where there’s smoke there’s fire

Andy Nguyen (website | flickr | facebook) compares the $1,396.95 Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6E zoom lens to the $10,296.95 Nikkor 500mm f/4E prime lens:

I know from comments on various photography forums that there’s a lot of people wanting to know if the new Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 can live up to the hype, and how it measures up to the “big brother” prime versions.

We all know that the 200-500mm zoom lens is just a fraction of the price of the prime (about 20%), and weighs about half of it. But what many don’t know is what kind of IQ (image quality) does it produce, and how it will perform at various apertures, compared to the 500mm f/4 – the previously “go-to” lens for many wildlife photographers.

Since I have both lenses in my closet, I thought I would make a direct comparison. My method is as follows. I use the same body for all shots in this test – Nikon D4S – and I shoot in Manual mode, keeping all settings constant between the two lenses. I chose a ‘typical’ distance (similar to an average distance to your subject when you shoot birds), which is around 100 ft. After shooting one lens at various settings, I switch lens and shoot it using those exact same settings again.

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