Review of the Nikon 200-500mm f5.6E AF-s ED VR

This year has seen the release of a number of sports and wildlife lenses from Sigma, Tamron, Canon and now Nikon has joined the rest with the release of their AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR, a lens designed to compete with the likes of Tamron and Sigma on price, but maintain the build quality and optical quality that we expect from Nikon.

The 200-500mm has a few features that we have come to know and love; the Extra-low Dispersion (ED) Glass controls flare as well as it has ever done and the Silent Wave Autofocus (AF-S) system is accurate. The Vibration Reduction (VR) is superb and has now been improved to give a quoted four-and-a-half extra stops of stability with the usual two modes of ‘Normal’ and ‘Sports’ depending on the specific kind of photography sought after. For those who are using the lens on a gimbal head the VR can be turned off entirely. There is however a new feature that has so far only been present on the higher end Nikon lenses; the Electronic Diaphragm (shown as E after the aperture on the lens). This is a relatively new piece of technology for Nikon, having only been present on lenses like the 800mm f/5.6E, 500mm f/4E and the soon to be released AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8E. Whereas Nikon has used a mechanical linkage to stop the aperture blades down in their lenses since 1959 the new blades are stopped down electronically.

This has a number of advantages; the placement of the aperture blades in relation to the lens elements is no longer dictated by the need for a mechanical linkage to the arm in the mirror box on the body, and the lens body itself does not have to incorporate the linkage meaning the lens itself can be smaller. Another advantage is the amount the aperture stops down should be exactly the same on every shot which can sometimes vary fractionally when mounted on something like a D4s running at 11 frames per second. A point worth noting though is that for people using cameras older than around 2007 the body may not be able to stop down the aperture on the lens, meaning all shots will be taken at f/5.6. Nikon have a compatibility chart on their website, and we of course can advise if you are in any doubt.

Construction of the 200-500mm is solid, and it has a reassuring heft when taking it out of the box and mounting it onto the body. With a mostly metal body and a rubber seal around the lens mount to combat dust getting into the mirror box through the lens mount. The lens is not weather sealed, and this helps explain the difference in price between the 200-500mm and the AF-S 80-400mm; the latter being weather sealed through a number of gaskets. The 200-500mm has a huge front element so at 95mm it’s certainly worth considering a UV or a Protection filter however at this size the choices are limited for which to use. The same applies for Polarising filters. As is usually the case with Nikon lenses a lens hood is supplied.

Focusing speed with this lens is fairly brisk with birds being tracked when flying at a constant height without hesitation in decent light (1/500sec @ f/11 ISO 1600) using the 3D Colour Tracking Autofocus, although it did struggle a little to acquire the bird in the first place when focusing from midrange to long range. This was remedied by having the lens pre-focused towards infinity and using the focus limit switch on the lens to limit the amount the lens can hunt for focus (the lens then looks between six metres to infinity). As always with a lens like this a little bit of technique increased the acquisition rate of rapidly moving birds from around 25% to around 75% (though in Nikon’s defence with more practice on the photographer’s part that would have been a lot higher).

Once in focus the images from the 200-500mm were excellent, even wide open. Centre sharpness was high wide open at f/5.6 and stayed sharp even in the corners with marginal drop-off. At f/8 the corners improved fractionally, and at f/11 the corners looked as good as the centre, although it did seem like the image started to degrade marginally when pushed to f/16. Chromatic Aberration was non-existent in the centre and extremely well controlled in the corners to the point of us having to blow up the image to ludicrous sizes to see a hint of it. The sharpness was kept on the images when shot at shutter speeds as slow as 1/160sec for static subjects when used with the VR set to ‘Normal’. Even in overcast conditions the lens showed decent contrast and colour rendition thanks to the Super Intergrated Coating (SIC) which controlled flare well although using the lens hood is recommended.

The VR system is aided by the weight of the lens which at 2.3kg reduces the amount of tiny vibrations that can sometimes affect lenses that are lighter at this length although due to the weight a monopod may be of use to photographers who are in position for long periods of time (for example in a hide). That said the lens at no time felt unbalanced when used with a Nikon D750 without the grip, and when tracking birds in flight the 200-500mm could be swung around without feeling like all of the weight was at the front of the lens; something that other lenses in the past have suffered with as they zoom to their maximum focal length.

Overall this lens performed excellently and I was pleasantly surprised by just how good it was. Whilst the quality of Nikon lenses is always high (Nikon was a company producing optics before they made cameras after all) there was the thought that maybe the lens would be built with the price point being the main concern to compete with the likes of the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG ‘Contemporary’ and the Tamron SP 150-600mm VC Di USD. This has not been the case and Nikon has produced an excellent lens that has made the question of which sports/wildlife lens to buy just a little more complicated. For the Nikon user the choice between the 200-500mm and 80-400mm is relatively clear cut; if speed of target acquisition and weather sealing is needed then the 80-400mm will be the better choice, but at a price. For everything else the 200-500mm will suffice and will perform very well, and even extreme situations like motorsport coming head on should not trouble the lens once it has acquired the subject; something that practice and technique will overcome.

For more information, and to place your order, click here.

Words by James Gilbert; Images by Jordy van Zanten & James Gilbert; Both from our Chelmsford store