Sigma 100-300mm F4 EX DG IF APO A-mount lens reviews
reviews found: 29
 laptoprob#15269 date: Jun-10-2015 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta MD IF 300/4,5 Minolta beercan f4 |
| price paid: | €375 |
| positive: | sharp, fast focus, good build |
| negative: | manual focus isn't smooth ofcourse it's big and heavy, but still handholdable. |
| comment: | I'm really very happy I got this big chunk of a lens. It will replace my manual MD IF 300mm. Wide open, it's even sharper in the center, and a lot sharper and more contrasty in the corners. CA is much better controlled, not really an issue anymore. I added a 140mm tripod rail to the small collar foot, that holds much better. |
; 36MP| whiteheat#13217 date: Apr-3-2015 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.1 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 75-300mm BBC Sony DT 55-300mm Sigma 70-200mm DG EX IF APO (non-HSM) Sigma 400mm Telemacro |
| price paid: | $720 USD |
| positive: | Sharp even wide open Quick focusing speed Not particularly weighty Good build quality Great price |
| negative: | Nothing really to speak of If they could have done so, I would have liked it to be much more compact - but not at the expense of image quality. It is a little heavy, but that's a good thing in this case |
| comment: | I bought this lens from new on a special run out offer in 2009. I have used it extensively as a candid portraiture lens first on A300 (APSC) and then on the A99. I thought I would use it for a good long while before writing a review that would do it justice. After 6 years and X thousands of shots later, that time has come. As a portrait lens, that is, capturing people in their natural state - unaware of the camera, it is an outstanding lens. It is sharp wide open and sharpens a fraction more when stopped down, but the difference is really small. If you get the camera to subject to background distances right, you can get good bokeh. I can't quantify that though - I don't really know how. No matter, it is decent enough. It is a normal screw drive lens, no HSM, SSM or PZD, so it might not be the fastest focusing lens but I find it more than adequate to say the least. But it locks on to target fast and doesn't hunt in most light. If the light drops to a certain level then of course it will not have enough light to work as it should, but as I use it in full daylight, I've never really had any hunting issues. The colours come out very nice, not quite as saturated as Minolta glass, but accurate none the less and with good contrast. Perhaps, the colour may be slightly warm and tend toward a slight yellow cast but I don't notice it in the main and as soon as I wash the output through Lightroom, whitebalance is about as balanced as it'll ever be. I can't say I notice distortion that much but it is there. I only know that because as soon as I apply the appropriate lens profile correction in Lightroom, I can see the image 'move' slightly as it de-contorts, the distortion is being corrected. That said, the image looked perfectly fine before the correction in any case. I think the flare control is excellent on this lens. I always try to take some shots with my subjects directly backlit. Only on one occasion did I encounter a veiling haze. To date I've never had any ghosting or flaring with this lens but I always use the enormous lens hood. Ergonomically, I find this lens a joy to use. It handles very well and what heft it does have is nicely balanced by the A99, although I tend to use the vertical grip on the A99 when using this lens. It is very useful to have the vertical grip to use this lens in portrait mode. I switch between landscape and portrait all the time. I would not be able to keep the camera as steady as necessary in portrait mode without the vertical grip. It is really essential to get sharp shots when hand holding. The build is solid enough. Perhaps not as solid or tank like in construction as a Tokina lens, but none the less, it is strong and well built enough. But like all these lenses, they are still delicate, precise optical instruments, so I wouldn't be letting it smack in to things or get banged around. That said, it has worked just fine for me, no issues what so ever. No sign of wearing gears or anything like that. However, I have the A99 switched to 'low' focusing torque, not the 'hi' setting. I'd be afraid to start putting to much stress on the lens gearing - not just on this lens - on every lens. I would not call this lens a walk around lens. It is a little large for that. None the less, a walk around lens is what I use it for, so being inconspicuous is not likely to happen. It gets me my shot every time, well almost, and when it doesn't, it was usually my fault for some reason, not the lens. I've marked the lens quite conservatively, so the scores might not be as optimistic as some people would mark such a good lens. Even I wanted to mark it higher but then I wanted to retain some objectivity and allow for the possibility that other lenses might handle these characteristics better than this one. I had a hard time NOT to give it 5's across the board, because as others have mentioned, it really is a great lens. It is probably the sharpest zoom in this range I've ever encountered, but then again, I've not had the pleasure of the Sony 70-300mm G SSM, so there may be a better lens - I just could not say. The last word - I can't fault this lens, it performs brilliantly in every department. |
| dxqcanada#11217 date: Jun-29-2013 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 5 overall: 4.5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 100-300mm APO Sony 70-300mm Sigma 70-300mm APO |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Sharp throughout the range f/4.0 Big focus ring Build Internal focus and zoom |
| negative: | No HSM. |
| comment: | I got this lens on recommendation from Pirate ... and he was right. This is a great lens. I have had it for over a year now so I thought I would add my review. IQ is excellent, even wide open which helps under lower lighting conditions. I have no issues if I need to crop images. It is a huge difference over the other three telephoto zooms I had. I have not noticed any problems with flare control, though I always shoot with the lens hood. Even though it is a large lens I have no problems handholding it as focus and zoom are internal. |
| GeirJ#9072 date: Jun-2-2011 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sony AF 70-300 F4.5-5.6 G |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Sharp Does not extend during zoom or focusing Build quality |
| negative: | Weight, but this is unavoidable given the all metal construction and constant F/4 aperture |
| comment: | I bought this lens on Ebay just as it went out of production and it has become a favourite lens. it is a big and heavy lens, and it is not exactly unobtrusive, so I take it along when I know I am going use for a special purpose. It has not made me want to sell my 70-300mm G as this compact, light weight lens in comparison and ideal as a travel lens. i have used it with the Sigma 1.4x tele extender with good results, but IQ is somewhat reduced at 420mm F/5.6. |
| Tony Beach#9035 date: May-17-2011 | |
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sharpness: 3 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.6 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | Sony 50/1.4, Sony 85/2.8 & Sigma 100/2.8 macro. |
| price paid: | 611 USD (used) |
| positive: | Inexpensive. Fairly light for a 300mm focal length lens. The tripod collar seems pretty solid and is removable. |
| negative: | Doesn't focus well (perhaps due to the f/4 aperture), and the outer portions of the image circle never get adequately sharp. |
| comment: | I've heard so many good things about this lens, but my first copy wouldn't meter or AF with my A850 (firmware issue), and my second copy also occasionally locked up when using the Metz flash with the camera (too many third party components seems to have triggered a compatibility issue). The AF just doesn't seem accurate and AF fine-tune doesn't really help. The copy of the lens I was able to actually test seemed to have a decentering issue and was bad in the upper right corner of the frame no matter how much I stopped it down, but the dead center of the frame was reasonably sharp even wide open. Essentially, you get what you pay for -- I will try the Minolta 200/2.8 with a 1.4x converter instead. I would say if you're a demanding photographer shooting with an A850 or A900, you probably won't be satisfied with this lens. |
| Grrrowl#8615 date: Feb-4-2011 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.6 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | missing |
| price paid: | £475 |
| positive: | Nicely Balanced Fast AF in good light Sharp wide open f4 @ 300mm |
| negative: | Heavy if carrying for long periods |
| comment: | Love this lens although heavy if your out all day with it the image quality for the price is superb! Hand held photography is possible but use of a mono/tripod greatly improves especially with limited light. Great for birds and other wildlife and not too bad as a portrait lens either. |
| 9000AF#8442 date: Dec-22-2010 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 Minolta 100-300 APO D Sony 70-400 G Tamron 200-500 |
| price paid: | 650 |
| positive: | + sharp at f/4 + great build quality + snappy AF (for screw drive) + constant f/4 + does not change length with zoom or focus + AF range function on A99 works great |
| negative: | - weight and size - 82mm filter - no HSM / DMF |
| comment: | Great tele zoom, almost prime quality. A heavy beast but probably one of Sigma's best lenses. I sold my first copy to get the 70-400, regretted it and bought a 2nd one. This lens works very well with Sigma's 1.4x TC, unfortunately without corrected EXIF data. |
| SChurchill#7861 date: Aug-25-2010 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Big Beercan SAL75300 Sigma - 135-400 F4.5-5.6 APO Aspherical Minolta - AF 100-300 F4.5-5.6 |
| price paid: | 469 GBP (new) |
| positive: | Very sharp Reasonably fast AF on A700 AF with 1.4 TC Good contrast Great build quality |
| negative: | Hood makes using polariser tricky. TC data not included in EXIF Focus limiter would be useful |
| comment: | I got this recently at a bargain price as have some other members. I've had it just over a week and I love this lens. It is the fastest focussing zoom I have, and the performance difference is huge when compared with my Sigma 135-400. Unlike any of the lenses I'm comparing it to, it does not requiring any stopping down to make it usable. It is also sharp at the 300mm end of its range unlike the others which all seem to soften in last 25% of their range. Some people think it's heavy but I do not really consider it a problem when used with my a700 and VG. Probably because its reasonably balanced. Maybe more noticeable if used with my a200 or 505Super. The only annoying feature as previously stated by others is the failure of the exif to amend aperture and focal length when a sigma apo teleconverter is used. Also the lens type is shown "Minolta AF 100-300mm F4.5-5.6 APO (D) or Sigma Lens" EDIT: I've lowered the Flare Control score as I've had some difficulties with low sun out of shot creating veiling flare even with hood in place. |
| arj#7840 date: Aug-21-2010 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Beercan, big beercan, Tamron 200-400mm |
| price paid: | 600 EUR |
| positive: | + F4 at 300mm + very very sharp + fast AF in good light + build quality |
| negative: | - heavy - no focus limiter |
| comment: | Got aware of a deal for this lens via the Dyxum forum and could not resist to buy as this lens was long on my Radar. I do a lot of aviation photography and need a fast long and sharp lens. This lens does deliver. It is sharp as a razor on the long end, even at F4 I do get great images. Its like a quantum leap in the quality of my photography. I guess that after seeing the quality of the lens I will never again touch the beercan. There is little negative on this lens. I personally would love to have a focus limiter, simmilar as on the big beercan. The build quality of the lens is great, they dont do tanks like that. But this means the lens is heavy. It is also big, so you will most likely need a new bag to carry it around. But its worth it. EDIT - After 15 months of extensive use the gears inside the lens have failed. The lens AF would get stuck when at MFD and the focusing ring was clearly getting stuck at some other points. Went for a local repair as I have hidden the receipt before my wife too well and could not find it anymore :-). The guy performing the repair said that the failure is quite common to these lenses due to the gears getting worn out. He replaced the plastic gear which failed with a metalic one, the lens seems to perform now better than when new. Cost of repair at 90 EUR. Reducing thus my rating for build and improoving for sharpness. |
| wwjdwithca#5565 date: Jun-21-2009 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.9 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Kit lens, 24-70mm HSM |
| price paid: | 915 |
| positive: | Bokah, build quality, filters match my 24-70mm, speed for the $ |
| negative: | Speed |
| comment: | I figured it was time to update this review since I've now own another pro quality lens other than this one: Constant F4 is great for a 100-300mm lens at this one's price point, but personally I find F4 to be too slow if I was going to using it as a professional. I am not, so it's a good amateur lens. The bokah is smooth and wonderful which makes this camera a terrific portrait lens. This lens combined with my 24-70 makes a very strong pair. I am a fan of the way Sigma makes lenses. I find them to be extremely well built, and heavy duty. So you will not see me complain about the weight. They are made to be carried and abused, not really sure how you get one without the other. It's focus speed can be very slow when compared to an HSM. I believe all other versions except the Sony version have HSM, which is too bad because the HSM on my 24-70 is very fast and quiet. Very good lens overall, the question in my mind is whether it's better than a 70-200 F2.8. I kind of go back and for the, so for me there's no obvious winner, and I'm not going to own both. |
| Pirate#5469 date: May-30-2009 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.9 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | SAL 70-300/400mm SSM G (Mk 1) Tokina AT-X 300mm F4 AF (AF 304) Sigma AF 100-300mm F4 D EX (IF) APO Sigma AF 100-300mm F4 EX (IF) APO Tokina AT-X 300/2.8 AF PRO Sigma AF 70-300mm APO DG Macro (red ring) Tamron SP 70-200/2.8 LD Di Macro Minolta AF 300/4 APO HS G Minolta AF 300/2.8 APO & APO HS G Minolta AF 80-200/2.8 APO & APO HS G Tamron SP AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di USD Sigma AF 70-200/2.8 EX (IF) APO Sigma AF 70-200/2.8 EX DG OS HSM |
| price paid: | £399.00 (new) |
| positive: | IQ at all focal lengths & apertures Sharpness Bokeh Build quality Colour rendition Can use a dedicated Sigma 1.4x or 2x TC Lens doesn't extend when zooming Internal Focus (IF) Tripod mount foot 3 year Sigma (UK) warranty (must be new and registered on Sigma (UK) website) Long lens hood |
| negative: | No focus limiter Discontinued Tripod mount is too short to use as a carrying handle |
| comment: | I previously owned the EX (IF) APO version of this lens, but when I read so many positive comments about the SAL 70-300mm SSM G, I sold the 100-300/4 EX APO for the SAL 70-300 SSM G. Having made the change, I instantly missed the constant F4 and low light performance of the Sigma and thus was fortunate to find a new EX DG (IF) APO version with matching Sigma 1.4x EX DG APO teleconverter. The IQ of this lens is excellent, but the improvement with the bokeh, it's very noticeable from the earlier EX (IF) APO version. All things considered, the EX DG (IF) APO tele-zoom is by far and away one of the best of it's type notwithstanding the Tokina AT-X 100-300/4 AF-II (AF 340) which is every bit as good. With a Sigma 1.4x EX DG APO TC attached the AF speed becomes slower on a DSLR body, but I was pleasantly surprised to see no noticeable loss in IQ. It's not perfect, but is a heck of a lens none-the-less. If you get a good copy with no FF/BF issues, you'll love it. In conclusion, a superb bit of kit and very highly recommended and only matched by the Tokina AT-X 100-300/4 AF-II (AF 340), though it's one of the ideal focal range and aperture tele-zooms that should be updated to include in-lens OS, and there isn't anything better IMO. It's one of THE 'must have' tele-zoom lenses as it's simply one of the finest of it's type. |
| klw10#5378 date: May-13-2009 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | Sony - AF 70-300 F4.5-5.6 G SSM Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 II EX DG APO MACRO HSM Minolta - AF 70-210 F4 (beercan) Minolta - AF 75-300 F4.5-5.6 (Big beercan) |
| price paid: | 997.00 USD (new) |
| positive: | Super sharp (even wide open) Solid Build Nice Finish F4 through out the range Includes a nice case for storage. Internal zoom |
| negative: | Weight could be an issue for some Not f2.8 but it would really be heavy then. |
| comment: | I have not had a chance to do a direct comparison with the Sony 70-300 G but the pictures I have taken are super sharp. I would say it is just as sharp as the Sony or sharper. The lens is excellent indoors as well with good lighting. I feel that it is sharper that the Sigma 70-200 HSM in low light conditions. I am considering selling it now for this reason. I used the lens last night at a concert with great results in my opinion. It is sharper that the Beercan and the Big Beercan as well. Using a Sigma 1.4X Tele-converter does not seem to affect IQ that much. The constant F4 is great for this lens. For a non HSM lens, autofocusing is quite fast on the A700. Not all that loud either. I love this lens! The price just shot up by almost $400 USD though. Thankfully I got it before it went up. If you can get your hands on one for a reasonable price then go for it. Note: One interesting note about this lens is that it is showing up as a 100-300 4.5-5.6 in the exif data of the raw files. Because of the camera firmware? |
| eccles#4574 date: Dec-21-2008 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Beercan |
| price paid: | L560 PX |
| positive: | Very sharp Accurate AF Works well with Pro300 TC |
| negative: | Heavy IQ not so good at closest focus |
| comment: | My 400mm 5.6 Telemacro bit the dust and Sigma UK had no spares so I accepted this one as a part exchange deal. I already had a Kenko Pro300 1.4x TC. Through most of the zoom range this lens is very sharp wide open with little CA and must be close in performance to a prime. At 300mm it might just lose a tiny bit when wide open but it's still pretty good. I think my beercan is a very good copy but this lens is sharper, especially at F4. There is a small amount of red/green lateral CA at 300mm that is correctable within ACR. +18 red/green just about does it. Using a Kenko Pro300 1.4x TC matches the lens well, although it introduces a small amount of blue/yellow CA at 300mm, which is also correctable (-10 blue/yellow), and some softening of the edges. Centre sharpness is very good, still usable wide open but better stopped down one stop. You do have to hold this lens steady though with the TC attached, and a monopod is virtually essential, although you can get away with surprisingly slow shutter speeds when the TC is not attached. AF is accurate and quite fast, however with the TC attached it is much slower because of the additional gearing in the TC. Accuracy is still maintained though, and distant shots have very good pulling power. I have posted a 100% crop of a European kingfisher in the samples thread. Edit: Several months on and I'm still very pleased with the IQ of this lens. I have substituted a Sigma EX APO TC for the Kenko, the Sigma TC giving significantly better optical quality. Wide open it is slightly better than when the Kenko is fitted and closed down a stop. Update June 2011 After getting the 70-400 Sony G 2 years ago this lens has been sitting in the cupboard gathering dust. I recently tried to sell it but couldn't get a decent price so rather than shove it in the cupboard again I took it out to catch birds in flight and it was a reminder just how good it is. I'd forgotten just how quick and accurate the AF in this lens is with my A700. IQ isn't so good at minimum focus, tailing off quite markedly a meter or so before the stop is hit so don't use it for close-ups. It was recently tested with a friend's A55 and works fine. |
| RicardoCalha#4341 date: Nov-6-2008 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 100-300 APO Minolta 300 F4 G Minolta 80-200 G Tokina 80-200 AT-X PRO Sony 70-200 SSM |
| price paid: | 1024 euros New |
| positive: | Sharpness throughout the entire range from wide open. 100-300/f4 Focus/zoom rings No moving front lens Great flair control Versatility Great matched with 1.4xAPOTC, |
| negative: | 82mm filter No focus limiter |
| comment: | I am amazed with this lens great versatility it serves me well from nature to sports or even portraits/landscapes. Very sharp and fast on my A700.This is one of my best lens highly recommended.I use it with Kenko 2x Pro300 DG for 600mm(MF) and still have very good results !People complaint about the weight but i can hold it for hours and it´s not a problem. |
| crlowryjr#4333 date: Nov-6-2008 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.7 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sony SAL 75-300 Minolta 28-70 G Sony 16-105 |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | + amazing color & bokeh + the 100-300 reach + built rock solid (except the hood) + BLACK (hate white lenses) |
| negative: | - slow AF in low light - lens hood feels cheap, and doesn't always seat well (especially when reversed) - lens cap constantly popping off |
| comment: | Built like a tank, and in the right light takes amazing pics. The bokeh and color just blow me away. Sharpness is fantastic in perfect light ... just a touch less than my Minolta 28-70 G. In less than ideal lighting, this lens falls down a little...but hey, it's F4 : ) I am a little less than perfectly pleased in hazy and overly bright situations - the colors get muted and washed out...somewhat non-distinct IQ as well. I have also noticed this lens will focus lock when I'm closer than the min focusing distance, but result in a crap shot - well, duh. Kinda wish it wouldn't lock, as I'm not always paying attention to how close I am. When compared to my SAL75-300 ... well, there is no comparison. Gave the lens away after getting this. I would love to have an F2.8 in this range. 200mm is just too short for the kinds of pics I use this lens for (I spend most of my time at 170-250) and I don't want to pop for the Sony or Minolta using a TC. I've only had the lens for a couple months, and for now I'm pretty pleased. (2010 update)... A bit under 2 years with this lens and I'm still a happy camper. At times I get 2.8 Envy but I don't regret making this purchase. When comparing the images this lens produced vs. my Minolta 28-70 G it seems more 'natural' ... if that is the right term. To my eyes, the minolta G lenses produce a magical image ... almost other wordly in their perfection. The Sigma is more relaxed ... more 'as I remember it'. It's hard to put my finger on it, but think one area is sharpness ... the Minolta / Sony G lenses reveal detail more sharply. I love the richness of the color, and the bokeh of this lense and don't feel that I'm missing anything. At $900 vs. the $1500 ~ $1700 I could have paid for the various Sony options ... I can't hesitate for a moment to recommend this lens and would buy it again. |
| uff#4267 date: Oct-21-2008 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 75-300 Sigma 70-300 APO Minolta 70-200 HS G |
| price paid: | 1200 USD |
| positive: | solid built weight (for the size) sharpness |
| negative: | slow (on 7D) stupid Sigma front lens capping strip |
| comment: | For the money paid this lens is quite good. The solid build and sharpness is fantastic. The lens is also relatively light, when You see it You would expect it to be more heavy. The problematic part is the slow AF speed. I tried it on A700 and the speed increased significantly (another reason of upgrade from 7D) :) |
| gman33#3864 date: Jul-18-2008 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 2 flare control: 1 overall: 3.6 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sony 70-200mm SSM Minolta 200mm HS APO |
| price paid: | 1, 099 USD |
| positive: | Sharp, Sharp, Sharp Fast and bright |
| negative: | Nothing...this feels like a quality piece of glass |
| comment: | I just purchased this lens from Amazon via 48th Street Photo. Super fast delivery!!! I use this lens for sports and it has been fantastic. I think the focusing is super quick on the a700. I would highly recommend this lens over the Sony 70-200SSM. What? Yep..If you don't need 2.8, then this lens will definitely deliver what you need...go for it...you will not be disappointed |
| Kirk#3370 date: Mar-18-2008 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.9 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sigma 70-300 APO Sigma 500/7.2 |
| price paid: | 1099 USD (new) |
| positive: | Build Lens length does not change with Focus or Zoom Sharp |
| negative: | Weight |
| comment: | I recently picked up this lens along with the Sigma 1.4 TC. I was looking for a long telephoto lens and after reading the reviews, I settled on this one and following my first outing at the Zoo, I can't be happier. The sharpness blows my other long Sigma's out of the water (70-300 and 500/7.2). The constant f/4 is a nice bonus as well. I was worried about the focus speed on my 7D, but again was very satisfied. The lens is very heavy and best used with a tripod or monopod, but can be handheld. The plus side of it being heavy is that it is build is excellent The lens has the usual EX finish which I personally like. The focus and zoom rings are large use a rubber coating. The only downsides I have noticed thus far is the method to switch between AF and MF along with the proximity of the tripod mount and zoom ring. Update: Have been using this lens on my A900 for sometime now and could not be happier on its performance on FF. Continues to be a favorite lens of mine! |
| Aldaer#3231 date: Feb-1-2008 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.9 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 200/2,8 APO |
| price paid: | 1000 EUR (new) |
| positive: | sharp, constant f4, no change of size during zooming or focusing, buil like a tank |
| negative: | tripod collar, weight (expected), slower focusing than expected) |
| comment: | Slightly softer on f 4. AF works with TC 2x Kenko MC7 DG (great) |
| NIKO#3048 date: Dec-7-2007 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.7 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta AF 70-210 f4 & Sony 70-200 f2.8 |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Sharp, Fast AF, silky smooth Focus and Zoom Rings, nice supple rubber focus and zoom grips, in AF mode focus ring does not rotate when placed in AF setting, constant f4 aperture through the zoom range, internal focus, deep lens hood & nice touch keeping the scales behind glass. |
| negative: | None |
| comment: | I love this lens! It seems to be everything everyone has said it is except one thing; It does have fast auto focus for a non-HSM lens. I measured its movement through the focus range from minimum focus distance to infinity and back again at approximately 1 second from start of movement to stop on my A700. As a note to mention the screw drive has 6-1/3 turns total. It is sharper than the "Beer Can" and it does compare to a "G" lens. I was able to compare it with a friend's Sony 70-200 f2.8 SSM lens and I have to say I was very pleased and surprised. I mainly tested it out at 200 at f4 for both lenses. The Sigma beat the Sony. Yes, it did and the Sony was stopped down to f4 which is wide open for the Sigma. But, to be fair the Sigma was smack in the middle of its zoom range while the Sony was at full zoom. Need I say more? Its bokeh is quite dreamy. I like it a lot. Its build is tank like. It is heavy and tough to be sure. I don't mind the weight. Probably because I weight lift regularly (LOL). I have nothing negative to say about this lens. All my positives are listed above. I do have the dedicated Sigma 1.4x EX DG APO Tele Converter. Here is where I have a negative comment, but for the tele converter. As I place it on the lens and camera I find that the tele converter does not modify the information for me in the EXIF file. 100mm still reads as 100mm when it should read 140mm. Same goes for the whole range. Also, the aperture wide open still reads as f4 instead of f5.6. I was under the impression that these numbers were to be modified automatically by the tele converter. I read about the tele converters in the tele converter section of this web site and read that most 1.4X tele converters do not convert this information for you. It is a minor annoyance. |
| PMacinSeattle#3026 date: Dec-3-2007 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 70-210 f4 (beercan) Tamron 180 3.5 Macro Tamron 200-500 |
| price paid: | 1099 USD(new) |
| positive: | fantastically sharp from wide open built like a tank distortion, whats that??? flare, no such thing |
| negative: | Colors a trifle flat AF a little slow |
| comment: | This is a beast of a lens, its big (huge with hood in place), heavy and a little awkward with the tripod foot in place. This was, by far, the biggest lens I had ever used and when I first fitted it to the A100 I was really worried that I would have have better off going with the Minolta 100-300 APO or 100-400. Then I took my first photo. Prime like sharpness throughout the entire range from wide open is the first thing you'll find. The lens has almost no distortion and no flare (thanks in part to the enormous hood). I love this lens so much that despite buying it as an "occasional" use lens (for events such as kids soccer, dedicated wildlife shoots etc) I've now stopped using my shoulder bag for the camera and just take the pack everywhere just so I can ensure the 100-300 is always close by. Finally its not perfect: Colours and contrast are a trifle flat straight out of the camera and require a tiny bit of tweeking in processing. ultimately this means nothing to me as I process every shot out of the camera anyway but to people who like to shoot jpg and then go straight to print/web this might matter. On the A100, AF is a little slow. Obviously its a lot faster than the 180 macro, and it feels about the same or a fraction quicker than the beercan but compared to other lenses I have recently tested on nikon and canon bodies it is clearly lagging a bit. Again, in other mounts this lens comes with HSM and I think this is why. |
| alve#2747 date: Sep-17-2007 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | 200/2.8 Tokina 400/5.6 (not fair) Sigma 400/5.6 macro (fair, a super performer) Big beercan (not fair) |
| price paid: | 650€ (used) |
| positive: | Sharpness. Build. Almost none CA (even in extreme conditions). |
| negative: | This lens weight alot, but there arent any lighter alternatives. AF isnt lighting. HSM whould be awsome on this lens. |
| comment: | 300/4 Is an excellent comprimise between aperture, focallength and weight. This lens gives you a 300/4 plus the flexibility of a zoom. The sharpness at 300mm F/4 is excellent, no need to stop down unless you whould like more DOF in the shot. Ofcourse using a TC on this lens is very tempting, 300/4 becomes a 420/5.6 . I bought the Sigma apo dg 1.4x TC and it works miracles on this lens. A tc always steals a little quality but in this case I find it really little. 420/5.6: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1187/1195803466_bbd0b96975_o.jpg See more testshots in the sample shots section of this lens. Both with and without TC. I often use 420mm wide open, and Im very satisfied with the results. But remember that 420*1.5 is 630mm, and that is a lot of lens to handle. Even if I switch system Im propably getting this lens again. I love it. The flexibility of both zoom, 300/4 and 420/5.6 with excellent quality suits my photagraphy great. Cheers /Alve |
| laguire#2694 date: Sep-3-2007 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | sigma 70-200/2.8 ex (and older apo vers), minolta 80-200hs, tamron 90/2.8 |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Very sharp lens throughout range. Great build quality |
| negative: | Color and contrast a touch muted compared to minolta g lenses (but nothing that can't be brought out in post-processing) |
| comment: | If you have use for this range and F4 aperture, this is a great lens. Very sharp for a zoom (I have no desire to consider a 300/f4 prime with the results I get with this lens). Build quality is very solid with a good feel to the focus ring, and still at the limits of being hand-holdable. Unfortunately, the range is not always the most practical -- not quite long enough for birding or air shows, not quite fast enough (aperture wise) for indoor sports. But if you want a lens that can be handheld with a little more range than the 70-200 lenses, this is the lens to use. With a 1.4 tc, becomes more practical for birds, wildlife, and planes. |
| polyglot#2475 date: Jun-25-2007 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.6 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | M 70-210/4 beercan KM 28-75/2.8 Tamron 90/2.8 |
| price paid: | 939USD (new) |
| positive: | Extremely sharp across the entire (APS-C) frame. Neutral to good rear bokeh. Indestructible. |
| negative: | Poor front bokeh with very evident axial colour in the donut-shaped highlights. Slow focus and tendency to hunt. |
| comment: | This lens is extremely sharp; it can easily out-resolve the A100 sensor at any aperture up to f/8, at which point diffraction becomes visible. Had no problems with metering. Colour is excellent inside the DOF and behind it. The only problem is evident axial colour in highlights in front of the DOF. It's only evident for very bright spots that have a lot of contrast with the background and typically only noticeable in 1:1 crops, you have to hunt for them on an 8x12. Without the hood, flare can be a problem if sunlight hits the front element. The hood is large and works very well, so you need to make sure it's on. This lens has a tendency to hunt, which can take a long time without HSM/SSM due to the big chunks of glass that have to move a long way. Depth of field can be tiny (couple of cm) when operated wide open, which shows up any focusing inconsistency from the camera. I find that with AF-S or DMF modes, I get very accurate focus. AF-C though tends to be a little off, which is a problem because the error is so small that it is not visible in the viewfinder. Another issue that it shows up on the camera is that the A100 (and perhaps all other SLRs with contrast/phase AF systems) can perceive that there is detail significant distances behind the subject, even though the subject is very nearly in focus. The camera therefore hunts out to infinity to try out the background focus then comes back in again before finally settling on approximately what it had before. It doesn't do this with backgrounds containing little detail - in those cases it snaps straight into focus. Build quality is "like a tank". Distortion... it doesn't. Update: tested with A700. Focusing accuracy & speed are definitely better. Quality is still good with the matched 1.4x TC, though you do need to stop down 1/3 of a stop to get perfect sharpness back again. |
| Pyl62#2433 date: Jun-11-2007 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.9 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | KM 75-300 kit lens |
| price paid: | €790 (used but mint) |
| positive: | Internal focusing build quality looks overall picture quality! |
| negative: | Heavy! Can't remove front cap with hood on 82mm filters are expensive Tripod mount in the way when zooming |
| comment: | Built like a tank! Excellent looks. AF speed adequate but not lightning fast. Huge, effecive hood. Very smooth bokeh. |
| bluedepth#2123 date: Apr-7-2007 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.9 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 70-210 f4 (beercan) Sigma 70-200 f2.8 EX |
| price paid: | 900 USD |
| positive: | Constant aperture Incredibly sharp at f6.3 and above good sharpness at f4 Internal Focus Full Frame Great build quality focus & zoom rings are wide and have a very nice feel to them |
| negative: | very large 82mm filter size (needed for f4 at 300mm) Tripod collar gets in way of zoom... should be taller Focusing speed |
| comment: | This is one of my favorite lenses. In terms of sharpness it comes very close to the IQ of the 70-200 G and SSM lenses out there by Minolta and Sony, and costs half as much. The focusing speed on my 7D was okay, but nothing special. On my film Minolta 9 it was noticably faster. Because it is NOT an SSM lens, the focusing noise is pronounced. Build quality is excellent, with a nice textured metal body. It is a bit heavy, especially compared to the plasitc-bodied offerings out there. The tripod collar is shorter than it needs to be, meaning with it on it gets in the way of my fingers when I'm using the zoom ring. Reversing the collar solves the problem, but then puts the tripod mount slightly behind the center of gravity, which means on a monopod that the lens will 'lean forward' ever so slightly and want to tip over, but it isn't so drastic a change to be worrysome. just keep your hand on your monopod. the hood is huge, and seems effective at blocking flare without clipping any of the image. Bokeh is extremely good. It is such a pleasure to get images where the subject is tack-sharp and the OOF areas are pleasing as well. |
| macrophoto#2075 date: Mar-29-2007 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.9 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta AF 200 2.8 G APO HS Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 II EX DG APO MACRO HSM |
| price paid: | 950 € (new) |
| positive: | Very sharp from F5.6 onwards Sharp at F4 Color Flair Good build No moving front lens |
| negative: | No focus limiter AF slow compared to HSM Requires +16 MF adjustment on my A900 |
| comment: | In the full zoom range from F5.6 onwards at the level of a prime lens In the range of 100 - 200 mm already at F4 at the level of a prime lens AF good with A700 and A900 but slow compared to Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 II EX DG APO MACRO HSM |
| klaas#1970 date: Mar-16-2007 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Tokina 80-200 2.8 |
| price paid: | 1100 Euro new |
| positive: | Sharp, fast, good build |
| negative: | Heavy, big filter size by low light problems with af |
| comment: | Bought this lens for my trip to the Grand Canyon, to get good pictures of birds, well it is a perfect lens for birds. very sharp, Now I have this lens a couple of months, when I’m out for pictures this is my lens !! Don’t use my Solligor TC much (I have to get a Sigma TC hope this will be better) , it will work on the sharpness and the colours, |
| Wakaluba#1923 date: Mar-7-2007 | |
|---|---|
sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sigma 70-300/4-5.6 Tokina 70-300/4-5.6 Minolta 70-210/4.5-5.6 |
| price paid: | 700 EUR + 1 old Lens |
| positive: | sharp lens, fast AF, |
| negative: | little bit heavy weight, must do some Body-Building now :-) |
| comment: | First Class, a well work from Sigma! EDIT 04-11-2007: AF works better at low light since Alpha100 Firmware 1.04. Kenko Converter 1.4 works. |
reviews found: 29
rating summary
- total reviews: 29
- sharpness: 4.71
- color: 4.72
- build: 4.86
- distortion: 4.76
- flare control: 4.62
- overall: 4.73
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