Unboxing the Nikon AF-S 200–500mm f/5.6E ED VR — My Long-Awaited Telephoto Beast

Unboxing the Nikon AF-S 200–500mm f/5.6E ED VR — My Long-Awaited Telephoto Beast

August 2025

After months of wanting this lens, I can finally say it’s here — the Nikon AF-S 200–500mm f/5.6E ED VR.
But oh boy, the road to get here wasn’t exactly smooth.

The First Attempt — Amazon.de and the Month of Delays

Originally, I found a good-condition used one on Amazon.de for €1,054.58. Great deal, right? Well… not so much.
Amazon kept pushing the delivery date back. Delay after delay for an entire month until I finally said f** it* and canceled.
It wasn’t all bad — something else came up that I needed the money for anyway, so the timing worked out.

Round Two — Going New on a Payment Plan

A month later, I decided to go for it again, but this time new, with a payment plan spread over two years.
Final price: €1,526.80.
Yes, it was about €500 more than the used one, but the difference? I had it in my hands three days later.

The Store Experience — Awkward as Always

I picked it up from Foto/C in Copenhagen — a store I’ve visited before and, honestly, never liked.
This time didn’t change my opinion.
The guy who handed me the lens tried to upsell me a UV filter.

“You don’t use a filter? You really should.”
I told him I don’t — I use the hood instead. Some Filter has lose glass and can loosen, trap dust behind the glass, and affect image quality.
Then he told me I must have a “cheap” filter.
When I said I bought it from their store, he quickly backpedaled with a “we don’t talk about that” kind of vibe.
Awkward. Very awkward.
Honestly, the only reason I ordered through them was so I could pick it up the same day instead of waiting for shipping.

The Unboxing

Back home, I wasted zero time getting this lens out of the box. Here’s how it went:

1. The Bag — The store packed the gold Nikon box inside a basic yellow plastic bag. Functional, nothing fancy.
2. The Nikon Gold Box — That unmistakable shiny Nikon packaging with NIKKOR LENS written in bold.
3. Opening Up — Inside: the hood in plastic wrap, a soft drawstring pouch, manuals, and of course, the lens itself.
4. The Lens — Heavy, solid, and ready for action. Zoom and focus rings feel smooth, and all the switches (VR modes, focus limiters) click firmly.
5. The Hood & Pouch — Nikon’s classic petal-shaped hood clicks on tight. The pouch? Soft, basic, but it’ll keep the dust off when stored.
6. Mounted on the D7500 — Once the hood was on and it was mounted to my camera body, the whole setup looked like a proper wildlife rig.
7. Straight Out for Testing — No sitting around admiring it — I grabbed my bag and went out immediately to see what it could do.

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First Impressions

This lens feels like it means business. Solid build, smooth operation, and a reach that already feels like a game-changer compared to my old setup.
The VR modes are easy to access, and I’m especially curious to try “Sport” mode for birds in flight.
And yes — it’s big, but surprisingly manageable for handheld shots.

Next up? I’ll be putting it through its paces with some wildlife sessions to see if it lives up to the hype.