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500mm PF is like a elusive unicorn
- Thread starter Allen L
- Start date
shuncheung
Veteran Member
At least in the US, the 500mm PF is difficult to find. I know some people who have been on B&H’s waiting list since September last year (2018) and are still waiting, with no end in sight.
However someone I know just got one from Mike’s Camera in California. They have like over 10 stores between Colorado and California.
If you are in the US, you are better off getting on the list with some smaller store, rather than huge stores such as Adorama and B&H.
Last month a Nikon rep two told me that it takes 7 months to make that large PF element. Not sure he exaggerated or not, but that seems to be the bottleneck. IMO if you need a small super-tele, this is a great lens and worths the wait.
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Jimusny
Senior Member
.. seems if it took 7 months to make one element they would cost 100 grand LOL
kayaker353
Senior Member
Can they only make one at a time?
gatorbill
Well-known member
My 500 PF arrived today :-D
I pre-ordered the lens at Adorama, Amazon, and B&H on September 27.
I received an email from Amazon on December 28 that they were able to get my lens and that I should receive it on January 8 or 9. On Januray 2, I got another email from Amazon saying the lens had shipped with a new estimated delivery date of Monday January 7.
Using UPS tracking, I found out yesterday that they would be delivering the lens today, January 4 which they did.
I still have not heard from Adorama and B&H and cancelled those two pre-orders.
Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 PF ED VR
Nikkor 500mm PF mounted on a D850
I pre-ordered the lens at Adorama, Amazon, and B&H on September 27.
I received an email from Amazon on December 28 that they were able to get my lens and that I should receive it on January 8 or 9. On Januray 2, I got another email from Amazon saying the lens had shipped with a new estimated delivery date of Monday January 7.
Using UPS tracking, I found out yesterday that they would be delivering the lens today, January 4 which they did.
I still have not heard from Adorama and B&H and cancelled those two pre-orders.
Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 PF ED VR
Nikkor 500mm PF mounted on a D850
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shuncheung
Veteran Member
Congratulations.
I know a person who pre-ordered from B&H on September 17, 10 days before you. B&H had just sent another notification on January 2 that the lens is still backordered. Apparently B&H sends one of those notifications every half of a month or so.
A different friend ordered one from ABT Electronics in Illinois. The initial estimate was 4 weeks, but it ended up being 8 weeks. I believe he received his lens about a month ago.
Nikon is shipping those 500mm PF lenses, just fairly slowly. I am not sure exactly how those large PF elements are manufactured. Perhaps that is indeed a slow process.
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Doug Greenberg
Guest
Congratulations. I ordered from Adorama on August 25 and am still waiting. I knew that it would be a while and have told myself that I do not "need" the lens and all good things are worth waiting for. But I WANT it 
. I was hoping to have it in time for a trip to Ecuador in late February. Still possible.
Doug Greenberg, Berkeley, California
. I was hoping to have it in time for a trip to Ecuador in late February. Still possible.Doug Greenberg, Berkeley, California
Entropius
Senior Member
Everyone's talking about Nikon Z.
Meanwhile they have this lens, which they can sell as fast as they make them.
PF lenses are one of the greatest advances in the last few years in photography, at least where it matters. Mirror vs. mirrorless? Meh. A very sharp 300 f/4 that is the size of an 18-35/1.8 and weighs less? That's a big deal.
Meanwhile they have this lens, which they can sell as fast as they make them.
PF lenses are one of the greatest advances in the last few years in photography, at least where it matters. Mirror vs. mirrorless? Meh. A very sharp 300 f/4 that is the size of an 18-35/1.8 and weighs less? That's a big deal.
D
Doug Greenberg
Guest
I think a big reason there is so much buzz about the Z cameras is that the emergence of mirrorless represents a epochal change in camera technology, i.e., in another ten years most people will be using mirrorless and DSLR's will be perceived as a past technology. Also, with the Z cameras Nikon is, at long last, abandoning the venerable F mount, something that was inevitable but did not occur for an amazingly long time (kudos to Nikon for this, IMO).
Yes, the Z cameras themselves are not overwhelming, but neither was Nikon's first autofocus camera, the 2020. It will take a few generations of new mirrorless cameras for the new technology to really surpass the old.
Doug Greenberg, Berkeley, CA.
Yes, the Z cameras themselves are not overwhelming, but neither was Nikon's first autofocus camera, the 2020. It will take a few generations of new mirrorless cameras for the new technology to really surpass the old.
Doug Greenberg, Berkeley, CA.
shuncheung
Veteran Member
While that is technically true, IMO the problem is more like Nikon is unable to make them very fast.
500mm is very long. It is mostly wildlife photographers and perhaps some sports photographers who are interested in this lens, although the 400mm/f2.8 is probably better for most sports, especially indoors or at night. I suppose some paparazzi can take full advantage of a small 500mm/f5.6 also.
The market for something like the Z6 and ever the expensive Z7 is much wider than the niche 500mm PF.
shuncheung
Veteran Member
Doug, please see my message about the 500mm PF.
just Tony
Senior Member
I ordered one from B&H on 8/23/18, the day the lens was officially announced. I have not received it yet. I have called several times to check on it and each time I was told I should get it the next month. The fact that I have not gotten it seems to mean either (1) B&H is getting fewer lenses than they expect, (2) NPS members continue to order the lens and jump to the head of the line, so non-NPS members are not getting to the top of the line, or (3) perhaps B&H is not being entiirely straight in what they have been telling me.
My local dealer, whom I also buy from, got one 500 pf lens in December. At that rate he can probably get me one in April or so.
Agree the lens is likely worth the wait. I like my 300 pf a lot and saw the 500 pf at a workshop last fall.
My local dealer, whom I also buy from, got one 500 pf lens in December. At that rate he can probably get me one in April or so.
Agree the lens is likely worth the wait. I like my 300 pf a lot and saw the 500 pf at a workshop last fall.
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