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 p.1 #1 · Wanted a 500mm f/5.6E PF and "accidentally" bought a 500mm f/4G ED VR... What now?! | |
I was browsing for a 500mm PF because I gave up my 200-500 and the 300/PF after my Africa Safari..
Saw one get sold for 1600 a year ago, barely used..
Found an offer for a D500 with 500PF and TC bundled for 2500€.. all other 500PF selling for 2500+ on their own 
Checked Nikon.com website, 2000 USD for brand new 500/PF.. weee! (If you want a 500/5.6PF and are in the US, today is the day!!!)
Meanwhile, Nikon Switzerland be like: haha, 3500, sucker!
Checking the Swiss auction sites again and there's this guy, a collector, selling SOME of his Nikon collection.. (600/4, 500/4, 300/2.8, 200/2 , and an 800/5.6 film era cannon) all great prices, all looking barely used, in the nice cases and all.. no E lenses, but the last versions before that generation..
He wanted 2k EUR as a starting bid on the 500mm f/4G ED VR... claiming "mint condition, perfect funciton".. (being in Switzerland, and not Japan, that actually means something... cough cough)
But nobody placed a bid.. I checked ebay and realised that 2k is actually a good price...
(There's this "MINT+++++++++++++++++1111111!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Version on Ebay Japan that has a "strange sound when focus motor works" for roughly 2'200€ after shipping and taxes and customs, but everything else is more.. and most that got sold and were in great condition and working properly were like 2300 USD before shipping, taxes, customs, etc. which would amount to another 300 USD in that price range))
so, I was being funny and offered 1'800€ .. no reaction..
the next day, it was offered at 1'900€ starting bid for one day..
I was like "nah, buddy, nobody will buy this.. the market is simply non-existend here.." There's a total of TWO of those lenses up for sale.. and the other doesn't even have the box anymore.. we got three 500mm PF for sale.. that's all there is..
and before I went to bed last night, I got a "Congrats, you bought this article!" message.. 
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I mean, I'm happy, I think?!
Pros?
- Works on my F5 without issues (will I ever use this with film?)
- Works better with 1.4x and 2x TC when on my D850
- Fewer issues with loss of contrast against bright light
- Better bokeh in specular highlights (e.g. reflecting water)
- Very few people will joke about how "theirs is bigger"..
- The Zf can be attached to it and I won't even notice it's there.. like a pancake lens on my F5, this will be a pancake camera on my lens..
- I think it does easily fit into my Guragear 32L backpack for the next Safari
- It's a full stop faster than the 500PF, which makes for a better "Dusk" or "Dawn" lens
- It's a full stop faster, so subject separation is even better
Cons?
- I need to workout again.. But I need that anyways, since my Toddler will inevitably gain weight before he decides that getting carried around by dad is lame..
- It's more than twice as heavy as a 500PF
- If I ever used a 500mm on my F5, I probably wouldn't have bothered with stopping down anyways, and the E lenses are just wide open all the time, iirc?!
- If it breaks down, I don't get the great 3-year Nikon Warranty in my country.. And getting it repaired would probably cost as much as just selling it as "broken" and buying a "new" used one instead..
- I might need to look for another Sunwayfoto GH-02 Gimbal.. (I had one for my Safari gear and loved it with my Monopod and the 200-500... should be great with the 500/4, but the prices just went up since I got mine in 2021...)
Oh, and the biggest issue, probably..
I'm not a Birder... 
Anyways, will keep y'all updated when I get this cannon...
Edit: fixed the "FL" that snuck in there. Of course, this is the F/4G ED VR not FL...
Edited on Aug 27, 2026 at 09:57 AM · View previous versions
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