Sports Photo Guy -- Gear -- Telephoto Lenses

Gear

Telephoto Lenses

gear photo
(front) Kenko 2x TC, Sigma 1.4x TC, Nikon 135/f3.5 AiS, Kenko 1.4x TC
(back) Nikon 80-200/f2.8D AF-S, Sigma 120-300/f2.8,
Tamron 70-300/f4-5.6D, Nikon 500/f8, Nikon 180/f2.8 AF

Nikon 80-200/f2.8D ED-IF AF-S Zoom-Nikkor

The gold standard of the professional telephoto zoom, this recently discontinued lens is reputed to be the sharpest of the many in this range made by Nikon. It is certainly one of the largest, particularly with the deceptively light lens hood attached. The lightning-quick response of the Silent Wave autofocus motor makes this a great sports action lens, and it is versatile enough for indoor and outdoor use. It does not, however, perform particularly well with teleconverters, and the tripod bracket is infamously flimsy.

Sigma APO 120-300mm F2.8 EX HSM

Sigma is renowned for filling the gaps in the camera makers' lens lines, and this is another first-of-its-kind optic from them. While it doesn't rival the Nikon primes in this range or the 80-200 for sharpness, it is still an exceptional lens at all focal lengths. Sigma's Hyper Sonic Motor is likewise not as snappy as Nikon's Silent Wave, but it focuses quickly and quietly and is a great action lens. Works great with the Sigma 1.4x TC as well. This is my primary outdoor sports lens and is almost always found atop my Gitzo monopod.

Nikon 135/f3.5 AiS Nikkor

Famously "soft," this makes a great portrait lens although at roughly a 200mm equivalent on DSLR, it requires a lot of maneuvering room.

Tamron AF70-300MM F/4-5.6D LD Macro 1:2

Shown equipped with the Nikon 6T closeup adapter, I find this lens particularly useful in its macro mode; it has some pretty awful chromatic aberration (CA) at long distances. There have been rumors that Tamron makes Nikon's 70-300 ED lens, and I suspect that this is in fact the same lens with some slight modifications. The specs are eerily near-identical; having used the Nikon as well, I can attest to its superior control of CA. It would not be hard to imagine that Nikon's ED glass is of better optical quality than Tamron's LD, and that lenses manufactured for Nikon would have the same optical formula with a better low-dispersion element (and no special macro mode).

Nikon 500mm f8 Reflex-Nikkor C

The original version of Nikon's 500/f8 mirror lens, this is a light and reasonably sharp long telephoto. If you can live with the limitations of f8 glass and the unusual bokeh of mirror lenses (sometimes a feature to be desired), this is a nice choice for long glass. The newer DSLRs thankfully allow manual input of lens data for this all-mechanical relic, giving it better functionality than it has on many older AF film and digital SLRs.

Nikon 180mm f/2.8 ED-IF AF Nikkor

The best for last. I own the original, "shiny" plastic-bodied version of this lens, though optically all are tremendous (and many consider this Nikon's sharpest telephoto lens ever). Light for its type, it is a great low-light telephoto. I often use it for indoor stage performances, and its a great sideline lens when you need to remain mobile.

Teleconverters

I have owned and use quite a few of these, and unfortunately, I am still searching for the perfect one.

Sigma 1.4x APO EX DG - The latest version of Sigma's tried-and-true teleconverter line is a good match for my big zooms (120-300/f2.8 and 80-200/f2.8). With the advent of their HSM system several years ago, Sigma removed the mechanical AF linkage from their teleconverters (Kenko preserves both). This makes these converters far less useful as AF is lost on non-HSM/non-AF-S lenses. But with the ultrasonic motor optics, this is a very useful extender.

Kenko Telepus Pro 300 1.4x (AF-S) and 2x (AF-D) - Kenko makes several flavors of teleconverter, but the "Teleplus 300" models are clearly superior. (These TCs are also rebadged as Tamron SP converters.) Unfortunately, I have had consistent mount linkage issues with several of these that I have owned. The AF-S model, which I own, does not work reliably with either of my ultrasonic motor lenses. Fortunately, it is backed up with a mechanical AF drive screw and this works better. The 2x model which I own is strictly mechanically driven, and noticeably degrades image quality (though it is still acceptable). The 1.4x works surprisingly well with the 500mm mirror, while the 2x can turn the 180/f2.8 into a small substitute for a long sports lens.

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Last modified: 07.01.04