Price (sanity) check

So I'm looking for fast longish glass. I'd like 200mm-300mm to be available on the wide end at F4, but I'm happy to use a TC to get this. Would be doing footie / rowing shots with this lens.

So in shopping I've found various new 70-200mm Tamrons at around 550GBP, and Siggies at 650GBP (HSM II). I've also started giving thought to the Siggy 100-300mm which I've found at around 800GBP...

Now I've not got the cash to buy them new, so what I'm looking for is a bit of a sanity check here. What can I get these lenses for on the used market / how long do you perceive that I would have to wait? If the 100-300mm F4 is only going to be 50-80GBP more than a Siggy 70-200mm ... well I think I can do without the 50-100mm range for instance.

You know the DA55-300 is 5.8 at 300mm, why not try one then if you realy need f4 you can start saving.

Davex.

erm... you aren't going to get F4 if you use a TC, not for that kind of money... when you get up to the DA* 200 and FA* 300 F2.8 you are getting towards ship jumping-time to a sports-orientated brand..! (even Pentax have said they aren't ever going to compete in this field). Do you really need speed or length?


Tangental thought, I don't know how this would price up because they seem quite rare - "K" SMC Pentax 200mm F2.5 with a FA 1.7x TC to give some AF nudge...?

Excellent lens especially if you can stop down to f/8 to f/11 which can be done in bright light. Stopping down also gives you more of the needed DOF. Works well with the Pentax 1.4X-S Converter. I've not really compared it on the 1.7x Adapter and 2X-S properly, but I have had acceptable results with them.

A much more useful lens than my 300mm A* because of the zoom.

With all of these long lenses support it is essential for sharp photos either chestpod, shoulderpod or monopod although I'm not a big fan of the latter, because it seems to make side to side movement worse.

Algi

The DA55-300mm is a great lens, but lets face it here folks - it's not in the same ballpark, neigh, league as the 70-200mm F2.8 or 100-300mm F4.

As for getting 300mm @ F4 using a TC ... a 70-200mm f2.8 with a 1.4x TC is a 98mm-280mm F4 which is close enough.

So anyone have input as to what a 100-300mm would go for on the used market? I've never seen one! How much do the 70-200mm's go for normally? I saw Mike sell his a bit ago for 450, MIFSUSD sold one for 390 and there was one on eBay for 385. I've never seen a used HSM / HSM II sell, but new they go for 650GBP. There is one place that lists a new variant for 517GBP but they're not in stock. Anyone ever see a used one sell?

Only if you can't use a reasonably fast shutter speed. Tripods are very restricting and I would prefer to shoot wide-open rather than have to resort to a tripod. Shake reduction is enormously helpful with long lenses.

G

A 70-200mm f/2.8 with a 1.4x teleconverter will be an f/4 combo, giving 280mm at the long end. I think Whelmed meant long end rather than wide end, as he's contemplating the 70-200 or 100-300 range.

Dan

And to get that decent shutter speed, I need fast glass Hence my mental debate. Boo hiss. If I had the cash I'd keep my 50-135mm and get a 100-300mm, but I just can't rationalize that kind of expenditure for a hobby that yields no return.

Whoops, yup, long end not wide end. My bad!

I think you need good light. I almost always use my 300mm and 400mm lenses wide-open and hand-held, and get perfectly good results.

G

I wouldn't use a tripod it needs a couple of secs. for the mirror vibration to settle The ideal shoulder pod hasn't been made yet sadly High speeds certainly reduce the amount of shake to an acceptable level, but it's still there and reduces performance more on digital than film. A shot at 1/1000th sec. has exactly 1/10th of the shake that would be present in the same shot at 1/100th sec. It's also easier to hold a big lens on your shoulders for 1 1/2hrs than in front of your face with your hands, which is probably why football togs use a monopod, it can't be to steady the camera.... they are using big apertures and high shutter speeds.

Small rigid tripods of the Leica, Minolta, Polaroid design make good shoulder/chestpods. Some nature photographers just rest the monopod leg on their shoulder.

Algi

So no one has any historic pricing information on the 70-200mm f2.8 Tammy / Siggy or the Siggy 100-300mm F4 I take it?

I got my Siggy 100-300 F4 ( New ) for around £550 a few years ago, they were available for £750 ish at other retailers at the same sort of time and jumped to over £1k towards the end of last year, I think they've fallen back slightly since.