Specifications#
- Brand
- Nikon
- Model
- Nikkor AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR
- Lens type
- Telephoto zoom
- Focal length
- 200–500 mm
- Maximum aperture
- f/5.6
- Image circle
- Full frame (36×24 mm)
- Mount(s)
- Nikon F
- Projection
- Rectilinear
- Stabilisation
- Yes (optical)
- Autofocus motor
- silent wave (AF-S)
- Lensfun correction profile
- Yes — distortion/vignetting/TCA
Equivalent focal length on different cameras#
Field of view and depth-of-field equivalence when this lens is used on bodies with different sensor sizes (natively or via an adapter).
| Camera format | At 200 mm | At 316 mm | At 500 mm | Equiv. aperture (DoF) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full frame | 200 mm · 12° | 316 mm · 8° | 500 mm · 5° | f/5.6 |
| APS-C | 300 mm · 8° | 474 mm · 5° | 750 mm · 3° | f/8.4 |
| APS-C (Canon) | 320 mm · 8° | 506 mm · 5° | 800 mm · 3° | f/9.0 |
| Micro Four Thirds | 400 mm · 6° | 632 mm · 4° | 1000 mm · 2° | f/11.2 |
Depth of field & background blur#
Computed on its native Full frame format (CoC 30 µm). “Blur @2 m” is the size of an out-of-focus point at infinity, as a percentage of frame width, with the subject at 2 m — a simple bokeh index. Full table: 200 mm f/5.6 on full frame.
| Focal | Aperture | at 1 m | at 2 m | at 5 m | at 10 m | Hyperfocal | Blur @2 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 mm | f/5.6 | 0.7 cm | 3.0 cm | 20.2 cm | 82.5 cm | 238 m | 11.0% |
| 200 mm | f/8 | 1.0 cm | 4.3 cm | 28.8 cm | 1.18 m | 167 m | 7.7% |
| 316 mm | f/5.6 | 0.2 cm | 1.1 cm | 7.9 cm | 32.6 cm | 595 m | 29.4% |
| 316 mm | f/8 | 0.3 cm | 1.6 cm | 11.3 cm | 46.6 cm | 416 m | 20.6% |
| 500 mm | f/5.6 | — | 0.4 cm | 3.0 cm | 12.8 cm | 1.5 km | 82.7% |
| 500 mm | f/8 | — | 0.6 cm | 4.3 cm | 18.2 cm | 1.0 km | 57.9% |
Handheld & night-sky limits#
NPF assumes typical 20–24 MP sensors (≈6 µm pixels on full frame, ≈3.9 µm on APS-C, ≈3.3 µm on Micro Four Thirds).
| Body | Min. handheld shutter (longest focal) | 500 rule at 200 mm | NPF at 200 mm, f/5.6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full frame | 1/500 s | 2 s | 2 s |
| APS-C | 1/800 s | 2 s | 2 s |
| APS-C (Canon) | 1/800 s | 2 s | 2 s |
| Micro Four Thirds | 1/1000 s | 1 s | 1 s |
Compatible cameras#
Bodies in our database with a native Nikon F mount.
- Nikon D6 2020
- Nikon D780 2020
- Nikon D3500 2018
- Nikon D7500 2017
- Nikon D850 2017
- Nikon D5600 2016
- Nikon D3400 2016
- Nikon D500 2016
- Nikon D5 2016
- Nikon D5500 2015
- Nikon D7200 2015
- Nikon D4S 2014
- Nikon D750 2014
- Nikon D810 2014
- Nikon D3300 2014
- Nikon D7100 2013
- Nikon D5300 2013
- Nikon D610 2013
- Nikon Df 2013
- Nikon D3200 2012
- Nikon D4 2012
- Nikon D5200 2012
- Nikon D600 2012
- Nikon D800 2012
- Nikon D5100 2011
- Nikon D7000 2010
- Nikon D3100 2010
- Nikon D3000 2009
- Nikon D300S 2009
- Nikon D3S 2009
- Nikon D5000 2009
- Nikon D60 2008
- Nikon D3X 2008
- Nikon D700 2008
- Nikon D90 2008
- Nikon D3 2007
- Nikon D300 2007
- Nikon D40x 2007
- Nikon D40 2006
- Nikon D80 2006
Adapt it to other systems#
Similar lenses#
- Nikon Nikkor AF-S 200-400mm f/4G IF-ED VR f/4
- Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM f/5–6.3
- Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C f/5–6.3
- Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD f/5–6.3
- Tamron SP AF 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 (A022) f/5–6.3
- Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C f/5–6.3
- Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C +1.4x ext. f/5–6.3
- Sigma 100-300mm f/4 APO EX DG HSM f/4
- Sigma 100-300mm f/4 APO EX DG HSM + Kenko Teleplus PRO 300 AF 1.4× DGX ext. f/4
- Tamron 100-400mm F/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD A035 f/4.5–6.3
- Nikon Nikkor AF 80-200mm f/2.8 ED f/2.8
- Nikon Nikkor AF 80-200mm f/2.8D ED f/2.8
Frequently asked questions#
Is the Nikon Nikkor AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR full frame?
Yes — it covers the full 36 × 24 mm frame.
What is the Nikon Nikkor AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR equivalent to on APS-C?
On a 1.5× APS-C body it frames like 300–750 mm, and like 320–800 mm on Canon APS-C.
What is the Nikon Nikkor AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR good for?
As a telephoto zoom it suits sport, wildlife, events and compressed landscapes.
Sources & licences#
- Lensfun lens database — CC BY-SA 3.0
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources