it to carry my rig around. Hand holding for me is not an issue with this lens. This lens is much lighter than my 200-400 and 300 2.8 Nikon's. In fact, I no longer use the other two because of the weight and the 200-500 rivals the other two in sharpness. The 200-500 is one of the best birding lenses I have ever used. And you cannot beat the price. I sent mine in for a firmware update however I did not know why I needed to as it worked fine before and after servicing. The newer 200-500's may not need to be sent in. Check with you supplier and see if they know. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED IN THIS LENS.
Oct 17, 2016 07:46:57 #
Oct 17, 2016 08:04:07 #
Check out sleepydrdr's post in todays photo gallery (My backyad adventure) and if you want to check out her other posts...you'll get some examples of how good this lens is
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