Best lens for shooting BIF handheld with D500?

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Probably one of the most one sided threads I've seen on a photography board....what a consensus!! And I agree, it has to be one of the PF lenses. I think for most BIF opportunities the 500PF is best. However, there are certainly locations/species where the 300PF or 300PF/1.4TC could be preferred. Big birds in Florida at rookeries would be an example.
 
I don’t have the 500PF lens so use the 200-500 f/5.6. It’s a little heavier but I find it useful sometimes to pull back to get the bird back in the frame if I lose it especially with smaller birds.
 
I only have about 20 shots on my 500 pf and am already convinced it is the one.
I gave the 200-500 to my better half, as she said she can use it in landscape shots. I doubt I will pick it up again.
 
We ( self and wife) were shooting wild life and birds for the past 5 days with 500 PF (D850 and d 500).We hiked a lot with upto 9 Kms in one session.
It never let us down and we could get pretty good shots with the lens.Today we shot a leopard in low light at 1/200 shutter .Though the leopard was nearly 200 metres away result was good.
Our only crib is Nikon not announcingg 600 PF
 
I had the 200-500 sold it and replaced it with the 300PF and TC-1.4x. I liked the lighter weight alright but I missed the zoom range of the 200-500 so I sold the 300PF and purchased another 200-500. I fully agree with yellowboard. Half the cost and the zoom is hard to beat. I am presently looking for a shoulder strap, etc capable of handling the Nikon D500 and 200-500.
 
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I recently got the 500 PF to use with my D500; my 200-500 was starting to wear on me. I love the combination--I have already, in the space of 6-8 weeks, gotten more keepers with this combo than I got with my 200-500 over several years. Really fast to focus, easy to carry, fairly high IQ--you can't go wrong IMO.
 
I am looking for the best lens for shooting BIF handheld with my D500. Help appreciated. Thanks.
I shoot 98% of my photos hand held ... my primary targets are birds and birds in flight. I have 2 D500s one with a battery grip and the big EN EL 18 battery and another without a grip I use both for bird in flight and I also use a D850 (with the 500pf) for BIF. The lens that is on my D500 with the grip 90% of the time is a Tamron 150-600 GC that was calibrated to that D500 by Tamron .... the lens to the body not AF fine tuning of the body to the lens that combo goes with me on my birding outings most of the time. My gripless D500 has a Tamron 18-400 a great grab and walk around lens and that combo is used when I am in very tough terrain ... like chasing after my chukar hunting friends in Idaho canyons and mountains. You would not go wrong with the D500pf on you D500 but you give up the versatility you get with a 150-600.
 
I had the 200-500 sold it and replaced it with the 300PF and TC-1.4x. I liked the lighter weight alright but I missed the zoom range of the 200-500 so I sold the 300PF and purchased another 200-500. I fully agree with yellowboard. Half the cost and the zoom is hard to beat. I am presently looking for a shoulder strap, etc capable of handling the Nikon D500 and 200-500.
Try the Black Rapid Double, excellent bit of kit Nature Man.
 
I had the 200-500 sold it and replaced it with the 300PF and TC-1.4x. I liked the lighter weight alright but I missed the zoom range of the 200-500 so I sold the 300PF and purchased another 200-500. I fully agree with yellowboard. Half the cost and the zoom is hard to beat. I am presently looking for a shoulder strap, etc capable of handling the Nikon D500 and 200-500.
Black Rapid is the best shoulder strap. Go for it!
 
I had the 200-500 sold it and replaced it with the 300PF and TC-1.4x. I liked the lighter weight alright but I missed the zoom range of the 200-500 so I sold the 300PF and purchased another 200-500. I fully agree with yellowboard. Half the cost and the zoom is hard to beat. I am presently looking for a shoulder strap, etc capable of handling the Nikon D500 and 200-500.
I like Peak Design Slide straps.

 
I'm really happy with my 200-500 on a good monopod and the Wimberley Monogimbal. I can't handhold the 200-500 on my D500 for any extended period of time due to a bad shoulder. I have the 2 Legged Thing tall monopod and at 6' 3" (just found out I have shrunk in my old age from 6'4"!) I love that thing and I am able to shoot pictures nearly vertical, or can quickly adjust it lower. Just rotate the monopod for left to right and the gimbal for up and down!

But I'm still planning on getting the 300 Prime for my hiking lens. Even carried over my shoulder on the monopod, the 200-500 gets tough after a couple of miles!

The zoom of the 200-500 has come in very handy and I recently put the 1.4 TC III on it and I have a really big gun at 700mm that has been SUPER! But I need to shoot that on a tripod with a gimbal.
 
I had the 200-500 sold it and replaced it with the 300PF and TC-1.4x. I liked the lighter weight alright but I missed the zoom range of the 200-500 so I sold the 300PF and purchased another 200-500. I fully agree with yellowboard. Half the cost and the zoom is hard to beat. I am presently looking for a shoulder strap, etc capable of handling the Nikon D500 and 200-500.
I use one of two Black Rapid straps .... if double carrying I use double-breathe if just single I use it as just a single or use my old Black Rapid Yeti that works like the single https://www.blackrapid.com/sport-breathe/ Most common double carry is a D500 with battery grip and the EN EL 18 battery and Tamron 150-600 G2 on the right and a D500 no grip and a Tamron 18-400 on the left and tucked out of the way behind me. Another double carry that the double breath works for is D850 with 500pf and one of the D500's with one of the Tamrons. For your set up you could spring for the double in case you want to go that way and just use it as a single or just go with the single. I have carried the D500 with grip and the Tamron 150-600 G2 and also the heavier D850 with grip and a Sigma 60-600 sport ... so it would work well for you ... disclaimer I find myself using the new double-breathe most of the time even if carrying single ... I keep it set up as a double and just tuck the left strap behind my back as I would if there was a camera attached.
 
I use one of two Black Rapid straps .... if double carrying I use double-breathe if just single I use it as just a single or use my old Black Rapid Yeti that works like the single https://www.blackrapid.com/sport-breathe/ Most common double carry is a D500 with battery grip and the EN EL 18 battery and Tamron 150-600 G2 on the right and a D500 no grip and a Tamron 18-400 on the left and tucked out of the way behind me. Another double carry that the double breath works for is D850 with 500pf and one of the D500's with one of the Tamrons. For your set up you could spring for the double in case you want to go that way and just use it as a single or just go with the single. I have carried the D500 with grip and the Tamron 150-600 G2 and also the heavier D850 with grip and a Sigma 60-600 sport ... so it would work well for you ... disclaimer I find myself using the new double-breathe most of the time even if carrying single ... I keep it set up as a double and just tuck the left strap behind my back as I would if there was a camera attached.
Good shout Ken that is exactly what I do as well but as I said before I also sometimes just use the single.
 
Just rented a 500 PF 5.6 for BIF and LOVED it. So much lighter and easy to hand hold than the 200-500 5.6. Bad news is that here in Alaska at least ..I’m third on a list to purchase when they get more. It’s worth the wait but I couldn't just go buy it.
Anyhow, if you want to check a lens out you can rent it from someplace. It was only $23. To rent for 1 day and that amount goes to purchase price ( at least it does at our Stewart’s Photo Shop so worth asking) if you decide you want to buy it. It may be more than a month before it comes in at this point, no idea on ETA, but they said considering situation ( COVID production slow down) they would still apply it. I might be able to find elsewhere but want to support our local photo shop and it was actually quicker to get a new release lens (70-200 z series) this past summer from Stewart’s Photo than ordering it direct from Nikon.

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Just rented a 500 PF 5.6 for BIF and LOVED it. So much lighter and easy to hand hold than the 200-500 5.6. Bad news is that here in Alaska at least ..I’m third on a list to purchase when they get more. It’s worth the wait but I couldn't just go buy it.
Anyhow, if you want to check a lens out you can rent it from someplace. It was only $23. To rent for 1 day and that amount goes to purchase price ( at least it does at our Stewart’s Photo Shop so worth asking) if you decide you want to buy it. It may be more than a month before it comes in at this point, no idea on ETA, but they said considering situation ( COVID production slow down) they would still apply it. I might be able to find elsewhere but want to support our local photo shop and it was actually quicker to get a new release lens (70-200 z series) this past summer from Stewart’s Photo than ordering it direct from Nikon.

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Great stuff Ajodo and very responsible of you, excellent. (y) Fantastic shot by the way, I am sure you will love it again and again when you get it. I had to wait six months here in Scotland earlier last year, well worth the wait, fantastic lens.
 
Just rented a 500 PF 5.6 for BIF and LOVED it. So much lighter and easy to hand hold than the 200-500 5.6. Bad news is that here in Alaska at least ..I’m third on a list to purchase when they get more. It’s worth the wait but I couldn't just go buy it.
Anyhow, if you want to check a lens out you can rent it from someplace. It was only $23. To rent for 1 day and that amount goes to purchase price ( at least it does at our Stewart’s Photo Shop so worth asking) if you decide you want to buy it. It may be more than a month before it comes in at this point, no idea on ETA, but they said considering situation ( COVID production slow down) they would still apply it. I might be able to find elsewhere but want to support our local photo shop and it was actually quicker to get a new release lens (70-200 z series) this past summer from Stewart’s Photo than ordering it direct from Nikon.

View attachment 13388
I would very much like to rent a 500mm PF lens at that price, but unfortunately there is NOT such an option in Portugal. I have a 200-500mm lens and I wonder if the 500mm PF delivers 3x the IQ of rhe 200-500mm because it costs 3x!!!
 
I would very much like to rent a 500mm PF lens at that price, but unfortunately there is NOT such an option in Portugal. I have a 200-500mm lens and I wonder if the 500mm PF delivers 3x the IQ of rhe 200-500mm because it costs 3x!!!
Nope, the 500mm PF does not 'deliver 3x the IQ of the the 200-500mm' (whatever that means exactly). IMO it has better IQ than my copy of the 200-500mm but my 200-500mm was pretty good and this is just a bit better. But the lens also focuses faster and is of course much lighter and smaller and better balanced for hand holding and has improved weather sealing. Whether that's worth the additional cost is up to you but even if we tried to rigorously quantify IQ I doubt the 500mm PF is even twice the image quality.... but it is a bit better in my experience.

Similarly the 500mm f/4 E lens isn't 10x the IQ of the 200-500mm but it's certainly better and offers a lot that the less expensive lens does not. But the price certainly isn't directly proportional to the increased image quality as the 200-500mm IQ isn't half bad. But the pro lens overall is worth a lot more than the pro-sumer 200-500mm. The 500mm PF is a similar story, the increased cost buys you more than just increased IQ but whether that's worth the extra cash is up to the buyer.
 
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