In article <3122E7B0.5F97@westworld.com>, lannyt@westworld.com says...
(most deleted)
>I owned that same Nikon 500 mm f8 many years ago, but never could get
>used to the soft image. For some, though, it's the only way to get the
>shot ... they just can't deal with the weight. I can understand that. >I'm a sharpness freak, though. I shoot K25 and Velvia and spend a lot
>of money on fast glass. You'll have to decide what's important to YOU,
>sharpness or convenience and money.

The first time I encountered the Nikkor 500mm f8, I had the same
opinion of it - I just could not get a sharp image with it, even with
a pretty substantial tripod. Later, I learned that the 500mm is
quite sharp, but requires some understanding. Since it is physically short, it offers little mass and lever arm to resist rapid motion.
Most tripods, even large, cross-braced ones, are poorly damped, and
they are worst at the very shutter speeds one often needs with the
lens' fixed aperture. Damping the tripod (with camera mirror up) by leaning on it, using it unextended, and weighing it down helps. Since
you use long lenses, you are aware of the air problems (which make
sharp long-distance photos with even a 300mm difficult for us
US Easterners). And, I found I got my most reliably sharp photos
with the mirror hand-held! Try shooting 5 identical frames at
at least 1/500th, and, though the viewing image is vibrating like mad,
I get sharp pictures (I even do architectural details with it) maybe
1-2 in 5 tries (not bad, and pretty reliable). (Maybe my vibrations
are slower than the tripod's....?)
Hope This Helps