Review Nikon AF-S 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR

Portable supertele: Nikon AF-S 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR

This powerful AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens is significantly smaller and lighter than other lenses with the same focal length. This is possible due to the use of a Phase Fresnel lens element, as can also be seen with the AF-S NIKKOR 300 mm f/4E PF ED VR lens introduced in 2015. The Phase Fresnel (PF) element was developed by Nikon and offers superior correction of chromatic aberration when combined with an ordinary glass lens element. By using a PF lens element, a remarkably compact and light lens can be realized with fewer lens elements. A compact and portable lens makes shooting easier and therefore extremely suitable for a wide range of different shooting conditions, such as documenting sports events or photographing unpredictable movements of wild animals.

BUILD AND autofocus

The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR is Nikon’s second telephoto lens with Fresnel technology and also the longest in terms of focal length. But with a length of only 237mm, Nikon clearly shows the advantages of using Fresnel lenses. And the weight is also very low, at only 1460 grams. That saves about 15cm and half the weight compared to Nikon’s other 500mm, the 500mm f/4 FL ED VR. That is another stop brighter, but if you have to walk around for a day carrying it, you will really feel it. The lens contains 19 lens elements in 11 groups, and these lens elements have Nikon’s well-known Nano Crystal Coating. The front lens has a fluorine coating so that dirt, grease and moisture cannot easily attach to the glass. Naturally, this lens meets all professional requirements and is well sealed and robustly built. It has a large, rotating tripod base and a filter drawer at the rear, as well as a whole series of switches. The top one has three modes: A/M, M/A and M. This allows you to influence the action of the autofocus or to switch to manual focus. Below it is a switch to limit the autofocus range, and below that, a button for selecting the correct setting for the image stabilization. Still further down is a button with which you can choose between AF-L, Memory Recall and AF-On, and below that, a button for switching the sound signal for the autofocus on and off. And that is certainly a useful function for nature photography. Furthermore, the lens has extra eyes on the tripod collar, so you can carry the camera and lens by the lens. This relieves pressure on the mount and ensures a better balance. The autofocus works accurately and quickly, although that depends on which camera you use. The shortest setting distance is only 3 meters. That is not unusual for these kinds of lenses, but it does limit you in photographing small birds, for example. One meter closer would have been nice.

IMAGE QUALITY

A lens like the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR will probably mostly be used at full aperture. For starters, f/5.6 is of course not super bright, and you need relatively fast shutter speeds to get sharp shots, especially if your subjects move (fast). Furthermore, stopping down with a long focal length like this is of limited use. You do get a little more depth of field, but it never gets the near-to-the-horizon depth of field you can get with wide angle. The image quality at full aperture is therefore what it’s all about with this lens. And we can be brief about that: it’s good. The sharpness is high, in both the center and in the corners. Chromatic aberrations are very low, and that also contributes to the high sharpness.

VIGNETTING, FLARE AND DISTORTION

The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR has little trouble with vignetting. What you need to pay a bit more attention to with a lens with Fresnel technology is backlighting and bokeh. Fresnel elements have the reputation of providing a distinct bokeh that is characterized by rings in the blurry light circles. That is something that this Nikon fortunately does not suffer from. The bokeh can even be called extremely good. Glitters on water in the background become beautiful, soft bokeh balls, with a small gradient towards cat eyes at the sides. 

What you have to be careful about is shots taken straight against the sun. The Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR does not always have problems, but depending on the angle of incidence of light, you can sometimes lose so much contrast that it is no longer possible to get a well-exposed shot. In all the shots we took with the 500mm, this fortunately happened only once.

It is hardly surprising to see that the distortion is extremely low. We don’t expect anything else from a long telephoto with a fixed focus. Overall, the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR delivers an image quality that is in line with the high expectations you may have for a lens like this one.

ConclusiON: REVIEW Nikon AF-S 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR @ Nikon D810

PROS

• Outstanding image quality
• Super light and compact for a 500mm
• Fast, silent AF
• Good image stabilization
• Solidly built

CONS

• “Only” f/5.6
• Loss of contrast with the sun in frame
• Shortest setting distance only 3 meters.