I am sitting here in awe of this knowledge Tony is spewing out like it's what he's known since elementary school. I got a Sony A6000 and am just learning. Glad I found y'all. Thanks!

Great review! ...excellent mix of technical and personal takes... very helpful, thanks

Exactly what I was looking for. Great info, thanks for this review!

Thanks for your straightforward honesty, and interesting insights. Great to hear that dslrs still have some features that mirrorless can’t equal. I have both systems and like both but if I want the best chance with birds and wildlife I always head to my dslr for best autofocus and optical viewfinder. It’s heavy but can’t be beat

The big Sig's zoom locking switch can be set at many focal lengths, but more importantly, you don't have to touch it to unlock, just zoom. So, you only have to remember using it when you're done shooting and about to walk. I tried the 1.4x on it and it was no better than cropping.

Been waiting for this!! Thanks Tony!

Great summary. Thanks Tony!

Thanks Tony!! That was fantastic!

I totally agree about the teleconverter, been there and done that, sold the converter. How ever I still use an Sigma 150x600 C and 3 years old I still have never had lens creeping, that said It does have an issue with grabbing focus on birds flying directly at me. Fly by it does great but ar me is a hit and miss game. Thanks for the review.

This kind of videos is why I always visit your channel. So much useful information, Tony is really the best when in comes to these comparisons.

Good review. Thanks Tony.

Thank you for your reviews, I just love it :)

Excellent Video, Tony... 👏👏

Great review Tony !!!!!!!!!

Thanks for this. Super helpful info!

Another great review Tony. Thanks so much.

Excellent review. Thanks.

Love the wildlife videos more please cant wait

If these lenses are all better than the Tamron G2, they must all be really great lenses, especially in the field. In March, I photographed eagles in Alaska with a D850 with grip and a Tamron G2 using auto-ISO manual at F8-11 and 1/1,000th second. After shooting 7,500 images, I found the auto focus to be fast and accurate, the image stabilization amazing, and sharpness better than expected even at 600mm. The vast majority of images were spot on except for composition on some occasions. The only weakness in the system was me.

Awesome review. I alternate between the Nikon z7 / 200-500mm combo and the Sony a6400 / Sony 100-400mm GM. I occasionally use the Sigma 150-600mm for reach. I prefer the Sony setup for birds in flight almost exclusively because of the autofocus and handling. As Tony mentioned, the AF is a much greater factor than image sharpness because you can never get a crop if you didn't grab the shot in focus in the first place. Additionally I find that a 1.4x teleconverter in the Sony setup was not as bad as mounting the Sigma 150-600mm WRT autofocus but you will lose focus on birds in flight whereas you do not with the teleconverter. This may be different with the 200-600 however.

Great review Sir.

I’m a bird and wildlife photographer and I use a Sony a7iii on a Tamron 150-600g2 with a Sony la-ea3 adapter and I’m so happy with this setup😍😍⚡️⚡️📷📷👌

I think the best option so far is a D500 + 200-500 5.6f! Its "cheap", lower f-stop at the end and awesome sharp! I m shooting with a 5DIV & the Tamron G1 150-600...and a friend of mine has the Nikon combo...and its crazy..what image quality he produce with its combo!

I use the Combo D500 + Nikon 200-500 f5.6 for Wildlife and Sports photography. AF and boost rate are amazing. If you are able to track a flying bird you have close to 100% sharp photos. The hit rate is more related to the photographers ability to track the moving subject then the Equipment.

The preference of optical vs electronic viewfinder is really personnal I think. I shoot wildlife with an optical viewfinder and I hate it because with a bright sunlight, it's really hard to check my exposure

I've had the Sigma Sport for Nikon for about 1.5 years. Love it. I hike and I use a Cotton carrier (Tony I believe you called this product a virginity protector). Absolutely would recommend both lens and the carrier. It allow both hands free to hike safely but you can "quick draw" if necessary. Yes I will carry the lens in a bag but would recommend the CC regardless of the setup you have chosen. In the woods nobody will see you (my wife says it looks like I'm carrying a baby).

I used to use the Canon 400mm F5.6L on an 80D, and it was a very sharp lens. For it's age and price it was a great lens. However, the lack of IS became a problem in a lot of scenarios. Whenever I was shooting under heavy shade or at the end of the golden hour the ISO I needed to use to keep the shutter speed fast enough to prevent shake was just too much. It really restricted what I could do with it. So I sold it off in favor of the 100-400mm IS II, and that has been doing very well for me. Wouldn't mind trying that Sigma out though, to see how I like it. I have never liked Sigma zooms in the past, love their Art primes though.

Very good video Tony,

Tony if you’re reading this 2 things: 1. When are we going to hear your full review on the peak design tripod? 2. Really hoping you can do a review of the new tamron 17-28mm 2.8 vs 16-35mm 2.8 G Master. A price difference of $1300 less is really intriguing. Thanks and look forward to more videos

I just got my 500mm a few months back but never had a chance to shoot it so it is actually quite exciting for me just watching this. I didn't shoot for a personal project but now the barriers are off~

Excellent review and comparison, very comprehensive and useful information. I shoot a lot of wildlife and my kit for it the 7D2 and 100-400 mk2. It get's me great results. I am saving for the 200-400 f/4, but at £10k I'll be saving for a while :) But the 7D2 and 100-400 mk2 is a great combination which could be picked up at a little over £2k used.

Excellent video 👍

Excellent video...a few months ago, you conducted a water/ice test with the Sony and Nikon. The Sony was a surprise --it held up without weather sealing. Perhaps a similar test with one of these Sony "Pro Lenses" ?

Very Cool Review!

📸 Good comparison as always Tony ... but I believe that one thing you forgot to mention is their respective prices in relation to their performance. Most of us don't have unlimited budgets to just go out & buy the Sony lens and a Sony body to match. We have pre-existing DSLR's (mine's a Canon) and most likely operate on a budget. The Sigma and Tamron lenses (I have that exact G2) is perfectly acceptable, and it achieves 90% of the results of the Sony at 65% of the price. Yes, the third party lenses are always going to perform worse for the reasons specified ... and if money is no object, you'd be absolutely correct. But I felt that you wrote off the Sigma and Tamron far too quickly for the average user who doesn't shoot Sony. That's just my two cents on the matter. 📸

thanks for the info! Would love to see comparison between 100-400s and the new sony 200-600.

The Sigma 150-600 C is an amazing zoom and with the crop on an APS-C gives it incredible reach for the price.

Hi Tony and Chelsea. Love your videos. Just a tech question for you. I am getting a message on my Mac that I should upgrade my Lightroom software as it may not work on future Mac upgrades. Not sure I want to go down a subscription route so my question is: what other options are out the beside Lightroom that will work with ding files? Keep up the good work. Jer

While I do understand the problem with the weather, testing these 600mm zoom lenses on a book shelf is like testing a macro lens at long distances (close to infinity). The result might be drastically different at the more used distances. Or it might be the same. We won't know from this test.

I've shot tens of thousands of wildlife images with the Nikon D500 and Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary for several years now and love to travel to Central and South America with it primarily because it is lighter than the long Nikon primes or the Sport edition of the lens. I live in South Florida and regularly use it on weekends to photograph wildlife in the many wetland locations near me. It has held up in hot, humid, wet climates but I do use a rain cover with during tropical rain showers. I bought the Contemporary version over the Sport version primarily for the weight to use handheld on day hikes where I didn't want to lug around the tripod and the heavier prime lenses. Since it doesn't have as heavy of a front lens element as does the Sport edition, the zoom creep has been minimal when carrying it hanging down. It has been a quick to focus lens with great stabilization. I shoot a lot of birds in flight and I can acquire focus quickly and rarely miss a shot. The autofocus response does slow down in lower light though but I don't have a basis to how it relates to the other lenses you reviewed since I have not shot with any of those. I've also shot a lot of back lit images in the rainforest canopies and have not noticed any excessive flaring and I was impressed by not seeing much chromatic aberration in the results. When I bought my Sigma lens, the Nikon 200-500mm had just been introduced and there was a waiting list so I opted for the Sigma (after having had experience with the previous generation of the lens). If I were to buy such a lens today, I would probably opt for the native Nikon 200-500mm although I do like that extra bit of reach on the Sigma. However, for travel, I'm now considering the Nikon 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR prime lens because of it's compact size and I still have a soft spot for primes and prefer them over the zooms. But I also want to see what mirrorless replacements for the D500 and equivalent mirrorless lenses they will be introducing in the next few years before I make big purchases again.

Thanks for making this video. This has been something I have been seriously been looking into either getting a Nikon 200-500 mm lens or a Sigma 150-600 mm lens for years now. I really want the Nikon lens but the price range is always more affordable on the Sigma lens at B&H. But I have had problems before with the Sigma lenses because of the odd lens flairs it creates especially at sunset or sun rise for my 18-250 mm lens. If I get a lens I want it to take photos of things like the Moon.

Good comparison.. tony/Chelsea I shoot on an 80d. I’m about to purchase my 1st wildlife lens and am leaning towards the canon 100-400ii. Any thoughts or suggestions since this lens USED is pretty pricy. Thanks !!

Whether or not a TC is worth it will also depend on the effective resolution of the camera. Even if it negatively effects IQ on a 42MP A7R3, it might still be worth it on a 24MP A9 with AA-Filter. For the 100-400GM reports state that the TC1.4 improves effective resolution on e.g. the A9 or the 6400 while I haven't seen any mention of the TC2.0 being helpful other than on a 12MP A7S1/2.

Hi Tony! great video and very useful for me. I would like to make a short question related to 26MP in APS-C mode. What do you think is better, 26MP in APS-C mode or crop the photo made at 64MP? I´m thinking in the typical bird which is quite far from you... Thanks a lot Congratulation for the video

Hi Tony & Chelsea! Thanks for all your great work. I was wondering if you're planning on doing more of "Wanderlust"? Immensely enjoyed this series, and definitely left me wanting more. Take care!

Thanks for the good tips and the unbiased review. I just got the Nikon 200-500 and haven't gone out shooting with it yet. My D7000 is 16MP and my D600 is 24MP. Which do you think should produce a sharper image on stationary and/or moving subjects? I think this might make for a good subject sometime.

The Sigma 150-600 comes in two different bodies, one with a metal housing that makes sense for newspapers etc. where many photographers are sharing gear. For much less money, around ($950) you get the lighter version with identical optics. I've used this lens with a Canon 7DII for two years and find few faults with it. And I've never had the lens barrel extend itself while being carried.

Love my weather sealed Panasonic 100-300mm f4-5.6 (200-600mm equivalent) for $600 on my also weather sealed E-M1 with silent mode, 5-axis IBIS so I don't even need to use a tripod at max zoom. Just something to consider for people who is not shooting for National Geographic and love to save +$2400

So what about the Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 Lens?? I have had real good results with that on the D850 for wildlife, bands and sports.

would you recommend getting the 200-600 for a a6500?

I just compared the 100-400GM with and without the 1.4x and 2x teleconverters and found that the image taken with either teleconverter was significantly sharper than the image taken with the bare lens and enlarged with digital zoom to equivalent size (I tried interpolating the image as well). I conducted the test with both the a7r3 and the a9 and the results were similar. I have only looked at center sharpness at this point. My procedure was simply to focus on text that was located centrally in the frame and about 20 feet away (tripod, IS off, ISO200, manual focus). If others can try a similar test to confirm my findings, that would be great. Tony states in the video that neither 1.4 nor 2x teleconverters offer an advantage over the bare lens for the 200-600G and that they in fact make the image worse. To me this suggests that the 100-400GM takes teleconverters significantly better than the 200-600 and must therefore have a significantly sharper starting point. On a related note, I find it a bit weird that Sony is releasing a lens that they have made compatible with their teleconverters when those teleconverters offer no advantage over the bare lens.

Hi Tony. did you try the Sigma 60-600? I have read some nice review. On a D500, do you still recommend the Nikkor 200-500mm against the 60-600mm? Thank you. And I currently have the 80-400 F:4,5-5,6. Is it worth upgrading to the 200-500 or a Sigma 60or150-600? thank you.

Thank you Tony, I learned an extremely valuable tip and was reassured that my purchases of a used Canon 7dm2, used 100-400 zoom, & used 400mm fixed was worth every penny. In fact, I was just practicing photographing bugs this am with the 100-400mm & got an awesome handheld shot of a bee covered in pollen in mid flight buzzing in & out of the Hollyhocks.

@Tony With Sony A73 firmware 3.0 update the autofocus should be matching A6400 right? You mentioned A6400 autofocus is better than Sony a73, did I get that correct?

How well does the 200-500 handle zooming in wet conditions? I've had a few lenses fog internally from the action of external zooming and/or focusing. Ideally (given a truck load of money) I'd go for the Nikon 180-400mm f/4E

Very interesting that the A9 has a progressively longer viewfinder lag as you do a long burst. First I have heard of that. Good to know. Hopefully the A92 will solve that.

would of liked to see olympus omd em1 mk2 and the panasonic 100-400 to see how it rated against the sigma and tamron? A great review and up to your normal high standards. Cheers

would love to see a comparison with sony 200-600 vs 100-400+1.4TC!

Awesome yeah I was in Bloomfield little over a week ago just rain and rain

Thanks for a such a knowledgeable video I m great fan of u....I learnt alot from your videos .sir I want to know which one is better for nikon d 7500 sigma or tamron 150 600 or nikon 200 500 . ..or any other suggestion... plss (i m a biggner )

For wild life the sony's silent mode is a big plus!

I've been using the Tamron g2 canon version adapted to the fuji x-t30 (yes it looks COMPLETELY silly)since march with stellar results. I actually prefer it on the fuji v my canon 7dii. I also used the tap console to tune the lens to my fuji, it's a must, not sure if Tony tuned his Tamron or not.

Nice comparison, thank you. I don't understand why at the end it was the D500 vs A6400? What about the A9? That would be my choice. Thanks as usual, Tony, next super important video that many of us are waiting for: Sony 200-600 or Sony 100-400 (w/1.4x or without)??

Thanks Tony for this formative review. Can I ask about your thoughts of the sony a100-400 (digitally cropped to 600) vs the 200-600. I wonder if the sharpness og the GM lens is enough to compensate for its shorter range

I have the Nikon 200-500mm with the Nikon D500. - I absolutely love this setup for shooting wildlife specifically birds! -One downside since I shoot in the tropics, the humidity often causes the lens and sensor to fog up... especially if I'm in the car going to a location and then get out to shoot. The car aircon that keeps the humidity down and a little cooler now fogs up the camera and lens... I don't see anyone doing reviews talking about these issues... maybe cause no one is in the tropics lol. BTW, shooting in a little rain is fine with the Nikon setup... the real killer again is the condensation build-up from humidity. Curious to see if the sony setup handles this better!! Tony, I love most of your vids and your time put researching into things is really appreciated! Personally, I understand comparing the Sony to the Nikon set up on the price point, but the D500 is miles ahead of the Sony a6400 as far as performance and features. I don't see how they can quite match up. Cheers, keep them coming!! you're awesome!!

I handle the lag in the EVF by shooting with both eyes open. It helps some. At least the open eye still has the subject in view. Definitely better than one eye.

thank you, very good review. Everything you said is true, but do we really need such a sharp lens to produce good and valuable photography. I agree that sharper is better, but does it really affect the value of the photo as much as all of you claim? thank you.

Do you have a review on the sigma 150 to 600mm contemporary with full and crop

Thanks for taking me from a point and shoot to enjoying photography - I wish I had the $ for the sony lens.... Looks like a lot of fun!

hi tony, if possible, would you compare the m43 system with the D500?

With an Updated lens, updated adapter, and updated camera, the canon adapted sigma 160-600 contemporary work better than i expected with my A7III and A6400(did not work well with A7 super slow focus and almost constant focus hunting), i was surprized how well it tracked at the Quad Cities Air Show. Do i wish i had the Sony lens? Of course(and will be getting one). Will i get rid of the sigma? No it'll mean i have a backup camera with lens next time we go as a family (my second longest lens is the 24-240)

Now that the Canon 90D is out would be great to know if the extra MPs will be better than the 7D MKII both with the 400 f5.6.

just curious what would be the cheapest but still good IQ solution for the fuji system? Throw one of these on with an adapter like fringer or just get the 100-400 with a teleconverter?

Recently bought the Panasonic MFT 100-400mm , effectivily 200-800mm , maybe not so fast , but because of the MFT sensor relatively small and lightweight, so handhold photographing no problem in combination with stabilization in both camera and lens (switch button for stabilization on-off) great quality for events, wildlife.

I purchased the Sigma 150-600 Contemporary used for $650 for my 80D. I’m very happy with that, from both and image and price standpoint. I’ve taken very nice images with that combination.

As always, great research and review! Any plans to test the Fuji X series with their 100-400mm super zoom? Thanks!

Excellent, questions answered. I have used the D500 and 200-500 combo. Great camera, but I hated the DSLR experience. Went back to Sony A6500 when the 100-400 came out, but miss the extra reach. Now I feel even better about my preorder of the 200-600. Thanks, Tony!

Tony, with the new A7r4 released,. and since I already own the 100400GM,. Would it be advisable to skip to 200600G and pickup the A7r4 for use in crop mode at 26mpx? Currently own the A7Riii and happy with it but crop mode drops me to 18mpx at 600mm equivalent with 100400gm. What are your thoughts on this approach? Thanks

Hello. I am confused between Nikon d500 to Nikon d850 and the lens compatibility with nikon 200-500 lens... And which would be bettee between Nikon d850 and sony a9 for wildlife photography as a whole. Would be great help as I have been confused and researching for few months.

Market has updated. Love to see Fujion XF 150-600 mm included in this list... :D

Tony does quality reviews

Appreciate all the advice. This was a very helpful video on Sony body and lens to get. I don't need prof. results though I need to see enough detail. I won't be getting the Nikon so that leaves the Sony 200-600 OSS with APS-C body. Really could use that rumored Sony A7000 with 32MP. Very helpful Teleconverter info. The old Canon 400mm f5.6 is great with the built-in hood. Love that lens.

Do you think the sony e mount 200-600 would work best out of all 4 on a nikon z with the techart sony to nikon adapter?

Can you make a video comparing Canon 100-400mm, Sigma 100-400, Tamron 100-400mm and Nikon 80-400mm? I would love to see that ;)

I have a question: Would you recommend a used Nikon 300mm f2.8 VR I / Canon 300mm f2.8 L IS USM on APS-C and with TC‘s to get 900mm reach or would you prefer a superzoom like the Sony 200-600mm on APS-C ? Thanks.

Hi Tony...please suggest which one is a better choice for wildlife photography especially mamals...Nikon d850 +200-500 f5.6 vs Sony a7riii +200-600 f5.6-6.3...

My comment as a Canon DSLR shooter: the 7D Mark II with Canon's 400mm F/5.6L is a good and very inexpensive combo. However, I found I got sharper images with that lens on my 5D Mark IV, even after cropping. The 5DM4 sensor is just that much better. I recently sold the 400 for the Tamron 150-600 G2 to get the benefits of greater length and IS. So far, so good, with comparable sharpness. I find myself using the 7DM2 less and less except as a second body.

would have loved to see the EM1ii/EM1X with 40-150 2.8 + MC20 Teleconverter as well, as it is a much smaller setup!

Impressive results from the Sigma.

Did you do any calibration on the lenses, or just use them out of the box?

The rumored A6500 replacement will hopefully have 2 card slots, a better viewfinder, and a bigger grip. Although the best solution for me would be updated focusing for the A7R3, but I guess we will have to wait for the A7R4 for that to happen.

I had to watch this video again Tony. I appreciate the information you give. I am curious to know what cameras and lenses people are using for wildlife photography in 2024. I will continue to use the Nikon D750 with the 200-500 Nikkor lens. But a lot of people like to get the latest and greatest in technology.

Hi Tony, I'm aware that you own the Canon 500mm F4 mark I and have tested the Sigma 150-600 sport. I am interested in your thoughts! I currently own a Sigma 150-600 sport and I am thinking of buying the Canon 500mm F4 mark i. Scotland isn't best known for its sunny days so light here can sometimes be a challenge, so an F4 would help. I am also thinking of adding a 1.4 Mark iii TC to take me to 700 at 5.6, which is another advantage. My main concern is the sharpness of the older prime to the newer Sigma. Would you say that the 500mm Prime is still sharper than the Sigma, or is there very little difference? Looking forward to your reply? Cheers David

I have been shooting wildlife using the older Tamron 150-600mm zoom. Not having experienced the Sony version with my A7xx cameras I can't comment on the difference. I have done pretty well with my a7II and A7III cameras as long as I limit the Tamron lens to 500mm or less. At 400-500mm I can get sharp shots even with the autofocus being a bit slower with an adapter.

Oh yea! I'm ready.

What about the sigma usb doc that allow you to go and refine the autofocus.

I have a Tamron G2 150-600 for Nikon. Is there an adapter that will allow me to use it on a Canon EF? Also, if I upgrade to a Canon R5 is there an adapter? What is your recommendation? - Thanks.

So using A9 & A6400 is worth to invest the 1.4x or 2x extender if buying the 200-600 lens?! And Canon do have a super tele-zoom - "EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x" but just not the similar price range compare to the others.......

Have you ever tried any of these lenses adapter with a fringer on a Fuji? I'm on the hunt for a 400+ lens for my x-t2 and I'm really not keen on fujis zoom or changing system. Again...

Looking forward to adding the sigma 150-600 to my canon. Looks like a great lens.