Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Not that heavy. I made a hand held grip for mine.

old poet

I am 78 and in average shape. I have the lens and hand hold it with no trouble. I do rest occasionally, but I love the versatility, the VR, and speed for the price. I have a lens chest harness to hang it on, lock the lens at 200 and ride my bicycle with it to birding sites. Yes, it is heavy, but the 500 reach is great with my D7200 for BIF.

jak86094

I agree with most of the other posts that this lens can be effectively used handheld. I’m 69 yo and have been using it for about 18 months. It took some time to improve my technique to get mostly steady shots...lots of practice helps. By using the tripod ring, inverted, as a handle, it’s not too difficult to carry on fairly long hikes...changing hands, setting it down periodically, lifting it using both hands...these all help spread the lifting and minimize fatigue. If you look at my posts, nearly all have been taken with this lens handheld. Here are two recent examples, one with a subject near and one with the subjects about 125 yds away. The second is not as sharp as the first, but it’s acceptably sharp. I had this printed on canvas, 24 x 36 inches (this is a later version trying a square framing...only change) and it came out beautifully and is now above my mantle. jak

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Mike1017

Get it you will love it big bang for the buck I am 75 and I use it no big deal I mount it on a D5 and also a D850 .. Mike

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

I am 68 years old and I have the 200-500mm lens. Yes, it is heavier than the 80-400mm but I have shot a majority of my stuff hand held. I do use try to use a monopod if I'm shooting moving objects such as surfers.

p.s., I originally bought the Tamron 150-600mm but didn't find it as sharp as the Nikon 200-500 so I returned it.

Charlie C Loc: North Liberty, IA

At about 4+ pounds its actually lighter than most of that range. I suppose it depends what shape you are in. I'm 75, go to the gym regularly so I find it no problem for awhile. However, the lens is great for the quality and cost. In my experience if I know I expect to shoot for awhile I always have a monopod with a quality ball head (sometime a tripod with a Gimbal head) with me to take the load off my arms. The rule of thumb is shoot at a shutter speed equivalent to the focal length. BUT, at 400-500 focal length you need to double the shutter speed for sharp photos while still keeping the ISO as low as possible. With a max of 5.6 I find I'm limited to cloudy brighter days rather than really overcast. Ive also used tree branches, car door or any other means for support. I've also shot with the 80-400 but found it wasn't as sharp in the 300-400 range as the 400-500 range was with the 200-500 lens. The 2.5 zoom makes a big difference in sharpness compared to 5X that with the 80-400.

FiddleMaker Loc: Merrimac, MA

The Tamron 150-600 - was it the first model or the new G2 series ?? I have the G2 series and I find it very sharp. But I don't know about the version prior to the G2.

BlueMorel Loc: Southwest Michigan

Shoot from the car with beanbag to steady the lens. Then all you have to manage is to lift it from the seat to the window.

jccash Loc: Longwood, Florida

Here is a shit I got with the 200-500 from my Toyota 4Runner:

tiphareth51 Loc: Somewhere near North Pole, Alaska

Hello. I love my Nikon 200 to 500 F 2.8 and I won't leave home without it for nature shots. Yes, for me, it is heavy for my weak hands so a tripod is necessary. The lens collar needs to constantly be tightened but that may also be due to my weak hands. Perhaps you would consider renting it to try it out before purchasing it. The photos from this lens are sharp and there have been many 'keepers'. It is used on a Nikon D750 and D810. Good luck with your decision.

jccash Loc: Longwood, Florida

F2.8 ???

Bill P

[quote=Katydid]I am by no means a small or delicate woman, but I don't choose to hand hold unless on a small walk from the car and something to lean it on (rail). For me is too heavy and hard to keep steady despite the VR being great.

Remember the famous advice: "There's nothing photogenic more than 50 feet from the car."

tiphareth51 Loc: Somewhere near North Pole, Alaska

A few samples from my Nikon 200-500 lens.

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billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

I am 70 and sold my Nikon 200-400 f4 and 300 2.8 once I began to shoot the Nikon 200-500. It was much lighter and I got as good of images with the 200-500 as I got from the 200-400 and the 300.
I use my left hand to hold the lens just behind the lens shade, my elbows are either against my lower chest or they are resting on the the walking rail, I wear elbow pads so it is more comfortable. That way my body forms a tripod and I hardy notice the weight.
A mistake many photographers make is that they have their left hand (or right) back too far on the lens barrel and too much of the barrel is in front of their hand and that makes the lens heavier.
Holding your left hand all the way forward also makes the lens more stable and increases your chances of getting a good image.
You should also shoot as fast as possible, my minimum speed I like to use is 1/2000 sec. or higher if possible. I also use GROUP AUTO FOCUS, continuous auto focus, center weighted metering, and the highest frames per second that I can.
I also suggest you practice effective panning. Folks tend to stop moving the lens when they push the shutter button, and that is a no no for panning. I always suggest practicing shooting moving cars as they go by until you get the hang of it.
Below is a grab shot taken hand held using the above settings and the 200-500. Green Heron.

Charlie C Loc: North Liberty, IA

Excellent reply billnikon