Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD vs Nikon AF-P DX 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3G ED V

I am confused between which camera to buy along with which lens. My main priority is Wildlife mainly Bigcats, especially tigers as i live in India. Next priority is just travel photography (nature mainly) with friends and family. I am not a professional photographer, i am a doctor and i have just started my practice. But i love wildlife and i travel for safaries once or twice every year. I would like to get into serious wildlife photography and casual travel photography. Here in India a Nikon 200-500mm is mostly used in safaris. So i am thinking of the Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 on DX body is about 25-600mm but i have heard it has very poor sharpness and poor stabilization at the long end hand held as i will be doing hand held only. So will it be wise to get the 18-400mm now or just get the 70-300mm VR kit lens for now and get the Sigma 150-600mm or, Nikon 200-500 in a couple of years.

I have heard the new kit lens 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3g af p dx ed vr is sharp and fast.

And for other travel purposes the 50mm f/1.8.

I am a beginner.

My budget is around 45k roughly $675 but if the Tamron 18-400mm is really worth it now then i can extend my budget otherwise not. I would wait and get the Sigma 150-600mm a few years later.


These are my options

1) Nikon D3400 body only with Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 - around 65k roughly $956

2) Nikon D3400 with dual kit lens 18-55mm VR and 70-300mm AF-P DX VR. - around 36k roughly $530

3) Nikon D3400 with dual kit lens 18-55mm VR and 70-300mm VR along with 50mm f/1.8 - around 46k roughly $676

4) Nikon D5300 with dual kit lens 18-55mm VR and 70-300mm AF-P DX VR - around 45k roughly $662

5) Nikon D5300 with 50mm f/1.8 and 70-300mm VR - around 52k roughly $764

6) Nikon D5600 with dual kit lens 18-55mm VR and 70-300mm AF-P DX VR - around 50k roughly $743

7) Nikon D5600 with 50mm f/1.8 and 70-300mm VR - around 57k roughly $838

I have no experience with either lens but I'm pretty firm in my experience that the best zoom lenses have shorter zoom ranges.  The reason is that more extreme zoom range lenses are harder to correct optically and therefore are more of a compromise.  Rather than buy an extreme range zoom like the Tamron, I would buy 2 or 3 lenses to cover the range.

Experience notwithstanding, advances have been made in zoom lenses in recent years. And what passed for "tack sharp" back when no longer is adequate due to advances in post.

So: you'll also need to learn to process your images after the fact.

That said, the Nikon 200-500 wins hands-down, IMO. The Sigma would be next.

Your budget doesn't allow for all you want, and what you want to do requires long lenses. You'll need to work towards that. The 300 won't go very far, but you know how close you get to your subjects.

That said, starting with the 50 and 70-300 would give you some flexibility. You won't get wide angle, but that may not matter to you.

Thanks. Yes i am thinking of buying the D3400 along with 18-55VR & 70-300 VR and a 50mm f/1.8 or, should i discard the 50mm f/1.8 and get the D5300 with those two VR lenses.
I will be hiring the Nikon 200-500mm when needed for safaris. Will the D3400 with 200-500mm be good together ? (250-500mm reach in a full frame body is enough for me)
Later i would buy it.

The D5300 has an articulated screen, the D3400 does not. I personally like that feature, others do not. Aside from that, they're very similar cameras.

For a beginner, I'd dispense with the 50mm and go with the kit lenses. For travel, they'll cover most of your needs, and they're fine lenses.

There's no reason the Nikon 200-500 won't work with either of those.

I had a D5100 for 4 years and it worked very well for me. If you can make the stretch, the D5300 and 2 kit lenses would be my recommendation. A 50mm f/1.8 DX lens is not expensive, and you can add one later as you learn.

But that's just me.

Thank You.
The D5300 with 2 kit lens is just 30$ more than the d3400 with 2kit lens and the 50mm.
So i would go with the D5300 with 2 VR kit lenses ditching the 50mm.

I began my photography hobby with and continue to use your option #2, the Nikon D3400 package is a great choice for a beginner. Others are very impressed with the pic results.

These were shot with the Tamron 18-400 and a Nikon D7200.  I've been well pleased with this lens.  The convenience of a "walk about" lens is not to be ignored.

ya i also ultimately brought the D3400 dual VR kit

"...the Nikon 200-500 wins hands-down, IMO. "
Says Gary, and that's a fact!

effron wrote: "...the Nikon 200-500 wins hands-down, IMO. "
Says Gary, and that's a fact!

Nah, just a somewhat informed opinion.