Gear Review: Nikkor 200-500mm F/5.6

Written By Brandon Pasowicz

Product Overview:

The Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR is a versatile, high-performance telephoto zoom lens designed for Nikon DSLR cameras. Offering a great focal length range of 200-500mm, this lens is ideal for wildlife, and sports photography providing photographers with exceptional reach and versatility. The constant f/5.6 aperture ensures consistent performance throughout the zoom range, while the Vibration Reduction (VR) technology helps reduce camera shake, enabling sharper handheld shots, especially at long focal lengths.

Built with extra-low dispersion (ED) glass elements, this lens minimizes chromatic aberration and delivers sharp, clear images with accurate color reproduction, even in challenging conditions. Whether you're capturing fast-moving wildlife or expansive landscapes, the Nikkor 200-500mm offers both excellent image quality and robust performance, making it a reliable tool for both professional photographers and serious enthusiasts.

Key Features:

  • Focal Length: 200-500mm, providing significant zoom reach for distant subjects.

  • Constant f/5.6 Aperture: Ensures consistent light transmission throughout the zoom range.

  • Vibration Reduction (VR): Nikon’s VR II technology helps reduce blur from camera shake, especially in low light or at long focal lengths.

  • ED Glass Elements: Extra-low dispersion elements minimize chromatic aberration, delivering sharp and clear images with high contrast.

  • Silent Wave Motor (SWM): Fast and quiet autofocus performance, perfect for capturing fast-moving subjects like wildlife or sports.

  • Weather-Sealing: Provides some level of protection against dust and moisture for more durability in tough environments.

Performance Metrics:

1. Image Quality

  • Sharpness: The lens provides good sharpness throughout most of the zoom range, with the sharpest results typically found around the 200-300mm range. At the 500mm end, you may notice some softening, particularly at wider apertures, but it's still quite usable, especially when stopped down to f/8.

  • Chromatic Aberration: Thanks to the inclusion of Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass elements, chromatic aberration is well-controlled, with minimal fringing at both ends of the zoom range.

  • Distortion: There is slight barrel distortion at the wide end (200mm) and some pincushion distortion at the long end (500mm), but these issues are generally well controlled and can be easily corrected in post-processing if needed.

2. Autofocus Performance

  • Autofocus Speed: The lens features Nikon’s Silent Wave Motor (SWM), which provides fast, accurate, and quiet autofocus performance. It's suitable for fast-moving subjects like wildlife or sports. The autofocus speed is smooth, and while it may not be as fast as some professional-grade lenses, it’s still highly responsive for most uses.

  • Accuracy: Autofocus accuracy is generally reliable across the zoom range, even when shooting at long distances. It's particularly effective in good lighting conditions, but it may struggle a bit in very low light, like many telephoto lenses.

3. Vibration Reduction (VR)

  • Effectiveness: The lens features Vibration Reduction (VR) technology, which helps compensate for camera shake, especially when shooting handheld at long focal lengths (500mm). Nikon’s VR II system provides up to 4 stops of shake reduction, making it easier to capture sharp images in lower light conditions or at slower shutter speeds. VR performance is excellent for handheld shooting, reducing blur and making it easier to capture sharp photos without a tripod.

4. Build Quality and Handling

  • Weight: At 2.3 kg (5.1 lbs), this lens is relatively lightweight for its class, especially considering its 500mm focal length. While it's not exactly lightweight, it's more manageable than some competing lenses of similar focal lengths.

  • Ergonomics: The lens features a robust, weather-sealed construction that provides durability for outdoor shoots. The zoom ring is smooth, and the lens offers a solid, comfortable grip, but it's quite long, especially at the 500mm end, which may require more effort to handle during extended shooting sessions.

  • Size: The lens is approximately 10.4 inches (26.4 cm) in length when retracted and grows significantly longer at the 500mm focal length. Its size and weight make it less ideal for travel, but it’s perfectly suited for stationary photography like wildlife observation from a distance.

5. Bokeh (Background Blur)

  • Aperture: With a relatively modest f/5.6 aperture, the lens produces a more functional bokeh compared to lenses with wider apertures like f/2.8. While the bokeh is not as creamy or smooth as that of more expensive lenses, it still offers a pleasant background blur, especially when isolating distant subjects.

6. Low Light Performance

  • Aperture: The f/5.6 maximum aperture is a bit limiting in low light conditions, especially when shooting at the longer end of the zoom. To maintain sharpness and detail, you'll often need to use higher ISO values or slower shutter speeds, particularly in dim lighting.

  • VR (Vibration Reduction) helps mitigate this by allowing you to shoot at slower shutter speeds, compensating for the lack of a wider aperture.

7. Close Focusing Distance

  • The close focusing distance of this lens is around 2.2 meters (7.2 feet). While this isn't super close, it’s fairly standard for a telephoto zoom lens. This gives you the flexibility to capture moderately detailed shots of wildlife and distant objects while maintaining sharp focus.

8. Flare and Ghosting

  • Coatings: The lens features Nikon’s Nano Crystal Coat to reduce flare and ghosting, which is particularly important when shooting in challenging lighting conditions (e.g., shooting into the sun). The lens handles these situations reasonably well, and while you might see some flare, it’s generally well-controlled.

9. Price-to-Performance Ratio

  • Affordability: Compared to other 500mm lenses (such as the Nikon 500mm f/4), the Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR offers excellent value for the price. It provides solid performance in a more affordable package, making it an attractive option for hobbyists and semi-professionals who want long reach without the steep cost of prime lenses or more expensive zooms.

Pros:

  • Range - the 200-500mm range really allows you to get up close but back off in those needed situations.

  • Image Quality - The lens delivers sharp images throughout most of the zoom range, with minimal chromatic aberration and good contrast, especially at 200-300mm. It’s a solid performer for the price point.

  • Durability - The lens features a weather-sealed design, making it more durable and capable of withstanding harsh conditions, like rain or dusty environments, which is essential for outdoor shooting.

  • AF Performance - The Silent Wave Motor (SWM) ensures quiet and relatively fast autofocus, which is ideal for wildlife and sports photography where you often need to track fast-moving subjects.

  • Value - Compared to other long-zoom lenses with similar focal lengths (e.g., the Nikon 500mm f/4), the 200-500mm f/5.6 offers excellent value for its price, especially for hobbyists or semi-professionals who need a long reach without breaking the bank.

  • Lightweight for its Class - At 2.3 kg (5.1 lbs), it's lighter than other professional-grade lenses in this range, such as the Nikon 500mm f/4. While still heavy, it's manageable for longer shooting sessions compared to more expensive alternatives.

Cons:

  • Maximum Aperture of f/5.6 - The f/5.6 maximum aperture can be limiting, especially in low-light conditions. You’ll often need to crank up the ISO or use slower shutter speeds, and depth of field may not be as shallow as with faster lenses (e.g., f/2.8 or f/4)

  • Softness at the Long End - While generally sharp, the lens can become a little soft at 500mm, especially at f/5.6. For the sharpest images, it's often recommended to stop down the aperture to f/8. This can be a trade-off when you need to shoot wide open.

  • Unwieldy at 500mm - Though it’s lighter than other telephoto lenses in its class, it still gets unwieldy at 500mm. The lens extends significantly at its longest focal length, making it harder to handle, especially when shooting handheld for extended periods.

  • Slow Autofocus in Low Light - Although the autofocus is generally fast and quiet, in low light situations, the lens can struggle to lock focus, particularly at longer focal lengths. If you primarily shoot in low-light environments, this might be a limitation.

  • Not as Fast as Some Alternatives - Compared to other telephoto zooms or primes (e.g., Nikon 500mm f/4), the f/5.6 aperture means it won’t perform as well in low-light conditions or when you need to achieve faster shutter speeds. This may be a consideration for professional photographers shooting sports or fast-moving wildlife.

  • Not Fully Weather Sealed - though it does have some durability there are some gaps in it. which can make it vulnerable in heavier rains I still try to protect my lens. In humid environments it is subject to fogging up. If you are like me and enjoy aircon while traveling to hot and humid countries you will need to give your lens some time to defog and get to air temperature before taking any photos and sometimes this can be a long time.

Real World Performance:

When I first removed this behemoth of a lens from its packaging my first thought was “how will I lug this around”. At 5 lbs 1.2 oz (2.3 kg) it is one heavy lens. The size of the lens reflects this weight. Every trip I take on it i will always get comments like “that’s a serious camera” and “I would hate to be carrying that around”. With wildlife photography I do a lot of hiking to get to my subjects and the weight is always a burden. It has taken some time to build up the muscle to carry this on longer treks as I like to hike with my camera in hand in case I stumble across something I really

My first photos I was disappointed in I thought I would be able to zoom right in on any animal and get great shots, but no lens will make up for the proper work it takes to be a wildlife photographer which is research, patience, timing, and a whole lot of luck. When I learned that I needed to still get fairly close to my subjects I really realized the value of this lens and how amazing my wildlife portraits began to turn out.

I have found that I almost always shoot all out at 500mm however there have been a few scenarios where I have needed to back off and so I was grateful to have the ability to do this.

Photos I Have Taken:

Final Verdict:

The Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR is a versatile and cost-effective telephoto lens, particularly suited for wildlife, sports, and landscape photography. Its 200-500mm zoom range offers both long reach and flexibility, allowing photographers to capture distant subjects with ease. The lens delivers sharp images with minimal chromatic aberration and good contrast, especially at the lower focal lengths, making it a strong performer for its price. Its weather-sealed design provides added durability, ensuring it can withstand harsh outdoor conditions. The Silent Wave Motor (SWM) offers quiet, fast autofocus, which is especially beneficial for tracking fast-moving subjects.

For its class, the lens is relatively lightweight at 2.3 kg (5.1 lbs), making it more manageable during long shooting sessions compared to other professional-grade lenses. In terms of value, it stands out as an affordable option for photographers who want a long-reach lens without the hefty price tag of more premium models, like the Nikon 500mm f/4.

However, there are some trade-offs. The f/5.6 maximum aperture can be limiting in low-light situations, often requiring higher ISO or slower shutter speeds. The lens can also become a bit soft at 500mm, especially wide open at f/5.6, so stopping down to f/8 is recommended for the sharpest results. While lighter than alternatives, it can become unwieldy at 500mm, particularly for handheld shooting. Additionally, the autofocus may struggle in low light, and the f/5.6 aperture makes it less effective in challenging lighting compared to faster telephoto lenses.

Overall, the Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR is an excellent option for hobbyists or semi-professionals looking for a powerful, versatile telephoto lens without the premium cost, though its limitations in low-light conditions and at the long end of the zoom range are worth considering.

Brandon Pasowicz