Thanks for your comment! Yes quite a few people have been kind enough to point out my error. Maybe I will test some out in a future video.

Rob Blight i admire your humbleness 👍🏼

@@jogarvizah2731 Thanks! I find decent information on rain covers very hard to come by tbh. Hopefully I can test some out in a future video.

@@RobBlight Lenscoat, or this lady off etsy: www.etsy.com/ca/shop/GrazinasDesign?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=490885966&section_id=15074927

@@frederikvanreusel actually that myth has been recently debunked on KZfaq 😀

The pf lens is 2600€ more expensive so the comparison doesn't work.

Yep, I was a few days ago....had to pull the trigger....hope it all goes well ....

YES! Haha...

Indeed and the nauseous feeling after clicking and the thought of "What they hell have I done!?". Or perhaps that is just me.

Agreed I think the problems with the 200-500 are more user errors which a skilled photographer can avoid. The PF is close to 3X the price in Canada….just too much 😯

@@theinvisibleman2070 you're service is greatly appreciated, if only their was more people like you. Its a shame KZfaq can't figure out it's autocorrect algorithms... :)

@@theinvisibleman2070 You obviously didn't catch the sarcasm through intentional grammatical errors on that last reply... Yes, I accidentally put it's instead of its on the original post. Thank you for the correction. I wish you well in your journey

I don't know about that, but thanks! 500PF is a great choice if mobility and compactness is important... it can't beat that f/4 aperture though!

gadgetgaz_photo any thoughts on 150-600 G2

​@@lukegnanapragasam9070 It is a nice lens, I like it, and will keep it still after I get the 500PF but I found mine seems a little slower than the 200-500 on the D850 D500 unless it is in good light. I did AF fine tune it and fairly happy using it until I get the 500PF soon. If you want to see some shots from 150-600g2 and the D850, the last two months on my instagram are with that combo here instagram.com/gadgetgaz_photo/

gadgetgaz_photo which one do you recommend, 150-600 G2 or 200-500 ? As I'm looking to purchase one & confused with mixed reviews. Hope you could give a better idea as you have used them both.

luke gnanapragasam personally I preferred the 200-500 also it is f/5.6 throughout the zoom range with Tamron f6.5 at the higher end. I’d recommend though that you visit a local photography store and trying both out even if you don’t buy either from the store, you can get a try of both and take some shots that way :)

gadgetgaz_photo Thank you for the opinion

how has your experience been with your new 500mm lens?

@@labalia30 It's been great - it was my go-to lens for wildlife photography for a couple of years until last summer when I sold it to move to a Z 400mm f/4.5. You can find a comparative review of those lenses and why I switched on my channel :)

@@GeoffCooper will listen to, thanks!

I know, I was at completely the wrong shutter speed for that shot. Sorry for the bad example.

Glad you're enjoying it! Yes, I know water damage isn't covered under warranty. I don't plan to use it in constant heavy rain, but I'm not too worried about a light or brief shower. I will look into a rain cover. Thanks for stopping by!

Search: Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 vs Nikon 500mm f5.6 PF | Lens REVIEW (From Jared Polin)

You're right, I could have spent more time talking about that. With the zoom I was at 500mm 95% of the time and I felt that the compactness and image quality improvements of the prime outweighed the ability to zoom. Thanks for stopping by.

Good point about zoom ability. I think that's why the 200-500 and new 180-400 with the built-in TC will always have a place on the shelf of wildlife and sports photographers alike, whether they add a 500PF to their kit or not. I don't think it's about one or the other necessarily, which these comparison videos always tend to make us think about. "Average" budget is always relative, too The 500PF actually came in at a pretty bargain price point compared to where they could have placed it in the market... and 1/3rd of the equivalent F4 version.

@@MattJacques wildlife,wildlife...it is a must to do only wildlife with a 200-500?this is bullshit ...for landscape flexibility and for more distant portraits and so on...and wildlife..and Me shooting distant thunderstorms for example..no shelf for my zoom..p.s.here everyone must be wildlife guys..?

But since when does wildlife come too close to you?

@@thunder7382 Hey, I use my long lenses for creative landscapes too. Just read the title of the video again for a reminder why it seems the comments are wildlife-oriented! :D

I wasn't too worried, especially with the D850 which has a metal reinforced mount. And due to the way the lens hangs straight down with that strap, I don't think it's putting much torque force on the mount. However, I find it so much better/easier to carry around like this I'm willing to take that slight risk. Thanks for your comment!

Confirmed! You wont be disappointed & your images will be better;

@@sheepshit666 that's what I think too, it will arrive tomorrow so I'm like a kid the day before christmas 😁👌

@@AndyGustavsson let me know what you think, my images & photography in general went to a new level when I paired it too a D500.

@@sheepshit666 really? I'm thinking about getting the D500 later on, need to save up some money first, do you record as well or only stills, if so how would you say it works with video?

@@AndyGustavsson Stills only

Oh, as a 200-500 shooter, I always leave vr on. never have a problem. Do turn vr off on a tripod, which is hardly ever. My pans are crispy sharp; From another bird/wildlife shooter.

@@sheepshit666 ok well that's fair enough. Well you can use VR / sport for panning if you need (I choose not too). However the VR / normal mode is designed for static subjects.

Is the focus on the 500 f4 much faster as in the 200-500? Greets

Alexander Kulzer Oh yes, the 500/4 is on par with its pro-level siblings. In my bag only the 70-200/2.8 vr2 is faster.

Hello! How did you pick the 500mm f4? Compared to the 600mm f4. Did you tried them all. I am in hard time deciding what to get, and am on a tight budget. 300mm 2.8 and 400mm 3.5 seem to have the best optical qualities, but not that much reach. Right now I am lusting after 300 2.8 + old manual 500mm f4. What is your opinion? Thanks :)

@@svtk5104 Fundementally it was about availability on the used lens market at the time I bought it. Today, I would opt for a 600/4 FL. I tried a 400/2.8 VR but found myself using TC all the time and the weight was a burden for sure. I think the 600/ FL s the sweet spot, at least for my photography.

@@DBZero123 Thank you very much.

Nice, I think you'll like it! I think the lens hood offers decent protection and I don't use a filter.

@@RobBlight Tanks for taking time to reply, very helpful for me.. cheers Svend

🤦🏻‍♀️😱

Not for the way I shoot which is mostly static subjects, VR normal, Qc with the EFCS on the D850. If anything this lens shines in the 1/250-1/60 range in my experience.

Rob Blight That's great to know Rob, thank you. One reviewer advised using the 'Normal' mode for shutter speeds below 1/250 sec and the 'Sport' mode for shutter speeds faster then 1/250. I shoot mainly birds so will be experimenting. Hoping for some discounts at the Photography Show in March.

The lowest exposure times on which we will take sharp photos depend largely on the density of pixels on the sensor. For example, on the Nikon d850, the lowest useful time for me is on average about 1/125 for static handheld shots at 500mm. For medium-sized birds, about 1/500 for static shots at 500mm. For the Nikon d750 I could go a little lower with the exposure times. The more pixels per sensor, the easier it is to blur in motion

And you will be waiting years!

In the video description there's a link to my kit page which has a lot of the gear I use.

The mount will take the weight of the PF all day long . It is a very light lens.

@@bardot777 If a lens WASN'T supplied with a foot, YES, this would apply but in this instance, it's included. Maybe the lens engineers included the foot by mistake? I dunno about that.

And the camera bodies.

But the PF is sharper than the 200-500. Even if you have the luck to get a sharp 200-500. I don‘t say it‘s bad but the 200-500 models vary a lot. The 500pf is a prime, which is always a bit better than a zoom lens.

I shot the 500mm PF and the 500mm F4 FL on the D850 and D500 and there is no difference in sharpness. And the 500mm FL is just a little bit sharper than the older 500mm F4 G lens. So I dont think there are older 500mm lenses that are sharper than the PF.

@@fusionsmarty A freznel lens is always a compromise...

The issue is that one second the bird (or whatever you are aiming at) could be in a panning trajectory, in the next coming towards you. Not a situation where at least I want to be thinking about switching modes constantly. I find e.g. the 70-200 to do a much better job in that aspect in the standard setting. For the 200-500, honestly, for such events I just turn VR off all together and rely on a shutter speed faster than 1/1000 s.

If you mean the Action mode; I understood that this only useable when you are moving and the object is static.

@@paulvanderlinden3820 There is no "action" mode on Nikon lenses. Some have an "active" mode which is as you say when you are on a moving platform like a car. Other lenses such as the 200-500 have a "sport" mode which is for subjects that move unpredictably and you have to keep moving the lens to track them. So the OP is correct that sport mode could've helped with birds.

I like your comment 👌 last week I bought a d850 and the nikon 200-500. Watching mark Smith made me decide.

I just blew beer out my nose after your second sentence. Thanks a lot.

Even if the lens was out of warranty? I actually really dislike their (UK) service center, but that's another story. And yes of course in hindsight I wish I had a cover to throw over the lens in the rain, but sometimes you get caught out... still, some of my favourite shots were taken in the rain. Thanks for your comment and I'm happy that you enjoy my vids!

Rob Blight he Rob oh I thought it was in warranty my bad as mine has a 5 year warranty I believe. For the most part I like the 200-500 what I may look into is a fixed 300. Thanks for the reply and yes love your videos so please keep doing them how about the 80-400 ? Thanks

Looks like a peak design slide, I also use one

Thanks! The strap I use is the Peak Design Slide. The blue version was a limited edition I think. You'll love the lens!

Bear in mind that as the 500PF is f/5.6 it only supports the 1.4x TC. Thanks for watching!

As Rob says, the 2x TC is not ideal for a few reasons... adding it to a 5.6 lens would require a camera body that can AF at F11, which no Nikon body can do presently. On my D810 I find DX crop mode to come in handy some times, but it's really just a way of pre-cropping the image in-camera rather than doing it in post. Saves some room on the memory cards, but you lose flexibility with composition and it's not changing anything optically so it's still the same depth of focus and angle of view of your actual optical focal length (main lens + TC). Not many folks talk about performance at 1500mm equivalent, largely because nothing out there will be delivering ideal results. If you're on a quest for maximum reach, I'd think a D500 or other crop body would serve you well rather than compromising optics, AF and composition on a full-frame body. 10FPS is a nice bonus, too. Much cheaper than whatever the 600PF comes out at, anyways! :D

Ignore the TC.

thanks, I haven't heard anything about what it supports

no it doesnt

I use manual mode with auto ISO. Shutter priority would also work. The main thing is that you vary the shutter speed in response to the conditions. If you're at the lowest shutter speed you can manage and the ISO still doesn't come down it might just be too dark. Also when you switch to auto ISO, I think you have to set the ISO to the lowest value otherwise it won't drop past what you've set it to.

@@RobBlight I use iso 1000 so that in AP it will be auto to higher speeds to avoid motion blur. I use AP so that I can go low aperture.

To avoid motion blur it's best to just control the shutter speed directly. The aperture will generally stay wide open in shutter priority + auto ISO.