Nikon AF-S 200–500mm f/5.6E ED VR

Is there any pattern to the age of these lenses exhibiting this problem?

Sorry for the late reply gramps we have been away for a few days, I've not noticed a pattern on the age when I've read the reports, but the majority stick at 400mm :)
 
I've not noticed a pattern on the age when I've read the reports

What was the pattern? Older, more likely to stick - later models not sticking?
 

Were they earlier versions of the lens or later editions.... I have a very early model which had to be checked for a F/W revision.

Just wondered if earlier or later editions were prone to sticking - which is what I thought you meant by "pattern". If not, what do you mean by pattern?
 
I've not noticed a pattern on the age when I've read the reports

Sorry Barry I did say I'd not noticed a pattern on the age that's why I was confused, I think you may have misread or misinterpreted it (y)
 
Sorry Barry I did say I'd not noticed a pattern on the age that's why I was confused, I think you may have misread or misinterpreted it (y)

Not to worry - I think I jumbled up some thinking by not reading bits of this thread again.
 
Just bought one of these from Phil-D yesterday, very impressed so far but yet to test in anger so to speak which will be at YWP next weekend.I don't expect it to be better than my current 300mm f/4 + tc and 70-200mm f/4 on 2 bodies but it will be much more versatile using a single body.
I thought I'd have a quick test with the Nikon 1.4tc although it's rare I will use it it's nice to know it's a usable combination.

200-500 1.4tc test 2 by Scott, on Flickr

200-500 1.4tc test 1 by Scott, on Flickr
 
Thinking of getting this lens for rugby to go with my 70-200. Have seen a like new one for £979. Sigma 150-600 sport still on my mind also though

Constant f5.6 could be an advantage with the 200-500. :)
 
I thought I'd better update the progress of my 200-500mm after I sent it back to Nikon, as you know I received and accepted my quote on the 05-09-18, the status then changed to awaiting repair, it was still at this status until the 02-10-18 when I got an email saying my lens was ready for despatch and telling me where to make payment, I made the payment by PayPal the same day and received my lens back by DPD on the 04-10-18, so 29 days for the turn around, with no chasing Nikon up at any stage, but I must admit it did seem twice that long I was without the lens, now to wait for some better weather to give it a proper test, that could take more than 29 days lol:)
 
I thought I'd better update the progress of my 200-500mm after I sent it back to Nikon, as you know I received and accepted my quote on the 05-09-18, the status then changed to awaiting repair, it was still at this status until the 02-10-18 when I got an email saying my lens was ready for despatch and telling me where to make payment, I made the payment by PayPal the same day and received my lens back by DPD on the 04-10-18, so 29 days for the turn around, with no chasing Nikon up at any stage, but I must admit it did seem twice that long I was without the lens, now to wait for some better weather to give it a proper test, that could take more than 29 days lol:)

Glad you got it back okay and hope it is better than new!
29 days is still too long IMHO ... my D500 was over 40 days so at least you didn't have to wait that long. :)
 
hope it is better than new!
It could well be gramps unfortunatly it will still have the same idiot on the end of it lol :D

I did manage to get out with it today,I've not re-calibrated it for the body since it came back and it seems fine, funnily enough I've missed it more for it's close up capabilities than the reach :)




 
Just seen the Panamoz page. Very tempting. Have you used them before?

i got my d500 + 16-80 from them. Received in 3 days, there was an issue with the lens which i sent them photos of on Saturday morning and the replacement arrived on Tuesday morning. Excellent service
 
Well my 200-500mm is still away at Nikon after the zoom got stuck for no apparent reason. Latest I heard a couple of weeks ago was that they were replacing part of the barrel. Not sure what to do when it comes back - I assume it may come back better than new as they probably calibrate and check everything?? I got drunk and bought a 200-400 one night and I'm loving that. I will probably compare them side by side and maybe keep the 200-500 for longer walks or flying away..
 
Well my 200-500mm is still away at Nikon after the zoom got stuck for no apparent reason. Latest I heard a couple of weeks ago was that they were replacing part of the barrel. Not sure what to do when it comes back - I assume it may come back better than new as they probably calibrate and check everything?? I got drunk and bought a 200-400 one night and I'm loving that. I will probably compare them side by side and maybe keep the 200-500 for longer walks or flying away..

I had a 200-400 and hated it (Mk 1) the 200-500 is much better in every respect for me. :)
 
I had a 200-400 and hated it (Mk 1) the 200-500 is much better in every respect for me. :)

I love the 200-500 too, I also borrowed a 200-400 mk1 but didn’t like it so much as the mk2.
Oddly enough, an hour after I posted - the 200-500 has just arrived back from Nikon!
 
Well, disaster struck today! :(
Having finished photographing a small group of Common Snipe I decided to pack up and put my 200-500 onto the hide shelf while I did so.
Done it many times before but this time something caused it to move and it crashed down onto the concrete floor ... silly boy!
It landed on the hood, which took the shock of the fall and cracked but came off resulting in scuff damage to the plastic front edge of the lens.
Fortunately I took out accidental damage protection when I bought it from John Lewis so it's covered without raiding the house insurance but I will be lost without it while it's being repaired. :(
 
Sorry to hear that Gramps. At least you had the insurance.
 
Ouch not good Gramps I bet you do miss it.
I am looking forward to getting to finally try mine out tomorrow :)
 
Sorry to hijack the thread - what was wrong with the 2-400?
It was prone to ghosting and really, really poor focus at maximum range ... Thom Hogan and others make mention of this : http://www.dslrbodies.com/lenses/ni...om-lens-reviews/nikon-200-400mm-f4g-af-s.html

Sharpness: Here's where the lens baffled me. The short story is this: at close distances, the lens dazzled me with as-good-as-it-gets acuity. At long distances, not so much. I first noticed this in Denali. My shots at a beaver pond where I was able to set up in the bush quite close were superb—every hair on the beaver's back was distinct. But my shots of grizzlies, taken at an obviously longer distance, didn't show the same clarity. 30 feet (10m) and in, I loved the lens. 300 feet (100m) and out, I hated the lens. In between, well, sometimes I liked it, sometimes I didn't.

For a long time I thought this might be a camera or focus issue, as I noted in the preface to this section. Maybe my camera was not locking focus quite right at distances, or maybe the detail was getting lost due to small issues with camera movement or VR. Maybe it was heat waves interferring. I actually had my camera (D2x at the time I first noticed the problem) checked for focus issues. None detected. Curiously, I saw slightly different aspects to close/far focus performance on different cameras. The D2x was a worse offender than the D2h.

This pattern has repeated and gotten more reliably seen as the sensor resolution has gone up. I wouldn’t be happy with the 200-400mm f/4 on a D810 at long distances.

... e continues this theme for a bit. :)
 
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