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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
- I've wanted to make this review for a while. I even recorded it once, finished it & uploaded it... but wasn't happy with it. This is the Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 VR Zoom lens. I've had this lens for a little over a year - traveled with it quite a bit, and wanted to share my thoughts on it for anyone else considering this lens. Hope you find this helpful.
My Instagram: willsfrantz...
200-500mm Lens:www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...
Monopod I use: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...
Lens Case for 200-500: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...
I made this video a few years ago not thinking many would get value or views, so so glad it has helped so many photographers and videographers like myself! more to come !
This is probably the best straight forward realworld review ive seen on this lens. I took want to shoot surfing and a bit of skate soim going to go buy one now youve got me sold on it
glad I could help!
I just got this lens. I’m so excited. I’ll be using it on my d7100. Thanks for the tips about the monopod and case. Super helpful. I’m going to trust your judgement and buy those specific ones. I’ll make sure to use your links.
Great review. Many thanks! 😊
So clear and concise; no wishy washy review/ Info that I need.
thanks !
Great short review. I was doubting (like hundred others) between Nikkor 200-500 and Tamron 150-600 for my upcoming safari in Kenya. Thanks to your review I think I might go for the Nikkor. Thanks!
2023-10-09....I bought my copy last month/used; no collar, hood, filter= $550. For another $100, I replaced all those items. I've now tested the lens over (5) field sessions, 4000+ shots, 80%+ moving/action subject matter, on a Nikon D4 body. And....I feel like I'm getting my money's worth- As in...a BAD way. WHEN the lens works- and has critical focus, it's great; my problem is....I'm NOT "dialed" in yet....and the INCONSISTENCIES in critical focus is driving me nuts. Despite a variety of AF modes, etc that I've tried/experimented with- it still doesn't have the "capture ratio" I'm looking for. I haven't done any real bench testing yet- or tweaks in-camera w/ AF Fine Tuning, etc.- but my copy leaves me lacking. It's a $600 lens for me....not $1400 new; maybe I just have a lemon? It can only be four things: the lens. the lens/camera combo. the operator. the operator/camera combo.
Lastly, it's a 5.2 pound lens; I park mine on a monopod, along w/ a D4 body= 8.2 pounds. When people say "it's hand-holdable" I gotta laugh; try 3+hr. covering a football game....HUNDREDS of 8# "curls"!! The mono makes it SO much easier...because you have to save your grip strength- just to zoom this sucker thru the full focal range, about a 360 twist. (spoiler: design flaw) For field use I pack it in a Lowepro backpack...that allows for it to be assembled/ready to go...in a vertical format. I bought a lens case also but find I don't use it w/ the backpack. I tried the lens case over the lens/IN the backpack...but didn't fit. (that would be the best way to pack it for serious hiking)
I had a Sigma 150-500 that I thought was great. This lens set up with a D610 was a HUGE improvement and for $1300 at B&H it was hard to pass up ..Great review. I use a CF monopod and a Wimberly Monogimbal and it works well for birds and sports for me
appreciate the feedback. haven't tried the sigma personally.
Great review. Many thanks 🙏
thank you !
Well made and informative video! Good job! You hit on all the important points without a bunch of long intro and foolishness. Thanks for the review and best of luck to you.
hey very much appreciate it !
thx for the review, subscribed👍
Thank you for your review William...stumbled upon it while doing some research on the lens. Your feedback as well as the overall positive feedback from others convinced me...I just pulled the trigger and excited to get it next week and test it out. Found a renewed one on Amazon for $1104...great price. Thanks again!
Hey Michael , that’s what it’s all about ! Glad I could help. I am sure you will love this lens .
Clear and concise. Well done good sir!
thanks!
A Nice down to earth review thankyou from the UK
thanks for checking it out
Had this lens for almost a year. It’s awesome. I put it to a real test yesterday, photographing the bald eagles at the Conowingo Dam in Maryland. I’m going to post process my photos today and we will see. By the way f:5.6 works great in a sunny day shooting up to 1/4000 sec and ISO 800, aperture of F:8 up to 10 and had great light in my photos
totally agree, thanks for the comment !
Hey Freddy! I was looking at this lens for Conowingo Eagles also. How did your pix turn out?
Thank you very much for the review 💕 Thinking about getting one soon..
You should get me instead 😍
Nice review mate, I just the same lens and look forward to shooting with it. Cheers
hope you enjoy it as much as I have !
Thank you for your rerview! It helped me a lot! Last month I bought one and i`m really happy with it too! Best regards from Oldenburg/Germany! Jörg
so glad I could help! thanks for checking out the video
Great review. I just got my Nikon 200-500mm to go with my d500. I'm replacing it with my older Tamron 150-600mm version 1 that ive had for years.
I considered the Tamron version 2, but opted for the Nikon. Thanks again for the great review.
Did you get a tripod collar arca swiss plate ? If so, which one did you buy? Thanks
William, good video and excellent review. You are so correct on the case and followed your lead on the Lowepro. Total weight is closer to 9lbs with D850. Thank you for your efforts.
thank you Cliff!
Wow 🤩
Very nice video, keep doing more like this.
thank you. I plan to !
I have a nikon d3200 and was considering the 5.6 for the moon. Do you have any pics and videos of the moon or other planets taken with this lens to share? thank you.
I bought this lens last year and agree with you on all points. I've seen other photographer's work, especially guys who shoot birds and the images are outstanding.
thanks for checking our the video !
Got mine used for a little under a 1,000 dlls. Great lens. I love it
nice!
I just bought this lens recently and I love it. I have had good results except for birds in flight. VR on without sport mode on, with sport mode on and I still can't get good focus. I've had my shutter speed between 1/1250th - 1/2000th with VR off and still can't get it. Its me, I'm sure. Focus point seems to follow well. Maybe the way I am holding it. But the learning is so much fun, despite the frustration over this. Thank you, William. Nice job!
Make sure your aperture is F8 the lens struggles when shooting at f5.6 it’s very hard to shoot birds with this lens as you need a lot of light
Hello William: Like you, I own this lens. Unlike yourself, I have NOT had the opportunity to use it to the extent you have. That said, I did use it to photograph the Men's Member-Guest tournament at the private golf club I used to be a member of and then the Women's Member-Guest there as well.
When I had the chance to shoot it with a monopod, or tripod, I found it to be excellent for shooting golf action and long distance shots where my D750' shutter noise would not disturb the golfers (especially on the teebox or around greens).
Considering that it is not a prime lens, it is still far better than the competing lenses from SIGMA and TAMRON.
hey. awesome... so glad you hear you like this lens as much as I do... I could totally see how golf would be an excellent opportunity to try this thing out.
Nice review and no BS thrown in . . .
thank you
In my country....a bit hard to get used Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 lens because most of those buying it are not selling it. It is much cheaper than Nikon 500mm lens with good and fast focus
Amazing lens brother
agreed thanks!
what was the model number of the Lowe-pro case you purchased?
I just used mine today. I found cedar wax wings in the woods. This beats my 600 Tamron . Selling it.
Nice! yeah the extra reach of the 600 is nice... but with any recent Nikon, the megapixel count is high enough that you can crop that in with virtually no loss of quality.
just used mine today. I really prefer it over any 150-600 since I use a d850 and can crop a ton without being noticeable
Hi William,
Thanks for the video. Great review. Nice to have a feed back a year after.
On question : Did you feel you missed the add, 100mm? I know you can crop and come back to a similar result but wondering if really you had more crop to do than you will have wish...
Thank you for your reply. Fred
There is little difference between 500 and 600mm
The small size and weight of this lens outweigh the extra 100mm.
Swapping from my D850 to a D500 is more of a change.
Hi thanks for the video., i have just got a 200-500 to use it on my d500, i didn't take it to outdoor shooting yet, but i have noticed some issues and want to check if it's normal or not, during indoor shooting the autofocus keeps hunting and won't focus especially on black or dark objects like a black cat for example especially when the light is not that bright, in comparison my 18-140 dx lens won't do that at the same lighting conditions and will focus correctly , secondly the lens has a slight rotational back lash more than my 18-140 dx lens at the mount to the camera, and at last the focusing ring is kinda loose more than the one on my 18-140 dx lens. Kindly respond and thank you in advance
sounds like you got a bad copy of the lens.
When you shoot in using a tripod, is your VR On or Off???
I have the same nikon 200-500 f5.6 been using it for close to three years now with the D500 and the D850 for a year now "got the D850 used at a great price".
I also shoot the Sigma 500mm f4 sport prime "which is in another league" compared to the Nikon 200-500mm f5.6, the Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 is easier to lug around than the Sigma 500mm f4 sport prime and just fine when you have good light, but when I do early morning shooting and late evening shooting "the golden hour" I use the Sigma 500mm f4 sport prime.
For the money the Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 can not be beat.
The weight of the Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 with the D850 with the grip is exactly 8.5 lbs, yes I got on the scale with it, with the Sigma 500mm f4 sport prime it's exactly 10 lbs. I also shoot hand held, a good strap like peak design helps in keeping the weight off your shoulders.
Sonce recently got that lens myself, I'd like to know if you could tell me which strap you used?
@@LupusAries
I use the peak design. Unfortunately I can't post any links, youtube which has turned into a dumpster fire deletes the post.
Tamron G2 or Nikkor 200-500 which lens is best for wildlife . ( Specially fast and accurate autofocus) ???? I am Nikon user . My body - d5600.
Hey William , Thanks for posting this video . I wanted to ask you how well this lens performed on the Nikon D810 ?
Like a charm. I live with it now on my D850- both cameras. pure goodness.
I just received this lens yesterday and tested it on backyard birds and I love how sharp the images were. I ordered a tripod and wondered if a monopod would be better for taking on birding walks. Will you do a video in the future on how a monopod works with this lens? I have a compact Nikon D3500. Also, would you recommend a harness to carry the camera with this heavy lens?
hey , thanks for the comment and question. I personally use a monopod with this lens anytime I travel... I use a $100 carbon fiber SIRUI . for what I do, it works well and saves on weight. in terms of carrying the lens overall... you SHOULD hold the lens and the body together with lens this large to avoid 'play' on the F mount. I'm guilty of not doing this. I suspect Nikon knows that and the F mount can handle it... but probably best to hold both when carrying.
Hi, great video. Lens currently on order. Would you have the ref of the lowepro case ? Greatings from France
believe this is the one : www.amazon.com/Lowepro-Lens-Case-13-Black/dp/B004KJE8H8/ref=asc_df_B004KJE8H8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309822971200&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8334447885126511761&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016858&hvtargid=pla-338189074466&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=70157059668&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=309822971200&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8334447885126511761&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016858&hvtargid=pla-338189074466
William good review, thank you for sharing. I'm shopping for a longer lens, checking out reviews to see what owners think. Did you give up on TH-cam as your last video was a year ago.
hey there.... I don't know that I've 'given up' so much as just not had the bandwidth to complete more videos. there is a good chance I get back into it :) thanks for the feedback . the 200-500 remains a great lens that I still use!
@@willsfrantz I should have mine the end of this week…
What you’d said was a big influence.
Incredible Value Lens.
Not quite as fast or sharp as my 200-400mm Nikkor.
But it beats everything else in its range.
Light and small for this type of lens.
Not having internal focus throws the tripod balance out a little.
Constant aperture is great. Pity its not an f4.
You must have gotten a bad copy - mine is sharper than my prime telephoto 300mm F 2.8
Hi man, how would you compare AF ( accuracy, tracking in various modes ) of D810 and D850? Thinking if should i switch to D850 from the previous. AF, maybe better ISO would be main reasons to upgrade. I really like how D810 feels and how quiet shutter is, not sure how it is with D850. Thanks for an answer.
The D850 is sort of a noisy camera... I mean that in terms of sound, not image quality - due to the heavy duty construction of it, the entire camera has a reverberation to it. I don't find a problem whatsoever, but if you enjoy a quiet shutter this may be something to consider.... or going mirrorless entirely with a z7.
The AF in the D850 is good, better than the D810 of course , but worth the upgrade? I'm not sure. I recently sold my D810 to keep my D850 as a primary camera... and the fact is the cameras as just VERY similar, both great cameras. I'd consider the z7ii if you are also looking at the D850.
Good day! Do you have a question - does the rubber on the lens come off? This is a problem with many Nikon lenses.
hey there. I have had this lens for over 2 years now and put it through its paces... zero issues with the rubber or overall body components. remains in good working shape
Hi William, I just bought the same Lens after I watched your review. Thanks for the nice review. BTW I have an issue with rotating the Lens Collar. I can rotate clockwise for portrait but I cannot rotate back anti-clockwise for landscape. I have to rotate the rest 270 degree to get back to landscape position. Basically I can rotate only one direction, I can feel something is preventing to rotate opposite direction. Does your Lens has the same issue? Please let me know if easy for you to help me.
hey there. the Lens collar SHOULD rotate both directions. But make sure the screw is loose enough otherwise it will catch. If it doesn't rotate both directions I wouldn't worry TOO much about it.... as I hardly ever touch it. Thanks for checking out the video!
Thanks a lot for reply and letting me know how to fix my issue. I did it as the way you said and it works. Thanks again and appreciate. 👍
Very short and to the point review. I like short reviews of this type. 👍 I had the choice between the Sigma Sport 150- 600 and the Tamron of the same zoom focal length. I hope I am glad I chose the Nikkor. I hooe to get a good hit rate on Birds in Flight, but most of what I'll be shooting will be not so fast miving wildlife in Africa on Safari, when I finally get there later this year. Have you shot with it in the DX crop mode with the D810 or D850? I'd love to know if you tried this. I hope to hear and see more reviews and your answer. Best of luck. 🤞 😃 📸
I have only shot this in full frame... however I did just come back from shooting surfers in Puerto Rico using my D850 (instead of a D810) and I plan to post an updated review soon!. I still love this lens!
Thanks for the good honest review. There are some that review lenses and say they are the cat's meow just because they spent the money on it. With all the shortcomings this lens has, I could not pass it up. I feel like it is a freebee from Nikon at the price point. I don't own any pro lenses except the Nikkor 80-200 F2.8D which is like a 24 year old lens. I was not in a place in 1997 to pay $1200 for a lens. Especially since photography went form a job to a hobby. I ended up picking this lens up and have not looked back. Sure it is not as fast as the straight 4 long focal lengths, but it fits perfect in my kit. I am really happy with the lens and amazed at all that it has for the price. Typically this would be a $2500 lens it if was a stop faster.
agree on all accounts , thanks for checking out the video !
Hi.. will thing work with d3500? Btw thanks for the review
it will but you may miss some quality
I bought the Nikon 200-500 and using it with my D850. When I turn the zoom while hand holding the lens shifts slightly on the mount in the direction I'm turning. Wondering if you're experiencing the same. Not sure if I should exchange for a different one or if all of them are like this. There is some play on the mount. Thoughts?
Hey Dorota.... short answer is : this is normal. Long answer is that it depends on how much play we're talking. There is absolutely a bit of play on the F mount whether I put this lens on my D810 or D850 - the lens is simply heavy. Like you probably, this was the first lens I've owned that I've noticed the issue. With a lens this heavy you really do need to practice holding it at all times with 2 hands to avoid bending or damaging the mounts... vs most lens you can simply hold the camera itself. TL/DR - A little play is normal.
William, thank you for responding. This makes me feel a lot better about the lens.
every one of my lenses has a little wiggle room from left to right on the mount...normal I think.
How many inches is the camera lens?
Any concern over the lack of weather sealing and possible dust intrusion?
Hey Javier... NO. I can actually confirm from use as well. I brought this lens onto a pier / jetty to photograph some wind surfers. While out there the lens got very wet. I did dry it off about 20 minutes after use... but no issues overall. I'm sure in extreme conditions it would budge... but for use like mine, no issues.
@@willsfrantz thanks for the reply. I’ve read about people finding dust and even hair behind the lens after some use. I live in a drier climate and own cats. Dust and hair is a serious threat. This is my only concern about the lens...
@@jav_eee makes sense. I keep mine in one of these when not in use, or traveling - helps for sure ! www.harborfreight.com/2800-weatherproof-protective-case-13-34-in-63926.html
To get such image quality are you using a webcam or an actual camera? if so could you share? Thank you for this content
For recording these videos? they were recorded with a Nikon D810 DSLR. thanks for watching!
@@willsfrantz you are welcome. I have subscribed to your channel as well.
@@willsfrantz what type of lens were you using? Is the 200-500 good for sporting events as well? such as baseball. . Again thank you.
Hey what do you think of this lens vs. the Sigma 150-600?
I have not shot with the sigma so I cannot say personally. If I had to guess. I'd assume the Nikon has superior AF and VR... but hard to comment on sharpness. Also looks like the sigma could save you a few hundred $$.If it were me I'd buck up for this Nikon
the sigma obviously has a better range, but the Nikon is a great lens as well.
just bought it yesterday.
how's it going so far? what body do you have it paired to?
Comprei um brinquedinho desse essa semana, estou aguardando chegar, espero fazer altas fotos de pássaros.
This is the only lens i use for my D500.
did the lens hood come with the lens
yes
Is it nice to use handheld
it is certainly large and heavy - not going to lie about that ... but ergonomics and build quality are good. You can also hold it by the tripod collar ... a mono pod is a good idea for longer shoots
What camera are you using ?
D850 and D810 !
I got this Lens in Dec 2015, and think it is a great Lens. It was very sharp on my D810, but is very soft on my D850, regardless of AF Setting, or AF Tuning setting. Actually No Lens is sharp on the D850
This lens is super super slow with the nikon z7 , if you want to use this lens stay with DSLR cameras
This is good to know! I have a Z6 that I purchased in March of 2020. I mainly shoot at my kids indoor/outdoor sporting events (football, baseball, BJJ/MMA and cheerleading). I currently use a Tamron 18-400mm lens, however, I am not really liking the pictures I am getting. A lot of that could be that I a still trying to get off of "auto". My local camera dealer
(where I bought my Z6) recently recommended I use the Nikon 200-500mm.
I shoot a lot of aviation so f5.6 is not an issue, neither is the weight. I have a 300mm f2.8 VR2 which I'm not using and that could fund the 200-500 plus 16-35 but the thought of selling my sharpest lens.... 🤦🏻♂️
I think the d500 would be a better choice for that lens. I think the auto focus issue has to do with the d850 body
interesting thought.... d850 autofocus is solid.... but maybe I need to put this on a d500 and try it out. thanks for the feedback
@@willsfrantz I think the problem is that the camera has to search a bigger area in the d850 I could be wrong but thats what I think
My one criticism for this lens isn't even related the the lens itself, it's the lens hood. Just from daily use of taking the hood off and putting it back on in reverse for storage has resulted in a hairline crack that has significantly loosened the hood's grip on the lens. I have no doubt it'll fly off of the lens whenever I'm near water the next time, lol.
Honestly, I expected something better from Nikon. Older reviews also dock the lens because of the cheap hood as well and I'm just beginning to understand why.
**Edit**
I just remembered one more thing I don't like about this lens. The focus ring has a bit of play in it where if you move it slightly it won't actually move the focusing elements inside the lens. This makes minute manual focus extremely difficult and as a result I don't even try. Lucky for me the auto focus is 100% spot on when paired with my Nikon D500, but it does struggle a bit on my Nikon D800E.
Do you still use it, William?
It has very recently been replaced by its updated Z / version. Review coming soon!
Thank you it has to be better then my Tamron 600mm . Waste of money . Selling like all the other folks on eBay. This lens is on back order at present.
2,4? 🤔
misspoke ... good call
Nice, an informational photography video NOT 25 minutes long with barely two minutes of usable content, facts and real life experiences. Can the whole photography industry learn something from your channel and wasting 15 minutes of audience time showing us how to open a box?? Thank you!! People need to learn to script and edit. See for yourself just how many videos about tripods for instance, are shot on a handheld selfie stick. Or if they’re shot on a tripod…It’s just a fixed frame video with no close-up detailed footage of the details of the item they are professing to have, so called “expert opinions” on. Everyone wants to make a big income on TH-cam…FEW ARE QUALIFIED TO EVEN POST!
thanks for checking the video out and the positive feedback!
I hate to say this, but the example shots you show here just aren't that sharp -- not the dog, the surfers, or even the gorilla.
Thanks for the feedback. May have something to do with how this video itself was exported. I will say I agree the surf photo could be sharper - but given he physical distance, still impressive. I'd also disagree about the Gorilla, as I have the raw file , and its laser sharp.
@@willsfrantz I feel like my own 200-500 is sharper at close distances than further away.
You may wish to invest in a new monitor or higher speed internet so you can ramp up the resolution. 99% of the people out there (including myself) who own this lens can attest to the high sharpness this lens has (unless you get a bad copy...)
D810 and D850 are NOT similar cameras. D810 has 51 point AF and only 15 are cross type while D850 has 99 cross type AF points. I think the point where your dog is not in focus is because of the AF system of D810.
Photos don't look sharp to me.
Thanks for the review! It has helped me finally decide NOT to buy it because of it's size and weight. There is no way I would want to carry that around at my age. I have no doubt it is a great lens, just not for this old woman :)
I'm very glad I could help you make up your mind!
Have a look at a 300mm f4 lens - small and light...
Definitely a helpful video! Now I just gotta get to terms with being broke😂 even secondhand it's a pretty expensive lens for me...🥲