Leonard Shepherd

A good starting point :- provided the chosen post or stone has detail where AF should be accurate ;-)

Alone or not, it seems something has happened to either the D850 or the battery. Carefully cleaning the battery contacts, including those in the battery chamber might help. You can check the ...

This depends on the stability of the tripod. Nikon say in latest instructions (300-PF, 200-500) tripod mode VR (engaged automatically with VR on) can reduce camera shake, though depending on ...

As the AF distance is usually constant once focussed prior to a vertical drop AF speed can be less critical than f2 or f1.4 availability.

Coming in late on this thread, are you saying manual focus sometimes stops working? If yes it is a safe bet the lens needs a repair.

;-) Can this lens (either AF or D version) zoom?

No - behind the camera! The camera on a tripod was just above knee height. Had the arrow been 6 inches higher life could have been interesting ;-)

I appreciate the decision is taken and the lens delivered. This aside aerial circus performances are most often photographed with side to side movement. Any lens, including a manual focus one, is ...

In just over 50 years in photography I have had only 1 front element issue. The arrow from a crossbow hit the front element! A filter in place at the time did not prevent damage to the front ...

I would start with something else: the free AF fine tune menu option in the D500 Setup Menu.

If the price of Euro 4,300 includes tax the UK launch price should be around £4,000, falling to around £3,500 at some future time when 15% street discounts become normal. While the weight saving ...

In the UK the 500 f4 is around £8450 including 20% sales tax. Without sales tax it is around £6,800. £6,800 for the f4 makes US $10,000 seem expensive, I have not seen any Nikon announcement on an ...

The focus ring on my copy is smooth throughout the focus range.

If you were using a filter on the front of the lens this can increase the risk of a flare issue similar to the one you posted.

+1. Sample images would help determine if the issue likely involves the lens or is behind the viewfinder.

The 2005 version pre releaser specification listed this version as having nano. My copy has an "N" on the screw on identifier plate. The 2009 released II version is also listed as having Nano plus ...

Nikon have made some lenses with tripod mode VR (mainly long telephotos) for around 15 years. My original version 200-400 and 300 f2.8 VR (pre the II) have it. Nikon Sport mode on some recent ...

Nikon have an NC (probably because they realise using UV is pointless in 2018) at £159 UK street, which equates to about £130 excluding sales tax. Nikon filters seem to have good mounts and have ...

What about those 95mm flat filters Nikon UK (OK NC not UV which Nikon stopped selling about 15 years ago) which is available at about 15% of the street price of the 200-500? The 200-500 has 19 ...

The big cost of an injection mould process is the cost of making the mould. With a relatively low sale volume product prices tend to be higher to help recover the cost of making the injection mould.