Nikon is Developing an Ultra-Portable 500mm f/5.6 PF VR Lens
Nikon has announced the development of an AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR, an ultra-portable super-telephoto full-frame FX lens.
The portability comes thanks to Nikon’s Phase Fresnel (PF) technology, which was first launched in the 300mm f/4 PF back in 2015.
Including a Phase Fresnel element inside the lens allows it to be both light and compact — fewer lens elements are needed — while reducing chromatic aberration. The downside to using this type of element is that strong light sources can produce colorful ring-shaped flares — Nikon’s solution is a feature called “PF Flare Control” in its Capture NX-D RAW software, which helps reduce these rings.
But the benefits of Phase Fresnel technology are great: Nikon’s 300mm f/4 became the world’s lightest full-frame autofocusing 300mm lens when it was announced, and it was 52% lighter (1.66lb/0.755kg vs 3.17lb/1.44kg) and 30% shorter (5.81in/14.75cm vs 8.76in/22.25cm).
Nikon’s upcoming 500mm will have similar size and weight savings.
“Despite its 500mm focal length, the lens is small and light enough to use hand-held in a wide variety of situations where a photographer must capture unpredictable and fast-moving subjects, including sporting events and wildlife photography,” Nikon says.
Pricing and availability for the upcoming AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR have yet to be announced (the 300mm f/4 PF lens costs $2,000).
Note: The silhouettes in this article are illustrations and are not indicative of what the upcoming Nikon 500mm will look like.
