D850: sigma 150-600mm Sport or Nikon 200-500mm: I'll be upgrading my D810 to the D850 and currently use the Sigma 150-500mm with the D810. I'm pretty happy with that lens, but being...

Mark M USN RET

I'll be upgrading my D810 to the D850 and currently use the Sigma 150-500mm with the D810. I'm pretty happy with that lens, but being obsessed with sharpness looking to upgrade the lens as well. I primarily use the lens for bird/wildlife and sporting events. I've checked a bunch of reviews but still not convinced one way or the other. Interested in UHH thoughts. Thanks

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

I too have a D810 ... wonderful camera. I have been using my Nikon 18-300 DX lens on it because it is the lens I had been using on my D7200. In spite of what people will say, I got very good results with that lens on the D810.
I'll be getting my D850 in a few days and have purchased the Nikon 28-300 to mount on it (it's an FX lens) If the D850 is as fantastic as the early reviews would have us believe, I think (pray) Nikon will come up with some lenses to go with the body. I would love to see a Gold Band lens in this range. I would not go with a third party lens ... just how I feel.
As for longer lenses, my thought is ... the longer the lens the more I would stay with Nikon rather than a third party.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

I have the D850 and D810. For birding and using my 200-500 I prefer the D500. I like the 70-200 on the D850 and D810.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Mark M USN RET wrote:

I'll be upgrading my D810 to the D850 and currently use the Sigma 150-500mm with the D810. I'm pretty happy with that lens, but being obsessed with sharpness looking to upgrade the lens as well. I primarily use the lens for bird/wildlife and sporting events. I've checked a bunch of reviews but still not convinced one way or the other. Interested in UHH thoughts. Thanks

The 810 out resolves the 150-500, the 200-500 and possibly the 150-600 Sport, which is the sharpest of the 3.

If you are looking at Nikon lenses this list that Nikon put together for the D800/D800E should be a guide for the D850. The 28-300, a popular lens among those who used it with their D3/3S, D700 and other 12 mp full frame bodies didn't even make the cut for the D800, so there is no reason to believe that it would be a good match for the D850.

http://d800.org/nikon-d800-and-d800e-recommended-lenses/

There is no point in getting a lens of lower resolution with a 45mp body, so that rules out all the other lenses. The new 105 F1.4, Nikon's sharpest lens ever, should be amazing on the D850. Sigma Art lenses, the Sigma Sport 150-600, the Tamron 150-600G2 are among the sharper third party lenses that would work well with and allow you to use all that resolution.

JPL

Mark M USN RET wrote:

I'll be upgrading my D810 to the D850 and currently use the Sigma 150-500mm with the D810. I'm pretty happy with that lens, but being obsessed with sharpness looking to upgrade the lens as well. I primarily use the lens for bird/wildlife and sporting events. I've checked a bunch of reviews but still not convinced one way or the other. Interested in UHH thoughts. Thanks

If you are obsessed with sharpness I think you should start looking for prime lenses. The general drawback of zoom lenses is that they lack sharpness in comparison to primes. And with a camera like the D850 or just the D810 you already have you are not harvesting the sharpness they can provide unless you use the sharpest prime lenses.

When considering long lenses I think you need to buy a lens that will cost you at least the same amount as the camera to get the optimal results. A $1.500 lens on a $3.300 camera is not a match if you are obsessed with sharpness.

Haydon

If you don't put the best glass in front of D850 you might as well install truck tires on a Maserati. What's the point putting glass on a body that out resolves it? Gene's reply is epic.

goraw61

My D850 should arrive this morning, I will be taking shots with Nikkor 28-300, 24-70, 20mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.4. I’ll post my results tonite or Friday😳

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

Gene51 wrote:

The 810 out resolves the 150-500, the 200-500 and ... (show quote)

True, the 28-300 is not a gold band lens but it's the only Nikon FX lens covering that range. I'm hoping that Nikon notices this.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Mark M USN RET wrote:

I'll be upgrading my D810 to the D850 and currently use the Sigma 150-500mm with the D810. I'm pretty happy with that lens, but being obsessed with sharpness looking to upgrade the lens as well. I primarily use the lens for bird/wildlife and sporting events. I've checked a bunch of reviews but still not convinced one way or the other. Interested in UHH thoughts. Thanks

The Nikon 200-500 is one of my sharpest telephoto's. It is so light weight I have sold my 300 2.8 and 200-400 4 Nikon's. This lens is a pleasure to use and SHARP. I suggest using GROUP AUTO FOCUS for birds and sports. You will not regret your investment.

mleuck

You guys are all nuts. Just take photos and quit trying to be Nikon research/ technical experts. Sharpness obsession is an illness.

pahtspix

Go for the Tamron 150-600mm G, which I have coupled to a Nikon D500..This lens is amazingly sharp, and works beautifully with my Nikon.. about the same price as the Nikon 200-500, but has a 6 year warranty, and a better range of focal lengths to choose from as well!

dyximan

Mark M USN RET wrote:

I'll be upgrading my D810 to the D850 and currently use the Sigma 150-500mm with the D810. I'm pretty happy with that lens, but being obsessed with sharpness looking to upgrade the lens as well. I primarily use the lens for bird/wildlife and sporting events. I've checked a bunch of reviews but still not convinced one way or the other. Interested in UHH thoughts. Thanks

I personally have used both the Tamron 150 to 600 and then NICOR 200 to 500 .on a D 5300 and hands down prefer the NICOR. As I to shoot birds and do a lot handheld the NICOR was much clearer for both stationary and moving objects.

Jerrin1 Loc: Wolverhampton, England

Mark M USN RET wrote:

I'll be upgrading my D810 to the D850 and currently use the Sigma 150-500mm with the D810. I'm pretty happy with that lens, but being obsessed with sharpness looking to upgrade the lens as well. I primarily use the lens for bird/wildlife and sporting events. I've checked a bunch of reviews but still not convinced one way or the other. Interested in UHH thoughts. Thanks

Some months ago I was looking at the Sigma and Tamron 150 - 600mm lenses and the Nikkor 200 - 500mm f5.6. In the end I chose the 200 - 500mm and have not regretted my decision. Though a heavy lens, I seldom take it off my D500. I already owned a Nikkor TC14EIII when I bought the lens so I knew I could exceed the 600mm end of the other two lenses if necessary. Quite frankly, I feel my copy of the 200 - 500mm is stunning. It focuses on rapidly moving subjects amazingly quickly and produces excellent images.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

pahtspix wrote:

Go for the Tamron 150-600mm G, which I have coupled to a Nikon D500..This lens is amazingly sharp, and works beautifully with my Nikon.. about the same price as the Nikon 200-500, but has a 6 year warranty, and a better range of focal lengths to choose from as well!

I assume you are happy with the build quality? I need a longer lens, but some reports knock down Sigma and Tamron over that point.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

dyximan wrote:

I personally have used both the Tamron 150 to 600 and then NICOR 200 to 500 .on a D 5300 and hands down prefer the NICOR. As I to shoot birds and do a lot handheld the NICOR was much clearer for both stationary and moving objects.

Amen to that, I have heard the same things from folks I shoot with in Florida. They prefer the Nikon after using the Tamron because, as you put it so clearly, the Nikon is clearer for both stationary and moving objects. So what if the Tamron comes with a 6 year warranty, the Nikon comes with a five. If if a lens is going to go bad, it's going to do so usually within the first couple of months. Besides, IT IS A NIKON.