I own a D500 Nikon/ 150-600mm Tamron G2, and I am using the Vanguard 263AT aluminum version with a MOVO Gimbal head..No problems or issues and excellent results with small birds..
I've had a 4tb Drive Station on RAID 1 for about 5 years..No problems.
Hooked up to a windows 7 pro with 4TB internal drive, ..Also on Raid 1
My advice is to learn to shoot in RAW format..You can give your photo ANY WB you desire. Iv'e been shooting raw for 98% of all my images for at least 10 years..You will have so much more data in your files that will allow you will have much more swing to a positive result..And you will ALWAYS have your raw file available to do a re-edit in the future as the RAW format is not a lossy file..I consider it to be the equivalent of a "negative" in the old film days.. as far as storage goes, gigabyte and terrabyte drives have become extremely cheap.. PAHTSPIX
Hoya is a well recognized brand of all kinds of filters, and my suggestion to you would to be to get two MC (multicoated) UV filters of the sizes you need for each lens..IE the filter size required will be a number representing its size in mm as you look at the front of the lens, such as 52; 58; 62; 67; 72 or 77.. The filters go up in price as the size go up. An honest place to by them would be:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com or
http://www.adorama.com Both are located in NYC, and have VERY high consumer ratings! I suggest you place these filters on your lenses and do not take them off..You will only have to clean the outside of the filter occasionally with a microfiber cloth, like you use for eyeglasses!Some may disagree that they degrade the image, but I've never seen that happen to me, and I've been shooting as a professional and an amateur since 1975. I do howver remove them if I am going to place a different type of filter on the lens, such as a polarizer, which may be your NEXT purchase. and then take it off and replace the UV filter when you are done using the polarizer (or other filter)!! Good Luck!..PAHTSPIX
I just purchased their GH 700 gimbal head based on 4.5 star rating on Amazon after MANY reviews..Definitely not a Wimberely ( about $500 MORE!!!), but appears to do the job fairly well according to their reviews.. If I have any issues, I'm sure Amazon will take it back.. I should receive it in a couple of days, and plan to use it with my D500 Nikon/Tamron 150-600 G2. I sold my Wimberely "Side-Kick" to go for this head which should give me a wider arc of movement..I'll report back once I get the rig together and get some use out of it...BTW..For the money, I don't see how you could go wrong with their "BEANBAG"!
I've been shooting since 1976, and doing wildlife for about 4-5 years. I recently purchased a Nikon D500 along with a Nikon mount Tamron 150-600mm G2, and I couldn't be happier with the sharp real-world results I'm seeing on far away small birds..I was shooting with a Nikon D7000 and an older Tokina 400mm prime which was very sharp, but had slow AF, and didn't give me the crop-sensor reach I needed for birding. I sent my D7000 to Life Pixel for conversion to a 720 nm Infrared camera ( My 3rd IR conversion!) .I just turned 73, and this Nikon/Tamron combo was a marriage made in heaven for me..Whether being hand-held for short periods, or on a monopod or gimble-equipped tripod. Tamron listened to their followers on some of the deficiencies of their decent, but not perfect G1 version of this 150-600, and made the G2 near perfect IMHO
RAM is really cheap these days..I had 32gb installed on my computer when it was built 3 years ago, along with a solid state boot drive, MUCH less money than it was 3 years ago. I would also get an external drive of at least 4-6 tb set up as RAID 1 for redundancy and safety.
Great shot..I personally think you'd LOVE the latest G2 version on your D500, although, much
has to do with the person behind the viewfinder as well!
Like is said in my previous post, the combination of the Nikon D500 and the Tamron 150-600mm G2 has been, at least for me, a marriage made in heaven..VERY pleased with the Tamron, and I think many would do well and save some $$$'s by going with the Nikon D7200 which should indeed work well with either camera
..No where near as fast as the D500, but probably fine for most uses. BTW..I've read and noticed that some have had to exchange their 200-500 2 or more times to get a copy that gives them sharp focus..Maybe that problem has since gone away..I know that a similar problem existed on the G1 version of the Tamron, and Tamron took care of those folks by exchanging, or fixing that teething problem with the 1st version..I have not seen any "negatives" posted so far on the G2, which is what I have..Good luck on your choice!
I currently OWN, and have used the latest TAMRON 150-600mm G2 on a Nikon D500, and it really "rocks"..Totally satisfied shooting wide-open at f6.3..Very sharp.. Their "VC" has 3 different modes, and works incredibly well..Also comes with a 6 year warranty..I have to date not read ONE BAD review on this newly revised Tamron (G2 model)..I'ts at the same price point as the Nikon at $1400, but I really like the longer zoom range, and I do believe it's "lighter" than the Nikon 200-400.. Go RENT BOTH, and then make your decision..While in the store, I mounted the D500 on the Nikon, and found the Nikon lens too heavy to comfortably hand-hold and shoot for any length of time..That's when I made my FINAL decision to go with the Tamron!. Of course All this is just my opinion..Also the limited buffer on either your D7000, ot D7100 will frustrate you with either of these lenses..I would also consider buying a new or refurbished D7200 which has a much creater buffer for fast shooting and is is still a GREAT camera for the money.
I currently OWN, and have used the latest TAMRON 150-600mm G2 on a Nikon D500, and it really "rocks"..Totally satisfied shooting wide-open at f6.3..Very sharp.. Their "VC" has 3 different modes, and works incredibly well..Also comes with a 6 year warranty..I have to date not read ONE BAD review on this newly revised Tamron (G2 model)..I'ts at the same price point as the Nikon at $1400, but I really like the longer zoom range, and I do believe it's "lighter" than the Nikon 200-400.. Go RENT BOTH, and then make your decision..While in the store, I mounted the D500 on the Nikon, and found the Nikon lens too heavy to comfortably hand-hold and shoot for any length of time..That's when I made my FINAL decision to go with the Tamron!. Of course All this is just my opinion..Also the limited buffer on either your D7000, ot D7100 will frustrate you with either of these lenses..I would also consider buying a new or refurbished D7200 which has a much creater buffer for fast shooting and is is still a GREAT camera for the money.
I agree that super-wides do not produce good results with polarizers.
I've owned that Tamron 70-300mm VC for about 4 or 5 years, and it its a fantastic lens..I've taken MANY hummingbird and Butterfly images with this lens..I think I paid $350 inclusive of a Tamrom $50 rebate..(Tamron is always doing rebates)..Also has a 6 year warranty..you cannot go wrong with purchasing on IMHO..I just recently purchased the latest Tamron 150-600mm for my Nikon D500..Totally happy with this lens as well!!
33% more reach for wildlife and sports, and if you already have DX lenses, that's also a plus..I bought the Nikon D500, and have it coupled to a Tamron 150-600mm G2, and I love it..Sharp wide open (f6.3) at 600mm ( effective FL of 900 mm!!)!! I couldn'
t be happier!!
I am not saying you have a "bad" example of this lens, but I've read reviews from others that had to return this lens 2 or 3 times to get a good copy..BTW, I'm having no such problems with my Tamron 150-600mm G2 coupled with a Nikon D500..Couldn't be happier..The VC (VR in "Nikon
speak") is incredible. All of my shots to date have been hand held with no issues.