The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 500mm f4D ED-IF II and the Nikon 600mm f4G 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 600mm f4G ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 445mm. The Nikon 500mm f4D ED-IF II with a length of 394mm, is 51mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 600mm f4G ED VR also has a larger diameter of 166mm compared to the Nikon 500mm f4D ED-IF II's 140mm 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 500mm f4D ED-IF II weighs 3800g, which means it is 1260g (24%) lighter than the Nikon 600mm f4G ED VR which has a weight of 5060g.
Below you can find the dimension and weight table of the Telephoto Prime Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for size comparison purposes.
Super Telephoto Lenses in Nikon F (FX) Mount for Size Comparison
Filter Threads
Both the Nikon 500mm f4D ED-IF II and the Nikon 600mm f4G ED VR have the same Filter thread size of 52mm.
Below are links to the 52mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
Both the Nikon 500mm f4D ED-IF II and the Nikon 600mm f4G 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 f4D ED-IF II 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 600mm f4G ED VR is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 600mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of 900mm.