The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 500mm F4E FL ED VR and the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The size of a lens is a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Nikon 500mm F4E FL ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 387mm. The Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR with a length of 268mm, is 119mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 500mm F4E FL ED VR also has a larger diameter of 140mm compared to the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR's 108mm diameter.
The weight of a lens is equally significant as its external dimensions, particularly if you intend to handhold your camera and lens combination for extended periods. Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR weighs 2300g, 25% (790g) lighter than the Nikon 500mm F4E FL ED VR's weight of 3090g.
Filter Threads
The Nikon 500mm F4E FL ED VR has a filter size of 40mm whereas the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR has a 95mm diameter. Larger filters are generally more expensive than the smaller ones given all the other features are equal.
Below are links to the 40mm filters that we recommend you to consider for the Nikon 500mm F4E FL ED VR:
And these are the 95mm filters that we recommend for the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR:
Lens Mounts
Both the Nikon 500mm F4E FL ED VR and the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR has the same Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Nikon F (FX) lenses are Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500.
Focal Range
Nikon 500mm F4E FL ED VR is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 500mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
750mm.
On the other hand, the Nikon 200-500mm F5.6E ED VR has a focal range of 200-500mm and 2.5X zoom ratio . When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 300 - 750mm.
