Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR vs Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ

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AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR compared with NIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ

	NikonAF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR	NikonNIKKOR Z 28-135mm f/4 PZ
Overview
Released
Released	September 2018	April 2025
Optics
Lens type
Lens type	Prime	Zoom
Focal length
Focal length	500 mm	28–135 mm
Maximum aperture
Maximum aperture	f/5.6	f/4
Minimum aperture
Minimum aperture	f/32	f/22
Optical construction
Optical construction	19 elements in 11 groups	18 elements in 13 groups
Special elements
Special elements	Three ED glass elements and one Phase Fresnel element	Three ED elements, one aspherical ED element and four aspherical elements
Coatings
Coatings	Nano Crystal Coat and fluorine coating on the front lens surface	Meso Amorphous Coat and fluorine coating on the front element
Aperture detail
Aperture detail	Electromagnetic E-type automatic diaphragm	–
Diaphragm
Diaphragm	Nine rounded blades	Nine rounded blades
Angle of view
Angle of view	FX 5°; DX 3°10′	FX 75° to 18°10′; DX 53° to 12°
Mount and compatibility
Mounts
Mounts	Nikon F mount	Nikon Z mount
Image circle
Image circle	Full frame	Full frame
Compatibility
Compatibility	Nikon F mount with FX coverage, also usable on DX; Nikon warns that some cameras impose E-type lens restrictions. Nikon USA confirms Z6 and Z7 use with the FTZ mount adapter	–
Teleconverter support
Teleconverter support	Nikon confirms compatibility with the AF-S TELECONVERTER TC-14E III	–
Focus and stabilisation
Autofocus
Autofocus	Yes	Yes
Minimum focus distance
Minimum focus distance	3 m	0.34 m
Maximum magnification
Maximum magnification	0.18×	0.25×
Optical stabilisation
Optical stabilisation	Yes	No
Autofocus detail
Autofocus detail	Nikon internal focusing with an ultrasonic motor; manual focus possible	Stepping motor autofocus and internal focusing
Focus distance detail
Focus distance detail	Minimum 3 m from the focal plane; focus limiter selects the full range or infinity–8 m	Minimum focal-plane distances of 0.34 m at 28, 35 and 50 mm; 0.39 m at 70 mm; 0.43 m at 85 mm; 0.49 m at 105 mm; 0.57 m at 135 mm
Magnification detail
Magnification detail	–	Maximum reproduction ratio 0.25× at 55–135 mm
Stabilisation detail
Stabilisation detail	Four stops under CIPA testing in Normal mode on a full-frame/FX DSLR; Normal and Sport modes, with tripod vibration reduction supported	No optical VR, confirmed by Digital Camera World; camera stabilisation depends on the body
Video features
Video features	–	Focus-breathing suppression, linear manual-focus support and power zoom; Hi-Res Zoom synchronisation requires a supported camera and suitable firmware
Design
Dust and moisture resistant
Dust and moisture resistant	Yes	Yes
Filter diameter
Filter diameter	95 mm	95 mm
Maximum diameter
Maximum diameter	106 mm	105 mm
Length
Length	237 mm	177.5 mm
Weight
Weight	1,460 g	1,210 g (better)
Controls
Controls	Focus ring, focus-mode switch, focus limiter and VR switch; Photography Blog identifies focus-function buttons and memory recall	Zoom rocker, electronically coupled zoom and focus rings, customisable control ring, two L-Fn buttons and A–M switch; no mechanically driven manual zoom ring
Zoom design
Zoom design	–	Internal power zoom with eleven selectable speeds on compatible cameras; adjustable zoom-ring direction and rotation angle, with firmware and camera compatibility requirements
Filter detail
Filter detail	95 mm screw-in filters; 1.0 mm thread pitch	95 mm screw-in filter thread; HB-116 rectangular hood has a filter adjustment window
Weather resistance
Weather resistance	Nikon specifies dust- and drip-resistant construction with seals at moving barrel parts and other locations; fluorine coating helps repel dirt and water on the front lens surface	Maker dust and drip-resistant design; protection is not guaranteed in every condition
Dimensions detail
Dimensions detail	Approximately 106 mm maximum diameter × 237 mm length from the lens mount flange	Approximately 105 mm maximum diameter × 177.5 mm from the mount flange
Weight detail
Weight detail	Approximately 1,460 g	Approximately 1,210 g including tripod collar, used in the main specifications; approximately 1,120 g without it
Tripod mount
Tripod mount	Rotating tripod collar; Photography Blog describes the locking knob for switching between horizontal and vertical orientation	Tripod collar with removable foot
Lens hood
Lens hood	HB-84 bayonet hood included	–
In the box
In the box	LC-95 front cap, LF-4 rear cap, HB-84 hood and CL-M5 lens case	LC-95B front cap, LF-N1 rear cap, HB-116 hood and CL-C5 case
Release detail
Release detail	Nikon USA announced availability on 13 September 2018; Nikon Japan records sale on 14 September 2018	Nikon USA specified April 2025 retail availability; the February announcement date is not used as the on-sale date