Nikon's New 500 & 600

Nikon has introduced the new 500 and 600 super telephotos.
re: http://www.nikonusa.com/en/About-Nikon/ ... enses.html

1.  AF-S Nikkor 500mm F4E FL ED VR
6.8 lbs/3090 g as compared to 8.5 lb/3880 g of its predecessor
suggested retail price (SRP) $10,299.95

2.  AF-S Nikkor 600mm F4E FL ED VR
8.3 lb/3810 g as compared to 11.5 lbs./5060g of its predecessor
suggested retail price (SRP) $12,299.95

Both will be available mid-July

So they have shaved 100g from even the Canon lenses, but nice to see the prices within the expected range and not gone silly (I mean not more than Canon currently charge!)

been expecting these for a few months after the 400 2.8 announcement.  have come a bit quicker than anticipated.  My only thoughts being that's nearly an extra £1000 per 1lb of weight saving in UK pricing, which is pretty well par for the course.  

Thinking of the new 500.

benefits?  Sports VR mode.  Better straight line on the MTF curves, on an already good set, (the link for the MTF curves are really quite impressive): Probably better edge definition on FF, (yet to be tested), and the removal of the mechanical aperture link, which as EJ mentioned a while back, is not one of Nikon's strong points.  Weight saving as mentioned.

Not sure if that is enough to tip me over from my imminent plunge into my wallet:  (been using the AF-S for 8 years and decided to upgrade to the VR this year.  am just about to take that plunge, but not pressed to hurry now )..

New 600.

3.81 kgs..    lighter than the current 500 VR which is 3.88 kgs.   now there's a thought!

I agree with you David, the new 600 weighing less than the current 500 is very interesting. I have the current version 500 and don't think that I'll be quick to upgrade to the new one but that 600 has become very interesting with such a weight reduction.

I am curious if they used the same VR system as the 300pf?

On the spec sheet minimum focusing distance is 14.4 feet. I wonder if this is manual focus or AF. If it's the latter that's a nice drop from 18 or so feet.

I may be waiting forever, but I am waiting for a 600mm with the same technology as the new 300 f4 VR. I would sell my 500 VR in a heartbeat for that lens.

This would have been the perfect time to announce the D300 replacement...

Cheers,

Jim

Tim Zurowski wrote:I may be waiting forever, but I am waiting for a 600mm with the same technology as the new 300 f4 VR. I would sell my 500 VR in a heartbeat for that lens.

IIRC Thom Hogan mused you will never see a 500mm+ lens using PF technology...it's just not sharp enough. Seems to work very well with shorter f/l lenses though.

Also a high quality 24-120 equivalent for DX crop bodies was introduced. The 16-80 f/2.8-4E also uses the new, and long awaited, electronic aperture control rather than the old style mechanical control. The DX crowd really needed a high quality zoom in this range without having to deal with the size and weight penalty of a full frame lens. Actually, the only way to get there in full frame is with two lenses as there is no quality 16-80 FX lens.

I like the idea of the 600E with my D810, but having a 7 lb 500mm (500 IS II) has really spoiled me. Not sure what I'm going to do.

E.J. Peiker wrote:Also a high quality 24-120 equivalent for DX crop bodies was introduced.  The 16-80 f/2.8-4E also uses the new, and long awaited, electronic aperture control rather than the old style mechanical control.  The DX crowd really needed a high quality zoom in this range without having to deal with the size and weight penalty of a full frame lens. Actually, the only way to get there in full frame is with two lenses as there is no quality 16-80 FX lens.

So all they need is a decent DX body to put it on

Neilyb wrote:

E.J. Peiker wrote:Also a high quality 24-120 equivalent for DX crop bodies was introduced.  The 16-80 f/2.8-4E also uses the new, and long awaited, electronic aperture control rather than the old style mechanical control.  The DX crowd really needed a high quality zoom in this range without having to deal with the size and weight penalty of a full frame lens. Actually, the only way to get there in full frame is with two lenses as there is no quality 16-80 FX lens.

So all they need is a decent DX body to put it on

The D7200 is an excellent camera but I know what you mean - a pro grade DX body

I noticed that the drop in filter for the new 500mm f4 is 40.5mm down from the 52mm in the current version. And the tripod collar foot looks to be of a different design. Is the lens smaller in diameter than the current version? Any other changes of note besides the FL lens elements?

Joe

photoman4343 wrote:I noticed that the drop in filter for the new 500mm f4 is 40.5mm down from the 52mm in the current version. And the tripod collar foot looks to be of a different design. Is the lens smaller in diameter than the current version? Any other changes of note besides the FL lens elements?

Joe

I think weight distribution will be different & like 400mm 2.8E is slightly less front heavy. So will help in better hand holding. Also weight is lower which is coming up as only 200 gm heavier than current 300mm 2.8. Nice touch. With imnproved VR it is will attract lot of people upwards from 300mm 2.8.

Take a look at this link!

Ole Jørgen Liodden, pro Wildlife Photographer and owner of WildPhoto Travel has tested the 600mm in South Africa in april

http://oleliodden.com/tech-tips/test-report-nikon-600/

absu wrote:
I think weight distribution will be different & like 400mm 2.8E is slightly less front heavy. So will help in better hand holding. Also weight is lower which is coming up as only 200 gm heavier than current 300mm 2.8. Nice touch. With imnproved VR it is will attract lot of people upwards from 300mm 2.8.

Have recently taken delivery of my new 400 f/2.8E FL lens and what sold me was not just the weight reduction and faster AF, but they way the new lens balances so nicely hand held, with a very even weight distribution, so much so that I prefer to hand hold this over my (soon to be sold) 500 f/4 VR.

Without a doubt this is a dream lens to use, really looking forward to putting it to a full test with my D4s/1.4tc & D810 on an upcoming trip to RSA, Zambia & Botswana.

Cheers
Marc

photoman4343 wrote:I noticed that the drop in filter for the new 500mm f4 is 40.5mm down from the 52mm in the current version. And the tripod collar foot looks to be of a different design. Is the lens smaller in diameter than the current version? Any other changes of note besides the FL lens elements?

Joe

The front element can't be smaller in diameter or it would no longer be an f/4 lens.  For a 500mm lens to be f/4, the front element must be at least 500/4 or 125mm.

Has anyone taken delivery of a 600 yet? I am interested how it fares with the 2X teleconvertor.

I will be honest in that I am not wanting to buy one - I am interested in the "old" model, but am trying to gauge what the secondhand prices will be like in the coming months and that will largely be influenced by availability/weight/performance with TCs of the new model.

Yeah I know a number of people that have the new 600 and are amazed by the effectiveness of the new VR.

In general, initially the prices of the old ones will be lower as those who upgraded sell their older lenses and that has already happened. I am seeing lenses as much as $1000 below what they were before the announcement of these lens. Ultimately over time, as that bump in the used supply is consumed, prices go up, often higher than they were before the announcement since the new lenses are so much more expensive.