Great vid Steve, answered most of my initial questions. Thanks for getting it out so quick!

Wow an excellent Honest review!! And probably the 1st real hands on review to boot! Even on youtube you can see the difference in the sharpness. I can't wait for the first owl pictures something to look forward to. Outstanding work! Thank You!

Excellent review, I look forward to your future endeavors with this lens as I contemplate purchasing it myself.

Very helpful, Steve. Please make as many vids as you can on this lens. I am super interested. Take care!

Thank you for your work on putting this together

oh my god. exactly what i wanted to know. first of all thank you so much for uploading the AF speed test. second, the review is very detailed, finally someone that bothers showing images at 100% compared to other lenses. the 500 pf is extremely sharp. thank you for the PERFECT video. im ordering one as soon as it gets to my country.

Steve, many thanks for getting this review out so quickly! There are others who're concerned about the VR issue- if it turns out to be real problem, hopefully it can be resolved via a firmware update. I am looking forward to receive this lens this month, here in India.

Very informative video. The sharpness of the new lens is jaw dropping, even on KZfaq. Well done Nikon!

Thanks Steve, good effort!!!

Thanks Steve. Information and video was very good. Exciting stuff.

Thanks for your review. Very informative and detailed. Also appreciate the speed that you got this out as there is obviously a lot of interest.

Thank you for the honest review! I’m canon shooter but I’m interested in this lens and I like it .. i can see the amazing sharpness, fast focus, very very compact and light!! Beautiful lens in all way!

Great video Steve. Thanks for the hard work getting this out so quick. Sleep well my friend.

I recently found your channel , and must say how enjoyable your content is , i really like the jackson area been awhile since I've made it their . Keep up the great stuff

Great review! Hope to try it out once

Thank you, Steve! Very helpful! I have the D850 and 200-500. I have the 500 f/5.6 on order.

I discovered your channel just yesterday, and I feel that I found a treasure!! Thank you very much, and keep going on.

Thanks for the great simple review, this lens is definitely on my list. I’m hoping to get one soon, keep up the great work Steve, thanks have a great day!!!

It's really good information to know the lense. I have consideration to buy it sooner or later. Thanks for great job!

Super helpful video. I appreciate the effort. Thank you. I am amazed at how obvious the sharpness difference is compared to the 200-500. Even on a KZfaq video. Thoroughly loving the 300 PF. This one is next.

Thanks Steve. As everyone has already said. Great video as are all your videos. When I saw this lens come out I hoped you would be an early adopter. This thing will definitely be finding a home in my camera bag. Keep them coming. What was your take on the lens foot , I realize you shot it handheld but was wondering your opinion on the lens foot. Thanks again

Great video Steve. Not too interested in what they find in a lab.Your assumptions seem to be on point and just as good as anyone's. Thanks for the review!

A no bull honest review - thanks Steve

Steve, I like your style. I shoot the way you do, too. I am thinking about buying this lens and your video sold me on it. Thanks.

Wow! Fast work getting that out and I appreciate the comparison shots with the 200-500mm as I have that lens for my D810. Interesting to see the image quality of the 200-500mm holding up pretty well against the prime in terms of sharpness. The weight difference and autofocus speed of the 500mm will certainly be a big draw for a lot of shooters but unfortunately out of my budget for now. Looking forward to some birds in flight images soon. It looks like a winner for that. Thanks Steve!

Nice comparison, thank you for the video! The VR was something that was mentioned in another video I watched, so it may just not be as good as the VR in the 200-500.

Great review Steve, I can't wait to see it in action with the Owls. Thanks.

Hi Steve, great video. The 300PF has the same VR issue (even after Nikon "fixed" it)....as you've probably already read there are others seeing this same issue on the 500PF. One thing that corrects it for the 300PF is using Qc EFCS mode on the D850....obviously that is not a good mode for fast action as you only get a few FPS but in low light when you are probably shooting static subjects anyways (perched GGO) you can use that mode and the VR inconsistent sharp shot issue goes away on the 300PF....hopefully the 500PF also....

An update review would be appreciated

wow these photos are so damn sharp

waiting for more videos and waiting to buy.

First time I’ve watched one of your vids, interesting and informative, thanks. I have the lens on order here in the UK and despite the concern over the vr issue, your initial findings have put my mind at rest. I’ve subscribed as I like your ‘no bullshit’ approach and I feel I can trust what you say. Cheers.

So beautiful review thanks a lots

Was waiting for your video..

Great video, watch it two times now, thanks a lot

Thank you so much for doing this so quickly..........now, Nikon take my money!

good job, after watch your video im not regret to order this lens...

I have a Nikon D500 and use the 500mm pf lens. Had to wait 7 months to get it but well worth it. Fast focus, wonderful sharp pictures. The 5.6 does raise the ISO on gray days but I'm looking forward to traveling with the lens. I have an f4 which is wonderful but yikes I'm limited were I can take it.

Steve thanks for your excellent 1 day review of the new exiting Nikon 500mm f5.6 PF lens. Look forward to more tests and opinions after you gain more experience with the lens. 8:17 Pine needle comparison 500 f5.6 PF looks much more sharp and bokeh much better (500 f4 level) than 200-500 f5.6 13:13 eagles in tree 500 f5.6 PF look darned sharp with 1.4x TC wide open 700/f8. How is the AF speed with the TC? 14:25 single leaf Again 500 f5.6 PF looks darned sharp with 1.4TC wide open 700/f8. Excellent 15:28 wood shingle wall Again 500 f5.6 PF at f5.6 looks much more sharp than 200-500 f5.6 19:27 AF full range speed comparison 500 f5.6 PF AF speed looks at 600 f4 level (459ms) near twice as fast as 200-500 f5.6 (959ms) 200-500 MRSP at launch was $1400, and 500 PF MRSP at launch is $3600, and potential buyers must evaluate if the $2200 difference is worth it to them. For me the Nikon 500mm f5.6 PF performance in your test definitely looks like it's worth its asking price.

I have the 200-500 and have been debating on the new 500mm...It looks sharper and the bokeh is much better to my eye not to mention the af speed being so much faster, I think I will be buying this lens soon. Thanks for the review!

Hi Steve. Really good review. I have the 500mm F5.6 on order for my wife to complement her 300mm PF. It would be interesting to see how fast the autofocus compares with the 300mm PF. As already mentioned in another comment the 300mm PF had an issue with VR at low shutter speeds when it first came out, which Nikon resolved so it is curious the 500 should potentially suffer a similar issue.

awesome. i really like your reviews.

Hey Steve, excellent video once again...quick question... Do you think at some point you could shoot a video on how you transfer files from your camera to your computer and what are the best cables,ports (to use on camera and computer)and software applications to edit photos with?

Thank you for your speedy review. I own the 200- 500 F5.6. One of the things I love about that lens is the image quality when I convert photos to black-and-white. Can you please test the images from this lens and their ability to be converted to b/w?

Hi Steve, thank you so much for your excellent “first” review. I look forward to more. I have the 200-500, which I use regularly with my D810 and get really great results. It took me a while to get there, after calibrating a couple of times. I was having difficulty getting sharp images with the 200-500 on my D500, so haven’t tried it for a while. I have the 300 PF, which I use with my D500 for hiking, and periodically throw on my 1.4 TCiii. I usually get very good results with both combos as long as I’m not freaking out when I see something cool to photograph (introduces shake my VR can’t handle - lol!). I have noticed some inconsistencies with that combo though, when I am shooting from my vehicle. Now wondering if it is the difference between leaving my engine running or not. Not a problem with my 200-500. I wonder if my PF vr is super sensitive to the vibration frequency of my vehicle. I need to do more testing to zero in on the combos that work well and not so well so I can sort it out, also continue practicing my BIF shooting and make sure I take the time to get my camera settings right for the conditions before I head out (a real bummer). Otherwise, and for now - the 300pf + 1.4 + D500 is a wonderful combo that keeps me from dreaming too much of this nice 500 PF. Do you think you will use your 600mm less often now? That is the lens I am dreaming of.

Thanks Steve, food for thought! Definitely looks sharper and faster than the 200-500 and would be a great lens on my D500, but I think I'd miss the flexibility a bit (although most of my pictures tend to be shot at the 500 end). Looking forward to seeing you shoot some owls with the 500 pf.

Thanks for the early review. Was watching in 1080p and I can tell the sharpness difference between that lens and the 200-500. Shame though about the VR. For 3600 usd you'd expect that to be worked out when you open the box. I used the 200-500 for a few days and was able to get tack sharp images at 1/10 of a second at 500mm.

Great review...waiting for a comparison between the AF of 300 f4 and 500 pf...also more details about how the AF works with 1.4 TC attached.. thanks

The perfect review,no studios models apples in a bowl or plates of spaghetti,my investment indeed has been a wise one. Thank you Steve.

Yo Steve - With the negligible inconsistency with the VR, where you shooting in AF-C or AF-S? When I shoot in AF-C, which is most of the time, my hit rate falls off a bit when compared to AF-S ... but that could just be me. Outstanding video. Very useful. Thanks for sharing. ~ Randy

Really great review. thanks

Yassss... Nikon will probably make up the money with this even if Z6/Z7 doesnt sell that well... Also D850 is still selling like crazy.

Also, since you have the Tammy G2 150-600 I’m curious if the fast tracking grab of the 500PF is that much better and worth the loss of reach at 5.6? I realize you have a TC for the 500PF but then you have to go to f/8.

thanks for also adding how it works with a teleconverter

Thanks Steve for the fast review! I greatly appreciate the timely manor and the excellent quality of the review as well. I trust your opinion because you shoot similar subjects as I do... so My big question is simply this... I only have the first gen Tamron 150-600 and it is not very sharp in the overall scheme of things, so I am looking for the 200-500 or a 500 pf, the 200-500 certainly gives flexibility but in comparison to the 500 pf, how much sharpness does one sacrifice to have the zoom flexibility? The 500 pf is out of my price range at least for a number of months, but the 200-500 I could buy today. would I find a good use for both lenses or... is the 200-500 very capable and when I need a lighter lens, then go for the 500 pf, or the image quality difference is great enough that I should hold off from the 200-500 and wait for the funds to get the 500 pf... I dont want to waste my money, and I really do trust your opinion. Maybe another way to ask this is this... If you were to buy one lens for now, having shot both, which would you buy? thank you for your help and your honesty in your opinion!

Hello there, thank you for creating & sharing. I guess the 500 PF lens compared to the Nikkor 200-500mm, a plus would be to be able to hold the camera by the body, I thought of that when I saw you handling the body in the end (17:00). Even if I have the feeling my D500 can hold the 200-500, it still would be a lot of stress for the mount and I absolutely avoid doing it at all - so holding this lens by the body with extension of a converter do you have any concerns holding the package by the body? thx in adavenced and happy, lucky shooting 📷 🦅 😎

Hi, this is the first video of yours I've watched (at minute 17:17 right now, finishing it after writing this) and I really like that you actually show us images and talk so honestly about both lenses performance! I'm not too sure if you mention anything about this in the last ~7 minutes of the video, but if you don't, could you tell me if there is / how big the difference in AF Speed and accuracy is ? I LOVE shooting BIF and I've had tons of issues with some other lenses I've tried. At the moment I'm shooting a 150-600 G2, but the fact that I need to stop down to f8 to achieve the same sharpness as a Nikon 200-500 at f5.6 or f6.3 is a dealbreaker for me. If you read my comment, I'd love to hear what you think about this! The 500 f5.6 PF is out of my price-range for now but I'd totally save up for it for a while, get it, and be satisfied rather than get something I'll just get tired of again. Another option would be a Sigma 500 f4.5 EX DG (roughly 500-700$ more than the 200-500). I've heard it's really sharp but a lot of people had issues with it apparently so I'm not too sure.

Awsome video 👍👍👍 good job

Very good and interesting video I’m surprised that the TC 1.4 iii works on it as the PF lenses are not on the list of compatibility. Do you confirm that the TC14iii works fine without limitation with the 500mm PF ?

Thanks for this review, doubling my suffering of GAS 🙈. Do you have any experience with the TC17 E-II? Keen on the next episode how you (hopefully) mastered that VR issue... Subscribed and activated the bell button 😊👍

Oh my God oh my God here it is! STOKEDDDD

Very very helpful!

Hallo Steve, very informative, thank you. Sincerely yours

Hi Steve, Great video. This was the video that i was waiting for. as there is not much to see from this lens yet. very informative and it has me thinking towards this lens. looking to upgrade from a Sigma 150-600 C. What are your thoughts between the 500 f4 and this lens the 500 f5.6 PF ?

Hi Steve, Thanks for the insightful information. Do you think there will be a Z version of the Nikon 500 PF coming soon?

Very Good introduction Steve. is it available in India?

In all your pictures, did you apply any sharpening on the raw files, zero sharpening?

Steve, try shooting your car directly head-on in low light with the headlights on full beam from around 50-100 meters. I do motorsport photography and that's what causes the worst PF flare for me on the 300mm F/4 PF (bright headlights on sports cars). Also, with the foot on (extra weight and possible change of balance), does the VR seem any better? Think the VR issues on the 300mm PF (post firmware upgrade) are more down to the extreme light weight more than an actual issue with function

Curious why you didn’t test the d850 in crop mode along with the tc 1.4. Or do you feel cropped fx mode is better or just as good?

I have been using the 200-500, but found the auto focus quite slow with not so sharp images. Bought the 70-200 f2.8 for excellent results…will add the 500 mm f 5.6 .

I get that vr motion blur with my 70-200 e fl vr and focus hunting when it shouldn’t . Other than that it is a phenomenal lens. Love its bokeh the more I use it. This 500pf has harder looking bokeh or busier I guess. Kind of like a very sharp Sigma lens.

Loved this review! It's on back order now, but that just gives me time to save my shekels. Have you figured out the VR at slowish shutter speeds?

Great Video, any information is great to see before we take the plunge. After your initial use how do you think this lens would compare with a 300mm F2.8 witrh a x1.7 converter? obviously both 500mm but the 300mm option is F4.8

Another great video Steve. just one question; i'm thinking of buying a nikon 70-200mm f4 for landscapes. Do you think it's a nice lens for today, based on that this lens was released in 2013. my concern is to know if this lens can handle a 45MP 2018 sensor in terms of sharpness and image quality. Thanks

Great video! I’m hoping to get a backup body for my upcoming trip and am looking at the D700 from 2008, if you have it, what are your opinions on it?

Great info Steve! Do you feel the images are sharper with the D500 or the D850? Thanks, Jeff

Excelente video, aunque me pierda algunas cosas por el idioma. Tengo el Nikkor 200-500 5.6 y no me termina de convencer la velocidad de enfoque para vuelo de aves, por ejemplo. Y otra cosa que a veces parece que le falta es mayor nitidez a la imágen. ¡Es impresionante la diferencia de nitidez entre el 500 y el 200- 500. Ya solo por eso vale la pena. Y otra cosa que me gusta es el tamaño y el peso del lente, me gustan mucho los Canon 400 2.8 pero en verdad no tengo ganas de cargar semejante peso cuando salgo a hacer fotos. Saludos desde Argentina.

Thank you. Its a very good review. Where is the Snake river?

Can you post some full res images?

Will get this lens for sure, but as the owner of a 200-500 already, really wish Nikon had released the 600 PF either first or at the same time. Maybe I can grab one for Xmas. I hope the 500 PF doesn’t have the same VR issues that plague the 300 PF. Anyway great review and nice to always check out what real shooters are doing in the field.

Hi Steve,what will be your ratings for 200-500 vs 500 of, in out of 10

Hello Steve excellent review, please tell me if money doesn't matter which one do you prefer ?The 600mmf 4 fl or the 500mm 5. 6 pf?

Great job Steve. Curious what you find with the VR. I recall the 300 PF having some problems with VR at specific shutter speeds, hoping this one is solved. Thanks.

Looks like 500mm has a little more reach than the 200-500mm, and the bokeh is definitely better. Also, wow, the 500mm PF is way sharper. Thanks for showing the lens hood. It's like the new 70-200 with the button that locks into place. As far as blur/VR, sometimes when you don't need it (like on a tripod, holding really still, high shutter speed, etc.) it can spazz out and do that. I don't know, but if you do more testing with it, let us know. I really wanting this lens now. I think it would go well with my D500. So much reach! haha

I work with the 800 Sigma prime lands been doing it for about 10 years this is an upgrade for me I don’t have to carry a tripod I don’t have to freaking put a backpack on and have my lens in there when I see wildlife it’s going to be I’m ready to take the picture because if I use my D500 camera at 750 mm or my D850 I will get great pictures

Top Notch!

Hey Steve. Thanks very informative. This lens is very appealing as it has a future in my bag for sports and wildlife. My main concern, like most, is sharpness and focusing speed. It certainly looks faster than the 200-500 f/5.6 which is quite a slow poke and shows that in your comparisons. Your photos also show it to be much sharper than the 200-500 which quite honestly isn't always the best. I'm a tad spoiled with my 400 f/2.8 and 200/2 but then again I really don't expect this lens to be anywhere close to those powerhouses in focusing speed. However, it does look good and probably comparable to the 300mm f4 PF which I agree is sharp and does me well for sports and wildlife. I'm extremely interested to hear how this lens will track action coming towards the camera. Please keep us advised on focus speed and sharpness. I'm also waiting to hear about the "expected" 600mm f/5.6 PF. No lens too big in my opinion. :)

Quality vid per usual. Let me know if you want to sell your 300mm pf f4. 🤔

Hi thanks for your reviews, would u recommend this 500mm PF for sports shooters. Thank you.

Hi was thinking of getting a p1000 for moon pics but this lens is a bit cheaper would that be a decent substitute or should I go with the p1000. ?

I wonder if the hood from the 500mm f/5.6 PF would work on the 200-500mm? (which has a reputation of not being secure.)

Almost a year has gone by since this review; any chance of a follow up/more thorough review?

Hi Steve, how are your impressions after a few month with this lens? I am very interested für perching birds. Can you tell us some experiences? Thanks a lot and have a good day, Fotoholly

Perfect. Oh its pronounced. Fra-NEL. S silent accent on sylb 2. Your review was just what i was looking for thank you so much look forward to more happy shooting

Thank you for this video, I search some test of this objectif in french but I don't found so your video is very good for me. Great job , I follow your channel now :)

Hi steve happy new year Do you suggest the combo 200 500 mm on d850 or go for the 500 prime lens ? Is it worth the money u pay more?

From your sample images the 200-500 isn't sharp . The 500 5.6 seems good. I like your photography. Nice review.

Are you still using 500mm pf for Owl in flight?

What’s a better pairing for this lens, the d500 or your d850?

Did you find that you had to calibrate your lens to your camera?