What lens?

Location : Kent Spotter Watch Member : no

Just about to invest in my first proper lens but am struggling to make a choice, i dont want to buy one only to need to replace it next year! i have roughly £400 at the moment so can get a nikon 70-300mm f/4.5 with VR, however as 75% of my photography will be airshows i feel that this will not be enough reach, i was considering the sigma AF 135-400 f/4.5-5.6 APO, as you all will be aware this one doesnt have any OS but the 120-400mm does but have to pay a bit more, can anyone give some feedback on either of these 2 lens? alongside that query is - is the OS really important? is it worth the extra couple of hundred pound needed for it? this will be my first DSLR so am a bit clueless! i can probably go up to £600 which is enough for the OS sigma on ebay
any help will be appreciated!

Subject: Re: What lens? 2009-06-10, 11:20

Just out of interest, what Nikon body are you going to be putting it onto?

Location : Kent Spotter Watch Member : no

unfortunatly only a d70s

Admin Location : Abu Dhabi

I had a Sigma 135-400mm on my Canon and it was rubbish, it lasted little over 4 months, before I sold it. Pictures weres soft, focusing was slow and the zoom was way to stiff, so that it made you jerk the camera when you twisted it.

I lost alot of money on it. I decided to go for the Sigma 170-500mm instead, which I bought second hand on Ebay for under £300 and it worked like a dream.

Not sure if the 170-500 is available for Nikon or not?

Subject: Re: What lens? 2009-06-11, 15:48

I use the 70-300 VRII with my d80 and now with my D300 too, its light weight and has given me some good results (my own opinion, and I figure if I'm happy it's a good thing since I laid out the money for it) I have a 150-500 Sigma OS lens and hardly use it (JG71 used it more than I did when I was last out) because I find it a bit slow and soft, that could just be down to me and my non steady hands... The reason I love the 70-300 VR is that it produces good sharp shots so I can always crop em down a bit if I need to and it doesn't loose too much.

Hope that makes sense...

Rgds Stu

Moderator Location : Between Coventry and Leicester

Many good shots with the D70 and Sigma 50-500,A really good allround lens.

Location : Kent Spotter Watch Member : no

Thanks for the replies, i really like the nikon 70-300 VR and as such was my first choice, i have read from other sources as well as here, that it focuses really quickly too, but will focusing perfomance be really badly affected if i use a teleconverter, just to give me that extra reach? i know it will slow it down but by how much?
Once again thanks for the advice.

Scott