Budget minded wildlife lens for Canon 70d

[SinisterSpeed]

Hello everyone, looking for some advice from experts as well as other newbies that may have recently been in the same delema. Mainly anyone that might know what lens(es) I should be looking for in the used market.

I am planning a trip in about 18 days that this lens will be used on. So with just buying the 70d camera kit I've already recently shelled out 1200+ so a used lens is about as much as I can swallow in the near future.

I know as far as rifle scopes (I tried googling the conversion I know there really isn't one). I think what I'm trying to achieve is about equal to 12x magnification. I know how close a 10x brings things, it's really not enough. 14x seems a bit much but I'd like it on the tripod. 12x I can hold and see very clearly what I'm looking at. So if anyone knows what size mm lens that might equate to that would be great. I think from what I've been reading that loosely converts to about 600mm?

Budget: is around $500-ish.
Range: desired is around 500-800 yds
Subject: Deer, Fox, Coyote, Elk,
Hold: I can put it on a tripod for some shots. I'd rather be able to hand hold and use it more often.
Expected Motion: Some, usually feeding deer are most likely going to be the target.
Getting closer is not an option, many times there on private property and I'm on the side of the road.

So far I've been looking at these lenses have any pro/cons as to why one vs. the other. They're all used lenses as the prices dictate. I can't afford any of these lenses new at this time.

Sigma 120mm-400 ($475 local pawn shop)
Sigma 170-500mm F/5-6.3 APO ($275 local camera shop) - I think the price is because it's old and no IS.
Sigma 50-500mm (Ebay 5-600)
Sigma DG 150-500 mm F/5-6.3 APO HSM DG OS ($500-650)
Sigma 150-600mm C (Ebay around 5-$550)

Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD (Ebay $700 local $875)

Canon 100-400L (750+) <- seems to be just a bit out of reach as far as price and not as much focal length as some of the 3rd party lenses.

Any better ideas?

 

[JacaRanda]

I can vouch for the Tamron, but 500-800 yards seems extremely out of reach. Or maybe I just can't wrap my head around it.

 

[SinisterSpeed]

I can vouch for the Tamron, but 500-800 yards seems extremely out of reach. Or maybe I just can't wrap my head around it.

Thanks for your input JacaRanda, I took a look at your flickr album and mainly my ideal goal would be to come out with a photo after cropped much like this one in your album. Coyote-11.jpg

Maybe I'm off with the distance but I know it's quite a ways out off the sides of the road. At least the 3-400 range.

 

[JacaRanda]

I can vouch for the Tamron, but 500-800 yards seems extremely out of reach. Or maybe I just can't wrap my head around it.

Thanks for your input JacaRanda, I took a look at your flickr album and mainly my ideal goal would be to come out with a photo after cropped much like this one in your album. Coyote-11.jpg

Maybe I'm off with the distance but I know it's quite a ways out off the sides of the road. At least the 3-400 range.

You are welcome. I took that with a 70-200mm @ 200mm. (Wish I had the Tamron 150-600 for that) The exif shows a distance of 4294967295 wth?

Anyways, I am guessing I was at least 200 yards away so with larger animals at 500 yards with a 600mm lens should work fine ( I think). I do recall shooting an Elk approximately 200 yards away @ 600mm but the atmosphere / heatwaves etc. really sucked.

 

[SinisterSpeed]

I can vouch for the Tamron, but 500-800 yards seems extremely out of reach. Or maybe I just can't wrap my head around it.

Thanks for your input JacaRanda, I took a look at your flickr album and mainly my ideal goal would be to come out with a photo after cropped much like this one in your album. Coyote-11.jpg

Maybe I'm off with the distance but I know it's quite a ways out off the sides of the road. At least the 3-400 range.

You are welcome. I took that with a 70-200mm @ 200mm. (Wish I had the Tamron 150-600 for that) The exif shows a distance of 4294967295 wth?

Anyways, I am guessing I was at least 200 yards away so with larger animals at 500 yards with a 600mm lens should work fine ( I think). I do recall shooting an Elk approximately 200 yards away with @ 600mm but the atmosphere / heatwaves etc. really sucked.

Well according to the photos in your album you take some amazing shots. I already know I won't be able to achieve such shots for quite some time. I just want to make sure this purchase isn't one I'll regret from trying to save a buck.

I realize there are far better lenses out there but not in this price range. It's just there are so many versions and models that are so similar to a newbie. I looked up that exact lens you have in your sig. Looks like that's the one I have been finding around the $7-800 mark. It might be a bit of a stretch but if that's much better than the others I listed maybe I'll narrow my search.

 

[JacaRanda]

I can vouch for the Tamron, but 500-800 yards seems extremely out of reach. Or maybe I just can't wrap my head around it.

Thanks for your input JacaRanda, I took a look at your flickr album and mainly my ideal goal would be to come out with a photo after cropped much like this one in your album. Coyote-11.jpg

Maybe I'm off with the distance but I know it's quite a ways out off the sides of the road. At least the 3-400 range.

You are welcome. I took that with a 70-200mm @ 200mm. (Wish I had the Tamron 150-600 for that) The exif shows a distance of 4294967295 wth?

Anyways, I am guessing I was at least 200 yards away so with larger animals at 500 yards with a 600mm lens should work fine ( I think). I do recall shooting an Elk approximately 200 yards away with @ 600mm but the atmosphere / heatwaves etc. really sucked.

Well according to the photos in your album you take some amazing shots. I already know I won't be able to achieve such shots for quite some time. I just want to make sure this purchase isn't one I'll regret from trying to save a buck.

I realize there are far better lenses out there but not in this price range. It's just there are so many versions and models that are so similar to a newbie. I looked up that exact lens you have in your sig. Looks like that's the one I have been finding around the $7-800 mark. It might be a bit of a stretch but if that's much better than the others I listed maybe I'll narrow my search.

Thank you for the comment.

You have a very nice camera (my Wifey uses the 70d most often with the Canon 100-400L lens you listed above). You absolutely CAN achieve the same shots or better with that camera, the right lens, with the right settings for the situation. Here is another wildlife shooter that also uses the 70d with different lenses.
Ger Bosma

 

[runnah]

400mm f/5.6l

Great prime lens that can be had for realatively cheap.

 

[Derrel]

400mm f/5.6l

Great prime lens that can be had for realatively cheap.

I was gonna suggest the same thing. This lens is available widely on the used market. Last month Pro Photo Supply had three of them in its used inventory, and prices were as I recall $675 for one, and the other two were at $750. There are currently a LOT of used Canon lenses being sold/traded in/consignment sold to raise cash to buy the new 50-MP models. I think this lens is probably the sharpest, best imager you could buy under $1k, and then crop in a little bit at the computer, and it is effectively a sharp "500mm" lens (or longer), also at f/5.6, not f/6.3 or whatever.

 

[jaomul]

Fwiw I have never heard much good about the sigma 120-400. I also tried one briefly one day when I was buying a lens and it didn't give the expected image quality.

I know the new 150-600 from sigma and tamron seem very good, but I'd imagine you should be able to swing a bargain on the older sigma 150-500. A local bird watcher/ photographer uses this lens all the time and released a wildlife calendar a few years ago. The pictures were excellent. The image quality was excellent

 

[JacaRanda]

The 400mm f/5.6L that Runnah and Derrel mentioned is an excellent lens especially for the price and light weight compared to 150-600 ish lenses. I would have mentioned that one if you were shooting mostly birds and particularly birds in flight. It does work well with a 1.4 teleconverter.

 

[SinisterSpeed]

Thanks everyone so far, I thought the 120-400 might be a bad choice which is why I walked away from it when I did. Until I did some more research. At this time I'm not interested in any Prime lenses due to the range of the different animals. As I was saying at the beginning those are the far extremes but there will be opportunities closer as well. This is leaning me toward looking for a Sigma 50-500mm. I missed one yesterday for $483 on eBay. I stopped bidding until I had a chance to come here and learn more about the lenses and what all the other parts of the model numbers mean. I thought maybe there was something I was missing that caused the price to be what it was. Currently there is a *mint* one on eBay for $620 +shipping. Sounds pretty interesting.

However, I'm still reading up on the Tamron 150-600 and the Sigma 150-600 before settling on that one.

Thanks everyone for your expertise on the lenses it's helping dramatically narrow the scope of the search.

 

[beagle100]

Thanks everyone so far, I thought the 120-400 might be a bad choice which is why I walked away from it when I did. Until I did some more research. At this time I'm not interested in any Prime lenses due to the range of the different animals. As I was saying at the beginning those are the far extremes but there will be opportunities closer as well. This is leaning me toward looking for a Sigma 50-500mm. I missed one yesterday for $483 on eBay. I stopped bidding until I had a chance to come here and learn more about the lenses and what all the other parts of the model numbers mean. I thought maybe there was something I was missing that caused the price to be what it was. Currently there is a *mint* one on eBay for $620 +shipping. Sounds pretty interesting.

However, I'm still reading up on the Tamron 150-600 and the Sigma 150-600 before settling on that one.

Thanks everyone for your expertise on the lenses it's helping dramatically narrow the scope of the search.

Don't get the Sigma 50-500 !! (or 150-500)

Primes are good but for the money ($500- $1000) the newer 150-600 Sigma and Tamron zooms are much better
and the older Canon 100-400 (V1) is still a good value

 

[vfotog]

Thanks everyone so far, I thought the 120-400 might be a bad choice which is why I walked away from it when I did. Until I did some more research. At this time I'm not interested in any Prime lenses due to the range of the different animals. As I was saying at the beginning those are the far extremes but there will be opportunities closer as well. This is leaning me toward looking for a Sigma 50-500mm. I missed one yesterday for $483 on eBay. I stopped bidding until I had a chance to come here and learn more about the lenses and what all the other parts of the model numbers mean. I thought maybe there was something I was missing that caused the price to be what it was. Currently there is a *mint* one on eBay for $620 +shipping. Sounds pretty interesting.

However, I'm still reading up on the Tamron 150-600 and the Sigma 150-600 before settling on that one.

Thanks everyone for your expertise on the lenses it's helping dramatically narrow the scope of the search.

check the used departments at B&H, Adorama and KEH. They have lenses in these ranges at better prices and you'd be buying from a reputable dealer.

 

[jcdeboever]

Man, your pics are gorgeous. I don't see any of those animals in Detroit.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[SinisterSpeed]

Thanks everyone so far, I thought the 120-400 might be a bad choice which is why I walked away from it when I did. Until I did some more research. At this time I'm not interested in any Prime lenses due to the range of the different animals. As I was saying at the beginning those are the far extremes but there will be opportunities closer as well. This is leaning me toward looking for a Sigma 50-500mm. I missed one yesterday for $483 on eBay. I stopped bidding until I had a chance to come here and learn more about the lenses and what all the other parts of the model numbers mean. I thought maybe there was something I was missing that caused the price to be what it was. Currently there is a *mint* one on eBay for $620 +shipping. Sounds pretty interesting.

However, I'm still reading up on the Tamron 150-600 and the Sigma 150-600 before settling on that one.

Thanks everyone for your expertise on the lenses it's helping dramatically narrow the scope of the search.

check the used departments at B&H, Adorama and KEH. They have lenses in these ranges at better prices and you'd be buying from a reputable dealer.

Thanks vfotog! I did check KEH and the only lenses they had were as much or close to new prices. I'll check the others you mentioned right now.