The Nikon 200-500/5.6 is a budget gem

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Mark_Laidlaw

Mark_Laidlaw

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Got my paws on a 200-500 over the weekend to test out! Borrowed it from a colleage.

Lens is pretty heavy, within a few grams of my 800PF actually.

AF can be described as "leisurely" if it needs to make big moves, I also think the zoom ring has too much throw on it, you really gotta crank it. That said, optically it's really not terrible for the price. Combined with a Z50II, I think it's a pretty great deal if you can find one used. 700mm equivalent for under $2000, with the shutter speeds afforded by f/5.6? I can think of worse places to be! Outside of maybe tracking cheetahs, I really can't imagine much you couldn't do with this.

Detail rendering and backgrounds really remind me of the 400/4.5Z w/ 1.4TC (at least around the center). I'm not sure I would want to attempt a 1.4TC on this. At that point, I think this lens would have a tough time rendering detail at anything wider than f/11.

Optically speaking, when it's stopped down to f/7.1-ish, I'd say in the real world this lens is just as good as the Canon RF 100-500L. Except that Canon can't open up to 5.6 ;-)

Is the 180-600/6.3 better? For sure. Definitely an ergonomic improvement, but it's also quite a bit more expensive. All in all I'm pretty impressed with what this tank could do, even if it's really heavy for what it is.

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I had one for probably 5 years. It captured a number of great images - almost all while mounted on a D7200. As you noted, it’s not a featherweight, it weighs in a few ounces heavier than a 180-600. The Z8, combined with the 180-600 is lighter (but not by much) than the 7200/200-500 combo.

I sold mine to help fund my Z8 - 180-600 project.
The 500’s weight, long twist zoom collar, leasurely AF, and the extra 100mm of the 180-600 pushed me pretty hard.

Can’t disagree, though, the 200-500 is a solid bargain at today’s prices, particularly for DX shooters.
 
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I've had the 200-500 for a number of years now and have generally been very happy with it, especially for close up nature photography. It is on the heavy side with leisurely AF, as you say, but it's proven to be a very reliable long zoom and a great value, IMO, considering its price. I later bought and then returned the 180-600, thinking I'd replace the 200-500 with it, but I was disappointed with the sharpness of my copy. I've continued to hold on to the 200-500 and use it with my Z9 and Z8 in situations that call for a zoom - which isn't often. But it does the job when called upon.
 
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Mark_Laidlaw said:
Got my paws on a 200-500 over the weekend to test out! Borrowed it from a colleage.

Lens is pretty heavy, within a few grams of my 800PF actually.

AF can be described as "leisurely" if it needs to make big moves, I also think the zoom ring has too much throw on it, you really gotta crank it. That said, optically it's really not terrible for the price. Combined with a Z50II, I think it's a pretty great deal if you can find one used. 700mm equivalent for under $2000, with the shutter speeds afforded by f/5.6? I can think of worse places to be! Outside of maybe tracking cheetahs, I really can't imagine much you couldn't do with this.

Detail rendering and backgrounds really remind me of the 400/4.5Z w/ 1.4TC (at least around the center). I'm not sure I would want to attempt a 1.4TC on this. At that point, I think this lens would have a tough time rendering detail at anything wider than f/11.

Optically speaking, when it's stopped down to f/7.1-ish, I'd say in the real world this lens is just as good as the Canon RF 100-500L. Except that Canon can't open up to 5.6 ;-)

Is the 180-600/6.3 better? For sure. Definitely an ergonomic improvement, but it's also quite a bit more expensive. All in all I'm pretty impressed with what this tank could do, even if it's really heavy for what it is.

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I rented a 180-600 this weekend to see how it stacked up against the Sigma 150-600 C I have had since DSLR days. Honestly there was hardly any difference optically. Slightly sharper at F 6.3, once stopped down they looked identical. So optically I would say not any real benefits for my shooting needs. This was out shooting wildlife and swapping lenses back and forth. I could not tell the difference between shots later unless it was 6.3.

But the 180-600 did literally everything else better. VR is really good, fast and silent focus motors in comparison. The short throw zoom is really nice. Internal zoom and weather sealing.

For me it's not the lens I'm going to go for. For now I'm adding the Tamron 150-500 because it's much more compact than the 180-600 and I'll bring it more places and get more shots because of that. The Sigma will be fine for my 600mm needs as I so so little difference in the output between the two. I'm sure the corners are better on the Nikon but in the wildlife shooting I did that didn't seem to matter for any of the shots.

I think some of these F mount lenses, this one included are going to be steals now for those who don't need/want the VR and other nicety's in the Z lens. For Z50ii owners it's pretty great that you can find a bunch of these lenses used in excellent condition for 500-1000 dollars.
 
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I've seen copies of the Tamron 150-600 G2 between $400 and $800. There's an excellent rated one on MPB for $739. I'm still very happy with mine but tend to use my 500mm PF more.
 
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I picked up the Nikon 200-500 about a year ago or so and I absolutely love it. As others have mentioned it is a "budget" lens so there are a few compromises. That said, if you practice often enough with the lens you can mitigate most of it's nuances and it is still an extremely capable performer for the money. I've been using mine mostly on my Nikon D7200, and just recently added the D500 to my kit and I'm anxious for Spring to get here again so I can get back out in my Kayak looking for Wildlife.

Here's a shot I took late last summer of a Bald Eagle with his breakfast using the D7200 and the 200-500mm.

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You'll love that d500! Especially the speed compared to the d7200. I started with the d500 and got a used d7200 last spring as a 2nd body. I find it slow on bursts compared to the d500, also AF is more "attentive ".
Fantastic shot! You're showing that it's not necessarily the camera but the skills behind it that matter.
 
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Photo Yakin' said:
I picked up the Nikon 200-500 about a year ago or so and I absolutely love it. As others have mentioned it is a "budget" lens so there are a few compromises. That said, if you practice often enough with the lens you can mitigate most of it's nuances and it is still an extremely capable performer for the money. I've been using mine mostly on my Nikon D7200, and just recently added the D500 to my kit and I'm anxious for Spring to get here again so I can get back out in my Kayak looking for Wildlife.

Here's a shot I took late last summer of a Bald Eagle with his breakfast using the D7200 and the 200-500mm.
Click to expand...

Great image. I loved the D7200/200-500 pairing. It was a perfect fit for me. Adding a D500 t m o mix should ice that cake.

I have to confess I like the Z8/180-600 combo even more. But, you can’t go wrong with the F mount kit.
 
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AlanB313 said:
You'll love that d500! Especially the speed compared to the d7200. I started with the d500 and got a used d7200 last spring as a 2nd body. I find it slow on bursts compared to the d500, also AF is more "attentive ".
Fantastic shot! You're showing that it's not necessarily the camera but the skills behind it that matter.
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Thank you for the kind words. I strive to learn all I can to further my technique to get the most out of my gear as I simply don't have the budget for the high end stuff.

I've been using the D500 a bit at my bird feeders, and really enjoying the huge jump in speed/performance over the D7200. Despite that, the D7200 is sill a great (all rounder) that can flex pretty well in to some more serious wildlife/action work with the right skills.
 
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The Nikon D500 and the 5,6/200-500 mm is a little heavy, but a great combo for wildlife. It's sharp enough and in good light It's really sharp. The autofocus isn't the quickest, but you can get really nice pictures, if you prefocus and anticipate the animals behavior. The manual focus ring is nearly unusable if the camera isn't on a tripod, because the ring is much too near to the end of the lens and the camera gets out of balance. The zoom ring works quicker, if you rotate the camera against the zoom rings orientation while zooming, before you take it to your eye. The lens in overall is a very good bargain and I’ll never sell it. I couldn't afford another lens with this reach.

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The pictures are quickly downsized for this forum and the original pictures are a lot sharper.
Picture in the Fotocommunity.de
 
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I follow Mark Smith a lot on social media. I call him the Osprey King because of his outstanding work on those birds. He did for years with a D500 and the 200-500mm lens mentioned here. That's good enough for me and my budget. The combination is great and Mark also uses that lens some on his D850 which produces a little less reach but fantastic shots as well. Wish I had bought the D500 years ago, but I enjoyed using my D7100, and D7200 before the D500 purchase. I also own a D810 but use it for landscapes. Still own all those cameras and enjoy shooting most of them .
 
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I think the truth is working on field craft and just getting closer to wildlife responsibly is going to generate way higher quality images than spending a ton of money on exotic lenses but being further away. That's probably money better spent on actively getting closer than on lenses. One you get that dialed in then the nicer lenses can make a difference.

Field craft is really hard and animals are really really good at avoiding any potential predator getting too close. Heading to the B/H photo webpage to hit add to cart on a lens that has a perceived major image quality difference that is likely far smaller than one expects is way way easier. The fact is getting 10 feet closer in the first place would probably end up with the sharper image on the less expensive lens.
 
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As Manglo’s images above demonstrate, one should never underestimate the value of the 200-500 and a good crop sensor body in capable hands.

The only reasons I sold mine were that the Z8 and the 180-600 came along. The Z8 is, to me, a Rolex - Swiss Army knife of camera bodies. In FX mode it can compete in terms of image quality with the best in the world. In DX, it is a super capable D500 and mated to the 180-600 provides unmatched versatility.

It is the camera and lens of my imagination.

The D500/7200 and 200-500 paved the way for that pairing and can still hold their own, even in pretty rarified company. Together, they convinced a bunch of photographers like me that we, too, could capture really good images of the wild world, even if restricted to our backyards.
 
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I could never achieve to buy such a combo as the Z8 with a 180-600 mm , now as a pensioner.
So I'll stick with the D500 and the 5,6/200-500 mm, even it's a little bit heavy.
Comming closer to the animals is key. The squirrels and robins are still shy wild animals, but tey don't see me any longer as a treat.

Portrait of "Little One": https://www.fotocommunity.de/photo/portrait-of-little-one-manuel-gloger/48862283 (with short video clips)
The Squirrel & the Robin: http://gloger.net/squirrel_and_robin/squirrel_and_robin_27-12-24.mp4 (Video clip)

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Love the detail in the squirrels. That IS one sharp lens and worth the price. A little heavy as someone pointed out, but that's what monopods and tripods are for. I bought a really great monopod for my 200-500mm lens and it works great and makes carrying the camera over my shoulder a breeze. When you can get all the detail and the catchlight in their eyes-that makes a great photo IMO...
 
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