The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 600mm f4D ED-IF II and the Nikon 500mm f4D ED-IF II 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 600mm f4D ED-IF II is the longer of the two lenses at 455mm. The Nikon 500mm f4D ED-IF II with a length of 394mm, is 61mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 600mm f4D ED-IF II 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 as important as its external dimensions, especially if you are planning to hand hold your camera and lens combination for longer periods. Nikon 500mm f4D ED-IF II weighs 3800g, 35% (2100g) lighter than the Nikon 600mm f4D ED-IF II's weight of 5900g.
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 600mm f4D ED-IF II and the Nikon 500mm f4D ED-IF 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 600mm f4D ED-IF II 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.
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.