Pin sharp it is. Easily hand held and f/5.6 isn´t the negative I imagined with the ability of Expeed4 and 5 to handle higher ISO´s. A great companion to the 300 f/4 with the Fresnel glass. The same soft background. Gotta love this new design inovation..

My 600 f/4 and 400 f/2,8 will still be readily available but, they´ll sit more often than not unless seriously required.. Of course, then they´ll be back in the vehicle or at the house. Isn´t that always the way? I´m 72 and not as strong as I was. The loss of weight is a great selling point if you want a ´´long´´ piece of glass without the struggle..

The price puts a long lens within reach of thousands of shooters wanting sharpness and a quality ´´pro´´ build for under $4,000.00 USD.

For what it is worth, I shoot D5´s and a D850. So you might, if shooting older models, consider an upgrade so as to have Expeed 4 or 5 processing your shots.. I say this because, in my opinion, Expeed is what puts Nikon in a separate class with regard to data handling.

Just got back from my first shoot of a Great Blue Heron in morning light atop a snag about 40 feet off the ground. Shot at 1/1000 F8 ISO 720 about 10 minutes after sunrise. Focused on the eye; so it´s tack sharp. but was pleasantly surprised to find the entire bird (head, breast, wings, and feet) was just as sharp as the eye. This will replace my 200-500mm since I mostly shot it at 500mm anyway. It´s a joy to hold!