p.13 #1 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
Quick update, though this lens focuses fast, it is not as fast as the 200-400mm f4G VR1 w/ or w/o TC attached. However, it is a different kind of fast, like the 200-400 has to move more but snaps quicker vs. the 200-500 exerts little effort to focus but may not lock as quickly...hard to explain but it may just be a situation where I am really accustomed to shooting one way and need to adapt to the new lens, too early to have a definitive opinion on it quite yet. Just got some more awesome shots of hovering hummingbirds but I need to get back to my day job...more on the way later today
p.13 #2 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
Awesome shots Architect! The AF seems like the big hurdle, but even if it's not up to par with the other telephotos if it's fast enough for hummingbirds I think I'd be happy. As for sharpness, someone over on DPReview says:
"What I'm finding in my testing an first uses of this lens is that it seems to be optimised to shoot wide open, especially at the long end. The sharpness at f5.6 is already excellent, and doesn't seem to improve much when stopped down to f8 (is anyone else seeing this?).
This afternoon I did some test shots, comparing it to my 300mm f2.8 and found, for example, that the 200-500mm is *much* better at 420mm f5.6 than the 300mm f2.8 + TC14iii also at f5.6. I also found that the 200-500mm + TC14iii at 600mm f8 is better than the 300mm f2.8 + TC20iii also at f8 (conclusion: sell the tc20iii).
"
Beating the 300mm f2.8 with tc 1.4 is no easy feat, especially with it stopped down to f5.6. Looks like Nikon may have a legend in the making with this one...
p.13 #3 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
Lauchlan Toal wrote:
Awesome shots Architect! The AF seems like the big hurdle, but even if it's not up to par with the other telephotos if it's fast enough for hummingbirds I think I'd be happy. .
Doesn't take much of an AF system to capture hovering hummers. The 200-500 might have a fine system, but hummingbirds are not a good test. Nice pics, though.
p.13 #4 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
henry albert wrote:
Doesn't take much of an AF system to capture hovering hummers. The 200-500 might have a fine system, but hummingbirds are not a good test. Nice pics, though.
Unfortunately I've not had the chance to shoot hummers myself with any gear, so I'll take your word for it. They seem so small an nimble - like a cross between sparrows and bees. If easy to focus on, that's good news for me when I do get the chance to shoot some then!
p.13 #5 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
Went to a local park today after getting out of work earlier than usual.
I was able to capture a couple of small birds that were always on the move.
I noted that the lens had no problem locking on objects with the exception of a couple of hesitations while I was trying to capture those feeding chickadees in darker bushes.
In a way being able to photograph those feeding chickadees weren't easy feat as they were jumping around constantly.
In addition, the camera had no problem tracking birds soaring in the sky (provided one uses the focus limiter).
Below are some of the pictures I took today along with a D810.
Enjoy!
p.13 #6 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
henry albert wrote:
Doesn't take much of an AF system to capture hovering hummers. The 200-500 might have a fine system, but hummingbirds are not a good test. Nice pics, though.
Feel free to send over some of your hummingbirds that hover in the same place for more than a second or two. Mine sure don't, probably because there are ~5 that are always battling for feeder territory
Now the abundance of Rufous hummers at my other favorite spot at Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA tend to stay in the same place for a bit longer and don't battle quite as much. But these Anna's in my backyard are downright difficult to photograph.
p.13 #7 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
architect7,
Thanks for your thoughts about the 200-500 compared to the 200-400VR. Like you, I moved from Canon to Nikon to get access to the 200-400mm f4 VR at a price that was much reduced from Canon's offering. About one year later, I have my lens tuned to a D7200 and use this lens w it's 300-600mm f4 effective perspective. It has taken me months to figure out the gear, but now I get the lens, its strengths and its limitations.
I can't imagine that the new 200-500 f5.6 will match the faster 200-400mm in AF speed or for durability, but I definitely find the lens to be a compelling option/alternative when traveling long distances or hiking for prolonged treks.
I look forward to seeing more images from the new lens... interesting times for Nikon shooters!
bruce
p.13 #8 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
Lauchlan Toal wrote:
Unfortunately I've not had the chance to shoot hummers myself with any gear, so I'll take your word for it. They seem so small an nimble - like a cross between sparrows and bees. If easy to focus on, that's good news for me when I do get the chance to shoot some then!
Oh, they're quick little buggers. Getting them on the move is an achievement. What I meant was that they are actually pretty easy to shoot when they feed because they hover.
p.13 #9 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
Where at Marymoor are these? Never much into birding but want to start with this lens.
architect7 wrote:
Feel free to send over some of your hummingbirds that hover in the same place for more than a second or two. Mine sure don't, probably because there are ~5 that are always battling for feeder territory
Now the abundance of Rufous hummers at my other favorite spot at Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA tend to stay in the same place for a bit longer and don't battle quite as much. But these Anna's in my backyard are downright difficult to photograph.
p.13 #10 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
Lauchlan Toal wrote:
Awesome shots Architect! The AF seems like the big hurdle, but even if it's not up to par with the other telephotos if it's fast enough for hummingbirds I think I'd be happy. As for sharpness, someone over on DPReview says:
"What I'm finding in my testing an first uses of this lens is that it seems to be optimised to shoot wide open, especially at the long end. The sharpness at f5.6 is already excellent, and doesn't seem to improve much when stopped down to f8 (is anyone else seeing this?).
This afternoon I did some test shots, comparing it to my 300mm f2.8 and found, for example, that the 200-500mm is *much* better at 420mm f5.6 than the 300mm f2.8 + TC14iii also at f5.6. I also found that the 200-500mm + TC14iii at 600mm f8 is better than the 300mm f2.8 + TC20iii also at f8 (conclusion: sell the tc20iii).
"
Beating the 300mm f2.8 with tc 1.4 is no easy feat, especially with it stopped down to f5.6. Looks like Nikon may have a legend in the making with this one......Show more →
Its been a long time since I've posted on this forum but this lens has very interested as I've just started to get into wildlife photography.
Lauchlan Toal: How well does the 200-500 work with the 1.4TC? I've seen some test images and it looks great at 500mm at f5.6, but it would be a VERY versatile lens if it was good with the 1.4 TC.
p.13 #11 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
henry albert wrote:
Oh, they're quick little buggers. Getting them on the move is an achievement. What I meant was that they are actually pretty easy to shoot when they feed because they hover.
I wondered what you meant, as hummers are one of the most challenging birds to track and lock focus. If you're talking about just at the feeder hovering while feeding, yes not the most challenging, or perched, otherwise..............
p.13 #12 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
henry albert wrote:
Oh, they're quick little buggers. Getting them on the move is an achievement. What I meant was that they are actually pretty easy to shoot when they feed because they hover.
Their little hearts beat at 500 bpm enabling them to fly horizontally at up to 100 kph (as well as keep up that phenomenal wing beat) !
p.13 #13 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
ok, I got mine last evening
It is a nice sharp lens with decent Bokeh, no surprise there. here is my initial sentiments about it.
This thing is huge...!(atleast in comparison to other lenses I have)
hand holding requires very good discipline (even more so than the other lenses like 80-400 or 300f/4 or 70-200v1)
The barrel diameter is much bigger so I would strongly recommend putting it on some support, than hand holding and trying to zoom etc.
even with good VR, hand holding makes it hard because of the weight/barrel size combination and the zoom being at the front. You will end up rocking a bit and may loose the critical focus plane.
Build quality:
It is comparatively heavy, feels somewhat well put together. But, is made of lot of plastic(I think/felt that way). It does not feel cheap. Feels solid. But it is not going to handle much abuse. so dont take it out in rain , dust etc.
Focus speed is decent. it is very quite. I would say speed is much much better than old 80-400, and less than the 300 f/4(close to the 300). You have to use the limiter to somewhat keep up with the BIF otherwise if you miss focus once it may take couple seconds to get it back.
A bit slow to focus in dim light areas.
But it does auto focus with the 1.7x on a D810 !!!
Overall I liked it. it is a good alternative for other consumer long lenses. Not a replacement for 500 f/4 or any other pro lenses. Going to be hard to call it a travel lens due to size. You might want the 300EPF for that.
I think most people will enjoy this lens. I strongly recommend this lens for a hobbyist.
Hope this helps.
p.13 #14 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
ChurchGreen wrote:
Its been a long time since I've posted on this forum but this lens has very interested as I've just started to get into wildlife photography.
Lauchlan Toal: How well does the 200-500 work with the 1.4TC? I've seen some test images and it looks great at 500mm at f5.6, but it would be a VERY versatile lens if it was good with the 1.4 TC.
Unfortunately I don't yet have this lens, I was just quoting someone who does. But based off what I've heard and seen from others, it seems to handle the 1.4tc quite well. The 500mm f4 is considerably better with it, but it looks to still be very usable. It seems that bare 500mm f5.6 yields excellent sharpness and pretty good AF performance, at 700mm f8 it's pretty sharp with decent AF, and at 850 f9.5 it's acceptably sharp with accurate but very slow AF on the D750 and D810 - not sure if it'd AF with older cameras. With the 2x tc performance seems pretty poor, but I haven't seen too many tests yet.
I'd guess that you wouldn't be disappointed using this with the 1.4 tc, it seems like the perfect entry point for wildlife photography. I'm planning to pick it up for the winter (maybe fall if I'm lucky and can squeeze in some football).
