AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR

I was a bit skeptical of how good this lens could be for the advertised price having seen other long lenses with astronomical pricetags. I took a chance buying it in hopes of catching the rare ´´super moon´´ visible from my home is So California. I decided to freehand the shot since it was a VR lens and only used my house to lean on as I lined up my shots. I was more than pleased with the first captures of a supermoon without use of a tripod. Spend a little moon dust on this lens! You won´t be disappointed.

I purchased the 200 - 500 mm lens from Best Buy. I have the 1.7x teleconverter on the way, to boost the range. So far, the pictures I have taken are quite pleasing. I use this lens on a D7100 and a D500. I am still learning my way around the lens. I really love using it on the D500, and will post a review about that camera separately.

This lens should cost at least double the price. The value for money is phenomenal! I pared this with my new D500 and it is s marriage made in heaven. Super sharp and fast focusing and with the DX field of view, it gives me the latitude of up to a 750mm lens. This will be my go to lens for wildlife and sports from now on. What a dream it is!

I got this lens via a online rental place (with option to buy) to try it out as a replacement for my decade-old and cheap non-VR 70-300mm. Since I spent my time closer to the 300mm range and little at the 70mm end there wouldn´t be much issue giving up on the 70-200 range.

When I got it I was surprised at the handling--especially coming to VR from non-VR. 4 stops of VR is advertised, and if it doesn´t hit that, it gets close (1/60 handheld at 500mm is not a problem with a good stance or brace). The lens is definitely sharp--f/5.6 it´s great, and at f/8 and f/11 it´s exceptional at every zoom level. Focusing for me is acceptably fast and consistent--especially tracking moving targets. The constant f/5.6 is a plus as well. You can lock the barrel at 200mm to keep it as compact as possible when transporting.

Getting this out into the field (as the attached shots would attest to) prove how good this works. if you´re outside the minimum focus distance zoomed in you can still get good detail (as in the claw picture). Stationary targets at a distance come out beautiful and sharp (As shown in the song sparrow and female gull), and it can acquire moving targets well, as shown in the flying gull shot.

In lower light levels it works. The Junco picture was taken at 1/80 handheld, and the feather detail came out nice.

As for the cons, it is a bit on the heavy side--so you´d have to plan around that or use a mono/tripod. Personally this isn´t an issue but for some people it is. The lens does extend when zooming and makes the lens longer--even though the barrel doesn´t rotate. The turn of the zoom ring from 200-500 is significant--and some might require a re-grip if tracking and zooming. If you do place it on a tripod, make sure to turn the VR off.

In spite of the cons I fell in love with it and pulled the trigger. It sees a lot of use some 6 months into shooting it. The cherry on top was the price--I´d expect something similar in performance to be way out of my budget, but this comes in and delivers and then some. If you want a long lens for wildlife, birds in flight, distant action, and even moon shots and can´t afford the pro-lenses I would highly recommend this lens!

I recently got the 200-500mm lens to replace my older Tamron 200-500, and right from the start it has performed flawlessly with both my D300 and D610 cameras. The first thing I noticed was that unlike the Tamron, the autofocus was precise and quick, and more importantly how clear and sharp the images were first in the viewfinder and ultimately in the files I shot. The best part was that the sharpness was there regardless of what exposure setting I used.

The other reason for upgrading was the vibration control and again this lens didn´t disappoint. The lens is heavier than the Tamron, but I was able to get fantastic results hand-held with it. I would still recommend that a monopod or sturdy tripod be used when working over an extended time to reduce fatigue in the arms and shoulder, but it is nice to have that flexibility when i need it.

As i mentioned, the lens works with no problems with both my D300 and D610 both without and with the TC14E III Teleconverter with no loss of quality and sharpness. The autofocus worked well in good lighting conditions with the Teleconverter when mounted on both cameras.

So far have used the lens for shooting nature and wildlife subjects but hope to use it shooting sporting events in the near future. Otherwise a great addition to my camera bag, a lens which i know i will be using regularly.

An awesome (and affordable) piece of long range glass. Would I rather have the 400 f/2.8? Yes, of course, but for a fraction of the cost this lens is AMAZING (lots of light required). If you know how to use it, have a steady hand, and plan for situations with a decent amount of light (outdoors/daytime), you will get phenomenal results! The clarity and dynamic range is incredible for such an affordable lens. Bravo Nikon!

I purchased this lens to work with my D7200 and D750 and it does a great job with both housings. Clarity is amazing really no modifications needed to images post processing. This is an example of the supermoon racked out on the D7200. I get the same image clarity on the D750 cropped.

I have had this lens for over a year, buying it in fall of 2015 when it was first introduced. At first use I was disappointed with the lens. I have a 300mm f2.8 and I was comparing the 200-500 f5.6 to the 300 f2.8. The 300 focuses lightening fast, is incredibly sharp. So when I put the new 200-500 on my D800E and made a few pictures I was disappointed in its focus speed and its sharpness. Then I stopped comparing the two and just analyzed the 200-500 on its own merits.. The 200-500 is sharp! It does focus fast, just not the lightening speed of the 2.8 300. I recently went on vacation to several National Parks out west. I packed my 24-120, my 70-200 f2.8, and the 200-500 f5.6. I took exactly 10 frames with the 70-200, it seemed every time I reached into my bag for a long lens I took out the 200-500. It was outstanding for wildlife at Yellowstone, it was a dream for those long lens shots in the Grand Canyon. I am a believer now. My 300 will stay in the safe unless I have a indoor press assignment. The other positive is that it is fairly light weight. I wish it came with a bag to carry over the shoulder. I am convinced it´s a legend for Nikon.

Are you interested in sports/wildlife photography? Then go nowhere without this fabulous lens. The Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR outperforms rivals, I shoot handheld @500mm easily thanks to it´s remarkable VR and got amazing sharp images. Mount this lens on D500 and you´ll get your best ever wildlife/sports/action photography experience with this monstrous combo. You can also use TC-14E III teleconverter to reach whooping 1050mm on DX system. Thank you Nikon for superb lens support, love you guys in Nikkor department!