The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR and the Nikon 500mm F4E FL ED VR for their suitability to various photography scenarios:
Size and Weight Comparison
The 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 AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR with a length of 237mm, is 150mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 500mm F4E FL ED VR also has a larger diameter of 140mm compared to the Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR's 61mm diameter.
The 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 AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR weighs 1460g, which means it is 1630g (52%) lighter than the Nikon 500mm F4E FL ED VR which has a weight of 3090g.
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 the Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR and the Nikon 500mm F4E FL 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
Both lenses have the same focal range of 500mm but while Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR has the fastest aperture of F5.6, the Nikon 500mm F4E FL ED VR's widest aperture value is F4.0.