Nikon 500PF for Bird Photography - Still Good in 2024? (Photo Edit Friday)

[@SwanSycorax]

Thanks for a great video - good to find another Capture One user doing this stuffr ather than Lightroom!! I used to have the Nikon 500 PF and, yes, it is a fantastic lens and gave me some really great images with super smooth bokeh. However, I sold mine off and now have three Z-mount telephotos - the Z 100-400, the Z 180-600 and the Z800 PF. Of these, my two most used lenses are the 180-600 and the 800. I have used the 100-400 and the 800 for over two years now (which is when I sold my 500PF) and love the quality of images both these lenses give, however there was obviously a big gap between the top end of the 100-400 and the 800. I tried tele-converters but could see the loss of sharpness. I was concerned that the 180-600, not being an S-line lens, represented a drop in quality, however, when I tested one I realised it is actually a really sharp lens and filled the gap perfectly at an extraordinarily good price. Personally I am convinced the 180-600 is made to the same standards as an S-Line lens but that Nikon made a marketing decision to price it at a level to replace the old 200-500 (which i also used to have), knowing this would make it appeal to the massive market clamouring for a versatile, good quality but competitively priced lens. Lets face it, Nikon already have a number of very expensive telephotos aimed at the elite who are prepared to splash out over £10,000 (yes I am in the UK) for powerful f/2.8 / f/4 glass that few of us can afford!!

[@gordonmcintosh3159]

A little too much editing work rather than lens comparison ideas for me. I use the 1.4TC II with my 500PF on my Z's & have very good success so I wonder if you have considered that. Depending on how much you would use the 800PF, that combo will get you close with far less $$ out of your pocket. I have the 180-600 that I use if I don't know what I will be getting into for range but if I do know what I will be shooting I'd use a prime. For distant travel the 100-400 w 1.4TC is what I pack because of size, weight & versatility, plus it is an S line lens which is better quality overall.

[@woodymallory9058]

Love my 500 PF with the D500

[@alanyoungphoto]

Such a great combination!

[@irisotte83]

I've recently sold my 500mm pf... which i really really loved... so it still hurts a bit ;) But did made the choice to buy the 180-600 Zmount and a (second hand) 300m 2.8 f mount to complement it for low light situations. I've not looked back... Love the flexibilty of the zoom (and the quality together with my Z9 still holds up) and the 2.8 for it's bokeh and low light. I don't use both at the same time, but pick the one i will use for that particular situation. I am very happy with my (well-thought-out) decision :).

[@PunjabiGymBeats]

Good decision.

[@junebug1553]

I use the 500mm PF to shoot birds and I love it. I am a small woman and I couldn't take anything heavier, especially when I have to capture a tiny bird way up high in the tree canopy, like warblers. But I love it and use it every single day. Thanks for a great video, very interesting and loved that you took it to post-processing.

[@ljordan203]

I own the 500pf and I think it’s a wonderful lens. It’s a keeper however, I too am considering a longer prime for the frame magnification that only a long prime with a wide aperture can give. Good luck.

[@rossim1918]

Nice video, thanks. Curious , did you film this video at Theler Wetlands?

[@alanyoungphoto]

I’m on the east coast, but Theler Wetlands sounds like a nice place to visit if I’m ever out that way!

[@Narsuitus]

I shoot with a 500mm f/4 IF-ED P Nikkor lens. If I were considering adding another telephoto lens, I would select the 800mm.

[@rdphoto2]

Personally I have been thru these same circumstances. I kept the 500pf and use it with my D500 and Z8. I also own the 180-600 and I use it for when I need range. When I use the 500pf with the Z8 if I want more bird in the frame then I can either crop the Z8 image or switch to DX mode. One of the reasons I bought the Z8 was for the focus system and for its crop ability with such i high MP image. Another reason I got the Z8 is I wanted better video than the D500 could give me. Nice video content. Ron.

[@thebrianking]

Thanks Alan for the sharing. The video is great & help! But I'm curious how does it work with 2x or 1.4x teleconverter? (either the F mount or the Z mount) did you try it?

[@williamchan8866]

I think for small birds the 500pf and 800pf is ideal prime lens combo. Doesn’t mean you need to carry both lens all the time but the 500 is a great scouting lens. Once you found the right spot thats when the 800 goes to work.

[@KungPowEnterFist]

If you are coming from an F 500 PF, I would not recommend the Z 180-600. The IQ is just not at that level. Also, it is heavy and poorly balanced, i.e., front heavy. This is not to say it is a bad lens. It is better than the E 200-600 and any other approximately comparable zoom variation including the RF 200-800. But, its just not at the level of the F 300 PF, F 500 PF, Z 400 f4.5, Z 600 PF, or Z 800 PF. All those lenses are easily superior and it's going to be a big step back.

[@georgk255]

600 PF is a exzellent lens. However only 6.3 apperture. On tripod you can consider 600 f4 TC which is an exzellente as well. I use both of them.

[@alanyoungphoto]

The 600 F4 is definitely a dream lens of mine!

[@KurtisPape]

I'm a Sony shooter but I have thought about these lens options deeply because I considered swapping to Nikon before I got too invested in the e-mount. The 800mm lens will really take you down that serious route because of the price and it offers the most narrow depth of field of all these lenses so the images will look noticeably different with more subject separation where the 600mm PF and 180-600mm have almost the same depth of field as your 500mm PF (cropped to 600mm), so similar 'looking' images, if this doesn't matter to you than the other factors will come into play like flexibility of the zoom. Here are some options: 1. Sell the 500mm PF and get the 600mm PF & 1.4x converter (I feel the 500mm and 600mm are too similar) 2. Keep the 500mm PF, go all out and get the 800mm PF (most expensive option but a dream combo) 3. Keep the 500mm PF and get the 180-600mm lens (It's a strange combo, but it will give you different options depending on how you feel) 4. Screw image quality and options, save money and sell the 500mm PF and get the 180-600mm to use for everything 😅 To conclude, I have the Sony 200-600mm lens and I'm still interested in the new Sigma 500mm F5.6 just for the weight and small size, problem is i'm not sure if I will be able to decide what lens to take out on a given day, having the option between a zoom and a prime still seems like a good idea though.

[@MOTOJendays]

Keep in mind the only camera that competes with Z8/9 from Sony is A1 which cost more than both of them. Not only that, you cannot put a TC on the 500 from Sigma, while you can on the 600/800 pf.

[@nicolassavoye2014]

As-tu essayé le tc14eiii avec les z9 et 500mm pf? La netteté conservée est surprenante.

[@abe3802]

My started to malfunction today. Not foucsing on distance subject and some weird noise when focusing...

[@ryancooper3629]

Send it to Nikon for repair, assuming you didn’t drop or something its probably a minor wear item that can be fixed.

[@williamling9404]

How about the 600 plus the 1.4 telextender?

[@doriangray8007]

Great video! Really helpful post production tips. I had the same dilemma of loving the 500mm PF, but wanted to get another telephoto. I opted to get a new 300mm f2.8 f mount that I was able to get new for about $2700. With all three f mount teleconverters which complement the 500m PF and 300mm f2.8 really well, I thought that would give me some more reach in low light and good flexibility. Really happy with that combo, but the 800mm is really intriguing.

[@earnestlad1872]

One enjoyed the video per se : however one notices the author digresses : is this a 500mm pf review, or is it a consideration of different lens options, or could it be a photoshop tutorial

[@alanyoungphoto]

Yes

[@alexabadi7458]

Try the 600mm f/4, you will love it !

[@alanyoungphoto]

Dream lens, but out of my price range

[@ryancooper3629]

Tbh, I’m not convinced any of these lenses are the right choice. The 180-600 is a downgrade so realistically how often would you ever be choosing it when going out shooting? The 600, as you mentioned amounts to spending $5k to gain very little. The 800 is a great lens but imo almost too much reach. You end up fighting with atmospheric distortion messing with image quality and locking onto a tiny subject at 800mm can be a nightmare when you only have a split second. Imo either consider the 300 2.8 for low light which is an area the 500 pf really struggles OR just keep saving those pennies and pick up a 400 2.8 or 600 f4 in a few years either of which offer a massive meaningful boost.

[@alanyoungphoto]

The 600 f4 is definitely a dream lens for me!

[@akshatkoshti4892]

which app do you use for editing your pictures?

[@alanyoungphoto]

I mostly use Capture One, but I will occasionally use Lightroom. I also use Topaz Photo AI for noise reduction and Photoshop for spot removal.

Get the 600 pf additionally a 1,4TC, then you will have reach and portability. And it will be cheaper than getting the 800, especially if you sell your 500.

[@alanyoungphoto]

This is a very interesting suggestion and it’s one that I will consider! The only hesitation I have is that a 600PF will essentially take the place of my 500PF. I do hear that the Z-mount 1.4tc is better than the F-mount version though…

[@ryancooper3629]

The z mount tc is def better but its also very expensive at twice the price. Tho I never felt the f mount 1.4 tc was bad. The 1.7 and 2.0s really struggled but I am quite happy with the 1.4 generally speaking. I dont think selling the 500 and the. spending double on the 600 set up is worth it. He wont really get any meaningful change and will spend thousands to do it. I’d argue if that is the direction a better choice would be 400 4.5 + 1.4 TC. You are spending less and also have the option of that 4.5 when the sun dips low. Less reach but imo you can do great work at 560mm.

[@clarenceyeung6187]

I upgraded from the 500mm pf to the 600mm pf and am very happy with the decision. The extra 100mm of reach is meaningful and with the tc-14, it gets to 840mm. I frequently had a tc-14 on my 500mm but much less so with 600mm. The bokeh of the 600mm is also better. Lastly, losing the adapter is really nice.

[@davidligon6088]

Easy choice, in my opinion. I shoot Sony, and have a 100-400 and 200-600, and the flexibility is nice, but I am definitely getting a prime for the added IQ. I think you are correct, the 150-600 will provide flexibility, but I am guessing will not improve image quality over cropping your 500PF to 32 megapixel and scaling it up. I also doubt it would provide IQ improvement over putting a 1.4x TC on your 500mm. I think the 800mm will provide significant IQ improvement and allow you to capture compositions at very high quality, you just aren’t able to do now. If I were in your shoes, I would rent the 150-600 and compare the IQ to the 500mm cropped and scaled, and put a 1.4x TC on your 500mm and compare IQ. If the IQ matches or beats your 500mm, I would go for the 150-600 for the added flexibility, and sell your 500mm. If the IQ is not as good, I would get the 800PF.

[@cameraprepper7938]

If I had Nikon DSLR, then the Nikkor 500mm 5.6E PF ED VR will be the best long tele Lens, for Nikon Z cameras there are the excellent Nikkor 400mm 4.5 VR S Lens, the Nikkor 600mm 6.3 VR S is too expensive. For Leica L-mount users (Leica, Panasonic and Sigma camera) and Sony E-mount users there are the excellent new Sigma 500mm 5.6 DG DN OS Sports Lens which a a little bit better than Nikkor 500mm without using fresnel element in the Lens design, so Nikon users can hope for the Sigma 500mm to come for Nikon Z-mount !

[@capturingnaturewithsandip]

Awesome so lovely video

[@pentagramyt417]

I shoot mostly at 900 mm from what I see. But I do a lot of travel to find the birds, it's not like I cover myself in bush since 3:00 AM. Nikon lenses are great but by the fact they are unique - no other manufacturer have these wide choice of lenses - they are very expensive. I bet Sony would also do expensive lenses, but cheaper than Canon and Nikon.

[@vinodsharma1352]

Why don’t you switch to 600 Pf ?

[@ryantang8146]

Love that BGM at the beginning of the clip. I’m still shooting my Z9 with the 500 PF. I think the 600 PF will be better with the stability it provides for video other than that, I can’t justify paying a premium for it when the 500 PF still can deliver.

[@AlexanderYoung-fw9de]

I’ve been late a lot recently

[@antonoat]

Why do you put the subject right in the centre of the frame, it's a really poor composition, these are things that buying no end of camera gear will help with!