# Nikon FX 500mm PF lens spotted in the wild



## ahsanford (Jul 14, 2018)

Thar she blows:
https://petapixel.com/2018/07/14/nikon-500mm-f-5-6-spotted-its-tiny/

- A


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## AlanF (Jul 14, 2018)

Here is AlanF with a 560mm f/5.6 DO II for comparison (400+1.4xTC). What does it prove? Shooting with a Nikon makes you bald.


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## Jim Saunders (Jul 14, 2018)

Might be a good airshow lens rather than anything a stop more expensive.

Jim


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## Don Haines (Jul 14, 2018)

If Canon made a 500F5.6 lens, I'd get one.....


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## Orangutan (Jul 14, 2018)

Don Haines said:


> If Canon made a 500F5.6 lens, I'd get one.....



I could say the same, but I'd have to mug my retirement account first.


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## Bennymiata (Jul 15, 2018)

This new Nikon lens very similar to the Canon 400DO with a black paint job.


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## Duade Paton (Jul 15, 2018)

I will be interested to see the price, it could make a very nice intermediate birding lens. I have used the 400 5.6L for years and that is an excellent lens for its cost(My review with lots of bird pics.) I often wondered why there was no middle ground. The 400 DO is still a very expensive lens so it will be interesting to see if the Nikon is priced the same. 

The 500 5.6 gives you that little more reach and with a 1.4 ext is perfect for getting close. Being light will make it much easier to hand hold than the super teles. I look forward to seeing what Nikon does.


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## Chaitanya (Jul 15, 2018)

Don Haines said:


> If Canon made a 500F5.6 lens, I'd get one.....


I would rather rent it than spend that kind of money on lens I need rarely to shoot mammals.


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## AlanF (Jul 15, 2018)

Duade Paton said:


> I will be interested to see the price, it could make a very nice intermediate birding lens. I have used the 400 5.6L for years and that is an excellent lens for its cost(My review with lots of bird pics.) I often wondered why there was no middle ground. The 400 DO is still a very expensive lens so it will be interesting to see if the Nikon is priced the same.
> 
> The 500 5.6 gives you that little more reach and with a 1.4 ext is perfect for getting close. Being light will make it much easier to hand hold than the super teles. I look forward to seeing what Nikon does.



An accurate review of the 400/5.6 and some very nice shots!
We just have to wait and see the pricing and specs of this Nikon offering. All things being equal, I think a 400/4 with a 1.4 and 2xTC to give a 560/5.6 and 800/8 is more versatile than a 500/5.6 which is extendable only to 700/8 in practice. But, if Nikon keeps the price down and the performance high then this lens will be a killer. 

Nikon is trying very hard to beat Canon on specs, like here, but although they often do so at first sight, in practice they don’t. For example, I think that the Canon 100-400mm II is a far better lens than the Nikon 200-500mm because the Canon range is more versatile, it is sharper at the long end, much faster focussing and significantly lighter. And sometimes it is complete window dressing like the new P1000 with the f/8 at the long end 3.5 larger than the diffraction limited aperture.


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## Duade Paton (Jul 16, 2018)

AlanF said:


> An accurate review of the 400/5.6 and some very nice shots!
> We just have to wait and see the pricing and specs of this Nikon offering. All things being equal, I think a 400/4 with a 1.4 and 2xTC to give a 560/5.6 and 800/8 is more versatile than a 500/5.6 which is extendable only to 700/8 in practice. But, if Nikon keeps the price down and the performance high then this lens will be a killer.



Thank you, I love the 400 5.6L  however as you mentioned the 100-400 is hard to beat with its versatility and sharpness. I assume if Canon thought there was a market for a 500 5.6 they would have done it by now.


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## fullstop (Jul 17, 2018)

AlanF said:


> We just have to wait and see the pricing and specs of this Nikon offering.





> A quick update on the already announced Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens:
> 
> The new 500mm f/5.6 lens will be very compact with a total length of 24cm. For comparison, the current Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF ED VR lens is 14.7cm, while the Nikkor 500mm f/4E FL ED VR lens is 38.7cm.
> 
> ...


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## AlanF (Jul 17, 2018)

It's 24cm long, the same as the 400mm DO II. It's going to £4,500-5000 based on the estimates. Interesting to read the comments about the Nikkor 200-500mm - either there is a lot of copy variation or variation in competence.


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