Lens advice please 300mm+

silure130 · 21 May 2018

Hi
after a break from photography I'm starting up again. I mainly concentrate on butterflies, dragonflies etc. However I would like a go at birding, I live near a RSPB reserve and its very popular.
I have the funds for

Nikon 300mm F4 PF VR ( possibly with 1.4 TC )
Nikon 200-500 VR
Sigma 150-600 ( both models)

I have been studying the internet for a while reading up on all 3 of these, they all have good reviews, I just wondered if anyone had gone down this route lately and which one they had gone for.

regards

markyboy.1967 · 21 May 2018

I bought at 200-500 to replace my Sigma 120-300 and im very very impressed with it, very sharp wide open, easily hand held. The only negative is the crap hood and its fitting to the lens. Very happy with the lens for what i intend to use it for.

Kaolin · 21 May 2018

Not used the zoom options you mention but I have found the 300mm PF to be excellent. The reduced size and weight make it a very easy option to live with and optically it is excellent.

john_e · 21 May 2018

I love the 200-500 but I do find the AF acquisition isn’t exactly lightning fast, could be an issue for things that move unpredictably.

markyboy.1967 · 22 May 2018

john_e said:
I love the 200-500 but I do find the AF acquisition isn’t exactly lightning fast, could be an issue for things that move unpredictably.

I use it on the D4s and D850 and it locks on fine the majority of the time. Smaller and faster birds will always be an issue but seems fine to me.

silure130 · 22 May 2018

Thanks guys, I ended up getting the 200-500 from John Lewis

john_e · 22 May 2018

markyboy.1967 said:
I use it on the D4s and D850 and it locks on fine the majority of the time. Smaller and faster birds will always be an issue but seems fine to me.

To be fair, I moved from a 500 f4 so seeing a difference was inevitable.

markyboy.1967 · 23 May 2018

john_e said:
To be fair, I moved from a 500 f4 so seeing a difference was inevitable.

I still run my 600f4 and there is a slight speed difference but its not a big one. Focus on a subject close then on a distant subject and its quite close in comparison with regards to speed. The 600 will stay locked on that tiny bit better also but both lenses are different beasts so to speak.