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Which long lens for a D700?


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13 replies to this topic

#1
nono

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For the moment this is just me thinking out loud, not sure I'll ever get anything.


Say I wanted to do some wildlife photography with my D700. At the moment I use a Sigma 170-500 on my Pentax K-1; I would want something better. I also don't want to spend "too much" (to be defined) on a lens, so this rules out, say, the 500 f/5.6 or 400 f/2.8 or anything in the price range of a small car. What are the options? Sigma or Tamron 150-600? Anything worth looking into, anything that can safely be ignored? I'm not familiar with the Nikon lens line-up at all.

#2
Merco_61

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The Sigma Sport or the Tamron G2 are the top of the heap if you need 600 mm, if 500 is enough, the Nikon 200-500 is about equal to the other 2 and balances better for handheld shooting if you don't use the MB-D10. Stay away from the Tamron G1 if you can as both Sigmas and Tamrons often need multi-point AF calibration to work as well as possible over the whole zoom range and the G1 doesn't support tap-in.

The Sigma C has a slower AF and isn't as well built and weather-sealed as the S, but it is significantly cheaper.



#3
Bobby18120

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Check out the Sigma Contemporary Telephoto Zoom Lens 100mm-400mm - F/5.0-6.3 for 640$ brand new and drama free
You should be fine with this one

#4
masterdrago

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I was shocked at how sharp my Sigma 150-500 is on both my D700 and my 2 DX formats. Shocked what a $1k lens could do.



#5
nono

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Is the 150-500 well-suited to birds in flight? My 170-500 may give stunning results if conditions are right, but anything small and fast is definitely "not right".

#6
fallout666

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i would go sigma not sport 150-600mm or sigma sport 60-600mm or nikon 200-500mm or tamron gen 2 150-600mm do not get gen 1 tamron 150-600mm do to fact only works in MF aka manual mode. also no updates or upgrades for it. 



#7
nono

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I bought a used Tokina 80-400 a few days ago, it's not in my hands yet. Probably not what I'm looking for, but it was too cheap to ignore. I'll keep you posted.

#8
nono

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I got the Tokina yesterday evening, I have not been able to really test it yet but the autofocus is so slow the lens will probably be even worse than the 170-500. Maybe useful in some situations, but definitely not for wildlife.

#9
Danno1602

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I use a Nikon 200 - 500 f5.6 with mine. It is very quick to focus. However it is heavy.



#10
nono

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Still thinking about this, how about a 300mm f/4 with a 1.4x TC? Any chance to get good results? I see older versions of the 300mm f/4 AF can be bought used for quite cheap.

#11
TBonz

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Might be OK if you are shooting in bright sunlight...I have Nikon's 200-400 f4 and have used it with my 1.4TC on very bright days.  When it comes to long reach there really isn't a cheap way to go...you pretty much get what you pay for (IMO)...

 

I decided to edit this...I am not suggesting you can't get good shots with the 300 and 1.4TC.  But I am suggesting that you will get better results and more opportunities for results if you go for better gear.



#12
Snorky

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When it comes to long reach there really isn't a cheap way to go...you pretty much get what you pay for (IMO)...

 

 

This.



#13
Merco_61

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The old versions of the 300/4 don't play nice with a TC. They tend to get much worse CA unless stopped down a bit.

 

If you think you can handle the mass, a Sigma 150-600 Sports has fast AF with distance limiters and is very sharp and contrasty. It isn't a cheap lens, but they can often be found lightly used without breaking the bank.



#14
nono

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When it comes to long reach there really isn't a cheap way to go...you pretty much get what you pay for (IMO)...


Yeah, I know. I'm still trying to get an idea of all the realistic options and their pros and cons.