200-500 The lens I love

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I have a Nikon D500 and 200-500. Love that lens. However, due to my age, I always use a tripod and gimbal. Hand holding does not work for me.

I was thinking of getting another Nikon body and was looking into a Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens for Nikon F. I think I could handhold this combo. Any thoughts on this lens? I assume I would need an adaptor. I won't be getting rid of the 200-500 as this is my favorite lens.

Thanks for any thoughts.

SM
 
I don't believe you will need an adapter since Sigma & Tamron lenses can be purchased in a Nikon mount version. I don't know much about the 100 - 400 Sigma but the Tamron 100 - 400 seems to have garnered a lot of fans among the denizens of forums. Good optics and low weight are often mentioned in regard to that lens. Hopefully others with more knowledge than I will add their experiences.
 
No adapter needed for a Sigma lens for a Nikon DSLR body. Just make sure it's one manufactured with a Nikon F mount specifically for Nikon.
If your new body is going to be one of the Nikon mirrorless versions you'll have to use the Nikon FTZ adapter. You also need to verify that the Sigma lens in question has updated firmware to be compatible with the Z camera.

Also remember the loss of telephoto reach should you move from the crop sensor D500 to a full frame like the Z5, Z6 or Z7.
I'll let others weigh in on the merits of the Sigma lens.
 
After I posted this I discovered that the lens will work on FX or DX mount. Now you know the level of newness I have. I was thinking about the D7500. Is that going backward?

Main interest is the Sigma lens. I was considering a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II with 1.25 extender, but I suppose that is really going backwards. I like to photograph birds, not necessarily in flight but would like to do that too. Thank you.
 
I have the D7500 and I'm very satisfied with it. Smaller and lighter than the D500, it makes a good substitute for the D500 if you want smaller and lighter. The D7500 is the next camera down on the totem pole after the D500. It has the same sensor and shares a lot of its DNA with the D500.

The D500 is a pro-level camera while I would classify the D7500 as an enthusiast or perhaps prosumer camera. For any photographer who needs and uses the capabilities of the D500 it would be going backward to a D7500. If you don't need the blazing fast frame rate and very effective focus tracking of the D500, the D7500 should be good enough. It's quite a capable camera in its own right.
 
I assume I would need an adaptor.

Not a mount adapter, but you'll want to grab the Sigma USB Dock for lens firmware updates ($59).

At one time I looked into the Sigma 150-600 C, but 3 things helped me decide not to: 1. Needing to get a USB Dock; 2. The zoom action is backwards from Nikon lenses; and 3. When AF is working, the manual focus ring moves. Not sure if #3 applies to the 100-400.

I ended up going with the Nikon 200-500 and it was absolutely the right decision (for me).
 
I wish I had info on the Sigma, but I will say that I have the Tamron 100-400 and find it to be a great lens. Sharp, reasonably fast autofocus, and very light.
 
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