I currently shoot my kids U9s rugby with a Nikon Z6 and 70-200 2.8 with an FTZ adapter. But as the pitches are bigger now than when they played tag only I’m finding the 200mm reach limiting and I end up doing a lot of cropping. I’m not printing these or publishing them anywhere, but it does consume a lot of time in post processing.
So I’m considering some long lenses, almost certainly second hand.
I obviously rely on decent autofocus speed as the kids are pretty quick. I’m less worried about edge sharpness as it’s centre sharpness that matters most and vignetting I consider a solved problem using PhotoLab.
I’ve had my eye on either:
- Sigma 150-600 DG OS HSM SPORT
- Nikon 200-500
The Sigma is more expensive, but i don’t mind if its woth the extra. I don’t know much about Tamron or others.
What would you recommend or have experience with shooting outdoor field sports?
I have the Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC G2 ( A022) for a couple of years and I think it’s pretty great and it has very similar qualities as the Sigma. At the time, this and the Sigma (non sport) were reviewed about the same and the prices were the same too. I ended up asking my trusted local photography shop for their opinions and they convinced me to go Tamron because one of them actually owned one.
It’s an incredible lens for outdoor stuff. Sharpness is very good up to 500mm and usable after there. I love the colors and bokeh.
Physically, it is a beast. Add the FTZ for and the hood and it looks like you’re shooting a telescope. It is a workout to shoot with and takes up a lot of room. Terrible for travel or backpacking/hiking.
Focus was difficult for my D750 but is much, much, better on the Z8.
I use it primarily as a briding lens and it does Ok. But shooting something unpredictable, small and fast with a heavy lens, smaller aperture, and with a tiny FOV is a learned skill.
You need plenty of light or stillnesses. There is no way around this. Zoom and small aperture are facts here.
Now… Here’s the big question. Do you need the extra reach past 500mm? If I remember correctly, the Nikon is slightly more sharp throughout its range, is smaller, and I assume their focus is better than the 3rd party lenses. Knowing what I know today, those factors would have pushed me to the 500mm.
I am using the Tamron 150-500mm F/5-6.7 Di III VC and I enjoy it a lot. Autofocus with the Sony works fast, with the right light even flying swallows are not save.
Regarding the focal length: I noticed that I don’t care much if I go 450 mm or 500 mm. But what I do care about: sometimes I wish I could below the 150 mm, to be a bit more flexible. So my next lense in my next live would probably be a sharp and fast 100-400mm.