Question about lens for wildlife?

Howe Creative Photography

I have a Nikon D300s and I am going on an Alaskan cruise.
I am debating between the Sigma 150-500 OS or the newer 50-500mm OS.
Or Nikon 80-400??

Which one?

Harryb

I'm going on an Alaskan cruise too and considered the same possibilities. Wildlife is not my main subject for my trip and since I'm going to be taking my landscape lenses I opted for the Nikon 80-400mm. It has served me pretty well over the last few years and its significantly lighter than the Sigmas. 2.9lbs for the Nikon vs 4.2 lbs for the 150-500 and 4.3 lbs for the 50-500.

The Sigmas take TCs where the Nikon doesn't but these are fairly "slow" lenses and I don't see adding tcs to them as a real positive.

If reach is your main concern and you are willing to deal with the extra weight and probably a monopod (at least) for support then I would go for the Sigmas. Otherwise I would recommend the Nikon.

DsrtVW

If I was taking one lens between those choices I think I would go with the 50-500mm just for the focal range when the whales are far from the boat then one comes up right near it you dont have to change lenses. I have heard of reliability issue with the 150-500mm, see borrowlenses.com. I have the 170-500mm sigma which served me well but good light is required for good shots. 80-400mm nikon is the winner if weight is the concern. Another idea would be 70-200mm f2.8 with teleconverter but the price is a bit more.