Nikon officially releases a super-lightweight and compact 500mm f/5.6 lens, priced at $3,600

While the eyes of the photographic community are all pointed at the new Nikon Z mirrorless system, the company has released another impressive piece of gear. After announcing the development of a super-lightweight and compact 500mm f/5.6 lens, the glass now out and ready for preorders. Let’s take a look at the specs and more photos of the new telephoto lens from Nikon.

Shortly after announcing the development of the new lens, we had the chance to see it “in the wild,” used by a Moscow-based photojournalist Pavel Bednyakov. This is when we saw just how small it is for a 500mm lens. But now that it has been released, we’ve learned more about the lens’ specs.

The lens’ full name is AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR and it’s designed for Nikon full-frame cameras. On crop sensors, it will give a 750mm equivalent focal length. Thanks to a Phase Fresnel (PF) lens element, the new Nikon telephoto lens is significantly smaller in size and weight from other super-telephoto lenses.

The AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR has a maximum diameter of 106 mm and length of 237 mm and weighs 1,460g. For comparison, the weight is almost the same as the AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR, and about half the weight of previous 500mm lenses.

As for the optical performance, Nikon writes that ghosting and flare are effectively suppressed with the adoption of the Nano Crystal Coat. Additionally, optical performance is not compromised with the use of TC-14E III AF-S teleconverter. The lens is also designed to be dust- and drip-resistant, with the fluorine coat on the front element that repels water droplets, grease, and dirt.

Check out the full specs of the AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR:

1. Mount Type: Nikon F-Bayonet
2. Focal Length: 500 mm
3. Maximum Aperture: f/ 5.6
4. Minimum Aperture: f/ 32
5. Format: FX/35mm
6. Maximum Angle of View (DX-format): 3°10′
7. Maximum Angle of View (FX-format): 5°00′
8. Maximum Reproduction Ratio: 0.18x
9. Lens Elements: 19
10. Lens Groups: 11
11. Compatible Format(s): FX,DX
12. VR (Vibration Reduction) Image Stabilization: Yes
13. Diaphragm Blades: 9
14. Distance Information: Yes
15. Nano Crystal Coat: Yes
16. ED Glass Elements: 3
17. Phase Fresnel: 1
18. Fluorine Coat: Yes
19. Super Integrated Coating: Yes
20. Autofocus: Yes
21. AF-S (Silent Wave Motor): Yes
22. Internal Focusing: Yes
23. Minimum Focus Distance: 9.8 ft. (3.0 m) from focal plane
24. Focus Mode: Auto, Manual, Manual/Auto
25. E-type: Yes
26. Filter Size: 95 mm
27. Accepts Filter Type: Screw-on
28. Compatible with Nikon AF-S Teleconverters: Yes (refer to the product manual for details)
29. Approx. Dimensions (Diameter x Length): 4.2  in. (106  mm) x  9.3  in. (237  mm) (Distance from camera lens mount flange, based on CIPA Guidelines)
30. Approx. Weight: 51.2  oz. (1460  g) (Based on CIPA Guidelines)

The AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR will set you back $3,596.95. Compared to the slightly faster AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4E FL ED VR (nearly $10,300), it seems like a pretty good price. The new 500mm f/5.6 is ready for preorders, and it will start shipping in mid-September.