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Which zoom would you buy?

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Neil MacDonald

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I have an annuity coming due in January...I plan to use a portion of it to purchase a longer zoom lens. Not having had a chance to use any of them, but having seen pics from them all on the net, I am uncertain which one to buy. The pics seem pretty clear from all of them...

I shoot mainly birds and wildlife, mainly handheld, and know I need to stay pretty fast and open to handhold a long lens. I have a very steady hand, but plan to pick up a monopod (already have a decent tripod). I print up to 8x10, and would like to print a bit larger, but I am not a pixel peeper.

Would you choose the Zuiko 70-300, the Sigma 135-400, or the Bigma 50-500? I want to go as long as I can, but not compromise my pictures...

Thanks for your comments and input...

Neil
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Neil MacDonald
NB Canada
http://nrmdisk.smugmug.com/
Sony H2, DH1758 and M3358
Olympus E-330, 14-45mm and 40-150mm

Feel free to comment, critique or PP for educational purposes. If you sell my pics, pls send me my share!

 
I just bought the Zuiko 70-300mm lens last Saturday. It is super. I tested it in one of the worse possible conditions recently...dark cloudy Oregon at Multnomah Falls...at 300mm, ISO 1600, moving people, HQ setting, hand-held, cropped etc. I also tested it during bright sunny days. I'm very happy with it...it's so lightweight.

I don't know enough about the other lenses, but I don't think you can go wrong with the new affordable Zuiko 70-300mm lens. You were on the Sony Forum also, right? I still have my Sony H2...but I wanted more...very pleased with the E-510 also.

See some of my samples here and on the Olympus Talk forum too.
 
...thanks for the response.

Yes, I was on the Sony forum...moved up to an Oly E-330 after I dumped my H9 (still have and use occasionally the H2). Haven't posted or even read there in a long while...welcome to Oly!

N
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Neil MacDonald
NB Canada
http://nrmdisk.smugmug.com/
Sony H2, DH1758 and M3358
Olympus E-330, 14-45mm and 40-150mm

Feel free to comment, critique or PP for educational purposes. If you sell my pics, pls send me my share!

 
I have the Sigma 50-500mm EX DG HSM. Also have the 50-200.

The Sigma is pretty fast (especially on the E-3) and an excellent optic. Fast AF is just as important in birding as a fast shutter speed is. While the Sigma 50-500mm is quick (HSM), it is lacking in aperture with a max aperture of f6.3. Not a problem on bright days, but can be an issue with low light. Bigma is quite sharp at 500mm at wide open. I have not used this lens from 50mm - 200mm much since I use the Zuiko for that range. I have printed 13" x 19" prints with the lens wide open at 500mm and found the quality acceptable.

If you want light weight and compact size, the Sigma will not hold a candle to the new 70-300mm which seems to be a pretty small and light zoom. The Sigma is heavy and handholding this thing is not easy. Even with IS, a tripod or some sort of support is required.

The 50-200mm is simply excellent. Enough has been said about this lens.

The 50-200mm is pretty easy to hand hold - especially with IS on the e510 or E-3. However, it lacks the reach of the Sigma.

If you are looking at using a lens for birding/nature where telephoto is required, even 500mm will not be sufficient - let alone 300mm. For specifically this purpose, the Sigma is the best option among the three.
 
...some food for thought. I don't have IS on my camera - using the E330, so maybe a shorter lens is a bit better...I still have a month or so to make up my mnd, though, so plenty of time. Who knows, maybe I'll pick up a 510!

N
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Neil MacDonald
NB Canada
http://nrmdisk.smugmug.com/
Sony H2, DH1758 and M3358
Olympus E-330, 14-45mm and 40-150mm

Feel free to comment, critique or PP for educational purposes. If you sell my pics, pls send me my share!

 
Have a 100-500 from my OM days, but I just don't want to deal w lugging that much weight these days. The new Zuiko should be a nice complement to my kit lenses, and eventually I'll add the 12-60 when cash is more available.
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Art P



Select images may be seen here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8131242@N04/
 
These aren't the best samples in the world, but last Saturday / Sunday I went to the zoo with my new 70-300 and my L1 and tried it out. The results are not stunning but they show promise! :-) Remember, you are getting 600mm of reach for less than $400. You can't expect perfect bokeh and SWD speed. For what you pay, I don't think there's a better deal out there right now.

http://www.verndewit.com/p239140348/ (my zoo samples)

That being said, I also agree that even 600mm of reach is not enough for 'serious' birding (whatever you might take that to mean). If you were a really serious birder you would be looking at much more expensive options like the 300mm (600 equiv) f/2.8 + 1.4 or 2.0 converter + E3... :-)
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Vern Dewit
Calgary, Alberta Canada
http://www.fresh-oxygen.com
http://verndewit.com/
 
...the E3 is not in my budget this year. Perhaps the 70-300 and the EC-20.

Enjoyed your pics...thanks for sharing. That looks like a nice lens.

N
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Neil MacDonald
NB Canada
http://nrmdisk.smugmug.com/
Sony H2, DH1758 and M3358
Olympus E-330, 14-45mm and 40-150mm

Feel free to comment, critique or PP for educational purposes. If you sell my pics, pls send me my share!

 
If you don't mind the extra weight, go with the 135-400 for the 33% longer reach. Same speed, a little noisy AF and the focus ring moves, but no really big flaws from what I understand. I believe they ship with the EX finish now too.
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Truth is afterall a moving target, hairs to split and pieces that don't fit.
How can anybody be enlightened? Truth is afterall so poorly lit.
 
Neil MacDonald said:
...maybe the 70-300 and an EC-20 is a better bet!
Click to expand...
A 70-300mm is f/5.6 at the telephoto end. An EC-20 loses 2 f/stops, so you are talking about f/11 at the telephoto end. Outside of the E-3, I suspect most of the Olympus DSLRs would have trouble focusing a f/11 lens (maybe also the E-3, but lets give it the benefit of the doubt). One other thing to think of is whether you will start to see diffraction effects at f/11 (according to one online calcuator, you should start seeing diffraction around that point for 10MP cameras).

On the other hand, both the Sigmas are f/5.6 at the telephoto end. For many Sigmas, they are better stopped down 1 stop, so you would be shooting at f/8 instead of f/5.6. That is one stop of light brighter than the 70-300mm.
 
So it has been confirmed that the 70-300 is a rebranded sigma?
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Truth is afterall a moving target, hairs to split and pieces that don't fit.
How can anybody be enlightened? Truth is afterall so poorly lit.
 
I would buy 50-200 with one or both TC.
 
They may have licensed the lens formula from Sigma like the 18-180 but the lens itself seems to be built to a higher optical quality based on the images and reviews I've seen from the lens.
 
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