Nikon Af-s Nikkor 200-500mm F/56e Ed Vr Dxomark Review
Summary
The best image quality in its course combined with a reasonable toll, a practiced paradigm stabilization, and an acceptable size and weight earns Nikon's new 2.5x super-telephoto a Highly Recommended rating. Skillful points: Very proficient quality over 36Mp full-frame, fifty-fifty wide open up; good epitome stabilization; constant f/5.6 focal ratio; works well with 1.4x teleconverter; weather sealing; quiet, fast, and precise AF functioning; maximum magnification of 1:4.0 in MF. Bad points: Not the cheapest super-telephoto zoom; not the lightest lens in its form; only 2.5x zoom range.
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Nikon 200-500mm f5.6E VR review -
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In depth
The Nikkor AF-S 200-500mm f5.6E ED VR is a super-telephoto zoom designed for Nikon DSLRs. Announced in August 2015, it represents a new category in the Nikkor range, offering a super-telephoto range at a comfortably lower cost than the existing AF-S 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 VR II non to mention a fraction of the loftier-finish AF-S 200-400mm f4G VR, while out-reaching either of them. Indeed at first glance, the AF-Due south 200-500mm f5.6E would seem like a response to the pop 150-600mm zoom options from Sigma and Tamron which filled a gap missing from both Nikon and Catechism's catalogues. The toll of the new Nikkor is also roughly similar to the higher-stop Sports version of Sigma's 150-600mm, but there are of course differences. Most obviously the Sigma and Tamron 150-600mm lenses starting time wider and finish longer with a 4x range versus simply 2.5x on the Nikkor. The Tamron lens is lower-priced as well, as is the Gimmicky version of the Sigma. On the other side of the coin, the Nikkor features a constant f5.6 focal ratio, compared to the f5-6.3 of the Sigma and Tamron.
The really of import question though is which delivers the best quality? To observe out I tested the Nikkor AF-S 200-500mm f5.6 against the Tamron 150-600mm, both of the latest Sigma 150-600mm lenses, and for expert measure, Nikon's ain AF-S eighty-400mm, all on the demanding D810 body. And then if you're shopping for a super-telephoto zoom, you've come to the right place!
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Facts from the catalog
As usual I'll take a look at the technical data first. I've rated the features with a [+] (or [++]), when it's ameliorate than boilerplate or even country of the art, a [0] if it'due south standard or but average, and [-] if at that place's a disadvantage. I'll compare it mostly with Sigma'southward 150-600/5.0-six.3 DG OS HSM Sports (the "150-600 Sports" for short).
Size (diam. x length): 108 ten 268mm (4.ii x 10.5in). Add another 91mm for the hefty lens-hood and zoom-in to 500mm focal length (+76mm) and y'all end up at a full length of 435m (17.1in). Only the Sigma 150-600 Sports is yet considerably bigger at 121 x 290mm (westward/o hood at 150mm focal length) extending to 46 mm (eighteen.3in) with attached lens-hood at 600mm focal length. The Tamron is about the same length, only the Sigma 150-600 Contemporary is a bit shorter. [0]
Weight: 2,300g (81.2oz.). Adhere a D810 to information technology and yous're over 3kg. That'due south not easy to comport around on a shoulder-strap all twenty-four hours. The 150-600 Sports weighs a whopping 2,860g and lets y'all attach straps to the lens. Both the Sigma 150-600 Gimmicky and the Tamron come in slightly beneath 2kg. [0]
Optics: nineteen elements in 12 groups. This is pretty low compared to the 150-600 Sports with 24 elements in 16 groups. The lens has three extra-low dispersion elements but no Nano-coating. [+]
Closest focus distance/max. magnification: 2.2m (7.2ft) / 1:iv.5. In my exam I could get downwardly to two.0m / 1:4.0 with transmission focusing. That'south a scrap ameliorate than the i:five magnification of the 150-600 Sports (1:4.4 with MF). From a distance of 5m (16.4ft) the magnification of the Nikon is 1:10.0 while the 150-600 Sports reaches 1:9.0. [0]
Filter-thread: 95mm. That'south larger than well-nigh of united states have filters for and may mean that you need to go new filters for the lens. Only that'southward par for the course equally both the Sigma Gimmicky and the Tamron 150-600mm zoom need 95mm filters. The Sigma 150-600 Sports needs 105mm filters which are even more expensive. Only the Nikon 80-400/four.5-5.6 uses standard 77mm filters. [0]
Epitome Stabilization: Yes. Nikon claims their VR yields 4.v stops of stabilization. Information technology can be switched off and too offers a "normal" and a "sport" mode. The latter is recommended when tracking moving objects. The competition besides has stabilization, dubbed "OS" with Sigma and "VC" with Tamron. [+]
Auto Focus: AF-Due south with SWM (silent wave motor), and so it does work on D3x00/5×00-bodies. Manual-focus override is past but turning the focus ring. Same with the competition. [+]
Covers full frame/FX or smaller = very skillful. Same with the competition. [+]
Toll: around 1600 EUR new (incl. 19% VAT), same every bit the 150-600 Sports. Both the Tamron and Sigma 150-600 Gimmicky are much cheaper. But Nikon's own eighty-400mm still costs more 2100 EUR. [-]
Comes with a cheap soft case and a removable tripod-collar. The lens hood is included and reversible for ship, the lens caps are standard Nikon's. The Sigma 150-600 Sports has a much nicer and well padded lens case and the carton of the lens tin exist converted to a conveying box. But you lot can only remove the foot of the tripod-collar. [0]
Altitude data is relayed to the camera, and then the Nikon body can do all the avant-garde exposure-related stuff with this lens. Same with the competition. [+]
Discontinuity ring: no. Same as with all the other alternatives. [0]
Sealing: yes. A prophylactic grommet at the lens-mount and a rubberized front-stop that acts as a seal when the lens-cap is attached. No other measures of sealing are mentioned. Sigma claims its 150-600 Sports to exist a "dust and splash-proof construction". All the same I'd rate the Sealing on the Nikon a [+]
The score in the "features-section" is one[-]/6[0]/6[+]. The minus-point being the loftier cost. All in all there's not much to differentiate Nikon's newest offer from the competition. You may prefer its constant aperture of f5.6 but and then the lens offers a smaller zoom-range and less reach.
A choice of long zooms
Above from left to right: Nikon 80-400mm + 200-500mm, Sigma 150-600mm Sports + Contemporary, Tamron 150-600mm
Here is the angle of view that the Nikon covers with its 2.5x zoom:
Nikon 200-500mm coverage on Nikon D810 (FX) body
In a higher place left: at 200mm, in a higher place right: at 500mm
A 150-600mm zoom like the Sigma 150-600mm "Contemporary" shown below covers a 4x zoom range. It captures a 25% wider vista on the curt cease and reaches 20% farther than the Nikon at the long finish.
Sigma 150-600mm "Contemporary" coverage on Nikon D810 (FX) body
To a higher place left: at 150mm, above right: at 600mm
Yous tin crop 20% into the 500mm shot from the Nikon to go the same bending of view as with the longer zooms at 600mm. This sheds 36% of your pixels, which is equivalent to reducing a 36MP shot on a D810 body to 23MP – which probably is still enough for most purposes. Or you utilize a teleconverter and zoom in to 600mm.
On the brusque end the options are are less user-friendly/realistic: Either you lot step back (in the case of the prototype above you need to get 1km further away) which changes the perspective and in many cases is simply unpractical. Or you do a two-shot panorama at 200mm.
Alternatives:
– Sigma offers a lot of lenses in this category: Their latest is the 150-600mm F5-6,3 DG OS HSM Contemporary (1100 EUR, review coming soon), and then there is the 150-600mm F5-6,3 DG Bone HSM Sports (around 1600 EUR, encounter Gordon's Sigma 150-600mm Sport review). Plus the 150-500mm f/v-half-dozen.three DG Bone HSM (effectually 700 EUR, meet my Sigma 150-500mm f/five-vi.3 review) and the 50-500mm 4.5-6.iii DG APO Bone HSM which has the largest zoom-range of all alternatives and goes for effectually 1000 EUR.
– From Nikon at that place's the AF-Southward 80-400mm f4.v-five.6D ED VRii. Read nigh this lens in my Nikon 80-400mm review.
– From Tamron at that place is the SP 150-600mm F/5-half-dozen.3 Di VC USD A011 (around 800 EUR) and their new 2nd generation SP 150-600mm F/five-6.iii Di VC USD G2 (around 1300 EUR, meet my Tamron 150-600mm review). Plus they have the non-stabilized SP AF 200-500mm F/5-six.iii Di LD [IF] all the same on offer (see my Tamron 200-500mm impressions).
Focus, build quality, and epitome stabilization
Focus accuracy and repeatability is critical to consistently produce sharp shots. Repeatability (the accuracy of focus on the same discipline subsequently repeated focus-conquering) of this lens is very good (measured 97,2% in FoCal) with no outliers over a serial of 40 shots. And there is no performance variation whether the lens focuses from infinity or from a closer distance. At 500mm focal length the lens focuses in around 1 sec from infinity to 5m, which is slow. One reason is that the lens starts searching in the incorrect direction (beyond infinity) before turning around. That happens at focal lengths longer than 300mm and only when the previous focus was close to infinity. At 300mm the lens focuses in about 0.7 sec from infinity to 5m which is good. The lens offers a focus limiter which tin exist set up to "full" or "infinity – 6m" to prevent the AF from hunting in the foreground – but that doesn't prevent the afore-mentioned effect of hunting beyond infinity.
The focus ring has some slack/play between its motility and the focus-activeness and a long throw of 170 degrees. The 29mm wide focus ring is easy to grip and move is very smooth. The zoom-ring is very broad at 69mm and moves easily so it's no wonder the lens is decumbent to creep. Fortunately there's a zoom lock at 200mm to prevent that. But that doesn't help to go along focal-length stable at other settings.
AF-operation is barely audible from the outside, and if you record video with the built-in microphone every focus-movement starts with a slight "click" and the AF-drive is very quiet. The VR-system is about silent both on the outside and when recording video. Shaking the lens produces virtually no noises only the lens hood is not a tight fit and rattles a bit.
The tripod-neckband and mount weighs 208g and looks much sturdier than the flimsy collar of the Nikon eighty-400mm zoom. It tin be completely removed from the lens when you've discrete the lens from the camera. Unfortunately my tests showed that the shutter slap of the D810 notwithstanding introduces unwanted mistiness at shutter speeds around ane/25. And then be careful and utilize electronic first curtain to eliminate this source of shake if you shoot from a tripod.
In general the impression of build quality is that of an upmarket/enthusiast admitting not pro-level lens: A loftier quality metal/plastic structure combined with a conditions sealed metallic lens-mount, and nine rounded discontinuity blades.
To test the effectiveness of the image stabilization I did a series of 100 test-shots hand-held at 500mm focal length. Shutter speeds were from 1/500 of a second down to 1/60 sec. Comparing the shots with VR=ON with a reference sample of 20 shots at ane/500 sec with VR=OFF I tin written report that the VR is good for at least 2 stops of image-stabilization with the number of usable shots at 1/60 (3 stops) all the same pretty high.
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Source: https://www.cameralabs.com/nikon-nikkor-af-s-200-500mm-f5-6e-ed-vr-review/
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