Why you alway have to choose-? Sigma or nikkor

It may seems very obvious question
I am stuck with two lens one is sigma APO DG 70-300 and nikkor 55-200 with
nikon d5000


but as I compare some says nikkor has VR which will have upper hand on sigma but some says sigma has APO technology which will help

my main concern is macro+zoom with best pic quality ,seeing popularity trend nikkor is leading.
As of now I only have 18-55 kit lens only so this will be my first one I know some people will suggest get 50mm 1.8 I know but as I am not much interested in portrait (ll get after my first baby , after 7 month he he he ) I first want to have zoom and macro please you all TPF freaks help me in this
If I compaire picture taken by both lenses sigma seems very promissing.May be I am wrong, I checked it in Flickriver - A new way to view Flickr photos and more... choosing lenses.

 

and what you think about picture quality , whose will be better ,

 

Here's a sample using the Sigma 70-300mm macro which I borrowed from a friend this weekend:

Macro:



Non Macro:



There was some CA with the Sigma on some shots and I did feel I missed the VR when I shot at the long end. Otherwise I was surprised at the shots I was able to get. I also had a chance to use a true macro - the Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 - the older non-vr version - sweet. The Sigma is slow - I have some fast glass and I found this to be the biggest problem with the lens.

I liked having the "macro" option even though it's not true macro.

As for my own macro needs, I think I will be going with the Sigma 150mm macro.

HTH

 

Wide Open the Nikon will be a bit better. At f/8 and beyond the Sigma really comes to life and when you start to shoot "macros" at f/11-f/13 (or even f/22) it really comes to life. For a lens that goes to 1:2 for near macro it is incredible...it is what I started my macro journey on and it was such a great lens that people were always shocked that my closeups were done with this lens.

To give you some examples.....

 

@Nates the pictures you provided almost made my design to go for sigma , BTY can you please tell me APO is for image quality ?

 

don't worry about the techs the lens have but if you can take the photo you need with it.

I have lenses that are lucky to be AF-S and have a newish coating

 

I found one sigma 70-300 APO DG nikon fit , but i am not sure will it autofocus on my d5000 as seller is also unaware of it, all I wanted to know dose sigma makes 70-300 apo dg lens for nikon without motorized ,

though seller says lens is nikon fit

 

You definitely want the APO version..much sharper and better contrast.

Yes, they made a 70-300 APO without the focus motor built in...I have one and would have offered it to you for sale if you had a camera with the motor or if mine was the newer version.

If it has the built in motor, there will be a switch on the bottom of the lens saying AF/MF. If it doesn't have this switch then it is the older version without the built in motor.

Look at the link below and click the pictures to see the switch I"m talking about. If I was you, I would just order the one below as 209 is a pretty cheap price new and the built in motor versions haven't been out very long....you'll be hard pressed to find one used.
Sigma - 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro Autofocus Lens - 5A8306 -

 

yes you are right that was no auto focus i have to find again

 

I've used both. I sold the Sigma a few days after I got it. At 200mm+, you NEED some kind of image stabilization because as your focal length increases, so does camera shake. With the Nikkor, the VR really helps. Of course, non of this really matter if you plan to use the tripod a lot because that can compensate for the non-VR lenses. Personally, I prefer to not carry around a tripod, so I stuck with the 50-200 nikkor and I love it.