I'm planning a trip to Yellowstone NP this year and thinking about getting an additional lens for some more reach when I'm photographing wildlife. Right now I've got the 18-55 and 55-200 kit lenses for my D5100. I know I'll probably want more than the 55-200 in my bag - but how to get there?? I'm by no means a professional , so although i'd like the best image quality i can get, the chances of me taking the perfect shot are slim. I'd still like my purchase to be something I can grow with from here on out. I'm also on a budget of around $350. Manual mode and focusing doesn't scare me too much - I'll just get better if I need to right? Zoom would probably be the best choice, but not if i can get a better quality lens that fits what I need, right?
What are the pro's/cons of going with the solutions I've come up with below? Are there other solutions I haven't thought of but should??
- I've seen some Nikon 500mm reflex lenses on ebay, as well as the other brands (Rokinon, Bower, Vivitar) I'm assuming the Nikon would have the better image quality, but are the others a reasonable choice considering the reduced price - about half of the cost of the Nikon? Is the Nikon 500mm clearly the best choice for what i want. I read Photowyzard's review of the lens and got some good info off of that. The only negative he had about the lens was that it was difficult (yes, i know about the bokah.)
-Opteka 800mm reflex - I'm assuming this would be harder in terms of focus, etc. If not, is it comparable to the other non-Nikon lenses listed above or junk?
Or something else. I see the following available now. Anything I should be jumping on? Most of these are also zoom lenses too. Would i regret the 200-500mm gap I'd have in my bag if i purchased the Nikon 500mm?
-Tamron 200-400mm f5.6
-Sigma 170-500mm f5-6.3
-Tamron 200-400mm f5.6
-Tamron 200-500mm f5-6.3
-Sigma 400mm 5.6
-Rokinon (and other branded) 650-2600 with 2x teleconverter - not read any good reviews on these. Follow my instincts here and avoid, or am i missing something?
-just get a teleconverter for my 55-200 and call it good.
What are the pro's/cons of going with the solutions I've come up with below? Are there other solutions I haven't thought of but should??
- I've seen some Nikon 500mm reflex lenses on ebay, as well as the other brands (Rokinon, Bower, Vivitar) I'm assuming the Nikon would have the better image quality, but are the others a reasonable choice considering the reduced price - about half of the cost of the Nikon? Is the Nikon 500mm clearly the best choice for what i want. I read Photowyzard's review of the lens and got some good info off of that. The only negative he had about the lens was that it was difficult (yes, i know about the bokah.)
-Opteka 800mm reflex - I'm assuming this would be harder in terms of focus, etc. If not, is it comparable to the other non-Nikon lenses listed above or junk?
Or something else. I see the following available now. Anything I should be jumping on? Most of these are also zoom lenses too. Would i regret the 200-500mm gap I'd have in my bag if i purchased the Nikon 500mm?
-Tamron 200-400mm f5.6
-Sigma 170-500mm f5-6.3
-Tamron 200-400mm f5.6
-Tamron 200-500mm f5-6.3
-Sigma 400mm 5.6
-Rokinon (and other branded) 650-2600 with 2x teleconverter - not read any good reviews on these. Follow my instincts here and avoid, or am i missing something?
-just get a teleconverter for my 55-200 and call it good.
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