I’m currently in the Southern Ocean, so these blogs are scheduled in advance. I’ll be back in early December with more adventures to share!

The Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 is an interesting lens. I’ve been keen to try it ever since it was announced, and thanks to the feature by Nikon New Zealand I’ve now had the opportunity to! First things first – this is a serious lens. While it is lighter to hold than the 200-400mm f/4, it’s substantially heavier than the 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6, which is what I’ve been using most recently. Compared to the Tamron 150-600mm f/5.6-6.3, which I tested out a few years back, it’s a much more balanced lens. The Tamron I found very front-heavy, especially racked all the way out to 600mm. By comparison, at 500mm this lens still feels well balanced, with the centre of balance falling just behind the foot of the lens.

I had a similar gripe with the 80-400mm that I do with this lens. The built-in lens foot is awkwardly positioned compared to the zoom ring, and it would be better if it was slightly longer. Either way, I usually end up holding the lens barrel instead of the foot for greater control. I tested this lens out before I left on my subantarctic adventure by taking it down to the lakefront at Rotorua’s Sulphur Point. It’s a great place to catch flying birds – usually Red-billed Gulls, Little pied and black shags, and New Zealand Scaups. So here’s a few examples of photos using the 200-500mm on the Nikon D500. It’s a great combination that gives an effective focal length of 750mm at the long end – which is more than enough for wildlife photography, and perfect for birds.    

The reach of this lens is amazing, and it’s light enough that I can (sometimes) pan fast enough to catch Welcome swallows in flight! Both times I tested this lens out it was extremely windy, so the birds were flying fast. It was great to be able to fill the frame with them, while also being able to hold the lens up for long periods of time. This lens is comfortable to use, although the barrel is quite wide and my tiny hands do cramp up a little if I hold the barrel instead of the foot. It’s not much of an issue, though, because I can easily swap between them. 

Here’s a drawback – and for me it’s a biggie. This lens isn’t weather sealed. I spend a lot of my time in pretty shocking weather conditions, and I rely on my gear being tough enough to handle it. I take precautions like using waterproof covers when the rain really sets in, but I like my gear to be up to a bit of sea-spray and showers on its own. It something that also concerns be about the articulating LCD screen on the back of the D500. 

That said, this lens is pretty damn amazing, especially for the price. It goes for around 2000NZD, which is insane. It’s sharp as hell, easy to handhold, and gives phenomenal reach. Would I buy one? It really depends. It’s a nice tool to have, especially for bird photography. I still see myself using the 80-400mm more, simply for its versatility. I’ll let you know my thoughts once I get back from field-testing this on seabirds in the Southern Ocean – it may prove to be a tool I can’t do without!