AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR

A beautiful smooth long lens for birding sold my 300VR to get this beast. NO REGRETS. Love it every minute.

Ever since i got this lens it produced the results that i was craving for . Compared to my old 400mm 2.8 its lightweight and fast. I use it almost always on my nature trips and with birding.The TC 14EIII complements well and the results are great .With the D5 and D850 i get what i want. Precision and Quality.Fine tuning is a must. The improved minimum focussing distance helps with small birds, you get stunning detail.

Just bought this lens two weeks back and still experimenting with this super prime machine.
I was able to shoot some of the stunning images of birds. I was shooting handheld and expecting
that this lens can do miracles and improve the image qualities if mount it on tripod or mono pod.
I love this lens.

Traded in my 600 G series for this lighter and better balanced lens. It is so noticable from the minute I picked it up with a D5 attached. I can´t shoot without a tripod, but travel is that much easier, The optical quality is a step up as well, and focus is faster and quieter. I´m happy with the value I received for the extra $$.

After many years of wildlife photography, using the latest 600mm was a delight. The drop in weight over the predecessor is terrific and the results are a better as well. Coupled to the D4S and D810 it tracks moving predators against busy backgrounds with comparative ease compared to previous models.

It goes without saying that Nikon´s professional primes are top-tier tools. My guess is that anyone looking to purchase one of the new fluorite models is really asking themselves the question of whether or not the ´´FL´´ is worth the additional magnum duffel of cash that must be forked over vs. the previous model(s).

The answer is all about weight. If you are a tripod shooter, don´t do much air travel with your gear, and seldom pack your prime around then you can save the extra coin. DXO has not reviewed the 600FL or 500FL yet, but it´s obvious based on tests of the 400FL that these new designs are about shedding pounds and that optical performance is equivalent.

If you are like me, and have been bent into the posture of neanderthal man from lurching around mountainous terrain with a lens roughly equivalent in weight and ergonomics to an adolescent pachyderm...then absolutely you should get the FL version.

This 600FL is about 3 pounds lighter than the previous 600/4, 2 pounds lighter than the old 400/2.8, and even weighs 1/5th of a pound less than the outgoing 500/4. It´s not just total weight, however, because the new design is much less end heavy and more balanced as a whole.

Can you handhold it? Well, I have been handholding the 10-pound 400/2.8 for years so this 8-pound 600 feels dramatically easier to handle in every regard. It´s still physically large and requires good technique but since weight has been my #1 sore spot (literally) regarding super telephotos I pre-ordered this lens as soon as I saw the technical specifications.

The price hurts but the FL primes are significantly easier to handle, carry, mount on support equipment, handhold, and travel with. If those things are deciding factors for you, it´s an investment you won´t regret.

I felt in love with the lens right at the minute I lifted it out of the box. Comparing with my existing 600mm f4 G, I felt much lighter and better balance although it is only 3 lbs less. I could not shoot hand held with my existing lens but I could with this lens. The tripod is still needed but at least for some moments I can shoot without it. The focus is extremely fast and the picture quality is outstanding. Nikon removed the VR ring which is good (I sometime forgot to switch it on/off). The foot is lower and has rubber grip which helps to carry the lens around. It would be nice if Nikon makes the foot compatible with the Arca-Swiss plate which I think is pretty much standard these days.
The photos below were taken with D4 and 600mm f/4E TC 1.4 III. They were cropped but no adjustment.

I just got the delivery of the lens on 7/23/15. The felt in love with the lens the first time I lifted it up. It´s just 3 lbs lighter my current 600 mm but it felt a lot lighter and much more balance. I was not able to hand hold my current 600 mm but I was able to do so with this lens. Tripod is still needed but for some moments I think I can manage to hand hold this lens without much of a problem. I tried to put it in one of my Lowepro backpack meant for carry on when flying and it fits nicely. I then mounted the lens on my D4 with TC-1.4 III and quickly took some test shots without using the tripod. I will do some more testing but so far I´m very please with the lens physically, image quality and the focus speed. The photos I uploaded were cropped but no adjustment. They were taken hand held at 1/1250s, f/5.6, iso 400.