I have had mine for a couple of months and I have no complaints whatsoever, only wish I had been in a financial position to have bought one earlier. The 200-500 zoom is a super lens as well but you feel the weight of it when you are lugging it around all day. I certainly appreciate the weight factor plus it is a super lens. I already have the 300PF which is brilliant for dragonfly flight shots. A friend has owned a 500 for the last four months and is well pleased. I agree with Andrea's comment that some people think the lens will turn them into a nature photographer.Seen quite a few for sale recently and wondered are they not as good as first thought?
Hi Mike. I tried to leave a comment on your blog, but failed after a few attempts. Your work is really beautiful. I have a Nikkor 500PF on a D500 but want an FX body with it now. Your work is really encouraging me to go mirrorless.I've had mine since they first were released in November 2018. They were in very short supply for over a year and I was offered $5000 for it at one point. Its an awesome lens and is very sharp as you can see from the pictures on my blog which were nearly all taken with the 500PF. I use it with a Z6 and a Z7 using the FTZ adapter, focusing is very quick with the right settings for the conditions. It's much smaller and lighter than the 500 f/4 and combined with the Z6 and Z7 is light enough to carry around all day without permanently damaging your neck.
Mike's Photographs
My photographs of birds, animals, landscapes, my cats and stuff. Mike Dale Photography http://mikes-photographs.blogspot.com/mikes-photographs.blogspot.com
Russell, I‘ve been using Nikon for a long, long time from the days of the Nikkormat FTn (1970 I think). The D500 is a magnificent camera and I bet it’s great coupled with the 500PF. I only used the 500PF with a D850 and it was really nice but when I got the Z7 I never used the D850 and it just gathered dust. In my opinion the Z7 beats the D850 in every respect, except BIF. You can do BIF with the Z’s but it’s not as good at locking on compared to the D850. The single card slot doesn’t bother me one iota, I only used the second as overflow anyway. The XQD’s are much more robust than SD’s or CF anyway. Either the Z6 or Z7 or better still the II versions take a little getting used to but well worth it I think.Hi Mike. I tried to leave a comment on your blog, but failed after a few attempts. Your work is really beautiful. I have a Nikkor 500PF on a D500 but want an FX body with it now. Your work is really encouraging me to go mirrorless.
Yes, Mike, I agree, the D500 is magnificent. I just feel I'd like the greater field of view with a 500mm lens. I used the 80-400 with the DX cameras and liked that, but I often feel the 500mm focal length often feels too narrow, especially when photographing erratic subjects in flight. I also live in a dull area in northern Japan, and think an FX sensor would give me cleaner results. That said, I'll keep the D500. I just want an FX body too. (I'm bit of a Goldilocks, I'm afraid)Russell, I‘ve been using Nikon for a long, long time from the days of the Nikkormat FTn (1970 I think). The D500 is a magnificent camera and I bet it’s great coupled with the 500PF. I only used the 500PF with a D850 and it was really nice but when I got the Z7 I never used the D850 and it just gathered dust. In my opinion the Z7 beats the D850 in every respect, except BIF. You can do BIF with the Z’s but it’s not as good at locking on compared to the D850. The single card slot doesn’t bother me one iota, I only used the second as overflow anyway. The XQD’s are much more robust than SD’s or CF anyway. Either the Z6 or Z7 or better still the II versions take a little getting used to but well worth it I think.
Hey Russell, FWIW I think the D850 is a magnificent camera as well. After having tried mirrorless with Sony A7R, A7RII and A7RIII and really embraced the mirrorless concept I jumped onto the Nikon Z7 when it first came out and never looked back. I sold all my Sony gear and eventually sold my D850 in favor of a Z6 to compliment the Z7. As I don’t do much in the way of BIF photography I can make do quite well with the Z’s but acknowledge that the D850 is much better for that type of bird photography. The Z series has many features lacking in the equivalent DSLR such as the ability to allow VR on older type lenses without VR built in, even manual focus lenses such as the Zeiss primes.Yes, Mike, I agree, the D500 is magnificent. I just feel I'd like the greater field of view with a 500mm lens. I used the 80-400 with the DX cameras and liked that, but I often feel the 500mm focal length often feels too narrow, especially when photographing erratic subjects in flight. I also live in a dull area in northern Japan, and think an FX sensor would give me cleaner results. That said, I'll keep the D500. I just want an FX body too. (I'm bit of a Goldilocks, I'm afraid)