LENS HELP: Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4D IF-ED with Nikon TC-14E II 1.4X teleconverter vs. Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD?

Question

An year ago, I got myself the awesome Nikon D7000. I am, looking for a long telephoto lens. After tonnes of researching, I have narrowed it down to:
1. Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4D IF-ED + Nikon TC-14E II 1.4X teleconverter
2. Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD

I cannot find one head to head comparison between the two even though these are the 2 best options for budget telephoto. Both of them seem to be very capable lenses. Both have good reviews. Being a student, I am always short on money. I have been saving for a long time to buy a good tele lens. The decision here have to be perfect.

I am hesitant to buy a third-party lens, but the 600mm reach is pure alluring. I am not pretty sure about the focusing speed, image quality and sharpness, after-sale services, etc. Also, I have heard that the lens has some focusing issues on the D7000 (please clarify).

I have used (and absolutely loved) this Nikon lens (though without the TC). I would have gone for this lens without any second thoughts if it wasn't for the 600mm offered by the Tamron. Here also, I have heard that the lens loses its autofocus ability with the TC (please clarify). 

For those who have used both the lenses, how does Tamron perform at 300mm and 420mm focal length? Which one is better and by how much? Negligible? Noticeable? Quite a lot? 

What if I crop the image from the Nikon at 420mm to match the frame of the Tamron at 600mm? Which one will be of a better quality?

All suggestions welcomed warmly. Thanks a lot!

Answer 1

A few thoughts...firstly, this is something of an apples and oranges thing you're looking at here.



One thing to bear in mind is that at 600mm, you will need either very steady hands, a very high shutter speed (if the Tamron doesn't have VR, I would bet that you need something like 2x shutter speed or better), or a tripod, to avoid blurry shots. The D7000 (while an excellent camera) also has relatively high pixel density, which exacerbates the potential for this. I'm not intimately familiar with the two lenses in question, but size is a factor; generally the bigger and/or heavier the lens, the more potential you have for shake. If the Nikon plus the converter is smaller / lighter than the Tamron, I'd personally take the Nikon without a second thought and work around the "limitation" of only having two focal lengths (I shoot only prime lenses, so I don't think of it as a limitation!)



Tamron, from what I know, are iffy: they do make some good lenses, but by all accounts they make some real dogs, too. Nikon have their bad lenses, but in terms of overall consistency they are likely to be superior.



On top of that, you're looking at a prime vs a zoom. There is almost no question whatsoever that the prime will give superior IQ. So you have to consider convenience vs quality - which is more important to you?



600mm is an enormous reach, and you have to ask yourself how often you are going to use it.



My instinct would be the Nikon unless you are absolutely convinced you need, and will regularly use, longer focal lengths. As Jay Maisel says, "you do have your feet, you know!"

Answer 2

The Nikkor 300mm is an excellent lens, as photozone.de says, "The Nikkor AF-S 300mm f/4D IF-ED is one of the few near-flawless lenses tested so far. The resolution figures are generally excellent and distortions and vignetting are basically negligible. CAs are very well under control. Adding a Nikkor AF-S 1.4x only results in a moderate decrease in resolution (about one school mark). The mechanical quality of the Nikkor is exceptionally high and it was a joy to use this lens in the field. Highly recommended!"

http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests/228-nikkor-af-s-300mm-f4d-if-ed-review--test-report



Unfortunately, they don't review the Tamron 150-600mm, but you know it will not be nearly the quality of any fixed focal length lens. Now I'm a ****** (edit: apparently Yahoo doesn't like the word s u c k e r, so they banned it) for zoom lenses, I love the flexibility, so I'd probably get the Tamron. But, if you want that high level of lens, then go for the Nikon.

Answer 3

Hello, first of all congrats for becoming the owner of d7000 camera. Second, you should know VR II is not Version II. It is Vibration Reduction II . AF means Auto Focus. All ED VR lenses are costly when compared to non ED or non VR lens. The construction of lens and number of elements also will be different between these two. So, if you can spend, go far it. Best of Luck.

Answer 4

Thoughts.



Avoid teleconverters. They make image quality so poor.

Tamron is third-party. Never forget that.

600mm cheaper than 300mm. Very tempting!



Nikon AF VR Zoom-NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED at almost the same price with the 300mm. Hmmm? Take note, VR.

Answer 5

Try going to 500px.com and do a photo search for those specific lenses. Yes, I know, they'll be compressed JPEGs and won't look like RAW files, but you still should be able to get an idea on their overall performance.