WIldlife lens for D7100

[Mitzy]

I am looking for a quality zoom for wildlife (mainly birds) to marry with a Nikon D7100. Would the Nikon AF-S 28-300mm (FX format)
f/3.5-5.6G IF ED VR Lens have any advantages over the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR for wildlife photography?
Also, why is the AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR so much cheaper than both these lenses?

[mechawombat]

I use the 55-300mm for almost all my wildlife shots.

[Wayne]

AF-S 200-400mm f/4 G ED VR

[out n about]

We use the sigma 150 -500 mm F5.6 -6.3, its a less expensive option to the nikkor zooms and although it is a bit slower it is sharp, has vr (sigma calls it optimal Stabilisation OS) and at 500mm it is 750mm on the dx crop.

[Mitzy]

Thanks to all for your responses, the choices out there are endless. Wayne your tag says it all & the 200-400 is WAY out of my price range.
Mechawombat 55-130 is a nice price but how do you find the image quality at max zoom?
Gayle & Colin, I have an older sigma 170-500 and the new one is on my list but is the stabilisation & low light gain equal to Nikon VRII?
The search for the truth continues

[arthurking83]

If you ever plan on going to Fx at some stage, then get the 28-300, which is an Fx lens.
If not then the 18-300 would seem to be the most logical lens to get.

The main reason that the 55-300 would be cheaper is the lower multiplication factor of the lens, which makes for a less complicated design.
It'll be smaller and lighter.

If you don't need the focal length range below 28mm, then I'd be inclined to go with the 28-300, being the Fx lens is more likely to produce slightly better image quality across the Dx frame.

Other options you could choose from are the Sigma 100-300 f/4 which I think should work nicely on the D7100. Being F/4 gives you a one stop advantage.

If you can stretch the finances to the $2.5K mark, the new AF-S version of the 80-400mm would be the most ideal lens to go for.

[Mitzy]

Arthur, Thank you for taking time to give the extra detail. As the 28-300 is an Fx lens, do I immediately lose some of the low end focal range (28 becomes ~50mm) when I couple it to a Dx camera? Obviously also gaining at the 300mm high end by getting ~450mm (?). I agree AF-S 80-400 is best but price is iffy, might have to buy the Cheese & Kisses a new PC to compensate, but did not win Tatt's this week

[ameerat42]

...has vr (sigma calls it optimal Stabilisation OS) and at 500mm it is 750mm on the dx crop...

Optical Stabilisation, actually, and it's Field Of View on a crop body is (approx) equivalent to that of a 750mm lens on a Full Frame body...

But then again... Yes, I have the 50-500 version, but it's HEAVY.
Am.

[ian66]

I use a 300mm 2.8 with teleconverter, I used to use a 80-400 zoom then I realised after some time that I almost never throttled back - I always wanted more reach not less, so I gave up on the zoom idea for birds

[mechawombat]

I find the IQ at max zoom fine. I shoot Motorsport and Wildlife and it does a great job.

Sure we all want a 80-400 or a 50-500 but this is a great filler.