which lens

[tottymort]

i've narrowed down some lenses i can afford on ebay,as i am new i would be gratefull of some help to try and pick one,i mainly like wildlife photography
minolta af f/8 500mm mirror
sigma af 70-300mm f/4 apo(with macro)
minota af 100-300mm f4.5-5.6 apo

[tottymort]

i already have the sony 75-300mm f4.5-5.6 kit lens,are the others with apo any better

[tottymort]

read a few reviews and up to now the af mirror lens looks good

[DonSchap]

I believe to really deal with this in any kind of serious manner, if you are not going to go with the TAMRON 200-500mm f/5-6.3 ... then just commit to going with the SONY 70-400mm f/4-5.6 G SSM and get the best image possibility you can. Yes, you should probably use a monopod with this lens, just so you do not wear out in the middle of a shoot series.

The best part is that this lens, alone, covers just about everything you will need in a nature shot, at a 5-foot minimum. That's a lot closer than most other lenses of significant length.

To be completely fair, try one out as soon as possible and see what you are dealing with.

[tottymort]

that lens is way out of my price league the other 3 i have stated are problys a max of £300

[DonSchap]

If you do end up buying the SONY 70-400, because you followed advice and did your research ... you probably will not need another lens like it, again. It is quiet, has great focus speed, range, clarity and a tripod mount. A class-leading lens ... and people will take notice.

If it is out of your price range ... find a way to make more money so it is not. You will clearly see it will be worth the effort, as you count out those 16x $100 bills. But, please, don't take my word for it ... try it out and shoot the trial images yourself against any other lens in its class. If anything, it will reinforce your desire (or lust) for such lenses ... and that, despite what many spouses might say, is a good thing in photography. Awareness is key.

Stay away from the SIGMA 70-300mm f/4-5.6 zoom w/ Macro ... these lenses get over-torqued by SONY lens motors and their internal gears (made of plastic) get stripped out, making the lens rather useless to autofocus. They work fine on the earlier Minolta bodies, but when the a100 on up was designed, there is just too much acceleration in the focus drive shaft and the lens simply and dramatically fails.

A much safer bet, if you are bent on doing this, is the TAMRON AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Di LD MACRO. It was clearly designed for this powerful motor drive. Just make sure it has the "Di" on it and it will probably serve you well for what you really want. The "Di" version ensures it has the eight (8) contacts on the back of it and provides ADI info for using flash. The "non-Di" version only has five (5) contacts and, therefore, no ADI info for flash calculation. The cost of the lens is around $150 (USD). Actually, for what this lens does ... this is a superior price to start with, just don't expect super sharp images when you get to the long end, as they tend to soften.

[tottymort]

cheers i think i might make do with what i've got for now and save for the sony you mention