Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR Lens

I love my Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR! At just 3lbs 3ozs – it’s 5 lbs lighter than my 500f/4G Nikkor, and 2lb 6 oz lighter than my 200-500f/5.6E Nikkor zoom – making it easy to pack and carry onboard aircraft. I can handhold this lens for shooting birds-in-flight all day – no need for a heavy tripod and gimbal head. This lens is sharp and contrasty wide open – with snappy AF performance (faster than the 200-500) – and a gold-ringed pro-level lens with weather sealing. What are the tradeoffs? If you need f/4 for low-light dawn or dusk shooting - and/or need to be able to add a 1.4X or 2X teleconverter – stick with a f/4 prime. If you need the convenience of a 200-500mm zoom – stick with the zoom. If light weight and handhold ability are more important – the 500PF is unbeatable. After 3+ months of shooting with the 500PF – I had no hesitation selling off my 500f/4 and 200-500.