600mm F4

[david_simon]

<p>I am considering a used 600 mm AF f4 but am getting "letter confusion" with all the different variations on the auction site. eg. f4G SWM VRII N M/A ED, AF-S f4 G ED WR AFS, f4 D Ed IF AF-S.<br>

Is there any chart that shows the progression of the lens variations since it was first offered for sale ? And ho wsignifict are the differences between the models.<br>

Also how do the MF models of the f4 compare optically to a AF model. <br>

I would ultimately be using it on a D500 </p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>I have seen manual-focus, AI-S versions of the 600mm/f4, but I don't know how many different ones are out there off the top of my head. Check the link below.<br /> <br /> AF versions started with the AF-I from 1992:</p>

<ul>

<li>600mm/f4 AF-I, 1992, by now, replacement AF-I motor parts maybe difficult to find</li>

<li>600mm/f4 AF-S, 1996, introduced around the same time as the F5</li>

<li>600mm/f4 AF-S II, 2001 version, a bit lighter and focuses closer than the 1996 version, optically essentially the same as the earlier first AF-S version</li>

<li>600mm/f4 AF-S VR, introduced in 2007 along with the D3 and D300, first time with VR</li>

<li>600mm/f4 E FL AF-S VR, latest version introduced last year (2015) and is 3 pounds lighter than the 2007 VR version.</li>

</ul>

<p>Check the D500 manual. I believe not all cross-type AF points will work with those 600mm/f4 lenses.</p>

<p>Also check this link: http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/lenses.html#600</p>

<p>Generally speaking, the newer the version, the better it is and also the more expensive it is. The latest E version with fluorite elements is considerably lighter than its predecessor. At least to me, that is a huge plus.</p>

[paul_k1664875007]

<p>The 600 AF-I, and later version with improved AF-S, were the first versions of the 600mm with AF, built and weight were based on the older manual focus units, and consequently they were big and heavy beasts.</p>

<p>Owned and used the 600 AF-I myself for surf photography for several years, worked like a charm optically and AF speed wise even with a 1.4 TC http://www.pbase.com/paul_k/image/129061055 but lugging it (together with 2 D3's, a 200-400 VR, monopod and other small stuff) around for several miles over a loose sand beach under the burning sun was a back breaking job.</p>

<p>The later AF-SII, and VR models are quite a bit lighter and 'smaller' (still big beasts anyway), and yes, that really is a major plus.</p>

[richard_hammond2]

<p>All of my lenses are AI/AIS so all of the AF "alphabet soup" of the newer lenses is all greek to me. But I can tell you one thing, the 600mm f/4 Nikkor, in all of its versions is a <em>BEAST</em> of a lens but at the same time is a superlative lens from the word go</p>

[scott_murphy5]

<p>Honestly, unless you absolutely HAVE to have AF, in whatever flavor you choose, my ED-IF AIS MF 600mm f/4 is a tremendously sharp lens, though it is not really hand holdable; a monopod is pretty much a must but a tripod with a gimbal head is a fantastic!</p>

<p>But like all AIS, it is built like a <em>tank</em>. There is NO plastic whatsoever on the entire lens and apart from maybe getting some oil on the aperture blades, there is very little that can go wrong with it.</p>

<p>Not bad for a 35 year old lens:<br /><br />http://www.photo.net/photo/18233290&size=lg</p>