Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm F4E FL ED VR Review | 54 Data compared

The Digital Camera World review highlights the Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4E FL ED VR as an exceptional, fully pro-grade super-telephoto prime lens that offers significant upgrades over its predecessor. A standout feature is its 25% reduction in weight—shedding 1.25kg to weigh 3.81kg—thanks to the integration of fluorite glass elements near the front of the magnesium alloy shell. This design shift moves the balance away from the front, making handheld shooting much more manageable. Lab tests show that the lens delivers superb image quality with excellent frame-wide sharpness even at f/4, very low chromatic aberration, and practically unnoticeable pincushion distortion (0.47). Performance is bolstered by amazingly rapid autofocus with various auto/manual priority modes and a highly effective Vibration Reduction (VR) system that provides a four-stop advantage, including a "sport" mode for stable action tracking. The evaluation explicitly highlights specific pros and cons regarding this high-end optic. Among the primary advantages, the review lists its superb overall image quality, an extremely fast autofocus drive, and an effective optical VR system. On the downside, the lens is tagged as being very expensive to...

The ePHOTOzine review highlights the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR as a top-tier, significantly lightened (3,810g) super-telephoto lens offering excellent central sharpness from f/4 to f/16, advanced Vibration Reduction, and fast autofocus. While performance is stellar for professional sports and wildlife, the lens carries an extremely high price tag, requires tripod/monopod support for extended use, and exhibits diffraction-limited performance at f/22.

However, the field test highlights several physical and operational cons, primarily centered around its massive footprint and high entry barrier. Weighing 3,810g and extending 620mm from the mount with its massive carbon-fibre hood attached, the lens quickly proves exhausting to shoot handheld for more than a few minutes and realistically requires a monopod for daily use. Small handling inconveniences include a low-frequency whirring noise emitted by the VR unit in quiet environments, and a rotating tripod collar that lacks 90-degree click notches, forcing photographers to briefly look away from the viewfinder to line up physical alignment dots when swapping to portrait orientation. Finally, its massive £14,000 retail valuation heavily restricts direct ownership to working professionals, though high rental deposits offer a slightly more accessible temporary alternative for individual assignments.

Despite its stellar performance, the lens has notable drawbacks, primarily its extreme weight and high cost. Weighing 3,810g, it sheds 1,250g from its predecessor but remains exhausting to carry handheld, making a monopod or tripod absolutely essential for prolonged daily use. Ergonomically, its built-in rotating tripod collar does not notch into place at 90-degree angles, forcing users to briefly look away from the viewfinder to visually align the dots for portrait orientation. Finally, its premium price tag of £9,649 puts it out of reach for casual consumers, restricting ownership mostly to working professionals, though high-end rental options exist for specialized, short-term assignments.

The Life/Nature review highlights the Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4E FL ED VR as a top-tier prime lens designed for serious wildlife and sports photographers. The core pros focus on its significant weight reduction compared to older 600mm variants, dropping to 3.8 kg (8.4 pounds) which allows for brief handheld shooting. Its upgraded Vibration Reduction (VR) system provides remarkable image stabilization, delivering crisp, dead-sharp sample photos of animals even when unmounted. Additionally, the fast f/4 aperture offers strong performance without teleconverters, yielding excellent low-light capabilities and an incredibly thin depth of field with creamy bokeh. The primary con of the lens is its extremely high price tag, which the reviewer compares to the cost of a middle-class automobile. Mechanically, the factory-supplied lens foot is not Arca-Swiss compliant, meaning users must purchase third-party replacements like a Really Right Stuff plate to natively adapt it to gimbal or ball tripod heads. The razor-thin depth of field at close distances (around 1 cm at minimum focus) also requires meticulous alignment and camera calibration via tools like LensAlign to avoid visible front-focusing or back-focusing errors.

The Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4 E FL ED VR lens review specifically tests corner shading under various setups against a blue sky, uncovering a surprising quirk when using teleconverters. As a major pro, the standalone 600mm lens exhibits very smooth, expected light falloff when shot wide open at f/4, which becomes visibly minimal at f/5.6 and can be effortlessly fixed using Adobe Camera RAW (ACR). Furthermore, a significant performance pro is noted for image sharpness, as the reviewer found no difference in clarity between the older and newer generations of hardware. However, the core focus of the review reveals a prominent con: pairing the 600mm lens with the newer Nikon TC-14E III teleconverter creates a harsh, "nasty" vignette. Even after stopping down to f/8 and applying post-processing corrections, tiny dark corners stubbornly remain, forcing photographers to crop their final images to achieve uniform brightness. In a bizarre twist that serves as another definitive con for upgraded gear, the older and less expensive TC-14E II teleconverter vastly outperforms its successor by producing smoother falloff that is easily removed in post-processing, prompting...

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens delivers outstanding professional performance, marked by significant improvements in portability and autofocus capability. Weighing 8.4 lbs, it is nearly 3 pounds lighter than its predecessor, allowing the reviewer to comfortably handhold the lens for short durations. Optical sharpness is highly praised, especially when wide open at f/4 where clarity extends better to the edges than previous models, reaching its sweet spot between f/5.6 and f/11. Chromatic aberration is well-controlled, and the Vibration Reduction (VR) system works effectively for low-speed static shots and video stabilization. Additional physical updates include a redesigned single-piece deep hood that avoids the bulk of the old two-part hood, a thicker and smoother tripod collar, and an improved minimum focus distance of 14.4 feet. However, the lens does present a few minor drawbacks alongside its high financial cost. While the updated tripod collar rotates smoothly, it lacks 90-degree click stops, which would make transitioning between horizontal and vertical orientations easier without looking. The autofocus performance is exceptionally fast, but the lens still occasionally hunts or misses focus...

The Nikon AF-S 600 mm f/4E FL ED VR is a premier, professional super-telephoto lens designed for sports and nature photographers that delivers unmatched optical performance. Built to impeccable standards, the lens boasts lightning-fast auto-focus, incredibly low optical distortion, and innovative features such as a "Sport" Vibration Reduction mode, an AF distance memory preset, and a silent focusing switch to avoid scaring wildlife. Its incredible center-to-corner sharpness and minimal chromatic aberration make it a powerhouse for capturing distant action, such as fast-moving athletes or frame-filling shots of the moon, especially when combined with teleconverters. However, these elite specifications introduce a few significant trade-offs regarding its practicality and accessibility. Weighing in at 3,810 grams and measuring 432mm in length, the lens is exceptionally big and heavy, which can become a physical handicap during fast-paced sports shoots and requires transport via a dedicated hard case. Additionally, its extreme price tag of €12,999 places it far out of reach for casual amateurs, making it an investment solely justified for professional photographers who generate an income from their gear.