Same bird, different lenses.

I mentioned a while back that I have acquired a new lens, one that I have held out for quite a while. I have always been passionate about wildlife photography and have attempted to equip myself with appropriate gear. The challenge, as most of us find, has been obtaining the best equipment for available funds. The truth is most of us would rather eat and look after our loved ones than to have a better car, camera, or house. And so I have played the long game, buying what I could obtain, both new and used, as opportunity provided. I have bought and sold 10 or so long lenses, each time bumping up the quality and power culminating in my latest purchase.

I photographed a pine siskin in the fall (left image) with my existing best long lens, my Tamron 150-600 mm. I have found it a very capable lens and have achieved capturing numerous photos that I am very happy with. It was time to upgrade as I haven't bought a long lens for a very long time. The Nikon 500 PF f/5.6 lens came out some time ago and just came down in price to something I could manage as I have been saving up for it. So, I jumped at the opportunity. I was out a week ago or so and came across another pine siskin that I shot with my new lens (right image). I thought I would take the time today to show the difference between the two shots.

The Tamron lens is far heavier and larger than the Nikon. It has a 600 mm maximum focal length with a minimum aperture of f/6.3 at that setting. The Nikon is about half the weight of the Tamron and shorter by a significant amount due to the PF (Phase Fresnel) design. The 500 mm focal length does not give as much magnification, but in truth, its better sharpness mitigates that issue. The Tamron is about $2000 (taxes in) while the Nikon is about $5000 (taxes in) at the current price (when it first came out it was $600 more). I find the sharpness of the Nikon superior to the Tamron and its reduced size and weight makes it much easier to carry and puts less strain on my camera's face-plate. It is also incredibly fast and allows nearly instantaneous focusing on subjects. The Nikon lets in a bit more light than the Tamron, but the truth is 1/3 of a stop is not all that important. Tweaking ISO by a third of a stop will have little visible effect on image quality.

Even if the 500 PF was available a few years ago I would not have bought it as the cost would have been prohibitive. Other lenses were available which out-perform the Tamron but would not fit into my budget. If you are considering buying a good quality long lens but don't have the money, start small with something you can afford. Bide your time; eventually, the lens you want may become available through Craigslist or eBay. In the meantime, enjoy the equipment you have. Your time will come.

Thanks for reading.     Ericspix     Eric Svendsen

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