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Tamron 150-600g 2 or Nikon 200-500
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Aug 1, 2021 17:16:28   #
Sparky54 Loc: Central Pennsylvania
 
Hi to all ! Do you have and use either of these lenses?
Please make recommendations on the one to buy and reasons for your choice!
Thank you ,

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Aug 1, 2021 17:28:22   #
DaveO Loc: Northeast CT
 
I have and use both. IMO the Nikon focuses a little quicker and is definitely better in lower light. Thousands of shots with legit comparisons.

I am pleased with the pic quality of both. I don't care for and rarely use 1.4 tc's on either, but the Nikon is better. If I had to part with one, it would be the Tam.

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Aug 1, 2021 17:56:07   #
Bill_de Loc: US
 
I have the Nikon and use it only on a tripod now. Since I got the 500PF I only use the zoom when I need that feature.

I had the Tamron found the focus was not up to par normally and not at all in low light. It went back in less than 30 days. I do not condemn this model of lens, just the copy I had. I could have exchanged as I bought it new, but at the time decided to stick with the Nikon. I could easily hand hold it back then.

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Aug 1, 2021 17:57:17   #
Bill_de Loc: US
 
I have the Nikon and use it only on a tripod now. Since I got the 500PF I only use the zoom when I need that feature.

I had the Tamron found the focus was not up to par normally and not at all in low light. It went back in less than 30 days. I do not condemn this model of lens, just the copy I had. I could have exchanged as I bought it new, but at the time decided to stick with the Nikon. I could easily hand hold it back then.

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Aug 1, 2021 18:58:07   #
Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx
 
Have them both and use them on both a D850 and D500 and get good results with both. I recommend the Nikon as the AF locks a bit better and is a bit sharper in the corners. The G2 is not a 600mm lens. At 20yds it's more like a 550mm lens. You can use a 1.4x teleconverter with the Nikon, which takes you to f/8. Both my bodies will AF at f/8, but only in the center of the frame and AF is a bit slower. I do not recommend a 1.4x with the G2 at you are at f/8 somewhere around 330mm. After that you need to go to manual focus. Another good option is the Sigma 150-5600mm contemporary. You might want to watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-aYXUoRDkM&t=21s

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Aug 2, 2021 00:37:52   #
Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona
 
I have the Nikkor 200-500, it's, accept for the weight, by far the best lens I have ever owned.

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Aug 2, 2021 02:13:18   #
Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV
 
Curmudgeon wrote:
I have the Nikkor 200-500, it's, accept for the weight, by far the best lens I have ever owned.


I have owned and used both. I like the Nikon and returned the Tamron. Actually had two Tamron zooms and was disappointed with both. Not happy with the focus at the long end. The Nikon, on the other hand has been great, so much so that I now own two of the Nikon lenses. I use one on my D850, the other on my D500. I have no problem with non-OEM lenses but for high performance zooms I will go with Nikons every time.

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Aug 2, 2021 05:55:20   #
Red Sky At Night
 
I have the Nikon and love it. My friend has the Tamron. After using my Nikon my friend is now going to purchase the Nikon for the reasons listed by the others.

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Aug 2, 2021 06:18:51   #
Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)
 
Sparky54 wrote:
Hi to all ! Do you have and use either of these lenses?
Please make recommendations on the one to buy and reasons for your choice!
Thank you ,


I've evaluated the 200-500 (3 different copies - one borrowed from a friend, the other 2 borrowed through NIkon's NPS), the Sigma 150-600 Sport and the Tamron G2 (borrowed from a friend) I found them to all be very good, but at 500mm, the Tamron and the Sigma both matched the performance of the Nikon. Both could zoom to 600mm. All three had some minor focus breathing, but not enough to be a deal breaker. For my use, the build quality on the Tamron and the Sport were better - I would not want to be caught in a light rain with the Nikon, but have no issue with the other two.

I purchased the Sigma because the Tamron was hard to find in stock.I was in the process of getting a lens I could use mostly hand-held, and while the Tamron was almost 2 lbs lighter and would have been fine, I was able to shoot hand held with the Sigma. I have found that the Sigma was a good replacement for my 600mmF4. I have not used it on a tripod - no need to. And like my 600, I rarely use it wide open, opting to shoot at F7.1 or F8 to gain a little sharpness and depth of field. When used in this fashion, all three lenses return excellent results, with the Sigma and Tamron both having a bit of an edge over the Nikon. All three have lower corner sharpness but these are not landscape lenses - as long as your subject is near the center of the image, they will all work well.

I bailed on the Nikon primarily because I needed a lens that was environmentally sealed. Current cameras are better in low light, and software can deal with high ISO better than 5 years ago, so low light/high ISO performance is not an issue. I also did not experience the slow/inaccurate focus acquisition and tracking that the others have written about. I did use the dock in the Sigma and the Tamron to adjust the focus peformance to my liking, something that was not possible with the Nikon.

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Aug 2, 2021 07:24:59   #
billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
 
Sparky54 wrote:
Hi to all ! Do you have and use either of these lenses?
Please make recommendations on the one to buy and reasons for your choice!
Thank you ,


Nikon 200-500.
It is sharp throughout it's zoom range and especially sharp at the 500 end, the end you will find you use most.
Comes with a 5 year warranty, only needs one cause you'll never need it.
Nikon produces it's own glass. Tamron buys there's.
Nikon grinds there own glass, Tamron buys there's.
Nikon makes there glass specifically for their camera's, Tamron makes there glass for a variety of camera's.
Nikon makes there lenses to fit specifically Nikon camera's, Tamron makes there lenses to fit a variety of camera's.
Lastly, Nikon is just better, NO it is not sealed for weather, are you planning to shoot in the rain, not me.
Nikon lenses are just sharp sharp sharp.
PS. This is just for those folks who rave about animal eye focus systems, I have always used GROUP AUTO FOCUS on my Nikon's, and guess what, my eyes are in focus too, and I didn't have to buy a eye focusing camera, imagine that!



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Aug 2, 2021 07:36:46   #
Jerrin1 Loc: Wolverhampton, England
 
Sparky54 wrote:
Hi to all ! Do you have and use either of these lenses?
Please make recommendations on the one to buy and reasons for your choice!
Thank you ,


I stood outside my favourite photography shop looking in the window at both lenses. Which one to choose? Not an easy question to answer. In the end I chose the Nikon 200 - 500mm and never looked back. Fabulous lens, f5.6 throughout the zoom range, takes a Nikon TC14EIII teleconverter and still produces great results when combined with a D500.

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Aug 2, 2021 11:48:37   #
neillaubenthal
 
Sparky54 wrote:
Hi to all ! Do you have and use either of these lenses?
Please make recommendations on the one to buy and reasons for your choice!
Thank you ,


Like Bill…I sold my G2 and bought a 500PF for weight and IQ. When I bought the G2 I also considered the 200-500 and the Sigma contemporary…looking at IQ , weight, and cost and ended with the G2 it it was a close evaluation …I based my analysis on a dozen or so comparison reviews.

I haven’t wished for the G2 back…the PF is better and lighter so hand holding works and the G2 was almost always at 600mm so the non zoom isn’t an issue for me.

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Aug 2, 2021 14:37:39   #
Photoladybon Loc: Long Island
 
I used my 200-500 on both the 850 and 500--with great success. It was a great lens but I sold it due to the weight. I purchased the 500pf which is at least 2 pounds lighter--and this is a great piece of glass. I have friends with both the Tamron and Sigma and are very happy. I tried all three before going with the 200-500 and was willing to give up the extra 100mm because the Nikon consistently performed faster and sharper than the other two. That's my opinion and I will stick with it. If $$$ isn't an object, look at the 500pf and then "move the feet" routine.

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Aug 2, 2021 16:10:10   #
Sparky54 Loc: Central Pennsylvania
 
Thank you

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Aug 2, 2021 17:39:37   #
James May
 
I have both and I think the Nikon one is sharper and better color so I took it to Africa on my safari and got great images

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