Tamron 150-600mm & 2 other lenses, 6 photos: All these photos were taken at about 18 feet at my feeders. I used the 6D for all the photos but used 3 different lenses. Two photos each...

oldtool2 Loc: South Jersey

All these photos were taken at about 18 feet at my feeders. I used the 6D for all the photos but used 3 different lenses. Two photos each using the Tamron 150-600mm, Sigma 500mm with a Tamron 1.4X TC and a Sigma 500mm lens.

I am not going to say which is which for a day or two. If you look at the exif file you can tell but that is cheating. I would like your honest opinion of them. I am trying to decide if I should keep the Tamron lens or not. Give me your thoughts and help me decide.

I am mixing them up over two posts.

Jim D

(Download)

oldtool2 Loc: South Jersey

Second set.

Jim D

(Download)

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

oldtool2 wrote:

Second set.

Jim D

I'll play.

Blue Jay #1 and #6 Sigma w/TE
Blue Jay # 2 & # 3 Sigma
Cardinals Tamron

Let me know if this is correct.

magicunicorn Loc: Melbourne Australia

Great Photos.... thank you for sharing with us. For me i have no experience with Sigma lens a but i do have a tameron lens that if i'd had the extra money to purchase the Canon L lens i would never have purchased. The Tameron i have had some hassles with focusing. That said the build quality seems fine and the warranty is great but I still prefer the Canon brand.

EnglishBrenda Loc: Kent, England

I think 1,3 and 6 are the worst, 4 is the best followed closely by 5 and 2. Other factors may be interfering such as focus, pp and bird movement etc. so it is not easy to be sure.

MiteyJoe Loc: Loveland,

I like 4 and 5. The others have a high degree of noise. The birds eyes look like compound fly eyes.

oldtool2 Loc: South Jersey

joer wrote:

I'll play.

Blue Jay #1 and #6 Sigma w/TE
Blue Jay # 2 & # 3 Sigma
Cardinals Tamron

Let me know if this is correct.

OK, will PM you with the answer. Which do you like best and why?

Jim D

LaurenT Loc: Northern California

oldtool2 wrote:

OK, will PM you with the answer. Which do you like best and why?

Jim D

Since I don't have either of the lenses, it would only be a guess as to which were taken with the lenses specified.

That said, I've seen others taken with the Tamron, so I'll guess as such:

Pictures, 2, 4 & 5 are with the Tamron. They are clearer, and show more detail.

Pictures 1, 3, & 6 are with the Sigma with the extender. The pictures look softer, and don't have the sharp focus of the others.

hb3 Loc: Texas

oldtool2 wrote:

Second set.

Jim D

Won't guess about which lens is which, but can share my initial reaction to each image as the download rendered....

#1...very noisy
#2...sharp, clean
#3...focus is in front of subject
#4...sharp, clean
#5...sharp, bit noisy
#6...noisy

bigwolf40 Loc: Effort, Pa.

I like the Cardinals best. The others are good but there seems to be quite a bit of noise and more so in #1 but that is ISO setting being high at least I think it is....Rich

oldtool2 Loc: South Jersey

bigwolf40 wrote:

I like the Cardinals best. The others are good but there seems to be quite a bit of noise and more so in #1 but that is ISO setting being high at least I think it is....Rich

Rich,

I did very little PP on these, in fact only two were even cropped and not by much. On my 6D I can set the high and low limits for the ISO. I had the high set at 3200 but after looking at these have reset it to 1600. I do have programs and plug-ins that will handle that noise but still learning this camera and will see what happens.

Is this better?

Jim D

(Download)

mindlessgeo Loc: Orlando, FL

In the first set, the third one looks a little soft. Other than that, all others seem equal to me. Good shots!

bigwolf40 Loc: Effort, Pa.

oldtool2 wrote:

Rich,

I did very little PP on these, in fact only two were even cropped and not by much. On my 6D I can set the high and low limits for the ISO. I had the high set at 3200 but after looking at these have reset it to 1600. I do have programs and plug-ins that will handle that noise but still learning this camera and will see what happens.

Is this better?

Jim D

Jim all I can say is very very very very etc. nice. I do like the cardinals best and those two seem to have the least amount of noise but what you did with this one is just outrageous it is so good....Rich

oldtool2 Loc: South Jersey

bigwolf40 wrote:

Jim all I can say is very very very very etc. nice. I do like the cardinals best and those two seem to have the least amount of noise but what you did with this one is just outrageous it is so good....Rich

THANK YOU!! :thumbup: ;-)

oldtool2 Loc: South Jersey

Ok, it is time to come clean and tell you which lens took which photo. For the most part I have got to agree with everyone and there choices.

Sigma 500mm lens, photos 2 & 5
Sigma 500mm w/ 1.4X TC, photos 3 & 4
Tamron 150-600mm lens, photos 1 & 6

Photos number 4 & 5 got the most votes, photos 1 & 6 got none (the Tamron!)

At this point I am pretty sure I am going to return the Tamron 150-600mm lens. It just does not compete with the Sigma 500mm lens even when I use a TC on it. This decision isn't being made on this thread alone but quite a few other photos I have taken.

Photo number 4 was taken at 700mm using the 1.4X TC. Granted I am going to lose the zoom capability but I also own a 100-400mm lens which works well with a Tamron 1.4X TC giving me a 140-560mm lens for when I need a zoom.

My biggest surprise is how well the 500mm works with a TC and AF!

So many that have gotten the Tamron 150-600mm lens have been ranting about it. I guess for the money it is not a bad lens but when put up against a lens with good IQ there is a difference. Back to the old saying, you get what you pay for.

Thanks everyone for your help.

Jim D