pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

Well you sure as hell didn't offer anything meaningful - rather childish comments by a self imposed snob!

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

I think Cannon makes Towels and perhaps Sheets...

Best,
Todd Ferguson

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

I bet he won't spell them wrong again. LOL That'll teach him. LOL

chaman

Keep using your vibrators....

chaman

Hope it does... LOL!

larryjphoto Loc: Phoenix

Journey: I have 5 lenses, 4 Canon "L" series lenses including the 70-200 f2.8 LII. I also own the Sigma 150-600 it's the only non-Canon lens I own and I'm extremely pleased with it.

Chapmen: Get over yourself. Not everyone is perfect. Didn't your mother ever teach you that if can't say something nice, don't say anything at all?

bullethole

I have had a Tamaron 200-500 which I used for a few years and was pretty happy with it. I just sold it and bought the Sigma Contemporary 150-600, and I'm extremely happy with it. I don't shoot with the long lens very often, but I do think that the Sigma is a bit better in terms of quality than my Gen 1 Tamaron. Was it enough of a difference to really justify switching. No, but sometimes GAS attacks need an antacid.

chaman

Learn to read buddy. My screen name is "chaman" not Chapmen. I guess you are as clever as the OP.

ppage Loc: Pittsburg, (San Francisco area)

canon does not make that lens. They have 100-400, 400 prime, 500, and 600
canons are much more expensive and performance is considered superior
The tamron gets decent reviews and is priced to where most of us can afford it.
Sigma makes the same one so you can compare the two
I have the Gen 1 Tamron and never liked it. I have to keep it at 400 mm or it is soft. It was a gift and turned out to be Grey market and may not have had the same build quality of the genuine lens. Tamron is very strict about not supporting Grey market lenses. If you get a Tamron, get the real deal. I read good things about the Gen II lens that addresses all the glitches of the first one.

teacherdad48 Loc: Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

I'm sure he feels better about himself now that he's pointed out the spelling errors.

chaman

I do. Thanks for noticing it. If you did not notice them you may be worse than the OP.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Charmin would be more appropriate.

Bill Emmett Loc: Bow, New Hampshire

I shoot both the Canon 100-400, and the Tamron 150-600 G1 lenses. I usually have the 100-400 on my 7D Mark II, and the Tamron mounted on my 5D Mark IV, while in my blind. I've gotten money shots on both lenses, but the 100-400 is just a bit sharper on every shot. Don't be surprised to get the 6 year warranty from Tamron on all of their lenses. Canon will only warranty for 1 year. I've never used the Canon warranty, but have sent in my Tamrons for updates and repairs. I've not shot the Tamron G2, but would like to take a look at it. If you buy the big Tamron, be sure to invest in a solid tripod, since the lens gets a bit heavy after a long day of trying to hand hold the shots. You can rent these lenses before you buy, and I suggest you do just that.

B

chaman

You must have a LOT of experience with matters regarding that. I dont think anyone here cares to know though.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Tamron and Sigma make 150-600mm lenses. Canon does not.

Tamron is currently making a "G2" version, which is an update from their original with some improvements. The original can be found used pretty widely and is still available new some places for about $900. The "G2" sells for around $1400.

Sigma offers two versions: A less expensive "C" as in "contemporary" (or maybe "consumer") version that's selling for under $1000 right now and a higher performance, more pro-oriented and beefier "S" as in "sports" version that's selling for close to $1800.

The most comparable Canon lens is the EF 100-400mm IS USM "II", which is excellent and costs just over $2000. Of course, it doesn't reach to 600mm. But on some Canon cameras it's possible to use it with a 1.4X teleconverter and some folks report the combo is better than the Tamron 150-600mm G2 (I don't know this from personal experience).

I only have experience with the Canon lens and I doubt many people on forums have bought and used all of them to give you a very thorough comparison. But there are many detailed, online reviews and lab tests that can help you compare them. Google will find reviews and tests for you, but works a lot better when you spell things correctly.

There also is an original version of the Canon 100-400mm that's pretty darned good, widely available used. It's a bit unusual among modern zooms, in that it uses a single ring to control both focus and the zooming action (i.e., it's a "push/pull" zoom design). Some folks like that for its speed. Other folks, not so much (I'm one of the latter, so I never seriously used the first version Canon 100-400mm).

Another thing... the guys over at Lensrentals.com love to take things apart just to see what's inside. When they did a tear down of the Canon 100-400mm II, they called it "the best built zoom lens they'd ever seen". (Note, AFAIK they had not done a tear down on the even more premium and far more expensive Canon 200-400mm f/4 1.4X... which might be even better built, or at least I'd hope so considering what it costs.)

The Canon lens uses a fluorite element, as do many Canon telephotos and that's one thing setting them apart and helping to make them some of the sharpest lenses available. Canon has been using FL elements extensively since the 1980s or 1970s and was a pioneer at growing their own fluorite crystals and shaping them into lens elements. While fluorite is a naturally occurring crystal, it's pretty rare to find it large enough to use for lens elements. It's also difficult to work with. Canon has solved much of those problems and uses it in many telephoto zooms and primes, some of which are pretty affordable.

Neither Sigma nor Tamron use fluorite in their lenses. Tamron has some lenses that use "FLD" elements that they describe as "fluorite like". Nikon has just recently revamped their 70-200mm f/2.8 and all their primes 400mm and longer to use fluorite in them... and has significantly increased prices on the "FL" versions, too.

And, yes, Canon does offer 200mm f/2.8, 200mm f/2, 300mm f/4, 300mm f/2.8, 400mm f/5.6, 400mm f/2.8, 500mm f/4, 600mm f/4, 800mm f/5.6 primes and a 200-400mm f/4 zoom with a built-in/matched 1.4X teleconverter that makes for a 320-560mm f/5.6 at the flip of a lever. But be sure you're sitting down when you look up some of these super telephotos.... they come with a super price tag! (Although they're actually competitively priced, with comparable lenses from other manufacturers.)