Used Nikon 600mm f/4E AF-S Nikkor FL ED VR Lens

2022-07-15T11:19:39

The 600mm f/4E lens failed without warning and cannot autofocus with my DSLR or mirrorless cameras. I suspect that the problem arose when I connected the lens to the FTZ II adapter for the Z9 camera. It has been sitting at the NIkon repair facility for the past two months and I cannot get anyone to tell me when the lens can be repaired as it needs the part for the autofocus mechanism that failed. Evidently threre have been a great many failures of this part as Nikon has had no inventory for months. A warranty has no value when the parts needed are not in stock at Nikon. My $13,000 lens evidently cannot be repaired. Buyer beware.

Bruce S.

Originally posted at

2022-06-07T11:50:55

Good optics but not reliable and I have had to have two of these lenses repaired after only two years of light use. The autofocus system dies without warning and then the lens needs to be shipped to Nikon for repair. With only a 1-year warranty even with USA lenses there is no gain over buying an import lens instead. My second 600mm f/4E has been at Nikon waiting for the necessary parts for its repair for the past 2 months and the Nikon repair service cannot provide a date for when the lens will be repaired and shipped back to me.

Bruce S.

2022-01-10T17:12:04

This lens is nothing short of amazing for wildlife photographers! Having owned the previous model of this lens, I have to say this new version is a much welcome upgrade. The biggest thing you notice is the 3lb weight savings and the balance. If you?re walking or hiking around all day with a tripod every little bit of weight savings is welcomed. Sharpness and focus are lighting fast as to be expected with Nikons super telephotos. I also love the new upgraded single piece lens hood vs the older 2 piece design. This lens lives on my D850 and Gitzo tripod. Throw in a Wimberley Gimbal WH-200 and you have the best wildlife set up ever. Highly recommended to any serious advanced / professional photographer.

JARROD B.

2021-07-01T13:00:52

A beautiful smooth long lens for birding sold my 300VR to get this beast. NO REGRETS. Love it every minute.

Salvador

Originally posted at

2021-02-16T10:01:07

fantastic sharp and fast

KERRY N.

2020-12-06T07:51:36

It's as good as the other reviewers have claimed. I've been shooting with the Nikon 500mm f4 AF-S for years but the contacts started to not work with my teleconverters and with COVID a Nikon repair was going to be very time consuming and I didn't want to wait so I bought this lens. Both are sharp and fast and the added VR was nice to have. The extra reach is nice too and gets exponentially better with each teleconverter (1.4 and 1.7). However when using the 1.7 teleconverter the focusing is slower but that's more on the teleconverter than the lens. Overall, awesome lens.

BRUCE L.

2020-07-19T08:15:16

Excellent lens.Sharp. It is heavy making a tripod necessary for extended use, but well worth it.

ROBERT W.

2020-06-26T08:47:24

If you’re buying this lens then the highest quality is critical to your work. Look no where else than Nikon’s greatest lens. Moving from a 500 f/4g to this lens was a huge step for me and I will never look back.

ANDREW O.

2020-03-13T20:00:00

Ever since i got this lens it produced the results that i was craving for . Compared to my old 400mm 2.8 its lightweight and fast. I use it almost always on my nature trips and with birding.The TC 14EIII complements well and the results are great .With the D5 and D850 i get what i want. Precision and Quality.Fine tuning is a must. The improved minimum focussing distance helps with small birds, you get stunning detail.

Peter Y.

Originally posted at

2019-04-17T09:26:22

This is one incredible Lens! It is sharp with all three Tele converter’s. And of course it’s incredibly sharp without them. I absolutely love this Lens!

PAUL R.

2018-12-05T05:06:52

I am amazed at the clarity and resolution of the images I am getting! I also find it much easier to follow birds in flight because there is no blackout. All the pictures I have submitted were hand held. I'm not going to get into technical issues. The end product tells everything. The combination of this lens and the D500 is working just great for me. Thank you Nikon!

DAVID K.

2018-07-10T08:45:29

I have the Nikon 500mm G, just because at the time I bought it the 600mm G was too heavy. Well, the new 600mm E FL is just a tad lighter than the 500mm G. So, I purchased the 600mm E from Adorama. Price is up there, so if you can afford one of these fine pieces of engineering, and you want a sharp, fast lens, this is it! Love it and it is very well balanced. Mine came with the Nikon drop in polarizer as well as the crystal clear filter drop in but I have not used the Polarizer filter (yet).

DAVID H.

2018-03-21T12:14:32

Big beast but super sharp lens.

WOLFRAM L.

2018-01-29T19:00:00

Just bought this lens two weeks back and still experimenting with this super prime machine. I was able to shoot some of the stunning images of birds. I was shooting handheld and expecting that this lens can do miracles and improve the image qualities if mount it on tripod or mono pod. I love this lens.

Prasad850

Originally posted at

2017-11-11T07:19:24

This lens is 3 lbs. lighter than its predecessor and the weight is better balanced at the foot area and so is much easier to manage and to use hand held. Autofocus is excellent even with the 1.4x teleconverter attached (though not so with the TC-20 teleconverter). The foot has not provision for mounting to a head with a Arca-Swiss type clamp which is amazing for Nikon to continue to ignore. I attached a Wimberley P-50 plate to the foot to resolve the problem. This plate is 6.6 inches long and i needed that length to balance the lens with either a D850 or D500 camera attached. The Really Right Stuff foot is too short at 6.0 inches to be of any use. The new type of case provided by Nikon is another step backwards by them. It looks like an improvement over the trunk case but the reality is that it is cheaply made with cheap latches and it has no top blocking to secure the lens inside only a Velcro strap and it omits the internal compartment for storing a drop in CPL filter for the lens. I will be buying a Pelican case so as to have a way to safely travel with this $ lens. Having had a loaner lens from NPS that was badly misaligned from bouncing in transit I know that this lens does need proper support to keep it in good operating condition.

BRUCE S.

2017-09-18T12:43:26

Very sharp.

GUO L.

2017-08-08T12:42:10

I shot mostly wiidlife. I have been collecting data on and documenting Peregrine Falcon behavior for 16 years. I have always wanted to have this lens for my project. It is fantastic work of photographic technology. It is light enough that I can actually hand hold it, although I would not recommend it for most people. I currently have this lens paired with a D500 and occassionally a D3. I have also used a 1.4 tele-converter with it, while mounted on a tripod with gimbal head. The images I have been capturing are tack sharp. I am very pleased Nikon's advances in lens and camera technology. Thank you Adorama for providing excellent bundle with this new lens.

Will S.

2017-05-31T10:31:32

This lens has met every single expectation I dreamt about for years!!! This is by no means an easy purchase, the price is through the roof and I now have to wait to buy a car but this is worth it! I am professional photographer and guide in Grand Teton And Yellowstone National Park and can't believe I waited so long to get it. The lens is perfectly balanced and light enough for me to do a fair amount of handheld shots, the sharpeness is out of this world! I will never look back or regret this purchase.

Josh m.

2017-04-14T15:01:54

Fast focus and good quality for wildlife love itw

kim n.

2017-02-19T19:00:00

Traded in my 600 G series for this lighter and better balanced lens. It is so noticable from the minute I picked it up with a D5 attached. I can't shoot without a tripod, but travel is that much easier, The optical quality is a step up as well, and focus is faster and quieter. I'm happy with the value I received for the extra $$.

NikonForFun

Originally posted at

2016-08-30T10:39:02

All I can say is unbelievable

sigmon w.

2015-10-07T08:42:23

I feel the lens much lighter comparing to the older 600mm f/4 G although it is only 3 lbs less. I think the new design is more balance instead of the front heavy in the previous model. It was impossible for me to shoot handheld with the older version whereas I can shoot handheld with this new version for a few minutes. I notice the focus speed and accuracy are comparable to the older model. So far my experience with this lens is good. However when shooting with TC 1.4 III, it shows vignette which I cannot remove using either Capture NX-D or Capture NX2. I raised the issue with Nikon support with a couple of sample images taken with D800 at f9 and D4 at f5.6. After about 3 weeks, Nikon engineers said it is within the specification of the design! (I had the older 600mm f/4 G and I never had this problem) and they advised me to stop down and maximize the vignette control in the Capture NX-D software. I don't know if anybody has the same issue but I think either there is a design flaw or I have a bad copy of the lens and/or TC 1.4 III. I post the sample images on the dpreview.com

Ly D.

2015-08-16T20:00:00

After many years of wildlife photography, using the latest 600mm was a delight. The drop in weight over the predecessor is terrific and the results are a better as well. Coupled to the D4S and D810 it tracks moving predators against busy backgrounds with comparative ease compared to previous models.

B C.

Originally posted at

2015-08-11T20:00:00

It goes without saying that Nikon's professional primes are top-tier tools. My guess is that anyone looking to purchase one of the new fluorite models is really asking themselves the question of whether or not the "FL" is worth the additional magnum duffel of cash that must be forked over vs. the previous model(s). The answer is all about weight. If you are a tripod shooter, don't do much air travel with your gear, and seldom pack your prime around then you can save the extra coin. DXO has not reviewed the 600FL or 500FL yet, but it's obvious based on tests of the 400FL that these new designs are about shedding pounds and that optical performance is equivalent. If you are like me, and have been bent into the posture of neanderthal man from lurching around mountainous terrain with a lens roughly equivalent in weight and ergonomics to an adolescent pachyderm...then absolutely you should get the FL version. This 600FL is about 3 pounds lighter than the previous 600/4, 2 pounds lighter than the old 400/2.8, and even weighs 1/5th of a pound less than the outgoing 500/4. It's not just total weight, however, because the new design is much less end heavy and more balanced as a whole. Can you handhold it? Well, I have been handholding the 10-pound 400/2.8 for years so this 8-pound 600 feels dramatically easier to handle in every regard. It's still physically large and requires good technique but since weight has been my #1 sore spot (literally) regarding super telephotos I pre-ordered this lens as soon as I saw the technical specifications. The price hurts but the FL primes are significantly easier to handle, carry, mount on support equipment, handhold, and travel with. If those things are deciding factors for you, it's an investment you won't regret.

Brett

Originally posted at

2015-07-27T20:00:00

I felt in love with the lens right at the minute I lifted it out of the box. Comparing with my existing 600mm f4 G, I felt much lighter and better balance although it is only 3 lbs less. I could not shoot hand held with my existing lens but I could with this lens. The tripod is still needed but at least for some moments I can shoot without it. The focus is extremely fast and the picture quality is outstanding. Nikon removed the VR ring which is good (I sometime forgot to switch it on/off). The foot is lower and has rubber grip which helps to carry the lens around. It would be nice if Nikon makes the foot compatible with the Arca-Swiss plate which I think is pretty much standard these days. The photos below were taken with D4 and 600mm f/4E + TC 1.4 III. They were cropped but no adjustment.

LysacDang

Originally posted at

2015-07-23T20:00:00

I just got the delivery of the lens on 7/23/15. The felt in love with the lens the first time I lifted it up. It's just 3 lbs lighter my current 600 mm but it felt a lot lighter and much more balance. I was not able to hand hold my current 600 mm but I was able to do so with this lens. Tripod is still needed but for some moments I think I can manage to hand hold this lens without much of a problem. I tried to put it in one of my Lowepro backpack meant for carry on when flying and it fits nicely. I then mounted the lens on my D4 with TC-1.4 III and quickly took some test shots without using the tripod. I will do some more testing but so far I'm very please with the lens physically, image quality and the focus speed. The photos I uploaded were cropped but no adjustment. They were taken hand held at 1/1250s, f/5.6, iso 400.

LysacDang

Originally posted at