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 400mm f2.8G ED VR II for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
Size of a lens is an important deciding factor when comparing two lenses.Nikon 500mm F4E FL ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 387mm. The Nikon 400mm f2.8G ED VR II with a length of 368mm is 19mm shorter. On the other hand, the Nikon 400mm f2.8G ED VR II has a larger diameter of 160mm compared to Nikon 500mm F4E FL ED VR's 140mm diameter.
Weight of a lens is as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Nikon 500mm F4E FL ED VR weighs 3090g, which means it is 1530g (33%) lighter than the Nikon 400mm f2.8G ED VR II which has a weight of 4620g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the 'Telephoto Prime Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Telephoto Prime Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Lens Mounts
Both Nikon 500mm F4E FL ED VR and Nikon 400mm f2.8G ED VR II 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 an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 750mm.
Nikon 400mm f2.8G ED VR II is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 400mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides an 35mm (FF) equivalent of 600mm.