24/04/2026 9:30 pm
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I've been trying to get into birding around the local wetlands here in Florida but my current setup is just not cutting it and I'm honestly so annoyed. I missed a shot of a roseate spoonbill yesterday because my old kit lens couldn't reach far enough and by the time I cropped in it looked like a total potato. I'm rocking the Canon R6 and I know I need a proper telephoto but the native RF glass is just way out of my budget right now like I cant drop 2k on a lens.
I've been looking at the Tamron 150-600mm G2 because that extra reach sounds amazing for birds but then I see people talking about the 100-400mm being way lighter and easier to carry for long hikes. I'm torn because the 150-600 is heavy as hell and I'm worried about the autofocus speed through the EF-RF adapter since I've heard mixed things about pulsing or hunting on the mirrorless bodies.
Is the 150-600 actually worth the back pain or should I stick to the 100-400 and just crop more? I need to make a decision by next week before my trip to the Everglades and I only have about 900 dollars to spend so I'm stuck looking at the used market. Which one actually plays nice with the R6 eye-af without glitching out...
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24/04/2026 10:35 pm
Just catching up on this. I've tried many setups over the years and the pulsing issue usually comes down to firmware. Since you're hiking the Everglades, the weight of a 600mm is a killer.
- Get a used Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD for Canon EF for portability.
- Pick up the Tamron TAP-in Console for Canon to update the firmware.
- This stops the R6 hunting and keeps you under budget.
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24/04/2026 9:30 pm
> Is the 150-600 actually worth the back pain or should I stick to the 100-400 and just crop more? Honestly the extra reach is absolutely worth the gym workout lol. Ive been using the Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 for Canon EF on my R6 for over a year now and I am beyond satisfied with how it performs. You definitely want that 600mm for Florida birding... 400mm sounds like plenty until you're actually out there and realize the spoonbills are way further out in the marsh than you thought. The R6 is an amazing body but since it is only 20 megapixels you really cant afford to crop too much before you lose all that lovely detail. If you go with the Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD for Canon EF you will just be frustrated again when you have to zoom in 300 percent in post-processing. Regarding the autofocus, mine works well with the Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R and rarely hunts in good light. Just make sure the lens firmware is up to date and it should stick to bird eyes like glue. Yeah it is heavy as hell but I just use a gimbal head or a decent sling strap and it is fine for a few hours. Ngl I would much rather deal with a sore shoulder than a bunch of blurry, cropped-in photos of a rare bird. For $900 used it is basically the best bang for your buck right now.
