Tamron 70-300

[Brendo09]

I tried out a mates Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 a few weeks back, and it's a cracker of a lens. It unfortunately falls too short for nature (birding) and it's too long for standard family shots.

The majority of the time my 17-50mm is the lens I use, but I'd like to be able to take a longer lens on afternoon bushwalks or trips to a park.

I currently own the kit 55-300 Nikon lens, and my question is this... is the jump to the Tamron 70-300 a jump forwards, or just a jump sideways? It will predominantly used for birding only.

Budget and time precludes me from going big into big 300mm+ primes. Should I just wait until the time and funds arrive before buying again?

[ameerat42]

Is yours the Nikon Nikkor AF-S DX 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR?, reviewed here:
http://www.techradar.com/au/reviews/...1041571/review

If so, then much of a muchness, IMO from these reviews.

Unless the one you have is "YOU-SLESS", you'd be wasting your dough. (Obviously another O.)

FWIW, here's a page of the review for the Tamron, where you can compare it to the Nikon you have.
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/R...mp=0&APIComp=0

[Brendo09]

Thanks Ameerat.

As with all things subjective, the quality of the lens depends on which reviewer writes it.

If I ignore all the bad reviews and only read the good ones, the lens should be a big step up, right?

I like your inference that the problem is possibly me. I respectfully refute your statement, and instead offer that any change of equipment will bring an increase in both image quality and user happiness.

[ameerat42]

Hmm! No such imputation made/intended. The spelling reflects a stress on the word where the normal
spelling would fall short of my intent. That's also why I posted that review that lets you compare the
tests.

I'll shout you an ice-cream if you shout me a coffee

[Cage]

Brendo, any ?-300mm lens at 300mm is still going to leave you short for a birding lens.

I can speak from experience as all my birding has been done with a Nikon 300mm f4 and a 1.4 X T/C, giving me a fairly sharp 420mm lens on my FF camera, and I can tell you that in 90% of cases I was wishing for an extra 180mm of reach. Even though a ?- 300mm budget lens will give you an effective 450mm on your crop camera, the quality is just not going to please you.

I think you have hit the nail on the head with your question of the change from a 55-300 to a 70-300 being a leap sideways. And don't even think about anything without VC, OS or whatever.

My advice would be to hold off till you can get the readies together for something like the Tamron 150-600mm VC

[Brendo09]

Cheers Cage.

Part of me knows you're right. Part of me doesn't care, it just want's something new and affordable.

Your point of always wanting the other 120mm sounds sensible too though. Maybe a 300mm prime and a 1.4x would be better.

[Cage]

Cheers Cage.

Your point of always wanting the other 120mm sounds sensible too though. Maybe a 300mm prime and a 1.4x would be better.

It was actually 180mm and see above re my 300mm prime and 1.4 T/C. There is no way I'd go that way again for a birding set-up. I'd be tossing up between the Nikon 200-500mm and the Tamron and Sigma 150-600's, with, at this point, the Nikon being the front runner.

Brendo, it's taken me 5 or 6 years to get my kit to the stage where I'm fairly happy with it. I have a Samyang 14mm f2.8 for nightscapes and general wide angle stuff, a Tamron 24-70 f2.8 and it's sibling, the 70-200mm f2.8, a Sigma 150mm f2.8 macro and the Nikon 300mm f4 plus the 1.4 T/C. As you can see, I'm not a 'Brand name' snob.

I love the Nikon 300mm but it's just too short for birding. When I bought it four years ago it was my only affordable option, (I lusted for the Nikon 500mm f4 or the Sigma 500m f4.5) as the Nikon 200-500mm and the Tamron and Sigma 150-600mm's were still on the drawing boards and I didn't feel the other offerings were up to scratch. I'll probably never part with it but as I've already said, it's just lacks reach for birding.

Mate, I guess it all comes down to what you want out of your photography, happy snaps that your friends will go 'Ooh ah' over, or something that you know will stack up with the best.

[Brendo09]

Cheers Cage.

120mm, 180mm, who's measuring?

As I look over my hobbies I seem to be always searching for something new, cheap, and amazing quality... that needle in the haystack that nobody can find. Quite often I find things that are new, and that are cheap, but they're rarely amazing quality. I live in eternal hope that one day I'll find it.

But you're right. Patience, the pursuit of knowledge and practice.

Oooh look, it's a shiny thing!!!

[Cage]

yeah, I've been down the cheap 'n' cheerful route on more than the odd occasion.

Like it took me four attempts to buy the right tripod.

As I look over my hobbies I seem to be always searching for something new, cheap, and amazing quality... that needle in the haystack that nobody can find. Quite often I find things that are new, and that are cheap, but they're rarely amazing quality. I live in eternal hope that one day I'll find it

Yep, can relate to that too, and am probably still guilty of it. However, being in my declining years, aka an old fart, experience has taught me that if it sounds too good to be true, it mostly is, but I live in hope.

[J.davis]

Brendo, have you looked at the Sigma 120-400 OS, I used one on my D7000 and it performed well.

[Brendo09]

I've looked at LOT'S of lenses...but only online reviews. That's one of the downsides of living in Meekatharra.

[arthurking83]

.....

As I look over my hobbies I seem to be always searching for something new, cheap, and amazing quality... that needle in the haystack that nobody can find. Quite often I find things that are new, and that are cheap, but they're rarely amazing quality. I live in eternal hope that one day I'll find it.

....

YOU = ME!!

I'm always doing same, but I do read up (heaps) on insignificant info that makes not one iota of difference to living life to the fullest .. the stuff I read is basically useless info on stuff that was new when I was a bubs!
.. anyhow, with that aside .. I did do a lot of reading on fast 300mm lenses many years ago and found that at the time, the Tammy 300/2.8 was as good as or even better in some way to the current champ for that time .. the Nikon 300/2.8.
At half the price(or less) for an equivalent lens .. I did lots of searching for a Tammy.
Took a bit of time and one of my priorities was to find a local seller but it came in at half the price, and was in excellent condition.
Note that you have to work to make this lens work! It's MF and .. well manual everything! It's an Adaptall 2 model, which means when Nikon piss me off enough, I can take it with me to my greener paddock(where ever that may be )
The trick is to find an all original model with the included case, 1.4x TC and filters/holders. Shouldn't cost you more than the cost of one of those xx-300 zooms, and you get a 300/2.8 and a 420/4 with half decent ability.
I can post some pics if you need convincing .. but manual focus, handholding and good quality images require lots of patience and hard work.

(actually)That's why I got it, more so than the need for a long focal length(which I rarely use) .. was the equipment that forces me to work hard at it(ie. the thrill of the chase).

Summary:
There's no need to live in eternal hope .. they do exist, it's just the difficult process of sorting the 'wheat from the chaff' and then locating a good working version of that product.

Note tho, in saying all that(and the Tammy is one of those lenses now that i'll never sell) .. I am in the process of getting a Sigma 150-600 OS Sport lens in the next few weeks.
The quality and challenge of using the Tammy(and the Nikon 500/8 for that matter) is fun, and a great way to sharpen up the skill level ... but, by nature I would describe myself as 'efficient'(ie. lazy) .. and want long lens and AF and stabilised imagery and so on and so forth.
If you want a roughly $1K spend on a long lens(as opposed to a $2K option) .. there's two options Tammy 150-600VC and Sigma 150-600 OS C lenses.

ps. I added to Am's link to DTP by changing the Nikon 55-300 lens with the Tamron 70-200/2.8 VC + 1.4x TC for another comparison.

TDP Tammy 70-300VC vs Tammy 70-200VC+1.4xTC
Note that the 70-300 is set to f/8 and the 70-200@280mm is set to f/5.6!!

[Brendo09]

I'm going to put my wallet away until I have the readies for the 150-600mm. Probably Tamron. I'm happy to go used as well. A $50 here, a $100 there...

Might be a few months of saving, but it gives me time to sort out more understanding of psuedo science / art photography thing.

I do get a calm from wandering around trying to see all the life around me, so I'm confident it will get used enough to justify the outlay.

[arthurking83]

....

I do get a calm from wandering around trying to see all the life around me, so I'm confident it will get used enough to justify the outlay.

This is good!
Always try to go into a new purchase with a more ambivalent attitude towards it, and give yourself time to think about what it is you want/need.

Rather than jump into a purchase because you think you want/need it, if you go into it with time to think it over(whether by choice or circumstances) and rationalise it over this time, the usage you get out of the purchase is generally more effective.
Personally, between the Tammy and Sigma, I'd take the Sigma option simply for the USB dock accessory they've made available. It allows you to tweak the lenses settings more to your taste, and every now and then they release firmware updates that improve it .... either compatibility(Nikon and Canon make it a habit to break compatibility with thirdparty products!), or physical improvements like they recently did with quicker AF ability.

But either choice will give you good quality.

[Cage]

Arthur is in with the USB dock.

[J.davis]

Go for the Sigma 'C' AND USB Dock, I cant complain.

[arthurking83]

Arthur is in with the USB dock.

Haven't got one yet .. no products to use it on .. yet!

But I'm sure we'll develop a love/hate relationship with each other once the actual parting of cash(on my part) happens.

[ameerat42]

Go for the Sigma 'C' AND USB Dock, I cant complain.

Though I am not going against this, you should assess your own needs, Brendo.
If you think that "birding is for me", then you might want to consider the Σ Sports version
of this lens. There are a lot of comparisons done of the two, and here is just one.
The search terms were "sigma contemporary series vs sports series". I wish I could find
Sigma's own description, but maybe later...

Mind you, the major difference of a immediate concern would be the weight - 1 Kg heavier for the S
(Just think biceps, triceps)

Just a thght.

[arthurking83]

..... the major difference of a immediate concern would be the weight - 1 Kg heavier for the S .....

Taking into consideration B's tone and previous commentary .....

...... I seem to be always searching for something new, cheap, and amazing quality... that needle in the haystack that nobody can find. Quite often I find things that are new, and that are cheap, but they're rarely amazing quality. I live in eternal hope that one day I'll find it.

.....

I'd reckon that the C version has plenty quality, is flexible(in ability) and within the definition of cheap considering the other products available.