Great details on the pic.

I have owned the non OS model of the Sigma 120-300mm before this, it was big, heavy but produced great images (f/2.8). I was finding I needed more reach and to use a telephoto wasn't worth the quality loss. I knew other people who had the 200-500mm lens and swore by it. Holding the Sigma and Nikon in different hands, it was amazing how light the Nikon was. Since buying it, I have used it in many scenarios (press photography, mainly from behind a police cordon) and it is fantastic, the 5.6 is barely an issue, I used it at night and just rested it on railings and it performed brilliantly, focusing very quickly. You can easily carry this all day, or rest it on its large hood. The VR is amazing and works extremely well meaning even at f/5.6 on a low shutter speed, you'll still get that shot. One of my favourite lenses!

A little heavy but easy to use

I receive my lens yesterday, so I haven't shoot many photos yet. I did took some testing pictures when Amazon deliver my package and I was satisfied with the results. The pictures are clear when you're zooming at 500 mm , autofocus is fast, but I haven't tried it on moving subject yet. It's quite heavy lens so if you carry different lenses when you go for picture safari you 're gonna need an extra case just for this. The pictures that I uploaded I took them this morning. The first is how the moon it's actually look like at 500 mm, the second is the same picture but I cropped it to bring the subject closer. But even when I cropped the picture you still can see many details. I shoot with a NIKON D7500, it fits well with my camera's body, but if your camera's body is smaller like my other NIKON D3300, it will disappear. Overall so far I thing is worth buying this lens, it's a powerful tool, especially for people who are into wild life and nature photography. I will continue shooting and if any updates I will edit my review.

It's a decent telephoto lens for its price point. Well made and works smoothly. The auto-focus is quick; the "Sport" mode is a big plus; IQ is excellent; the VR is a plus and it brings Nikon's quality to a reasonably priced lens. I must admit that I was surprised that its IQ wasn't noticeably better in comparison test of Tamron' 200-500mm and Sigma's 150-600mm telephoto lenses, and that's why it was given three stars in my original review. The highest rating I'd give any lens is four stars since all have negatives. I was disappointed in the sleeve bag; which is nothing more than a thin microfiber material with insufficient padding at the bottom that provides little or no protection to the lens in transporting it. Nikon did itself no favor in including this bag since for a few dollars more it could have included a decent bag that would have afforded protection for the lens.. I shoot with Nikon gear and own only two lenses that aren't Nikon due to the fact that Nikon at that time did not have these lenses. Now that it has produced a 200-500mm lens I would recommend it over the competition. If you buy this lens, buy a well padded bag to go with it.

As another reviewer stated, this lens is a beast. It is big and it is heavy. I had to buy a larger camera bag and it still leaves room for little else in the bag. I shoot mainly sports, baseball and racing, and use the lens on a D3 and a D7100. I bought this lens to try at baseball spring training in Arizona and was not disappointed. On the D7100 in cropped mode it is the equivalent of a 400-1000 and was perfect for baseball. In the past I have used the 80-400 Nikkor and a monopod was a must. Some of the ballparks would not allow a monopod so I was forced to hand hold this beast. I had always thought that VR lenses were kind of "snake oil" but this lens delivered nice crisp sharp images. It would be nice if this lens were a stop or two faster but for the price it can't be beat

The only complaint I have is the joke they pass off as a case. It is a glorified dust cover that offers no protection of any kind. All in all though, I would say Nikon has hit a home run with this lens!

I really like this lens. I already owned 8 Nikon lenses I use with my Nikon D800. All of those lenses are f/2.8 or faster and cover a wide range of focal lengths up to my 70-200mm f/2.8. The cost of longer Nikon glass put them out of reach for me. This 200-500mm f/5.6 lens makes longer focal lengths affordable. The reviews are very good and, after shooting the lens for a month, I couldn't be happier. Focus isn't as fast as my 70-200mm lens but is fast enough for me. If you shoot sports, you would want a lens that focuses faster but that would cost 3 to 4 times the price of the 200-500mm lens. Reviews say this lens can be handheld, even at 500mm. I shot handheld at the Memphis Zoo for over 4 hours with no fatigue. It does help if you have good shooting technique, holding elbows into your body and not trying to support the weight of the lens away from the body.

I'm very happy to have this lens in my camera bag.