The Nikon 200-500 5.6 is a nice lens, the Tamron 160-600mm has been been a good lens.

What attracts me to this lens you ask? Despite costing $1800 (competitors are $1200-1400) is the fact that the lens is an internal zoom. This means the length of the lens never changes unlike the Nikon or Tamron. There is not as much of a weight shift when the front element extends forward. "OK pRICE cUBE, you can't handle a little weight shift to take an itty bitty picture?" Sure, I can, but over the course of an entire soccer game, this can get affect framing and get really annoying. Now I question whether I want to buy this lens and Sony body. Just a fun lens crush for now.




Nikon 200-500 at the 200mm setting


Nikon 200-500 at the 500mm setting


More big zooms lenses that extend.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/14/2021 12:14PM by pRICE cUBE.

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If you get a Sony body, then the choice is made. On the Nikon platform, I'd stick with the Tamron G2 action since it's easy to update the firmware and adjust it. The Sony lens would get the nod for the reasons you mention out of all three of them.

A Nikon NIKKOR Z 200-600mm Zoom Lens is on the roadmap. When it drops, it'll kick all of their butts. However, it'll cost a fortune.

This reminds me that I was going to look into a 2x converter for my 300mm and 80-200mm f-mount.

Quote
vision63
If you get a Sony body, then the choice is made. On the Nikon platform, I'd stick with the Tamron G2 action since it's easy to update the firmware and adjust it. The Sony lens would get the nod for the reasons you mention out of all three of them.

A Nikon NIKKOR Z 200-600mm Zoom Lens is on the roadmap. When it drops, it'll kick all of their butts. However, it'll cost a fortune.

This doesn't definitively mean a divorce, just a thing on the side.

Nikon and Sony zoom the same direction. If this were a Canon lens, it would be a no go.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/14/2021 04:15PM by pRICE cUBE.

A Nikon 200-400/4 is about the same price used as the Sony. Obviously, it stops at 400 but at f/4, it's more useful in available darkness.

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AllGold
A Nikon 200-400/4 is about the same price used as the Sony. Obviously, it stops at 400 but at f/4, it's more useful in available darkness.

Yes, the 200-400 is interesting. I feel like daytime soccer and lacrosse is best covered by the 200-600mm range. I used the 1.4x teleconverter with the 200-400 and it slow down the AF speed. I have no idea how it compares to the Sony 200-600 focus speed.

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While the Sony 200-600 isn't a f/4 lens, the ISO capabilities of the Sony may negate some of the need for the lens to be faster.

The downside of the internal zoom, is that the 200-600mm is gigantic, which is mildly annoying for me as I try to fit it into a backpack for hiking. It also supposedly has an AF bug with certain bodies, sometimes... Thankfully, I haven't experienced that so I haven't read up on it too much, but I also haven't had as much opportunity to get out and use the lens this past year.

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Gareth
The downside of the internal zoom, is that the 200-600mm is gigantic, which is mildly annoying for me as I try to fit it into a backpack for hiking. It also supposedly has an AF bug with certain bodies, sometimes... Thankfully, I haven't experienced that so I haven't read up on it too much, but I also haven't had as much opportunity to get out and use the lens this past year.

Hod up, you have this lens? Can you elaborate on what you posted above? What body do you use?

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2021 05:21PM by pRICE cUBE.

It seems to work extremely well and a9 bodies, a7III and, I believe, a7rIII. Some have reported problems with sharp AF on the A7rIV, and Mark Galer recently raised questions about its focus on small birds in flight with the forthcoming A1.

I've used it with the A7rIV. Whereas, I'm not in love with my results at 600mm and fast-moving birdies, they are no worst than any other long lens I've used for that purpose (e.g., Nikon 200-500mm). Images sharpen up nicely with Topaz Sharpen AI as long as focus is "close".

I couldn't post individual images-- probably too big-- so I posted a link to the gallery below. Most are taken at 600mm (it's sharpest at 400mm and lower, but is at least as sharp as the Nikon 200-500mm).

A7RIV-200-600mm



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2021 06:54PM by Billybob.

I used mine with an A9 the first couple times I took it out. Recently took it out with the A7R IV, but it wasn't good birding that day, so I only took a few shots and haven't looked at them yet. And I haven't had the opportunity to really test it with birds in flight yet.