My vote is for the 500mm for the reasons you point out in your post ..."lighter for travel and hiking. The shorter 500mm will capture the larger birds and/or wildlife plus their environment, which can really add to the shot. It seems that some slight cropping would be a lot better than a cut off subject." Plus with the extenders, the IQ is still awesome!


Good luck with your decision! I am sure whichever one you choose you will be delighted with it!


Denise