tamron 70-200 vc and non-vc versions.

[jamiebonline]

hi all

i wonder if any of you have or have had either of these lenses. i am looking to buy my first 70-200. i cant afford the nikon own lens for my d7000 and after some research i have decided on the tamron. i just wonder... the price difference between the older model and the newer vc version is quite a lot where i live. how much difference is there between the two? i know the specs but in practical terms and from use. i would value your opinions. i can live without vc. i dont plan on shooting sport. i do well lit portraits mostly but i am also keen on garden bird photography.
i saw a comparison on youtube from matt granger. he complained about the focusing mechanism to change between auto and manual. this i dont care about. also i dont care about it being noisier when focusing. i suppose i care most about image quality. about sharpness.

also the original non-vc has macro. how good is such a macro option? i think it is not true macro but might still be nice to have. dont know much on the topic.

no experience of second hand glass, by the way and shy away from it. i like the new stuff

thanks

 

[Gary Coyle]

forget the earlier non VC version, the AF is slow as a 1 legged dog and not very accurate, it will frustrate the hell out of you

 

[pingu666]

older one is fine optically, but crap focusing

the sigma is decent and has good focusing