Help, Im a greenhorn, beginner, amateur

[hillbilly]

Greetings all, I'm new to the forum & the world of photography. I recently purchased a Nikon D5100 w/ a 18-55 vr lens. I am now looking at zoom lenses. My question is, am i better off with a nikon 70-300vr w/ a converter lens or a sigma 150-500? Any input or other lens suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Living in the Blueridge mtns of NC, my interest is landscapes & wildlife. Thanx!

 

[Trever1t]

welcome to the forum. I have no experience with the Sig but the Nikkor 70-300vr is a fine piece of affordable glass. Don't think you can run it with a Telecoverter though I'm not sure.

 

[Derrel]

I think if you need a long-range lens, it's best NOT to rely upon a converter on an already slow lens like the 70-300VR-G Nikkor. I have that lens, and with its rather slow maximum aperture, well...a converter is going to give some dismally slow effective f/stops. I honestly think you'd probably rather have a SIgma 50-500 or 150-500 for "wildlife" type shooting. The 70-300 VR is smallish, and easy to carry around in casual type situations, whereas the Sigma 150-500 is a much bigger piece of pipe...it's more of an "effort" to lug something like that. But then again, the Sigma is DESIGNED as a long-distance zoom lens....not something jerry-rigged to become something...

This entire "affordable big telephoto" area really is a no-win situation in some respects...there really is nothing "Top Level" optically until the $4,500 class with the Sigma 500mm f/4.5, or used Nikon 500 f/4-P manual focus lenses (which adapt well to Canon's via adapter BTW)...with the effective f/stops of like f/6.3 at 500mm, even the $1000 zooms are kind of slow for winter-time shooting except in the very brightest light, or at the seashore/lakeshore/snowfields, where there is ample light.

 

[DiskoJoe]

I really enjoy my sigma 70-200 f2.8 but new they are expensive and very heavy. Maybe not the best focal length for wildlife. I do mostly street photography with mine.

 

[hillbilly]

Thanks alot for the info, I was wanting to stay around a $1000. so it seems the Sig is the lens for me. I'm sure i'll have many more questions.
Again, Thanks!