Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR Lens !!

MatthewK wrote in post #18988030
My Nikon's first snow. It was a messy, wet snow, more rain than anything, so I was soaked pretty quick, but it's still fun to try and get some interesting shots in the weather. I used a LensCoat Rain cover though, at least my camera kept relatively dry.

Hooded Mergansers looked pretty miserable out on the pond:

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How TOTALLY AWESOME is this?!!!

Lucky you! Easy for me to say, from 60 degree TX. Lol.

This shot is totally KickAzz!

MatthewK wrote in post #18988030
My Nikon's first snow. It was a messy, wet snow, more rain than anything, so I was soaked pretty quick, but it's still fun to try and get some interesting shots in the weather. I used a LensCoat Rain cover though, at least my camera kept relatively dry.

Hooded Mergansers looked pretty miserable out on the pond:

Beautiful.
Your misery is to our benefit.
Always love these photos depicting bird life in inclement weather.
These are precious.

MatthewK wrote in post #18987717
"What about a Nikon mirrorless?" Even if Nikon brings a MILC D500 to market, I'd still have major reservations about giving up the D500 because A) you'd need a FTZ adapter, and B) I don't yet trust mirrorless AF to deliver what the D500 can in the demanding situations that I've put it through. It ain't broke, why mess with a winning formula?

I can't disagree with anything you mention in this post but suggest to not let the FTZ adaptor colour your view of mirrorless in anyway. My Z6 with the FTZ focuses all of my F mount glass as fast as, if not faster than, my old D4 did. I have no issue whatsoever using the adaptor other than the length it adds to a lens when in a bag. I can only imagine how much better a mirroless with D500/D5/D6 level AF would be.

EyeSpyEagle wrote in post #18988072
How TOTALLY AWESOME is this?!!!

Lucky you! Easy for me to say, from 60 degree TX. Lol.

This shot is totally KickAzz!

Appreciate it Phil, thank you!

Being from Wisconsin, I like the cold and snow, up to a certain point. I've got the cold weather gear figured out, aside from gloves: too thick, and you lose dexterity but are warm... more dexterity = freezing fingers. I was nice and warm yesterday, until the rain started soaking through

avondale87 wrote in post #18988118
Beautiful.
Your misery is to our benefit.
Always love these photos depicting bird life in inclement weather.
These are precious.

Thanks, Richard! I try to make it outside whenever it snows, as I just love the atmosphere that a snowfall creates, how everything is quieted down and almost serene. The snow also helps out because it muffles sound and partially conceal movement, giving me an edge when trying to get closer to birds. Problem is, birds like to hunker down in the precipitation, so I don't see as much action. The best time to get out is right after the snow stops, when they emerge to find food, and the scene is still pristine

smythie wrote in post #18988228
I can't disagree with anything you mention in this post but suggest to not let the FTZ adaptor colour your view of mirrorless in anyway. My Z6 with the FTZ focuses all of my F mount glass as fast as, if not faster than, my old D4 did. I have no issue whatsoever using the adaptor other than the length it adds to a lens when in a bag. I can only imagine how much better a mirroless with D500/D5/D6 level AF would be.

You know, you're absolutely right. I've had nothing but success using one w/ my EOS R and EF lenses in terms of performance, in fact all of my EF lenses worked fantastically. My only "issue" (and it's really not a big deal, I hate using the word "issue") is when switching b/w native RF and the adapted EF lenses, it takes a little bit of processing to make sure I'm doing it all correctly; won't be a problem w/ my 500PF though, as it's my only Nikon lens, so no need to juggle the adapter around.

MedicineMan4040 wrote in post #18987583
We've got plenty of lakes here. Some 20+ miles long. Nothing on them except Buffleheads in the middle

Lol.... Buffleheads are as elusive as they are beautiful.

There are a couple ponds in a city here in the DFW metroplex where several come to spend winters. Even though the ponds are small'ish, it's seemingly impossible to get close, as they ALWAYS depart when you begin to inch towards them.

Theresa & I went out to see them Sunday were immediately reacquainted with this trait. Lol!

MatthewK wrote in post #18988030
My Nikon's first snow. It was a messy, wet snow, more rain than anything, so I was soaked pretty quick, but it's still fun to try and get some interesting shots in the weather. I used a LensCoat Rain cover though, at least my camera kept relatively dry.

Hooded Mergansers looked pretty miserable out on the pond:

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forum: Nikon Lenses

Hosted photo: posted by MatthewK in
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forum: Nikon Lenses

Wildlife shots in the snow,. nothing better!

Ya know it's dead when ya come home with photos of where it "would have been great if..." a bird would have just landed here.

MatthewK wrote in post #18987717
The new 1DX3 is announced, and looks to have some fairly innovative and substantial upgrades. No GAS here The huge cost of that thing, coupled with the fact that I'd need a 600 + 1.4 to go with it in order to get my required reach, shuts down any urge to pursue. Been there, done that, too much weight and bulk, which I feel really puts a drag on shooting. I had massive anxiety over parting w/ my 1DX2 and 600 III last year, but now that I'm out from under them, I feel more free than ever. It's very reassuring to know that I can carry this Nikon 500 setup anywhere, and get better shots while enjoying my photography more, than I did with the top of the line professional gear.

My gear lust in this arena has totally been extinguished, and I can say with great certainty that the Nikon D500 + 500PF will be the last camera/lens that I buy for a long time*.

"Well, what if XXXX came out with XXXX, would that tempt you???"

I can say that the only thing that would tempt me to give up this Nikon kit is if a unicorn miraculously came into existence: a modern Canon APSC camera (ML or otherwise) w/ 1DX3-esque AF + a 500mm f/4 DO. I don't foresee this happening, but even if it did, I'd need to ask myself how much more weight would this rig introduce, and at what cost compared to my Nikon. Thankfully, Canon won't release a 500 DO or a D500-level APSC camera in the foreseeable future, and I'd be quite surprised if Sony released a 500 PF/DO lens. When it comes down to it, no one is even close to what Nikon has done with this 500PF, and I think I'm safe from GAS for years to come.

"What about a Nikon mirrorless?" Even if Nikon brings a MILC D500 to market, I'd still have major reservations about giving up the D500 because A) you'd need a FTZ adapter, and B) I don't yet trust mirrorless AF to deliver what the D500 can in the demanding situations that I've put it through. It ain't broke, why mess with a winning formula?

So, in closing, while there are definitely cameras out there that best the D500 in resolution/AF/IQ, and lenses that are sharper/longer than the 500PF, none of them in combination can match what we have with the Nikon setup now, and I can't see anything coming down the pike that will challenge it.

** (for my birding, anyway )

Never heard it put better....and that's from me a Sony guy

A good resolve! Gear lust can only be a burden.
You do forget one lens though that might be worth an upgrade or addition to your 500PF: the rumoured Nikkor 600mm f5.6 PF. That would be my ideal birding lens.
Myself, I am now on my way to Nikon. I bought the 400DOII almost a year ago still firmly convinced that Canon would bring a7DIII. I no longer believe that, and am not a fan of a 32,5 1.6x crop sensor anyway.
This thread certainly helped in making my mind up.

MatthewK wrote in post #18987717
The new 1DX3 is announced, and looks to have some fairly innovative and substantial upgrades. No GAS here The huge cost of that thing, coupled with the fact that I'd need a 600 + 1.4 to go with it in order to get my required reach, shuts down any urge to pursue. Been there, done that, too much weight and bulk, which I feel really puts a drag on shooting. I had massive anxiety over parting w/ my 1DX2 and 600 III last year, but now that I'm out from under them, I feel more free than ever. It's very reassuring to know that I can carry this Nikon 500 setup anywhere, and get better shots while enjoying my photography more, than I did with the top of the line professional gear.

My gear lust in this arena has totally been extinguished, and I can say with great certainty that the Nikon D500 + 500PF will be the last camera/lens that I buy for a long time*.

"Well, what if XXXX came out with XXXX, would that tempt you???"

I can say that the only thing that would tempt me to give up this Nikon kit is if a unicorn miraculously came into existence: a modern Canon APSC camera (ML or otherwise) w/ 1DX3-esque AF + a 500mm f/4 DO. I don't foresee this happening, but even if it did, I'd need to ask myself how much more weight would this rig introduce, and at what cost compared to my Nikon. Thankfully, Canon won't release a 500 DO or a D500-level APSC camera in the foreseeable future, and I'd be quite surprised if Sony released a 500 PF/DO lens. When it comes down to it, no one is even close to what Nikon has done with this 500PF, and I think I'm safe from GAS for years to come.

"What about a Nikon mirrorless?" Even if Nikon brings a MILC D500 to market, I'd still have major reservations about giving up the D500 because A) you'd need a FTZ adapter, and B) I don't yet trust mirrorless AF to deliver what the D500 can in the demanding situations that I've put it through. It ain't broke, why mess with a winning formula?

So, in closing, while there are definitely cameras out there that best the D500 in resolution/AF/IQ, and lenses that are sharper/longer than the 500PF, none of them in combination can match what we have with the Nikon setup now, and I can't see anything coming down the pike that will challenge it.

** (for my birding, anyway )

EyeSpyEagle wrote in post #18989245
Ya know it's dead when ya come home with photos of where it "would have been great if..." a bird would have just landed here.

Only ALL of the time you see such glorious light, and try to will a bird to land there, just for you, annnnnnnnd it never happens LOL I call these "detail" photos, shots that add to your "portfolio" that show the landscape and environment you shoot in. Usually I grab detail shots when the birds aren't being cooperative!

Chris1966 wrote in post #18989416
A good resolve! Gear lust can only be a burden.
You do forget one lens though that might be worth an upgrade or addition to your 500PF: the rumoured Nikkor 600mm f5.6 PF. That would be my ideal birding lens.
Myself, I am now on my way to Nikon. I bought the 400DOII almost a year ago still firmly convinced that Canon would bring a7DIII. I no longer believe that, and am not a fan of a 32,5 1.6x crop sensor anyway.
This thread certainly helped in making my mind up.

Chris, I've been rather touch and go here as of late, and have been meaning to get back your PM. It'll be awesome to hear your impressions once you arrive here on the Dark Side

Luckily for how I shoot, I've found 500mm on a crop sensor to be right where I want to be in terms of focal length. For me, 600mm is either too short on a FF, or way too long on a crop sensor. On FF, with my 600 f/4 required a 1.4TC, but then I'm losing a stop of light and adding to the already massive bulk. A 600 f/5.6 PF would still require that 1.4 extender if used w/ a D850, and then I'm at f/8, and on the D500 @ 900mm, that's a little more reach than I require. 600mm on the Canon 90D was waaaaaaay more reach than I could handle, the narrow field of view started to hinder my shooting.

While I'm doing great w/ the 750mm I get on the D500 + 500PF, I could use a tad more reach, and that's why a 500mm on a Canon 1.6 APSC would be perfect @ 800mm. The 500 f/4 II is a gorgeous lens, but too big and expensive; a 500 f/4 DO paired with the 90D would be my dream setup now.

MedicineMan4040 wrote in post #18989323
Never heard it put better....and that's from me a Sony guy

Sony has it going on w/ the 200-600 though. How are you liking it compared to your Nikon setup?

If only Sony would bring out a mini-A9 crop camera to use w/ the 200-600. That'll be a force to be reckoned with.

These are impressive Phil!

Well said Matthew!
Will wait for the Nikon 600mm PF,and then I,ll unload my canon 600mm,and 400mm DO,1dx,etc...….
Very happy with this combo.

Been awhile and catching up!
Still love this combo,although haven't been out with it much lately.A red-breasted merganser,and a rare visitor to our neck of the woods.A Northern Hawk owl.went x2,first time lugging the 5dmk4,600mm prime,and had to shake my head at my own stupidity.Got great shots,but not any better than this one taken with the Nikon combo.He had just caught a field mouse!

mandokid1 wrote in post #18989589
These are impressive Phil!

Thanks Denis. Great to "see ya"!

mandokid1 wrote in post #18989598
Been awhile and catching up!
Still love this combo,although haven't been out with it much lately.A red-breasted merganser,and a rare visitor to our neck of the woods.A Northern Hawk owl.went x2,first time lugging the 5dmk4,600mm prime,and had to shake my head at my own stupidity.Got great shots,but not any better than this one taken with the Nikon combo.He had just caught a field mouse!

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What a treat that must have been.

Very nice work.

It's kinda nice to get a (not so)subtle reminder of just how nice & maneuverable the 500PF is, by virtue of comparison. I did something similar last weekend, taking out the 600F4. Think I'm getting soft - I need a wagon or kart to haul that sucker with! LOL!