Chadp Loc: Virginia Beach

I just picked up a Sony A7ii at a bargain price. Now I am trying to find a budget zoom lens option in the 300mm range. It looks like Tamron has a new 70-300 for Sony that is $500. So far that looks like my best budget option. $500 is about my limit. Are there any other options with the A mount lenses and adapter that would work well that would be in the $500 range used? I buy most of my equipment used. It would primarily be used for my kids’ outdoor daytime sporting events, so speed is not really a concern.

zug55 Loc: Naivasha, Kenya, and Austin, Texas

Please note that your Sony A7II camera uses the E-mount. Sony discontinued the A-mount, which was the old Minolta mount. If you get an A-mount lens you need an adapter. If you are willing to go that route, which I do not recommend, you also could consider Nikon or Canon mount lenses.

The Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III is an E-mount lens and currently is on sale at $499. There is no other E-mount telephoto lens in this price range. Sony's own 70-300mm lens is over $1,000. Please note that the Tamron does not have image stabilization, which is recommended for telephoto lenses.

Chadp Loc: Virginia Beach

Thanks for the input. I realize it is E mount. The reason I asked about A mount with adapter is because the E mount Sony lenses are so expensive. But once I saw that Tamron 70-300 at $500 with good reviews I figured that would be hard to top for a budget lens.

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

A-mount lenses work really well with the Sony Auto-adapters for e-mount bodies, I use the La-EA2 with my e-mount bodies for my slew of old Minolta lenses (and others in a-mount), the phase detection/contrast detection duo with the adapter makes for fast focussing, sharp focus. You still have to deal with an adapter added to the mix, Canon lenses work well with their appropriate adapters auto or manual, focus is not very fast, but is accurate, and the better Canon lenses are quite sharp. I still like the Sony native lenses with e-mount, the 55-250 gets a lot of use (and can be found quite reasonable used), sharp and fast, do want to pick up the 70-350 OSS E when I can find one reasonable. Good luck in your quest.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Your a7II provides in-body stabilization (IBIS). A non stabilized lens benefits from this camera feature. The Sony lenses are amazingly sharp and well integrated with the Sony bodies. The Sony lenses are also well-made. There's little risk in buying one used. Consider if a used copy is cost competitive with the new price of a non-Sony lens.

chikid68 Loc: Tennesse USA

I'm in the process of getting a Sony a7rii from a friend of mine and he is selling me his old camera at a decent price.
At first I will be using an adapter to let me use my canon lenses since I have several top notch Canon lenses.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Speed of focus should be a concern tho ! ......

I would get the Canon 70-300 IS II nano with the Sigma MC11 adapter - about $600 used. I might also look at the new Tamron 100-400 in Canon mount with the adapter.
The older Sigma 120-400 in Canon mount W/adapter may be another good candidate to look at.
.

Toment Loc: FL, IL

The Tamron 70-300 works very well on my A7Riv. Focus speed is quick. This is a great review: https://youtu.be/fZaQC02am1E
Good luck!

chikid68 Loc: Tennesse USA

However the camera has in body stabilization so it doesn't have to be a feature of the lens.

hjkarten Loc: San Diego, California

I just purchased the Tamron 70-300 a week ago and have been using it on a A7R4. I also have the SONY 200-600mm, which is a fabulous lens, superb for Birds in Flight, but quite heavy, and requires a hefty tripod, or sturdy monopod and a strong Wimberley Gimbal. I wanted something lightweight that I could carry around for quick and easy bird shots. Pictures are reasonably sharp, image contrast and color quite acceptable. Easy to quickly attach the Tamron to camera body, without anxiety of dropping a very expensive lens (i.e., the SONY 200-600).Decently sharp shots when handheld even up to 200 mm on the Tamron, but recommend tripod for 300 mm shots. Even able to get reasonably sharp pix handheld at 300 if well braced against window and shooting through glass with IBIS turned ON. When shooting at 300mm on tripod, results improve if Image Stabilization turned off. Good at distances up to 50-70 feet, but results (so far) mediocre if over 200 feet at 300 mm. May be a problem with focus at greater distances. FOcus is fast in bright light. Further improvement if you use a remote controlled shutter accessory (e.g., SONY BLuetooth). Autofocus does some hunting as light level drops.
Lightwight enough to consider carrying in a day pack for those longer range photos. Weight is 1.25 pounds for Tamron, vs. 4.65 pounds for SONY 200-600. Claims that it is reasonably weatherproof, but haven't had a chance to properly evaluate. Surprisingly good Bokeh. Useful in both APS-C and Full Frame. For birds in flight, images usually have to be heavily cropped, which proves useful as the lens is better in the center than at the further lateral parts of image.
I love my SONY 200-600, but for casual walks through birding marshes, this is able to produce decent pix with the big advantage of lightweight.

azted Loc: Las Vegas, NV.

Buy the LAE-4 adapter and look for used A mount lenses. I picked up a Tamron zoom to 500 mm for about $350.00 . Also just picked up a Sigma 24-105 for $500.00. For me, I can use them on both my A7lll, and the A mount A99. But the savings will add up greatly for you, until you can get E mount lenses at a bargain. The one thing you will not be giving up is quality. There are plenty of quality A mount lenses out there!

hjkarten Loc: San Diego, California

Sample photo this morning. Taken through unwashed (!) kitchen window. Tamron 70-300 mm, at 300 mm. ISO 1600, 1/800, f 8.0. Approx. 40-60 feet from bird. Camera SONY A7R4 in APS-C mode. Handheld, braced against glass. IBIS is turned ON.

(Download)

hjkarten Loc: San Diego, California

A bit more detail about the posted photo:
Saved as RAW.
Cropped in LightRoom
"Auto" correct of brightness. No other modifications. (Standard sharpness only.)
No modification to sharpness or Noise.
Exported from Lightroom to JPG.

Desert Gecko Loc: desert southwest, USA

You can get the Sony 70-300mm used in the $800 range. I sold mine right here on UHH for that.

The Sony 70-300mm is a fantastic lens by the way, at least when paired with an a7Riii. I was astonished by the results I got with it, both action and landscape. Soon, when I replace the gear that finances last year forced me to sell, a Sony 70-300mm will be one of my first purchases.

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

You can find Minolta and Sony AF, "A" mount lenses in the 70-210 and 75-300 as well as 100-300 on eBay and else where for under $100. Plus 3rd party lenses for about the same $$. I would get a Sony LA-EA-4 adapter . It will give you AF to most Minolta and Sony lenses. You could save about $100 by getting the LA-EA-3 adapter but you will give up some automatic functions. Note: that all Minolta and Maxxima lenses are full frame. You can go to the Sony site for total compatibility. I stiil have several Minolta "A" mount lenses that I use with my A7Riv and A7iii. Good Luck