Zoom lens advice needed

Lensvision · 02-28-2008, 11:15 AM

I'm thinking about replacing my Tamron 70-300mm for the Pentax 50-200mm but I'm wondering if I'm gonna miss the 300mm.
I've read that the gap between 200mm and 300mm isn't that big and for wildlife and birds I already have a 400mm prime.
Any thoughts on this?

drabina · 02-28-2008, 11:41 AM

Hard to tell. I have the Sigma 70-300 and like it a lot. Honestly I do not know if I use the 200-300mm range often but now I wouldn't replace this lens with anything else (unless it is f/2.8 for the same price as my f/4-5.6 :-). You are saying that you already have the 400mm so I guess you are going for compactness of the DA lens. In this case you probably going to like the 50-200 lens. One option is to get it before you sell your current lens and try it out.

creampuff · 02-28-2008, 04:05 PM

Simple, wait a bit and get the new DA 55-300mm.

*TomInJax* · 02-28-2008, 06:35 PM

I don't mean to be rude, but it sounds like you are taking a step backwards. Like Creampuff says, wait for the new DA 55-300mm. The 50-200 is not an improvement from the (Correction) Tamron 70-300mm --- IMHO...

jgredline · 02-28-2008, 07:09 PM

Originally Posted by TomInJax

I don't mean to be rude, but it sounds like you are taking a step backwards. Like Creampuff says, wait for the new DA 55-300mm. The 50-200 is not an improvement from the Sigma 70-300mm --- IMHO...

Agreed......

creampuff · 02-28-2008, 08:20 PM

TomInJax, gee for a moment I actually thought there was a bug walking on my computer screen...

*pentaxman* · 02-28-2008, 11:45 PM

I have owned both the Pentax 50-200 and the Tamron 70-300, and I much prefer the Tamron 70-300. The Pentax is smaller and lighter, but that is the only advantage I can think of. The Tamron has better optical quality IMHO.

Lensvision · 02-29-2008, 10:47 AM

Thanks for the input so far.
I was going for the lighter/smaller option. As for the DA 55-300, it's a bit out of my pricerange at this moment, maybe later this year.