Wildlife/Sports Lens for Nikon DX

[Cfitz]

Hey everyone. So I wanted to hear you guy's opinions on what lens would be better for what I like to shoot. I like wildlife/nature shooting eg. birds, ducks and some sports photography. The only problem is that the sports I shoot is usually floodlit so I'm gonna need a fast lens and the focal length you need for wildlife is around 400mm. I'm not rich so I won't be buying a 400mm f/2.8. I have 2 options.

Option 1:
Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 Non-OS
1.4x Teleconverter for when the birds are far.

Option 2:
Sigma 120-400mm f/4-5.6
Raise ISO for floodlit sports.

Which do you guys think is better?

P.S. Will a Nikon teleconverter work on third-party lenses eg.sigma, tamron etc.?

Thanks

 

[KmH]

Don't forget a teleconverter also affects the effective lens maximum aperture, a full stop for a 1.4x TC, and 2 stops for a 2x TC.
So the 70-200 becomes f/4 with a 1.4x TC, and the 120-400 becomes a f/5.6 to f/8.

There is no free lunch when it comes to using teleconverters.

Instead of the Nikon 400 mm f/2.8 prime, the next less expensive option would be the Nikon 200-400 f/4 zoom.

 

[djacobox372]

Have you considered a 300mm f4 prime nikon. The older af versions are quite affordable. The newer afs vr versions may be out of your price range.

The image quality of the nikon brand prime lens will be much better then the zooms you listed.

Another option may be a 80-200mm 2.8 af-d nikkor, the first single ring version only cost about 450 used in great condition, they are a little slow focusing but the optics are fantastic--as good as the top of the line pro glass of today. They also work great with teleconverters.

 

[tirediron]

A Nikon TC will ONLY work on higher-end Nikon lenses. It will not work on the Nikon 550-200, 55-300, 70-300, or any third-party lens.

 

[djacobox372]

A Nikon TC will ONLY work on higher-end Nikon lenses. It will not work on the Nikon 550-200, 55-300, 70-300, or any third-party lens.

You can use the older nikon TCs on a third party lenses just not the newer ones.

 

[Phranquey]

A Nikon TC will ONLY work on higher-end Nikon lenses. It will not work on the Nikon 550-200, 55-300, 70-300, or any third-party lens.

You can use the older nikon TCs on a third party lenses just not the newer ones.

Even those with only the slightest bit of mechanical prowess can use a phillips screwdriver & dremel to take care of that....

Christophe Heyman Photography - Nikon Pages

And Presto...... I now have a TC14e-II that will fit on any Nikon mount lens, & it took all of 10 minutes to do.