Narrowed it down to 5 telephotos. Which one should I pick?

anubis404

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I have about $300 to spend on a telephoto and I've narrowed it down to these three lenses. My biggest concern is IQ, and these lenses must have at least as much or better IQ than my kit zoom. I am not concerned with focal length at this time as long as it zooms further than 200mm. My ideal lens would be a prime telephoto (in the 105-200mm range), but I can't seem to find one for under $500.

Nikkor 55-200mm VR
Tamron 70-300
Tamron 55-200
Sigma 70-300mm

And (going slightly overbudget and under focal length):

Nikkor 18-135mm

But if the 18-135 is worth it, I'll go over. Any other suggestions are welcome.


Remember, my main concern is IQ, however VR is nice too. Which one of these lenses has the best IQ?
 
What does IQ mean? And are non Nikkor lens for Nikon cameras any good? What's the difference?

Sorry to hijack..
 
No problem. IQ means image quality. And yes, Sigma and Tamron lenses are very respected brands, and their lenses are great.
 
Well what you need to ask yourself is what are you wanting to shoot with the new lens? If you need more range then one of the first four is what you want. If you want just a little more reach then the last will work for you. The 55-200VR is nice, much better than the 18-200VR IMO but, not as nice as the 70-200VR which is heavier. The VR helps with handheld shots at full zoom if that is your shooting style. If you plan on using it on a tripod alot then the 70-300s will work great. Unless you have rock steady hands at full zoom.
 
I own the 55-200vr and use it for fire ground photography the most... Couldn't ask for anything better for what it is, its vr is great and I am very happy with such....
 
So in terms of IQ the 55-200 is the best? Why then is the 18-105 so much more expensive? And I would love a Nikkor 70-200mm but $1600 is slightly out of my price range.
 
The 18-135 is not what you want for telephoto performance. It's relatively not that more expensive, but it fills a certain niche that the telephotos do not. It is a slight wide, to mid-telephoto kit lens. The 55-200VR is your best bet here. The 70-200VR is not only heavier, but is well beyond the OP's stated budget. Get the 55-200VR. . .you won't regret it.
 
i was gonna say the old Nikon 70-300 non-VR but that that wont auto focus on your Nikon D40 but it is only $140 but other than that the 55-200 VR is a great piece of glass IQ is great for the $195 that it cost on amazon great price $60 lower than ritzcamera
 
i was gonna say the old Nikon 70-300 non-VR but that that wont auto focus on your Nikon D40 but it is only $140 but other than that the 55-200 VR is a great piece of glass IQ is great for the $195 that it cost on amazon great price $60 lower than ritzcamera

I am going to upgrade to a D70s, so I will have AF capability. If it weren't for the VR, I would probably be going with the Sigma, but because that doesn't have VR, and VR is something I want, I don't think I have much choice.

Yay 300th post!
 
congrats on the 300 post haha
i just bought a Nikon D70 and i love and and since the 70 and the 70s are mostly the same camera you should love ur also
check adorama for there used prices on the D70s because i got my Nikon D70 for $450 with the 18-70 lens off there used gear place great deal

YAY 78th Post!!! HAHA
 

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