D7200 + Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E AF-S + TC14EII (280-700/f/8) @ 700mm + tripod with loose head, ISO 200, f/8 at 1/20s VR on. Slight crop at 92% of pixels (22/24Mp).
p.81 #4 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
I am trying out the 200-500VR as a lighter alternative to my 200-400VR. As others have noted, this seems to be an underpriced lens based on its capabilities.
I shot this from a Kayak on the Elkhorn Slough yesterday morning.
p.81 #7 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
Venus wrote:
Seems like the images produced by the D810 has more oomph than those produced by the D500. Just my observation.
I'm not sure what you mean about "oomph." I have both the D810 and D500 and a D810 would not have made a cleaner image of the otter I posted. I was in thick overcast light shooting from a kayak... the contrast and detail reflect the weather not the camera or lens.
If you look at some of Thang's images earlier in this thread I think that you will discover that the D500 and 200-500 play very well together.
D7200 (at 1.3x crop mode) + Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E @ 500mm, hand held, ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/250s VR on; 41% cropped (6.3/15.4Mp). Not bad for a wide open consumer zoom at maximum focal length.
p.81 #18 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
I just got this lens and so far I've really enjoyed it. Some really awesome shots with it so far, but one thing I am running into is soft images when shooting over longer distances. I think this is due to the air causing distortion. At what distance does heat waves/atmospheric become a problem for you guys? First time with a lens this long so this is a bit new to me.
Hard to tell exactly how far I am (about 170 steps) but I am shooting over concrete surface and I think at about 300 feet it starts to get softer. At about 400 feet it looks out of focus. Cool ambient temps (70-ish) with the sun hitting the pavement. I think the warm pavement and cool temps is creating the distortion. Everything under 200 feet seems to be plenty sharp.
I am still within the lens' return period, just wondering if it is possible this lens is out of focus at that distance or if its just the air causing the distortion.
p.81 #19 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
Well, I took the plunge and just ordered the Nikon 200-500. I took most everyones advice and went with glass over a new body, sure hopes it plays all with my D7K. Now to start saving for a new body, will this ever stop? I am so excited!
p.81 #20 · Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
Jawnath1n wrote:
I just got this lens and so far I've really enjoyed it. Some really awesome shots with it so far, but one thing I am running into is soft images when shooting over longer distances. I think this is due to the air causing distortion. At what distance does heat waves/atmospheric become a problem for you guys? First time with a lens this long so this is a bit new to me.
Hard to tell exactly how far I am (about 170 steps) but I am shooting over concrete surface and I think at about 300 feet it starts to get softer. At about 400 feet it looks out of focus. Cool ambient temps (70-ish) with the sun hitting the pavement. I think the warm pavement and cool temps is creating the distortion. Everything under 200 feet seems to be plenty sharp.
I am still within the lens' return period, just wondering if it is possible this lens is out of focus at that distance or if its just the air causing the distortion. ...Show more →
There may be a few potential issues. Firstly, the lens may simply be softer at longer distances. Many telephoto zooms suffer from this, and I've heard that some Nikon 200-500 lenses have it worse than others. Another factor may be the AF fine tuning - it may be fine for nearby subjects, but front/back focusing at longer range - try manual focusing on a tripod with liveview and see if that changes anything. Finally, heat waves are a huge issue. I've shot soccer at 100 feet, and the images were butter just from the heat distortion. The only way to really work this out is to test the lens in a cooler area - maybe wait until nighttime and look for a bright building to shoot. Heck, even the moon can be a decent test subject, though the atmosphere can distort things a bit as well.
Hope it's not as bad as it seems - my guess is that it's mostly heat distortion. But it's always a good idea to test things out.
