Nikon 500mm f/4P question & discussion

[CardBoardBoxProcessor]

I purchased, for the second time, the Nikkon 500 f/4P! I missed my old one, you just don't know what you had till it is gone you know?

Question, is the rear 39mm filter supposed to be installed 24/7? as in part of the optical formula? Will sharpness suffer without? mine only came with the gel filter option.

what are the part si am looking for?

[MFloyd]

Yes. Always a (glass) filter in the rear slot.

[Bill De Jager]

Nikon formerly made the appropriate filters.  They are skinny enough to fit through the filter holder slot when attached to the filter holder (which you should have).  I checked and KEH.com has one of these filters, but it's an ND filter which you probably don't want to use all the time.  Try eBay.

[Roland Vink]

I thought the slot-in filter was optional. Removing the filter may alter the focus point, but the focal length is very long so light passing through will be nearly perpendicular, which means any focus shift will be minimal. Also, because it has ED glass the lens is designed to focus beyond infinity to cope with thermal expansion, which will easily cover any focus shift. Correct me if I am wrong on this. Regardless of whether a filter is in place or not, the filter holder should always be inserted to prevent light and dust entering the lens.

[CardBoardBoxProcessor]

Guy in Japan has the drop in screw version and filter but apparently Japan can't send to US cause of Covid... Darn

Edit. Itself found and bought the threaded holder. Now. What's the name of the glass?

[MILLIREHM]

Shouldn't it be a 39 mm NC screw in Filter for the holder - not an ND?

These lenses came with the built in filter holder and a Gelatine filter holder.The filter thickness should not be too much of a problem otherwise the (thinner) gelatine filters weren't usable and a Gelatine filter holder would not have made sense.

[Matthew Currie]

My wife got one of those some years ago and we still bring it out from time to time, though I find the 200-500 zoom more practical most of the time.

This one, though used from KEH, had all the stuff with it, including the instructions (multi-lingual sheet, could scan language of choice if need be).  In the Using Filters section, it reads: "Always use a filter with the lens.  The slip-in glass filter holder comes mounted with a Nikon L37C filter. A slip-in gelatine filter holder is also supplied with the lens"  In the listing of accessories,  the TC-14B and TC-301 are listed as the preferred teleconverters, and for other filters, it just says "other 39 mm screw-in filters." The filter does screw into the holder.

I've never tried this without the filter, but it sure works well with it.

e.t.a. there is no part number on the filter holders, and no mention of part numbers in the instructions.  But I really doubt whether the filter is optically vital, because neither holder has a direction of installation, and the gelatin filter is plainly asymmetrical. If you have a piece of filter gelatin, I'd try it with and without, and see how it compares when pixel peeping.

[MFloyd]

Page 28 of the 300mm f/2.8 VR II manual:

Slip-in filter holder
Always use a (52mm screw-on) filter. A 52mm Screw-on NC Filter is
Kr attached to the filter holder when shipped from the factory.
a Press down on the slip-in filter holder knob, and turn counterclockwise until the white line on the knob is at a right angle to the axis of the lens.
b Pull the slip-in filter holder from the lens body
c Detach the attached filter from the filter holder.
d Screw a filter onto the side of the filter holder marked with the words “Nikon” and “JAPAN”.
• The slip-in filter holder can be attached either facing lens or camera side without having any effect on your pictures.

I guess it should be the same for the 500 mm.

[MILLIREHM]

I have got a second hand copy of the 500 mm f/4 AF-S version I (so it is 2 hops further with the AF-I version in between). It contains a drop in filter holder with a 52 mm NC (neutral color) screw in filter plus a gelatine filter holder (the modern Superteles are lacking this accessory). Both holders are not coded (unlike the drop-in Polarizers).

My old second hand 400 mm f/3,5 AI-S includes a filter holder for 39 mm screw in filters - an L37C, it is very likely that the 500 mm f/4 P also contained an L37C
The second hand 600 mm f/4 AI-S was lacking the screw - in filter and hat the Gelatine filter holder inserted instead. I never tried to test whether there is a difference.

[Erik Lund]

My second hand 500 mm f/4 Ai-P came with a drop in 39mm L37c filter attached. I also had the pol filter for the lens.

Shot some very nice safari images with it. Lovely lens!

I have several times tested Nikkor telelenses with and without the internal filter in place, super difficult to come with a conclusion so I have always kept it in place


Both L37c and NC types,,, no difference on a DSLR, between those two types, of course

[CardBoardBoxProcessor]

I see that the  TC-301 is recommended. how does a teleconverter like that compared to the modern versions that Nikon has made?

[Steven Paulsen]

I still haven't gotten around to see what a + 1 or 2 in place of the drop in filter might do. The previous owner included a drop in polar slide in.


I really love this lens, though optimum time around home, here is spring and fall. I am at the point where I still can, but really need an extra hand with lugging all the baggage.


It's one of those delights like, "Why did they have to put anything higher than f4 on the darn thing, it's that good."

[Erik Lund]

I see that the  TC-301 is recommended. how does a teleconverter like that compared to the modern versions that Nikon has made?

Bad, or not really 'giving' anything to lens.
Use any of the newer TC-E converters - They work extremely well on this lens, I shot extensively with them on Safari.
Just remove the small tap on the bayonet mount of the TC then all of the Nikkor tele lenses fit nicely and all info from the CPU is tranferred.
Note, for some lenc converter combinations the focal length is not completely correct, but this has no influence on IQ

[CardBoardBoxProcessor]

Do any other hoods work on this?

[Erik Lund]

Do any other hoods work on this?

Yes, all of the '120mm' front diameter ( Does not fit!); AF-S hoods for 200mm f/2, 200-400mm f/4, 300mm f/2.8 - HK-30 is a nice strong carbon fiber tube, very expensive,,,