Which is better Tamron or Sigma 600 mm lens for Nikon D5100?

[annamaria]

Hi everyone I might possibly be getting a 600 mm lens as a gift. I would like to know which is better in sharpness and quality for a Nikon D5100. I'm not sure if there is a difference in price. So any suggestions would be appreciated, also which site would be the best place to purchase one. I'm assuming Nikon lens are super expensive. There is a Best Buy about 1 hour from where I live, but I don't think they sell off brands. Thanks

 

[sm4him]

Are you talking about a PRIME 600mm? I'm not aware that Tamron has one of those.
I'm assuming you mean the Tamron 150-600 lens or the Sigma 150-500.

On a D5100 (or any other body), there's going to be VERY little difference, if any, in quality or sharpness between the two. They are both excellent lenses for their price point.

I have the Sigma 150-500; I use it with a D7000, but started with the D5100 and still have it as a backup. The main thing I'd say is that the balance can be a little bit of an issue. The Sigma is a heavy lens, and on the D5100 body, it can just make it feel a little "off balance" when you're shooting. Not a problem, just take some getting used to. The Tamron is a little lighter, but on the very light, small D5100 it would still be something to keep in mind.

The Tamron has an extra 100mm of reach, so if I were just now buying, I'd quite likely go with that.

With EITHER lens, on the D5100, just be aware of a couple of things:

--It's not going to be a great performer in low light. AF can get a little difficult sometimes when there's not much light and you're trying to track something fast, like a bird.
--Handholding is an issue for some people. I handhold almost all my shots with my Sigma, but a lot of people say it's too heavy to shoot that way. Meh. Get arm muscles.
--There was something else, but I forgot it already.

 

[annamaria]

Are you talking about a PRIME 600mm? I'm not aware that Tamron has one of those.
I'm assuming you mean the Tamron 150-600 lens or the Sigma 150-500.

On a D5100 (or any other body), there's going to be VERY little difference, if any, in quality or sharpness between the two. They are both excellent lenses for their price point.

I have the Sigma 150-500; I use it with a D7000, but started with the D5100 and still have it as a backup. The main thing I'd say is that the balance can be a little bit of an issue. The Sigma is a heavy lens, and on the D5100 body, it can just make it feel a little "off balance" when you're shooting. Not a problem, just take some getting used to. The Tamron is a little lighter, but on the very light, small D5100 it would still be something to keep in mind.

The Tamron has an extra 100mm of reach, so if I were just now buying, I'd quite likely go with that.

With EITHER lens, on the D5100, just be aware of a couple of things:

--It's not going to be a great performer in low light. AF can get a little difficult sometimes when there's not much light and you're trying to track something fast, like a bird.
--Handholding is an issue for some people. I handhold almost all my shots with my Sigma, but a lot of people say it's too heavy to shoot that way. Meh. Get arm muscles.
--There was something else, but I forgot it already.

Wow! Thanks for all the info Sharon. Really appreciate it. Yes I meant 100- 600 mm sorry about the confusion. So on a sunny day it would perform decently, but not so much on cloudy days I assume. I think I need to increase my muscle strength lol. I will probably go with the tammy. By the way what site would you recommend for purchasing? Did you get yours online?

 

[sm4him]

I use mine (Sigma) on cloudy days as well, and at sunrise, and sunset. But it definitely performs BETTER with plenty of light. On a really cloudy day, I've had to up my ISO to 3200, which is about as high as I can go and still get something acceptable for at least web viewing. And on the D5100, probably ISO 1600 is about as high as you'd want to push it.
Still, you CAN get decent low-light shots out of it. Just takes practice. And a little luck.

When you first get one, though, I'd probably try to use it mostly in good light until you get the hang of it. It CAN be a little bit of a learning curve, using that big lens.

I can't remember for sure where I bought mine--I think it was keh.com, but it might have been B&H Photo. Those two, along with Adorama, are my favorite gear-purchasing sites. I've bought MOST of my lenses, used, from B&H or KEH and never had a single problem with them, but if I did get a lemon, I'd be confident that I could send it back to them without a problem. KEH "rates" their used lens. I've bought everything from BGN (Bargain) lenses and up, although I think I've only bought one BGN and that was because it was really cheap. At any rate, I'd say they always grade on the conservative side. If they rate it as an Excellent, it's often really a step or two above that.

 

[annamaria]

I use mine (Sigma) on cloudy days as well, and at sunrise, and sunset. But it definitely performs BETTER with plenty of light. On a really cloudy day, I've had to up my ISO to 3200, which is about as high as I can go and still get something acceptable for at least web viewing. And on the D5100, probably ISO 1600 is about as high as you'd want to push it.
Still, you CAN get decent low-light shots out of it. Just takes practice. And a little luck.

When you first get one, though, I'd probably try to use it mostly in good light until you get the hang of it. It CAN be a little bit of a learning curve, using that big lens.

I can't remember for sure where I bought mine--I think it was keh.com, but it might have been B&H Photo. Those two, along with Adorama, are my favorite gear-purchasing sites. I've bought MOST of my lenses, used, from B&H or KEH and never had a single problem with them, but if I did get a lemon, I'd be confident that I could send it back to them without a problem. KEH "rates" their used lens. I've bought everything from BGN (Bargain) lenses and up, although I think I've only bought one BGN and that was because it was really cheap. At any rate, I'd say they always grade on the conservative side. If they rate it as an Excellent, it's often really a step or two above that.

Thanks again Sharon you're a lifesaver. I will look into B&H and KEH. Wish we lived closer I know you could teach me lots. I will have to post some of my best and poor shots of birds to see how I can improve.

 

[sm4him]

Thanks again Sharon you're a lifesaver. I will look into B&H and KEH. Wish we lived closer I know you could teach me lots. I will have to post some of my best and poor shots of birds to see how I can improve.

When I started doing bird photography, in Feb. 2012, I was TERRIBLE at it. Partly because my longest lens was a 70-300, but more because I didn't have a clue what I was doing. Like pretty much everyone else who has never taken good bird pictures, I thought, "Meh, how hard can it be?" LOL. It's HARD. But it's also worth it. And once you get the hang of it, improving just takes practice.

I learned probably 95% of my bird photography skills by posting my terrible shots on this forum and listening to those with far greater skills tell me how to improve.

Oh, and by the way, we're not that far. Crossville is about an hour from me; plus, I have a son who lives in Murfreesboro so once in a while I head over that way.
Once the weather gets warmer, we'll have to plan a meetup somewhere in between.

 

[annamaria]

Thanks again Sharon you're a lifesaver. I will look into B&H and KEH. Wish we lived closer I know you could teach me lots. I will have to post some of my best and poor shots of birds to see how I can improve.

When I started doing bird photography, in Feb. 2012, I was TERRIBLE at it. Partly because my longest lens was a 70-300, but more because I didn't have a clue what I was doing. Like pretty much everyone else who has never taken good bird pictures, I thought, "Meh, how hard can it be?" LOL. It's HARD. But it's also worth it. And once you get the hang of it, improving just takes practice.

I learned probably 95% of my bird photography skills by posting my terrible shots on this forum and listening to those with far greater skills tell me how to improve.

Oh, and by the way, we're not that far. Crossville is about an hour from me; plus, I have a son who lives in Murfreesboro so once in a while I head over that way.
Once the weather gets warmer, we'll have to plan a meetup somewhere in between.

Your right takes a lot of practice. I've been using manual a lot here lately. Great so you're not as far as I thought. We will have to get together maybe sometime after the middle of May and onwards. Until school is out. I love bird photography.