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Archive 2017 · Nikon 200-500 vs Sigma 150-600 Sport

  
 
lara_ckl
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p.2 #1 · Nikon 200-500 vs Sigma 150-600 Sport


One more thing to consider is initial focus acquisition. In less than ideal light, the 200-500 will sometimes hunt to lock on even static subjects. I can't imagine a f6.3 lens to be better.

(I have the 200-500 and use it on the D810. No complaints. No experience with the Sigma 150-600.)



Jan 03, 2017 at 05:38 PM
TAM63
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p.2 #2 · Nikon 200-500 vs Sigma 150-600 Sport


With the push-pull of the Sigma, you can get focus zoomed out a bit (where it would be 5.6) then push to zoom without having to refocus I believe. I have not tried it a lot yet, but it seems (and I read) that focus would not change.

The sigma (with the dock) also offers a few different options for focus - one more accurate and one faster or something (sorry don't have the details) which you can use to set custom 1 and 2 options on the lens, and select via a switch. So one might be better under poor light, I will have to experiment.



Jan 03, 2017 at 05:45 PM
trenchmonkey
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p.2 #3 · Nikon 200-500 vs Sigma 150-600 Sport


Shoot 'em both, each make me money...right tool for the job.
Having said that, rent a 500 f4 VR and take a 70-200 f2.8




Jan 03, 2017 at 05:47 PM
TAM63
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p.2 #4 · Nikon 200-500 vs Sigma 150-600 Sport


trenchmonkey wrote:
Shoot 'em both, each make me money...right tool for the job.
Having said that, rent a 500 f4 VR and take a 70-200 f2.8



And the wisdom from the guy actually shooting them

I think I'd do what he said. Rent or buy a 1.4 TC too, right Will?



Jan 03, 2017 at 05:52 PM
CanadaMark
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p.2 #5 · Nikon 200-500 vs Sigma 150-600 Sport


TAM63 wrote:
I guess we will have to agree to disagree re. fine tuning. Nikon put it into the bodies for a reason. I have a few lenses that didn't seem to need any, and a few that did. If I was way at the outside edges of the range, then I would not be pleased.

The dock and multiple fine tuning values with the Sigma are not intended to "correct an issue" - they are intended to optimize the lens under a variety of conditions. Changing one value does not disrupt any others, so you would not have to recheck or anything
...Show more

Fine tuning is not something that is *always* necessary to get the most out of a lens, even under highly scrutinized scenarios, that much at least is fact. Every lens I own is a testament to that, and I am *extremely* picky. I thoroughly test every lens I have ever kept, and all of them got worse compared to CDAF as soon as AFFT moved from zero, including my F1.8's, with both test charts and real world situations. It can certainly be used to try and correct a lens that is not bang-on at all combinations of focal length and subject distance (within PDAF tolerances), but I would be exchanging such a lens, eliminating the need for AFFT at the source. It's simply a tool at our disposal that provides a temporary solution to how the lens *should* come from the factory (assuming the body isn't the issue), but obviously that isn't always the case and some lenses do benefit from varying levels of AFFT. Mass production pretty much guarantees there will be variation everywhere.

It's always better to have a feature than not have a feature, so it's addition is a welcome one, but I also think a lot of people accept poor lenses thinking they can tune them perfect (when that happens, visible improvements are misleading as they may still not end up anywhere near a good copy's full potential), or waste tons of time chasing extremely minute differences at very specific combinations of subject distance and focal length, at the expense of other combinations. I see it all the time - people hanging onto lenses that need +/-20 to just be acceptable, which is not fair when they paid the same amount as the guy who got one requiring no AFFT.

The dock not working across multiple bodies is a pretty huge drawback as well (at least for users who routinely upgrade or own multiple bodies), should one wish to go down that road. Anyways, I don't think it's bad, I'm just of the opinion that when you have the option to AFFT or not AFFT, it's better to not have to AFFT every time, and freely use my lenses across all my bodies without sacrificing performance.

At the end of the day the only thing that matters is what works for you and what you're happy with



Jan 03, 2017 at 06:33 PM
TAM63
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p.2 #6 · Nikon 200-500 vs Sigma 150-600 Sport


CanadaMark wrote:
Fine tuning is not something that is *always* necessary to get the most out of a lens, even under highly scrutinized scenarios, that much at least is fact. Every lens I own is a testament to that, and I am *extremely* picky. I thoroughly test every lens I have ever kept, and all of them got worse compared to CDAF as soon as AFFT moved from zero, including my F1.8's, with both test charts and real world situations. It can certainly be used to try and correct a lens that is not bang-on at all combinations of focal length and
...Show more

As I said, we will agree to disagree I agree, fine tuning is not always necessary, some of my lenses don't need any. But even right after being checked by an authorized dealers, some have benefitted from a little. If it was +20, I wouldn't find that acceptable. For example, even some pros send their lenses and bodies to be calibrated together - as opposed to just using them out of the box.

Actually you might be able to get the dock to work across multiple bodies. I'm not sure, but I think the lens would be what it was - so by having one body at +0 fine tuning, and a required value in the other, that might work. I'm not sure.

Re. one value being at the expense of others, with respect, I think perhaps you don't understand just how the Sigma dock works. Changing a value doesn't affect the others.

But in any case, as relevant to this thread, the Sigma has a capability that the 200-500 does not, and people have often voiced the desire to be able to fine tune at different focal lengths.



Jan 04, 2017 at 06:56 AM
DGC1
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p.2 #7 · Nikon 200-500 vs Sigma 150-600 Sport


Nice to see a discussion as opposed to a cat fight.


Jan 04, 2017 at 09:08 AM
trenchmonkey
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p.2 #8 · Nikon 200-500 vs Sigma 150-600 Sport


The dock not working across multiple bodies is a pretty huge drawback as well (at least for users who routinely upgrade or own multiple bodies), should one wish to go down that road. Anyways, I don't think it's bad, I'm just of the opinion that when you have the option to AFFT or not AFFT, it's better to not have to AFFT every time, and freely use my lenses across all my bodies without sacrificing performance.

Hmmm. I use my Sigma Sport freely with my D810/D800/D600/D500/D7200's.
No fine tune necessary and the dock was only used for a firmware update and
to customize AF speed for what and how I shoot. I'm not seein' the "drawback"

Back OT: the weathersealing, add'l range and ability to push/pull zoom are
certainly worthy of consideration (if you had to choose just one of these lenses)



Jan 05, 2017 at 07:21 AM
SheltoweeTrace
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p.2 #9 · Nikon 200-500 vs Sigma 150-600 Sport


trenchmonkey wrote:
Hmmm. I use my Sigma Sport freely with my D810/D800/D600/D500/D7200's.
No fine tune necessary and the dock was only used for a firmware update and
to customize AF speed for what and how I shoot. I'm not seein' the "drawback"

Back OT: the weathersealing, add'l range and ability to push/pull zoom are
certainly worthy of consideration (if you had to choose just one of these lenses)


I asked this same question last year , TrenchMonkey told me to buy the Sport as my only super zoom , I did . I have no regrets .





Jan 05, 2017 at 09:49 AM
m.sommers00
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p.2 #10 · Nikon 200-500 vs Sigma 150-600 Sport


I've used the 150-600 sport and the 80-400 VR (I know not exactly the same). Ergonomics alone, I much prefer the push-pull for zoom on these longer, heavier lens than the twist-zoom.

I thought my Sigma was sharp so no complaints there. One thing I did find out, which was about a different Sigma lens, is that I could send the lens and camera body to Sigma Canada and they would calibrate it for free, I just had to pay for shipping.

Still lusting for a 500/4 though.



Jan 05, 2017 at 11:59 AM
CanadaMark
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p.2 #11 · Nikon 200-500 vs Sigma 150-600 Sport


trenchmonkey wrote:
Hmmm. I use my Sigma Sport freely with my D810/D800/D600/D500/D7200's.
No fine tune necessary and the dock was only used for a firmware update and
to customize AF speed for what and how I shoot. I'm not seein' the "drawback"

Back OT: the weathersealing, add'l range and ability to push/pull zoom are
certainly worthy of consideration (if you had to choose just one of these lenses)


Of course there is no drawback because you got a good lens - I have never argued otherwise. In fact, that *is* my argument - that you should exchange the lens if you don't get a perfect one from the start (like you seem to have which is great).

For someone like yourself using 5 different bodies, imagine if you had to dock-tune the Sigma for each body or even a few of those bodies every time before going out to shoot if you changed bodies - that would completely ruin the experience. That is why relying on things like the dock have significant disadvantages in some scenarios and IMO you're much better off spending any time you would be with the dock into getting a good copy from the get-go. Doesn't seem to be an issue for you because you got a good copy that works on all your bodies which is ideal.



Jan 05, 2017 at 12:06 PM
gfinlayson
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p.2 #12 · Nikon 200-500 vs Sigma 150-600 Sport


I've AF tuned the 24-35 A and 120-300 S Sigma zooms with the dock for 3 different D800 bodies. Once the lens is dialled in on one body, I've found any variations on the other two can be dealt with by the in-body adjustment. The dock is great. Try AF fine tune on a Nikon 70-200. You won't find a single value that is optimal at all focal lengths. You'll get a spread and have to chose a single compromise value. With the dock you can optimise for each focal length from MFD to infinity. At 36MP, the D800 is unforgiving of AF inaccuracy. All of my lenses need adjusting to some degree. The only lens I never needed to adjust was a Sigma 85 1.4 EX DG HSM. Go figure.....


Jan 05, 2017 at 06:12 PM
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