Lens for birding?

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Presently using a Sigma 100-300mm f4 and a 1.4 teleconvertor

doesnt have the legs or range- I strive to get

Camera Sony 580

any suggestions please?

Les :thumbs:
 
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after trying many many lenses for birding, settled on the sigma 120-300 2.8 works very well
with both converters 1.4 & 2x ...I did have the sigma 150-500 a very good lens, if you get a good one....seen very good shots with the sigma 50-500...all depends on what you want to spend?
in the past i had a nikon 600mm f4 too heavy for long walks ,for me...the old nikon 300mm 2.8 very sharp..wish i could afford the new one...
think my ultimate choice if i had the wonga would be a 400mm 2.8....
 
seconded.

I used the 150-500 OS and it was fantastic
I just upgraded to a 120-300 f2.8 with 1.4x and 2x TC but obviously that's twice the price!
 
Worth sending your 100-300mm to Sigma for checking? I had a canon version and it was sharp with the 1.4x... not a lens I would say didn't have the quality.
 
Another recommendation for the Sigma 150-500 had mine for three years, now changed for the 120-300 f2.8 and a couple of TC's, more expensive and a lot heavier!
 
And another for the Sigma 150-500 OS, mine's so good I decided to keep that and sell my Canon 100-400 L to put towards a new 5DMkIII. They're a bit heavy to start with, but you soon get used to carrying the weight and I use mine handheld most of the time.
 
Another vote for the Sigma 150-500 OS (Nikon fit)

Got mine last week and it's been great :)
 
RichardtheSane said:
Worth sending your 100-300mm to Sigma for checking? I had a canon version and it was sharp with the 1.4x... not a lens I would say didn't have the quality.
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The lens works fine sharp enough I guess- its just not getting me close enough to any chosen subject ( Birds)

heres a shot using this lens with the 1.4 x TC


Catkins by Lez325, on Flickr

Ive just sold a Sigma 150-500mm far too large to carry any distance

Les :thumbs:

Ps my budget around £1,600
 
Another vote here for either the siggy 150-500 OS or the 50-500 OS, I have got on well with mine, having said that my 50-500 is in being repaired as we speak..
 
appreciate all the mentions of the Big Sigma 150-500mm

as said Ive just SOLD mine - looking for an alternative as @ f6.3 it can be a little slow

Les:shrug:
 
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If you sold the Sigma 150-500 as it was too large and @f6.3 too slow, there isn't anything that will meet your needs. Long lenses are by definition large and usually heavy, by how much depends on the compromises. The only thing at reasonable length and weight is the Canon 400mm prime f5.6, but it has no IS. If that doesn't suit then perhaps shooting birds is not for you.
 
Pirate over on Dyxum has a used Sony fit Tokina 300f2.8 for sale which should take a x2 TC well. Cost is under GBP1200. If I had not just acquired a Sigma 300f2.8 for my a77 I would have had it in a heartbeat.

I can highly recommend the Sony 70-400 by the way. Does not give you any more FL than what you have already but obviates the need for a TC.

Good luck with your choice.

Gary
 
I have both a Sigma 100-300/4 & the 70-400 G SSM. At least on my copies the Sony smokes the Sigma for IQ & that's without a TC on the Sigma.
& the G SSM will AF (albeit more slowly) with certain (not the Sony one) 1.4x TCs.
 
scottthehat said:
little slow for what,that sony your looking at is 400mm f5.6 and the sigma at 500mm f6.3 not alot is it.
Click to expand...

I would guess around 1 stop :lol::lol:

I didnt like the 150-500 sigma ( too heavy and unweildy) thats why I sold it

Im opting for the 70-400 and a my 1.4 tc

Thanks all

Les :thumbs:
 
Lez325 said:
I would guess around 1 stop :lol::lol:

I didnt like the 150-500 sigma ( too heavy and unweildy) thats why I sold it

Im opting for the 70-400 and a my 1.4 tc

Thanks all

Les :thumbs:
Click to expand...

1/3 of a stop. A 70-400 + 1.4x TC becomes f/8 at the long end, which is 2/3 of a stop slower than the sigma was. Without the TC it's still only 1/3 of a stop faster, though at least the optical quality will let you shoot wide open and still achieve sharper shots than the sigma.
You're not going to get anything that much lighter than the sigma without giving up focal length. I like my 100-400 (similar size/weigh to the Sony 70-400 I believe) because it's a bit lighter compared to the sigma which suits me, but it's still heavy and unwieldy compared to anything smaller (I.e most other lenses the majority of people use). You're just not going to get a compact, light lens at this focal length.
 
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Lez325 said:
I would guess around 1 stop :lol::lol:

I didnt like the 150-500 sigma ( too heavy and unweildy) thats why I sold it

Im opting for the 70-400 and a my 1.4 tc

Thanks all

Les :thumbs:
Click to expand...
as said above its not a stop, and the sony will be slower and still wouldnt touch the 50-500mm for quality at 500mm if you use a tc. as i said more and more 100-400mm canon owners are turning to the 50-500mmos and realising it is a better lens and as sharp if not sharper wide open, i had the new 120-300mm os with a 2x for a couple days and although its nice i found that at f6,3 my 50-500mm os was a tad sharperand f7.1 identical, yes the extra 100mm was nice but if the 150-500mm osisto heavy then your better of with what you have.
 
heidfirst said:
I have both a Sigma 100-300/4 & the 70-400 G SSM. At least on my copies the Sony smokes the Sigma for IQ & that's without a TC on the Sigma.
& the G SSM will AF (albeit more slowly) with certain (not the Sony one) 1.4x TCs.
Click to expand...

You obviously didn't get a great copy of the sigma 100-300mm because it was one of sigma's sharpest lenses and you obviously got a good copy of the sony, as that also has similar problems to the canon (100-400) and nikon (80-400 although the nikon was actually not a great lens) offerings, soft wide open at 400, so you would need to stop it down anyway.

As artyman said, if you found the sigma 150-500mm too heavy then you'll struggle to find anything because most lenses are around the 2kg unless you go for 1 of the primes which are 2.5kg plus, even the sony's 1.5kg and as squishy said, with a 1.4x TC, the performance of the sony would be worse than that of the sigma.

The 50-500mm OS is suppose to be the better lens of the 2, but at the end of the day you seem to have a budget of around £1500 for this lens which leaves you with most of the options already mentioned, the next lenses up are a significant price jump, either the sigma 300mm f2.8, 120-300mm f2.8 or 500mm f4.5
 
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