200-400mm F4 vs 200-500 F5.6

bandit993

Senior Member
What makes the 200-400mm Nikon lens that much better than the 200-500mm lens? I know one is F4, the other F56 but that can't be it... Just wondering.. Anyone used both? Thanks
 

RocketCowboy

Senior Member
What makes the 200-400mm Nikon lens that much better than the 200-500mm lens? I know one is F4, the other F56 but that can't be it... Just wondering.. Anyone used both? Thanks

Better in what way? The 200-400 should have faster AF performance because more light is available to the AF system. Likewise, most lenses are not at their sharpest when shot wide open, so the 200-400 should be sharper at f/5.6 than the 200-500.

Getting that lens to allow more light through typically means there's more expensive glass elements and heavier construction, which also leads to the price delta. I would suspect the 200-400 to also be heavier than the 200-500.

But, if all I have is $1500 to spend on a super-tele ... the 200-500 is the best lens because I can take it home with me.
 

bandit993

Senior Member
I just look at the prices of some of these lenses and wonder how the prices can be justified. In Canada the 200-400 is $8600 and the 200-500 is $1750. Is the 200-400 really $6900 better than the other? Especially image quality. Thanks for you response RocketCowboy.
 

TedG954

Senior Member
If you can tell the quality difference between those two lenses....... you should probably save up for the 200-400/4.

How sharp is sharp and how much do you really need? I find that the 200-500/5.6 is enough for me.


2-25-17 Wako with Nikonites-1-17Small_2606CMA  1-11-17.JPG
 
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jay_dean

Senior Member
I just look at the prices of some of these lenses and wonder how the prices can be justified. In Canada the 200-400 is $8600 and the 200-500 is $1750. Is the 200-400 really $6900 better than the other? Especially image quality. Thanks for you response RocketCowboy.
Pro lens vs a consumer lens, build quality and ability. As a standard side by side shot it'll be difficult to tell, its not until you start pixel peeping you'll notice a difference, whether or not that large extra cost is worth that extra bit of detail is up to you. Its a law of diminishing returns.
 
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