The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S and the Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF 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 AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR is the longer of the two lenses at 237mm. The Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S with a length of 235mm, is 2mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR also has a larger diameter of 106mm compared to the Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S's 104mm 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 400mm F4.5 VR S weighs 1245g, which means it is 215g (14%) lighter than the Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR which has a weight of 1460g.
Filter Threads
Both the Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S and the Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR have the same Filter thread size of 95mm.
Below are links to the 95mm filters that we recommend you to consider for these lenses:
Lens Mounts
The Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S has the Nikon Z lens mount whereas the Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF ED VR has the Nikon F (FX) lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with these mounts are Nikon ZR, Nikon Z5 II and RED Komodo-X 6K Z for the Nikon Z Mount and Nikon D6, Nikon D780 and Nikon D3500 for the Nikon F (FX) Mount.
Focal Range
Nikon 400mm F4.5 VR S 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 a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
600mm.
On the other hand, the Nikon AF-S 500mm F5.6E PF 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.
