DPReview.com is closing April 10th - Find out more

Is Tamron 200-400mm f/5.6 LD a worthy upgrade?

Started Feb 5, 2015 | Discussions thread
R2D2 Forum Pro • Posts: 26,551
Re: Is Tamron 200-400mm f/5.6 LD a worthy upgrade?

Der Freischutz wrote:

I have an opportunity to go to Serengeti National Park this summer and want to go with sufficient camera equipment, but the budget is tight (graduate student).

For wildlife I usually use an EF 55-250mm IS with my EOS 40D. From what I've found on the net, more reach might be welcome, so I bought a used Tamron 200-400mm f/5.6. The price was right (<$170), but after trying it out the best I can here in the Midwest during winter, I'm not sure it's really giving more than the 55-250mm. Apples to apples (same focal length, aperture, shutter speed, on a tripod), if I crop pictures from the 55-250mm to a 400mm-equivalent field of view, it seems the Canon has a slight edge at f/5.6, while the Tamron has a slight edge at f/8.

Does this seem right? The Tamron is so much bigger/heavier and lacks IS, am I better off just cropping pictures from the 55-250mm and getting rid of the Tamron? Thanks for any feedback/ideas.

Unless you can spend > $1000+ on a new lens, I'd recommend renting.

R2

-- hide signature --

Good judgment comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgment.
http://www.pbase.com/jekyll_and_hyde/galleries

 R2D2's gear list:R2D2's gear list
Canon EOS M6 Canon EOS M6 II Canon EOS R5 Canon EOS R6 Canon EOS R7 +1 more
Keyboard shortcuts:
FForum PPrevious NNext WNext unread UUpvote SSubscribe RReply QQuote BBookmark MMy threads
Color scheme? Blue / Yellow