Sigma 70-300mm F/4-5.6 DG OS SLD Super Multi-Layer Coated Telephoto Lens for Canon AF Mount Digital SLR Cameras Review
Camera:
I’m the proud owner of a Pentax K20D, which is also my first DSLR (and SLR in general).
Experience:
Took up photography this past summer (summer 2009), but I’ve put a lot of time and research into it so far. But I’m far from a professional, of course.
Previous Lens(es):
Pentax 16-45mm f/4.0 SMC PDA ED AL Zoom Lens for Pentax and Samsung Digital SLR Cameras which, by the way, I have been pleasantly happy with so far as my standard lens. It’s also great for me personally, because of my landscape/panorama interest.
Ownership Time:
~A week
Review:
This lens performs its duty well. I’ll break the review down into further sections:
Auto Focus Feature: It focuses fairly quickly, smoothly, and accurately in decent light, and hunts around for a little bit in low light settings (took it into my windowless bathroom and left a crack in the door), but not as much as other consumer (price-wise) telephoto lenses.
Auto Focus Sound: To me it’s a pretty soft sound/not too loud, but you will notice it.
Optical Stabilization (OS): Works amazingly and wonderfully, and it can stack with the anti-shake feature built-in to the Pentax body. Slight caveat though– it makes this high pitched humming sound when it’s working, maybe not audible to older ears (no offense here), and definitely not audible in louder areas such as sports events, but when you’re using it quietly indoors– you might have a slight problem with those sitting next to you. You do get used to it after a bit though, and it stops as soon as you stop using the OS feature (finish the shot/stop pressing the shutter half-way).
Weight and Dimensions: It’s fairly big (I believe the dimensions of 3 x 5 x 5 in the description is severely understated), but smaller than other telephoto lenses from what I understand. It’s got a bit of heft to it too, but not back-breaking or anything; it IS significant though, so keep that in mind if you plan on bringing it on a long hike or something (maybe walk around with it + your camera gear in your camera bag for an hour or so just around the house to see if it’s manageable).
Functionality and Performance: It does what it’s supposed to, and quite good at it too. As usual, with full telephoto range (300mm), shaking and stabilization become a big factor and issue; the optical stabilization helps a lot, as does the built-in Pentax anti-shake, but you’re still definitely going to want to bring a tripod if you have shaky hands, or want very clean pictures. This is an issue with most if not all telephoto lenses though. The zoom on it is nice, and make sure you do pay attention to the fact that it has a minimum focusing range. The fact that it’s f/4.0-5.6 instead of f/4.5-5.6 means a little quicker shots, which is definitely a plus over the competitors. Update: So, low lighting/indoor situations, as predicted, are not too great with telephoto lenses; the low shutter speed you have to sacrifice for, if you’re going into telephoto ranges, makes it impossible to get a clean shot (without blur) sometimes; have something to brace against, or as I said before, a tripod. I’ll be updating later on nature + outdoor shots.
Quality of Shots: The quality of shots is extremely nice; I haven’t noticed any vignetting or aberration in the photos, but so far they’re been indoor + medium-lighting shots. Blur is an issue with telephoto ranges, as mentioned before, because image stabilization can be only so good. More updates to come.
Ease of Use and Installation: It’s very easy to install, just line up the focus line with the arrow and then turn it until the click– it’s very snug and fits well. To use the auto focus mode, switch the tab from (M) to (AF), and do the same on your camera (from (MF) to (AF.C) [confirmed to work] or (AF.S)). Optical Stabilization (OS) is also a tab, and you can switch it between On and Off; if it is On, it uses the camera’s battery and will drain battery faster than normal– so turn it off if you do not need it. Focusing ring and zoom ring are standard fare; although, if you have the lens hood on (or filters), beware– if you point the camera/lens straight down, the focus ring may shift and the front of the lens “pulled” out by gravity. So far, it seems to only be happening sometimes, so I think it’s a common occurrence; I could be wrong and just have gotten a defective one (kind of a big pet peeve for me, so it loses a star in “Quality of product” for that).
Overall Verdict:
If you are looking for a fairly good, well-priced, third party telephoto lens (for your Pentax, or they make them for other brands as well), then you may very well want to consider this. With premium optical stabilization capabilities, the quality of which is usually only found in higher-end models, and auto-focus that works with the body, this is definitely a telephoto lens you should not miss out on. If you are a professional or are aiming to utilize close-up shots/telephoto lenses a lot more often as your default lens, then you might want to wait to just get a prosumer/pro one, but for me as just a secondary lens, and also on a tighter budget of a consumer, this was an excellent deal for me.
Sigma 70-300mm F/4-5.6 DG OS SLD Super Multi-Layer Coated Telephoto Lens for Canon AF Mount Digital SLR Cameras Feature
- Lens Construction – 16 Elements in 11 Groups
- Angle of View – 34.3 degrees – 8.2 degrees
- Number of Diaphragm Blades – 9 Blades (rounded diaphragm)
- Minimum Aperture – F22
- Minimum Focusing Distance – 150cm / 59.1 in
Sigma 70-300mm F/4-5.6 DG OS SLD Super Multi-Layer Coated Telephoto Lens for Canon AF Mount Digital SLR Cameras Overview
High ratio zoom lens housed in a compact construction and incorporating Sigma’s original OS (Optical Stabilizer) function. This telephoto zoom lens incorporates Sigma’s original OS (Optical Stabilizer) function and is housed in a compact construction. TheOS function offers the use of shutter speeds approximately 4 stops slower than would otherwise be possible. The SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass element provides excellent correction for all types of aberrations. High image quality is assured throughout the entire zoom range. The Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting and provides high contrast images throughout the focal range. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 150cm (59.1″) throughout the entire zoom range and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.9, making it ideal for close-up photography SIGMA’s own unique OS (Optical Stabilizer) technology This lens is equipped with Sigma’s own unique OS (Optical Stabilizer) function. This system offers the use of shutter speeds approximately 4 stops slower than would otherwise be possible. It makes telephoto shooting easy for many types of photography such as sport and nature. For Sony and Pentax mount, the built-in OS function of this lens can be used even if the camera body is equipped with an anti-shake function. As compensation for camera shake is visible in the view finder, the photographer can easily check for accurate focus and ensure there is no subjec
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Customer Reviews
Decent lens, but the stabilization is a waste of money on a Pentax body – Joshua Gustafson –
I own the older non-OS version of this lens, but thought I’d “upgrade” to the OS version. It was a waste of money, and I ended up returning it.
First, the optical stabilization is no better than the in-body stabilization on my K10D – and I understand the newer bodies have improved the IS. After dozens of comparison shots between in-lens stabilization and in-body stabilization – test patterns, field shots, various lighting conditions – I was forced to conclude the lens had absolutely no advantage over the body at all. Worse, it’s a nuisance when swapping lenses, since you need to remember to switch off the in-body stabilization when you attach the lens, then switch it back on when you swap another lens on. Forget, and you get a batch of blurry shots.
Given that Sigma charges twice as much for their stabilized lenses as for their non-stabilized ones, having that stabilization be useless is kinda a big deal.
The motor – yes, the lens is motorized, but it’s nothing fancy. The lens motor is neither faster nor quieter than the in-body motor.
Image quality wasn’t noticeably different from the non-OS version.
Also, the non-OS version of this lens has macro focusing, up to 1:2 magnification. Sigma apparently had to sacrifice that to fit the stabilization.
If you’re considering this lens (at least for a Pentax body) do yourself a favor – buy the non-OS version at half the price: Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Telephoto Zoom Lens for Pentax and Samsung SLR Cameras
Seems Good Until You Shoot the Canon 70-300mm side-by-side – J. Reid – PA United States
First a few words of caution about this review: Newb to dSLR’s here!
I recently made the decision to get a dSLR due to my recent frustration with a point-and-shoot at the Cherry Blossom Festival in D.C. I just couldn’t get a picture of what I was seeing. No fiddling with the point-and-shoot would capture it.
I purchased the Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black) from Amazon. WOW! What a difference this intelligent and capable piece of art can make. I read reviews that said shoot with it for a bit until you decide what you like to shoot before getting an additional lens. I took that advice and after a couple of weeks, decided I wanted a zoom with a bit of reach. After much trepidation due to the expense, I decided on a 70-300mm. In researching, I found the Sigma 70-300mm F/4-5.6 DG OS SLD Super Multi-Layer Coated Telephoto Lens for Canon AF Mount Digital SLR Cameras. I just couldn’t justify the additional expense of the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Lens for Canon EOS SLR Cameras. Both seemed to have the same basic features with the Canon having USM and better reputation and slighty better reviews. The Sigma, however, seemed to hold its own in reviews especially for this amateur.
After having the Sigma for better than a week and being quite impressed (again an amateur’s point of view), I began wondering just how much better the Canon could be. I began an online search for pricing and was surprisingly able to run across a new Canon on eBay for the same price. New for the same price!! I pulled the trigger instantly figuring if I like the Canon better, I could return the Sigma. If I liked the Sigma better, I could most likely sell the Canon at a profit.
I received the Canon two days after the purchase and here are my assessments.
-My out-the-box impression was wow, this thing is built much more solidly than the Sigma. Where the Sigma is plastic, the canon is metal. The Canon has more heft and girth and it looks and feels more professional to this amateur. The Sigma has the velvety coating and the Canon is nicely finished metal. But that’s just the look.
-I shot a few shots using program at various focal lengths and did a side-by-side comparison. The clarity, to my old eyes, of the Canon was better in all cases.
-Performance wise, I could not tell much difference in focus speed of either. The Canon’s USM during focus is very quiet where the Sigma could almost wake the dead.
-The feel of the zoom ring operation on both is equivalent, with the smoothness of the Canon slightly edging out the Sigma. I wouldn’t weigh that heavily in the decision though.
-The OS in the Sigma is great, but it has a tendency to kind of float around in the viewfinder ever so slowly which affected me when shooting at full zoom with center only focus selected on a small object. It seemed I had to keep moving the camera to keep the focus dot at the point I wanted to focus on or time the shutter to snap when the focus point was lined up. I felt like this could contribute to more blur caused by me doing so. The Canon’s IS is rock solid in this respect, perfectly still in the viewfinder. The Sigma’s OS noise sounds like a very quite whirring sound almost spooky. The Canon’s is noisier with more of a gear sound. Although I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, the Canon has two modes of IS: mode one for horizontal AND vertical and mode two for horizontal OR vertical only. The Sigma, to my knowledge, does not do one direction only.
-The Canon also has a zoom lock to keep the lens from extending when walking around. The Sigma does not. The Canon seems tight enough, but it is new. I’m not sure if this is necessary, but if it is, I’m glad to see it. I don’t know if the Sigma would ever get loose enough to extend during walking. If it does, then there is no lock.
-The minimum aperture of the Sigma is f/22 where the Canon goes all the way to F/32. My amateur knowledge doesn’t know if this will be a factor, but just a point of difference between the two lenses.
-The Sigma comes with a lens hood and the Canon does not. The Canon branded hood cost more than !!! if you can find it. There seems to be satisfied people with non-Canon hoods at much more reasonable prices.
Conclusion: Would I recommend the Sigma to someone who had to stretch the budget to get it? Yes. From what I experienced, it is a really nice lens. If, like me, you agonized between the two because of justification and then got the opportunity to shoot with the Canon (not to mention getting it new for the same price), then go for the Canon which is slightly over a 0 more on Amazon. I’m reading Canon EOS Digital Photography Photo Workshop which is a great book and the guy continually stresses the superiority of Canon lenses. However, he only shoots L-series glass, but says the non-L series are still better than most. I guess in the case of the Sigma versus the Canon, I would say the Canon is the winner.
FITS THE 50D AND 2X TELECONVERTER – Robert A. Carra – new york usa
Im happy with this lens its sharper then my ef-s canon at 200mm. I like the
fact it it is f5.6 at 300mm worth the extra money and the optical stabilizing
works very well. Fast focus with my 50d and respectable in door 70mm photo’s
a must have!
Good Performer for 9 – L. Varagian – New York
In range of 70-250 Sigma 70-300mm F/4-5.6 DG OS SLD Super MLC is very nice.
The best results starts from F5.6 on 70mm and at F10 stops on 300mm range.
Also good on full frame Canon 5D Mark II upto 250mm. Best results from F6.3 stop.
Recomended if you’re in 0-400 price tag.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jul 04, 2010 01:45:04
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