When photographing birds, wildlife, sports or action, mobility can make the difference between nailing the shot or missing it altogether. The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR Lens is a fraction of the size of most full-frame 500mm lenses, freeing you to be as nimble as your subjects.
FEATURES:
Travel light - Nikon’s smallest, lightest full-frame 500mm prime lens ever—approx. 9.3 inches long and 3.2 lbs.
Bring the world in reach - Powerful 500mm focal length (750mm equivalent on DX-format) brings the shots that matter in reach.
Shoot in the moment - Handheld vibrations are tamed by VR image stabilization equivalent to a shutter speed 4.0 stops* faster.
Outstanding image quality - When combined with Nikon’s Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass and other NIKKOR glass elements, the Phase Fresnel element produces high resolution, high contrast images with beautiful background blur.
Fast autofocus - Lighter, more compact optics don’t just benefit your mobility—a lighter focus lens group allows the autofocus system to focus faster, too. With the AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR, Nikon’s Silent Wave Motor (SWM) is able to operate at peak performance for fast, quiet autofocus.
Attention California Residents: Cancer and Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov
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.