imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

I have only used Canon and now Sony - so I am far removed from being a Nikon "fanboy" .........The only caveat I will mention regarding the 200-500 is to do a focus test to make sure you have a good copy and it is working at it's best. The adjustability of the Tamron G2 and Sigmas can be a serious consideration in this regard.

Mike Jackson Loc: Jackson Hole, WY

I have all three of the lenses you mentioned. Tamron replaced my first G2 with one that works really well and I am happy with it. I am lucky enough to have a Nikon D5, D500, and D810. Typically, I leave the Nikon 200-500mm on my D500, so with the 1.5 crop factor, I get a bit more relative zoom with that combination than either of the 150-600mm lenses on the D5 or D810. When handled the same, and processed the same, I can't tell much difference at all in the two newer lenses.

Currently, my D5 and Tamron 200-600 G2 are heading to Tamron USA while we are on a trip. I am hoping they can do the micro adjustments to make it the very best it can be. I love that combination, shooting in Manual Mode with Auto ISO. The D5 gives me a lot of elbow room with its very good ISO.

I try to use a tripod when I can (with VC or VR off). Otherwise I usually shoot over a bean bag when possible, and fast shutter speeds when handheld with no support. The G2 does a good job of Vibration Control at slow shutter speeds, but at slow shutter speeds the subject can't be moving. (unless you are dragging the shutter for an artistic effect).

The G2 has a new option for limiting focus to 2.2 meters to 10 meters. I've found that to be a great option for close songbirds while I am in my blind.

I've been posting photos of Grizzlies photographed with both the G2 and Nikon 200-500mm on my Daily Journal pages at: https://www.bestofthetetons.com/2017/05/01/may-2017-daily-journal-for-jh-and-gtnp/

The attachment was was taken with a D500 and Nikon 200-500mm.

Mike Jackson Loc: Jackson Hole, WY

I have a few updates for this thread.

I sent my D5 and Tamron 150-600 G2 to Tamron Service to let them fine tune the lens to the D5. They do this for free. I paid the shipping to them and they paid for shipping back. It was fairly quick, but delayed slightly for me because they didn't have any XQD cards at the time. The combo was good before I sent it in and better afterwards. And the lens has been very good on my D810.

You can buy their TapIn console and do the adjustments using FoCal, but it costs extra for both. If you plan on buying a lot of Tamron lenses, it might be worth the investment.

For people with more than one body, there are a few caveats. The TapIn/Focal option saves the data for the lens body/lens combinations in a data file that must be uploaded to the lens via a computer connected to the TapIn console. At the time I was talking with the Tamron rep, to upload the data, you must also be connected to the Internet to access the software. That might be tough in some parts of the country or world. I asked about a USB connection direct from an iPhone to the console, but he said that was not an option at the time. Maybe now?

I believe the G2 is quicker and better at Birds in Flight than the Nikon 200-500mm and is better then the G1. My older 200-400mm is much faster than any of the three.

Lastly, I also don't like the amount of twisting it takes to zoom from 200mm to 500mm on that lens. It takes very nice photos, and I still pair it with my D500 on most days.

There are lots of photos taken with all three on my GTNP/Jackson Hole Daily Journal pages at www.bestofthetetons.com

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Thanks for the experienced info !

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

GREAT shot ! ......thanks for sharing

drdan_1

I had an opportunity to compare the original Tamron 150-600 with a new Sony RX10. We were both leading a bird photography walk May of 2017 and taking pics of the exact same birds standing next to each other. Several hundred shots each. I was using the Tamron on a canon T6i, both cameras handheld. The Sony was great and light but the Tamron got noticeably better pictures 100% of the time.

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

G2 is better than the other two.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Gene is back !

FWIW, - The latest Imatest numbers in the center @ 500/600mm wide open as tested by the British magazine N PHOTO in their Sept. issue #76 are:

200-500 - 1800 .....fringing - 2.21

Tammy G2 - 1600 ...fringing - 1.91

Sigma S - 1700 .....fringing - 1.01

Higher numbers are better - except for fringing where lower numbers are better.

Oh, and just for kicks the Nikon 200-400 @400 f4 = 1350 and f5.6 = 1800 .....fringing - 1.13

..

rstipe Loc: S. Florida

I'm searching for a straight up comparison between thr G1 & G2. Since you own both I was hoping you could help me out. TIA

Mike Jackson Loc: Jackson Hole, WY

rstipe, The short answer is BUY the G2! There are enough small upgrades to add up to a much better lens. A: You can use the tap-in console to fine tune it. B: it has an Arca-Swiss mount built in. C: It has a better Lock. D: It has a "short range" limiter, similar to the long range limiter, but not found on many other telephotos I've seen (good for up close birds from a blind). E: Image quality is better

https://www.bestofthetetons.com/2018/08/01/august-2018-daily-journal-for-gtnp-jh/. This page has a lot of G2 images shot with a Nikon D850 and D500.
https://www.bestofthetetons.com/2018/07/01/july-2018-daily-journal-for-grand-teton-national-park-jackson-hole/. This page has a lot of G2 images using a Nikon D5.

Hope this helps!
Mike Jackson

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

I was out of state and working off a cellphone, which made it hard to write a detailed response. Did you miss me, Larry?

I've had experience with all three, and though I already responded when you first posted, I'd like to elaborate.

G1 is the weakest of the three - though not awful, it is a cheap way to get into long lens photography. Best results are at F8 and slightly less than full zoom. I've tried just one copy of this lens.

The Nikkor 200-500 is better, but focus can be imprecise, and build quality is lacking (no moisture or dust sealing) - It still returns good images. I've tried two copies - one from NPS and another from a friend. Both were pretty darn good.

The G2 is almost as good as my 600mmF4 - most of the time it's hard for me to tell the difference. I've only tried one of these, but I was impressed with everything about it. Very little to dislike about it, and most of it is of little impact on image quality.

I chose the Sigma Sport 150-600, but had the G2 been available at the time, I would have bought it instead. It's lighter, just as sharp at 600mm, sharper at shorter focal lengths, and a complete delight to use. It also has a built-in Arca-Swiss dovetailed foot - so you don't have to buy anything extra. I have yet to use my Sigma on a tripod though, so in my case it is not that important.

Value retention is a slippery slope. I am selling my 600mm F4 and having a hard time getting something reasonable for it. It originally cost almost $10,000, and now is only getting about a third of that. And it's a super lens.

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

I opted for the Tamron 150-600 G2 based on this review and many comments in separate articles that claim that the Tamron 150-600 G2 is noticeably superior to the G1.

There are a lot of factors involved. I can barely afford one of them, especially since I will not be using it often.. You pay your money and take your choice.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

I realize this is an older thread, but I bought a G1 back in July used for $449 for a trip to YNP...As noted, if one doesn't use it much, the higher cost of the others makes a difference.

Mike Jackson Loc: Jackson Hole, WY

This is definitely an old thread! Possibly, I should add a little more information based on my experience.

First...that 6 year warranty is possibly not really valid. I had to send my G2 in. They said it had been dropped, so they didn't fix it for free. It has been a while so I am recalling the price to repair from memory, but it was roughly $475. Okay I paid it BUT afterwards they only gave my lens a 90 day warranty from that point. The balance of the 6 years was void. I complained about it on another call and they told me they were getting complaints and extended to after repair warranty to 180 days. I don't believe a basic cleaning voids the balance, however. I've had Nikon lenses repaired, and even after a drop, they honored the full warranty after the repair. Be warned!

Second...while it was not part of the original discussion, I bought a Sigma Sport 60-600mm lens. It is heavier than the other lenses, and if you are a Nikon shooter, you'll notice the zoom twists the opposite direction to what you are used to. (It twists the same direction as Canon zoom lenses) Otherwise, it is a far superior lens to the G1, G2, and Nikon 200-500mm lenses. I use it for almost every shot now. The 60mm length at the short end replaced my 70-200mm lens (except when I need the F/2.8 light gathering capability) and the extra 100mm on the long end comes in handy over the 200-500mm Nikon.

The Sigma Sport 60-600mm lens' stabilization feature is first class. With that lens, I find myself using a tripod less and less, but even with the lens stabilization switch turned ON, it works great on the tripod. Since I bought mine, I notice they increased the price by around $200.

I've been using the Sigma for around a year now. You can see a LOT of photos taken with it on my daily blog posts at https://www.bestofthetetons.com

In today's post, I added some shots taken with a Nikon D850, but the lens lives almost constantly on a Nikon D6.

Hope this addition helps!

Mike Jackson