Would love some opinions about this lens

[H2Ockey]

http://www.adorama.com/TM200500NKAF.html#ProductReviews

Tamron SP 200-500mm f/5-6.3 Di Auto Focus Zoom Lens with Hood for Nikon AF D

There are 5 reviews on the site that all mention sports or wildlife or both as best use of this lens, but I'm just not sure it is fast enough to really make me happy... but for only $800 would it be "good enough"?? Anyone have one of these? Anyone have a strong opinion about shooting 500mm at f6.3? I don't have the money to buy what I really want just now but this really seems like a good deal.

opinions?

[luminosity]

Go with Nikkor. Always.

[anubis]

Here is the photozone.de review

http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/296-tamron-af-200-500mm-f5-63-di-ld-if-sp-lab-test-report--review

Photozone.de is a great site for apples-to-apples performance comparison of almost every lens that can be used on a DSLR including image quality (MTF), chromatic aberration, distortion, and build quality.

[melchior]

it does all depend on what you're shooting, how and how much money you're willing to part with. by all means buy nikkor/canon brand stuff exclusively if you're made of money. but i have found good value in some but not all tamron and sigma lenses too.

with a lens like this the aperture is ridiculously small for shooting say birds or sports without a tripod. you might get away with a monopod, but still, without IS for a lens like this camera shake it your enemy.

shooting on a 1.6x camera? going to shoot with a tripod? plenty of bright light? (i.e. not night sports) then it's a great bargain for sure! but don't expect to be able to push it very hard...