Looking to purchase a new lens

Hey all! long time lurker 2nd time poster, I'm new to photography and
I have a $600 budget and wanted to pick up a decent telephoto zoom lens, and I've narrowed down my choices to either the
Canon 70-300mm IS or the
Sigma 70-300mm APO DG

My current equipment is a Rebel XTi and the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8
If I pick the Sigma I can also pick up the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8
and If I pick the Canon, well i get just the Canon but I do get IS which i've heard is a great thing to have.

So I'd like to know what you all would recommend, I'd mostly use the lens for wildlife photos, don't think I will do much sports, but im sure I might get tempted and try my hand at that.

Thanks!
--Rafael

the 70-300 IS is definitly in a different class from the sigma. the sigma is a great budget lens, but i definitly would go for the canon in your situation.

ZuN wrote in post #2918045
Hey all! long time lurker 2nd time poster, I'm new to photography and
I have a $600 budget and wanted to pick up a decent telephoto zoom lens, and I've narrowed down my choices to either the
Canon 70-300mm IS or the
Sigma 70-300mm APO DG

My current equipment is a Rebel XTi and the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8
If I pick the Sigma I can also pick up the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8
and If I pick the Canon, well i get just the Canon but I do get IS which i've heard is a great thing to have.

So I'd like to know what you all would recommend, I'd mostly use the lens for wildlife photos, don't think I will do much sports, but im sure I might get tempted and try my hand at that.

Thanks!
--Rafael

IMPO you should give seroius consideration to the Canon 70-200 F4 - again IMPO it's the best bang for your buck. Stop looking and just buy it, you'll be glad you did. Then your next purchase pick up the Canon 1.4 Tele II.

Palladium wrote in post #2918067
IMPO you should give seroius consideration to the Canon 70-200 F4 - again IMPO it's the best bang for your buck. Stop looking and just buy it, you'll be glad you did.

although the 70-200 is a great lens, and sooner or later someone was going to suggest it, since his main/only purpose to the lens is wildlife i believe the extra reach will be more helpful to the OP.

How about a used 400/5.6?

The canon is a very nice lens for the money. I own the Canon EF 75-300 4-5.6 IS USM and I'm happy with it. The IS is a very nice feature and if you can afford it I'd go with the Canon. If I had it to do over again I would have waited and got to L model. But the the past is behind me and I do like the lens I got.

Awesome! Thank you everyone for your input, I will go ahead and send in my order for the Canon!

Not sounding rude but why the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8? When you have 17-50 covered nicely, doesn't sound worth it for the sake of 50-75mm?

As mentioned the 70-200 f4L is great but not enough reach for wild life. See if the Sigma 100-300 F4 is in your budget, combined with a 1.4TC you have a 420mm f5.6 lens...