Superzooms of 500mm+...how often do you use it ?

damianmkv

damianmkv

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worth the purchase ? I have a 70-300 and rarely use it less than 110mm for drag racing. But when I want something longer, it's no good so I wondered how often people use 150-600 or similar FL ?

For me, it'd be airshows, wildlife etc but I appreciate they're specialist lenses not for every day use..

Dilemma...
 
I used mine a lot for wildlife. I never use it for anything else.
I do not have a 70-300 has for wildlife it's too short.

For general use i can go up to 120 with my 24-120.
All talking on FF.
 
Nikon 200-500 f5.6 ... wildlife, almost every time I go out :)
 
Sigma 150 - 600, for wildlife, usually at the long end.
 
Panasonic g80 2X crop factor body ibis .coupled with a Leica 100=400 lens which allows for effective 800mm focal length coupled with a super close up range for insects ,butterflies etc . Rarely comes off the camera
 
Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 at the longer end is just about my standard lens for military and aviation work and also the occasional GDM project.

GC
 
150-500 and it very rarely comes off, I use it for nearly everything.
 
Canon 800 F5.6 user here - only use it about 90% of the time.
 
Thanks all. I hired a 150-600 g2 earlier this year and found it to be great - it's just whether it's worth the outlay for a handful of uses per year or not.
 
i use the 500mm end of my 200-500 for damsels its good at filling the frame from a distance
rather the the standard 105 macro and the having to crop
 
Along the same lines, what are thoughts on TC's? I know they'll reduce light etc but do people find them a useful, cheaper alternative to a very long lens?
 
FlyPhot said:
Along the same lines, what are thoughts on TC's? I know they'll reduce light etc but do people find them a useful, cheaper alternative to a very long lens?
Click to expand...
TC's very much depend on the quality of the lens they are attached to ... I use a 1.4 on my 200-500 but regularly used a 1.4 & 1.7 on my 500 f4 ... sometimes a 2x, with good results.
 
damianmkv said:
Thanks all. I hired a 150-600 g2 earlier this year and found it to be great - it's just whether it's worth the outlay for a handful of uses per year or not.
Click to expand...


IF you can find (a good) one 2nd hand, why not buy it and see if it gets enough use to justify carrying it round? If you discover that you're not using it enough to justify its place in the bag, sell it on for little (if any) loss.
 
Use my Siggy 150-600 frequently on the dog walk. It’s a lump. But worth the effort. Whilst I’m fit enough it’s a keeper.
 
I've had a 75-300 before with a e-m1 and for airshows it was a little frustrating as it kept going in and out of focus. I did consider a P100-300 for my e-m10 mk2 as its a cheaper option to get to 600mm but I'm not sure if it would be up to the jets or not :thinking:
 
I have a 7d2 with a sigma 150-600c I use all the time for wildlife and bif
 
I use a 500mm F4 with a 1.4 tele most of the time which is awesome.

For wildlife its incredible, especially for details and being able to get to F4 when the light is low.

For aviation I suspect you would get away with "less" as the light is usually pretty good and your shooting with faster shutter for jets etc.
 
Yes, a 500 mm f4 is over the top for everything for me ( apart from a divorce, which it'd be perfect for )
 
I'm using the Panasonic 100-400 (equivalent to 200-800 FF) almost every day at the moment and it's the default lens on my G9. This is a grab shot when the Lanc appeared unexpectedly at roughly 500 feet...

Panasonic G9 8GB 06 P1010829.JPG

The Drayman was working hard and very fast and I couldn't move from where I was...

Panasonic G9 8GB 06 P1010842.JPG

This bloke was well offshore so 800 (equiv) was just what the doctor ordered...

Panasonic G9 8GB 06 P1010884 copy.jpg
 
for wildlife sigma 500 mm 4.5, sony 300 2.8 and 1.4 tele converter, Minolta 400mm and 1.4 converter. I had a sigma 150-500mm but I prefer primes
 
Primes are a no-no for me unfortunately as I shoot more than one subject
 
If you do get one then do a lot of research. I read a review of a Tamron 150-600 and the reviewer was disgusted at how much dust the lens had sucked into its guts after only owning it for a few months.
 
I use a sigma 150-600 on a 7dmk2. A big percentage of the time it is used,

Anything from birds, planes, its great for a different style of landscape shot. I have also used it when photographing trains. I also find it useful for picking details out I can't get too

IMG_8495 by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

Emperor Dragonfly by Michael Johnson, on Flickr

M34A1316 by Michael Johnson, on Flickr
 
damianmkv said:
For the g1 or g2 ?
Click to expand...

Cant remember but there was a really good trial with the Nikon 200-500, tamron and sigma 150-600.

Some were better AF, some better short range some better at full zoom than others etc etc..........

Will have to find it if I can, it was interesting.

I nearly bought one of them myself
 
It may be the g1 looking at a quick Google. The g2 appears to have better sealing..

The 200-500 is just too long at 200mm for me so I'm thinking of a 150-600
 
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