Canon/Tamron budget telephoto lens

[Briggers]

Hi Guys
I am fairly new to DSLR photography - having been using one for about 6 months.

I have a Canon 450D, with the 18-55mm kit lens, and a Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro lens.

I am looking to upgrade to a better telephoto lens, but am on a reasonably tight budget. Two lenses that fall within my price range are:

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM
Tamron SP 70-300mm f/4-5/6 Di VC USD

And I just really need a bit of advice on which of these would best suit my needs.

I understand that the picture quality on the L series lens is very good, but am not sure if with a 200mm max telephoto reach is enough

My main types of photography are sports (I am involved with a non-league football team and take matchday photos) and wildlife (well zoo's, having a young family a lot of weekends are spent at zoos).
Any advice gratefully received.
Thanks

[AndrewKulin]

My preference is always go for the better quality lens so I would say the 70-200 mm (esp. if you can justify the IS version!). I have one of the other 70-200 flavours, it is a wonderfully sharp lens. Bear in mind however, that I know nothing about the Tamron lens and it may be for all I know just as good in quality (and I see it has VC - another feature I always go for if available). I'm certain that you will do enough personal research to satisfy yourself on that aspect.

To what I think is your main question concerning the reach of the 200 mm you can do the following. Go to the zoo and a football match with your current 70-300 zoom and limit yourself to a maximum zoom of 200 mm. Back at home look at your photos and ask yourself if the 200mm shots give you what you need, or not. Alternately, review your existing zoo/game shots and for the ones that really work for you look at the EXIF information and see what focal lengths those pictured were taken at that. If most/all were obtained at around the 300 mm mark, then that answers your question.

[Briggers]

Hi Andrew

Thanks for that - was at a game today so will have a look at the focal lengths and see what they come out at.

Appreciate the reply.

[chris-p]

Welcome to the forum...

Are they really both in your price range? There is a pretty large difference in price?! The Canon is £150 more than the Tamron.

If you can afford the Canon L lens, I'd have that. Easy.

[Briggers]

Hi Chris, thanks for your reply.

Canon is at the very top end of my budget - but if the quality is that much better than the Tamron, then it is something i would be prepared to do.

[nikonian]

Get yourself on to PHOTOZONE. Spend an evening perusing all the lens and I bet you will be surprised. Canon and Nikon are not guaranteed to be the top notch lens.While I am on about PHOTOZONE look at all the shots of front and rear focussing. Cannot find one that shows a fault.

[dan123]

Have you checked out ebay? there are some decent second hand lenses on there, but the cannon rules all, i have the 70-200 2.8, such an awesome lens, and these are similar prices when second hand to the others,

dan,