What about the Tamron 200-500?

gpgold · February 27, 2006

I've been trying to shoot some birds of late using the Canon 75-300 4.-5.6. I just started doing this recently. I'm using the 20D. I picked up a Vivitar 1.4 tele converter, but it really can't auto-focus well. I've been reading about the Tamron 200-500 5.6-6.3 and it sounds like a good value (less than $900USD). Is anyone out there using this lens. Or, do you have another recommendation?

Thanks,

Gary

Harryb · February 27, 2006

gpgold wrote:

I've been trying to shoot some birds of late using the Canon 75-300 4.-5.6. I just started doing this recently. I'm using the 20D. I picked up a Vivitar 1.4 tele converter, but it really can't auto-focus well. I've been reading about the Tamron 200-500 5.6-6.3 and it sounds like a good value (less than $900USD). Is anyone out there using this lens. Or, do you have another recommendation?

Thanks,

Gary

I would consider the Sigma 50-500 F/4-6.3 or the Canon 100-400 F/4-5.6 IS first.

cmason · February 27, 2006

gpgold wrote:

I've been trying to shoot some birds of late using the Canon 75-300 4.-5.6. I just started doing this recently. I'm using the 20D. I picked up a Vivitar 1.4 tele converter, but it really can't auto-focus well. I've been reading about the Tamron 200-500 5.6-6.3 and it sounds like a good value (less than $900USD). Is anyone out there using this lens. Or, do you have another recommendation?

Thanks,

Gary

assume you have already looked at these on FM

gpgold · February 27, 2006

Harryb wrote:

I would consider the Sigma 50-500 F/4-6.3 or the Canon 100-400 F/4-5.6 IS first.

Harry - thanks for the suggestions, your work is what originally got me interested.

regards,

Gary

gpgold · February 27, 2006

cmason wrote:

assume you have already looked at these on FM

Thanks for the link - I'm looking now!

regards,

Gary

DanielB · February 27, 2006

Canon 400 f/5.6L can be had under 1k in the used market... as well as the Canon 300 f/4L IS

also i've heard good things about the Sigma 80-400 OS

Steve Cavigliano · February 27, 2006

Gary,
I too read the FM Reviews prior to picking up the Bigma. The issue that scared me off of the Tamron was that most users cited "slow focus", or something akin. Not a good thing for shooting birds in flight

If you believe you will be at the super tele end of the zoom anyway, the aforementioned 400mm F5.6 L suggestion would merit a looksee

It's only 400mm's versus 475mm or whatever, but it is sharp wide open. So we're probably talking F5.6 versus F9 (the zooms are sharper stopped down a stop). Which may also mean the difference between using ISO400 and ISO800 :uhoh

Steve

gpgold · February 27, 2006

Steve Cavigliano wrote:

Gary,
I too read the FM Reviews prior to picking up the Bigma. The issue that scared me off of the Tamron was that most users cited "slow focus", or something akin. Not a good thing for shooting birds in flight

If you believe you will be at the super tele end of the zoom anyway, the aforementioned 400mm F5.6 L suggestion would merit a looksee It's only 400mm's versus 475mm or whatever, but it is sharp wide open. So we're probably talking F5.6 versus F9 (the zooms are sharper stopped down a stop). Which may also mean the difference between using ISO400 and ISO800 :uhoh

Steve

What about the Sigma 170 - 500, do you have any thoughts on that.

Thanks,

Gary

SCS_Photo · February 27, 2006

Frankly, its the autofocus tracking on the 20D thats going to be the bottleneck as far as autofocusing goes. For AF on moving birds, the 20D will be the bottleneck, even with USM/HSM lenses.

Personally, I'd go with the EF 400mm f/5.6.

pathfinder · September 17, 2006

The SP 200-500 Di Tamron lens will AF for airplanes in flight with a 1DMkll just fine I do not think it is faster or slower focusing than my Canon 100-400

mushy · September 18, 2006

I just purchased the Canon 100-400 for pretty much the same reasons. Its very early days but I'm very happy so far. I have a Tamron 2x extender but have not tried it yet.

nightshadow · September 18, 2006

pathfinder wrote:

The SP 200-500 Di Tamron lens will AF for airplanes in flight with a 1DMkll just fine I do not think it is faster or slower focusing than my Canon 100-400

Sweet pic! The falcon and the mustang, they should make a movie

pathfinder · September 18, 2006

Would you, perhaps, prefer a P-47 Thunderbolt and an F-16 Falcon?? From summer 2004

nightshadow · September 18, 2006

pathfinder wrote:

Would you, perhaps, prefer a P-47 Thunderbolt and an F-16 Falcon?? From summer 2004

A nice pic, but I like mustangs and corsairs

pathfinder · September 19, 2006

Corsairs, you say!!

nightshadow · September 20, 2006

pathfinder wrote:

Corsairs, you say!!

Neat perspective.

What about the Tamron 200-500?

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