Sigma 50-200 OS vs Nikon 55-200 Vr Need help deciding between the Sigma 50-200 OS or the Nikon 55-200 Vr for my Nikon D5000.Would appreciate any feedback, I understandthat the construction of the Sigma is better then that of the Nikon, but that the Nikon lens is a bit sharper, specially at longer focal lengths.Again, any help would be appreciated since I would be ordering the lens in a few days.Thanks in advance,George Sigma 50-200 OS vs Nikon 55-200 Vr Need help deciding between the Sigma 50-200 OS or the Nikon 55-200 Vr for my Nikon D5000.Would appreciate any feedback, I understandthat the... » Read More Sigma 50-200 OS vs Nikon 55-200 Vr Need help deciding between the Sigma 50-200 OS or the Nikon 55-200 Vr for my Nikon D5000.Would appreciate any feedback, I understandthat the construction of the Sigma is better then that of the Nikon, but that the Nikon lens is a bit sharper, specially at longer focal lengths.Again, any help would be appreciated since I would be ordering the lens in a few days.Thanks in advance,George « Show Less
75252
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question, I ended up buying the Sigma lens and I agree with you when you say that is a great value for the price.So far I'm very happy with this lens, I have used it in both daylight and night time (with external flash) and the results have been excellent with my D5000, the OS is great and focusing is very fast indeed.Again, thank's !George
75253
http://www.flickr.com/groups/d40slr/discuss/72157602509321717/?search=sigma+vs.+nikoni know it's been a while but that may give some insight.i have the sigma version and it's great value for the price paid.
1084697
For sport i use My D600 along with My Nikkor 70 200mm F2.8 VR2, I used the Nikon one 10 100 mm VR2 on the V1 before I sell it, and get the J1, however i found it too big for both cameras, thus far better than the kit lens, what i like about it, is that: its zooms internally, its silent, and the Af work nicely with the power zoom, i recon it will perform better on the V2 or the V3 when it is released and this is why I did not sell it yet. i am sorry i couldn't give you a more precise answer...
1790370
I owned the 70-300VR for a year and sold it. I bought the 55-200VR and still have it after a year.For me, an amateur photographer of general life pictures, I did not like the size and weight of the 70-300. I ended up not using it much and therefore decided to sell it. However, the pictures were beautiful. In it's favor are the bokeh and contrast. Otherwise, I find the little brother 55-200 more suitable for me hands down. I prefer the range, light weight, low price, and overall picture quality was more than good enough. If I were to do primarily bugs, birds type, then the 70-300 would be more suited. I owned the 70-300VR for a year and sold it. I bought the 55-200VR and still have it after a year.For me, an amateur photographer of general life pictures, I did not like the size and weight of the 70-300. I ended up not using it much and therefore decided to sell it. However, the pictures were beautiful. In it's favor are the bokeh and contrast. Otherwise, I find the little brother 55-200 more suitable for me hands down. I prefer the range, light weight, low price, and overall picture quality was more than good enough. If I were to do primarily bugs, birds type, then the 70-300... » Read More I owned the 70-300VR for a year and sold it. I bought the 55-200VR and still have it after a year.For me, an amateur photographer of general life pictures, I did not like the size and weight of the 70-300. I ended up not using it much and therefore decided to sell it. However, the pictures were beautiful. In it's favor are the bokeh and contrast. Otherwise, I find the little brother 55-200 more suitable for me hands down. I prefer the range, light weight, low price, and overall picture quality was more than good enough. If I were to do primarily bugs, birds type, then the 70-300 would be more suited. « Show Less
1251771
i bought that lens for my d7000 and had great success with it . i gave my daughter the camera and lens and since have bought the d800 and liked the lens so much i bought it again for that camera . with that said i recently sold that lens and am in the process of getting the newest nikon lens the 80-400mm . to sum up my reply great lens but its my understanding that because of the wide range the sensor area is always affected but should work fine when used on your d700...i believe this lens is a great buy
194933
Bill, there are a few variables... Do you plan to go to a FX sensor in the future (D700, D3)? Do you plan on hand-holding or will you be using a mono/tripod? Are you someone that must have the latest and greatest things? Personally I'm going for the VR II, I shoot a D90 now but want to have room to move to a FX camera without worrying about vignetting and edge sharpness. Plus after looking at some of the review pictures that people have posted, especially the side by side shots, I think the VR II is worth the extra $500
134989
I am very happy with this lens. I have not tried the Sigma. I have the tamron 28-75 and the 70-200 VC both outstanding lenses - fast and sharp. Tamron is slightly more expensive and reviews always slightly higher. Sorry I could not give you more info about the Sigma
108984
The contempporary version of sigma 17-70 has an upgraded array of optics, and is lighter compared to the initial version of Sigma´s 17-70, and more compatible with newer camera models ie canon60D. This is the reason beneath the price difference. I am quite happy with my choice. Lens performance is great, image sharpness is outstanding!
725029
Hello, Yes it would fine on a D5000. Infact The camera I had before my D7000 was a D5000. I had no issues with the lens, The lens has an internal focus motor so auto focus wont be a problem. and at 2.8 with the Zoom you can create amazing Bokeh. The images are sharp for what I do, Sure we would all love a 70-200 VRII From Nikon. But lets be honest I do this as a hobby not professional and The images i've got with the Tamron are Amazing!! Thanks
1848179
The Sigma 17-50 won't be much sharper on the D600. You can only use it in DX crop mode and will be 10mp. FX will vignette badly. I have the Tamron 17-50 and it's an amazing DX lens. I won't use it on the D600 though.
422101
I ended up getting the D60 with the VR 55-200 zoom lens and I am very pleased. Lots to learn!!!
394030
agreed with the sentiments above. I have purchased the tamron 16-300, as well as the nikon 18-300 f6.3 and this lense. The difference with the nikon is noticeable. Not only in picture quality. But also in distance. the 300 on the tamron doesn't reach where the nikon does. granted the nikon 18-300 @300 doesn't match the nikon 55-300 @ 300 either. Also the movement, the tamron is much stiffer than the nikon options. A Great all day lense. Im working into prime lenses, and high quality fixed aperture lenses, but for now I still use this as my main glass.
2059522
With the VR, it performs fairly well. It is 1/2 stop slower than the older 18-300, but it's lighter and has better optical characteristics. The 1/2 step is not really an issue. Just remember that it does stop down to f6.3 at full telephoto. If you use Auto ISO, this could help compensate. If you have realistic expectations about what the lens can do, it will serve you well.
1239597
Mindy, so far the pictures I've taken have been good, crisp and clear pictures. I'm sure it would depend a lot on various factors especially light and distance. I have this lens on my Nikon 5000 all the time. It has replaced my 18-55 kit lens. I brought it with me walking around in a recent vacation to Maine and when we went sailing. It is a little heavier than the kit 18-55 lens but not as heavy as the 55-200 lens. It is so much more versatile. It has a wide angle and zoom. I'm no pro. Just an amateur who takes pictures of family and sights when on vacation. I love this lens. I hope this helps. Good luck. Mindy, so far the pictures I've taken have been good, crisp and clear pictures. I'm sure it would depend a lot on various factors especially light and distance. I have this lens on my Nikon 5000 all the time. It has replaced my 18-55 kit lens. I brought it with me walking around in a recent vacation to Maine and when we went sailing. It is a little heavier than the kit 18-55 lens but not as heavy as the 55-200 lens. It is so much more versatile. It has a wide angle and zoom. I'm no pro. Just an amateur who takes pictures of family and sights when on vacation. I love this lens. I hope this... » Read More Mindy, so far the pictures I've taken have been good, crisp and clear pictures. I'm sure it would depend a lot on various factors especially light and distance. I have this lens on my Nikon 5000 all the time. It has replaced my 18-55 kit lens. I brought it with me walking around in a recent vacation to Maine and when we went sailing. It is a little heavier than the kit 18-55 lens but not as heavy as the 55-200 lens. It is so much more versatile. It has a wide angle and zoom. I'm no pro. Just an amateur who takes pictures of family and sights when on vacation. I love this lens. I hope this helps. Good luck. « Show Less
1509566
The lens focus is not as fast as the 70-200 VR but it works well outdoors. Indoors it hunts for a focus in AF-S but is reasonable. You may want to consider a mono pod to keep motion blur out of the image in a dark church. Higher shutter speeds will be required to match the lens focal length. Also, a higher ISO may be required to keep up with the shutter and F-stop. I use it for weddings and love the images and I always shoot in manual mode. Hope this helps.
1966952
Did you make a decision? I am currently debating the same two lenses. I am leaning towards the Canon since it seems there are quite a few quality/AF issues with the Sigma. Any advice is appreciated.
616752
First, it's not a Nikon. There is a chance that it may not fully functional properly on future Nikon models. The new Sigma ART series can have firmware updated after release, this could solve the problem. Secondly, I have had slight out of focus problems. But this might not the problem of the lens: the camera has to detect the focus difference and send a signal to the lens. If the camera fails to detect the difference at a particular point, it will not send any signal to the lens. And you will have a focus problem for that shot. Therefore, the problem might not relate to the lens after all. Overall I have 99% positive experience. As for the rest of 1%, I would argue that's is true for any lens you purchase, even for a $1,500 Nikon lens.
1672483
I'm in agreement with you on the lenses making the difference. In terms of image quality it would be near impossible to distinguish images taken with the D3100 and ANY other consumer (APS-C) camera. I have the 35mm 1.8G that captures great images and has a neutral (neither zoom nor wide angle) perspective making it a perfect all around lens. My 50mm 1.8G appears even sharper but the perspective may be a bit tight for some shots. And images from the 70-300VR are far better than the 55-200VR or 55-300VR. The other lens to consider would be the 18-105VR to replace the 18-55VR because the latter lacks enough zoom to make it practical as a single lens solution when you want to travel light. I'm in agreement with you on the lenses making the difference. In terms of image quality it would be near impossible to distinguish images taken with the D3100 and ANY other consumer (APS-C) camera. I have the 35mm 1.8G that captures great images and has a neutral (neither zoom nor wide angle) perspective making it a perfect all around lens. My 50mm 1.8G appears even sharper but the perspective may be a bit tight for some shots. And images from the 70-300VR are far better than the 55-200VR or 55-300VR. The other lens to consider would be the 18-105VR to replace the 18-55VR because the... » Read More I'm in agreement with you on the lenses making the difference. In terms of image quality it would be near impossible to distinguish images taken with the D3100 and ANY other consumer (APS-C) camera. I have the 35mm 1.8G that captures great images and has a neutral (neither zoom nor wide angle) perspective making it a perfect all around lens. My 50mm 1.8G appears even sharper but the perspective may be a bit tight for some shots. And images from the 70-300VR are far better than the 55-200VR or 55-300VR. The other lens to consider would be the 18-105VR to replace the 18-55VR because the latter lacks enough zoom to make it practical as a single lens solution when you want to travel light. « Show Less