The type of photography that you are planning to use is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated the Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL 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 a crucial factor to consider when comparing two lenses. Nikon 500mm f4D ED-IF II is the longer of the two lenses at 394mm. The Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II with a length of 52mm, is 342mm shorter. Besides being longer, the Nikon 500mm f4D ED-IF II also has a larger diameter of 140mm compared to the Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II's 63mm 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. Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II weighs 320g, which means it is 3480g (91%) lighter than the Nikon 500mm f4D ED-IF II which has a weight of 3800g.
Filter Threads
Both the Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II and the Nikon 500mm f4D ED-IF II 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 Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL 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.
Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II is also available in Canon EF and Pentax KAF mounts.
Focal Range
Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 SL II is a prime lens with fixed focal lenght of 90mm. When it is mounted on an APS-C sensor camera with 1.5x crop, it provides a 35mm (FF) equivalent of
135mm.
On the other hand, the 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.