Sigma 300mm f2.8 APO EX DG HSM For Canon Digital & Flim SLR Cameras

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With 1.4x APO Tele Converter, AF can operate between infnity and 0.53m. If the subject is closer than 0.53m, only MF is available. We haven't yet tested this Nikon lens, but similarly to the Canon the lens is complemented with a variety of control options as well as image stabilization. Also similar to the Canon, the lens is a fair deal more expensive than the Sigma. Another option would be a 70-200mm ƒ/2.8 IS (or VR, depending on brand) plus a 1.4 teleconverter. Taking the Canon EF 70-200mm ƒ/2.8 L IS II plus the Canon 1.4X Extender EF III gives you a similar zoom range (though not exactly the same), but you lose a stop of light (now down to ƒ/4), worse image quality and slower AF speed thanks to the teleconverter. Nikon users have the Nikon 70-200mm ƒ/2.8G ED VR II AF-S and either the Nikon 1.4X AF-S TC-14E II or Nikon 1.7X AF-S TC-17E II teleconverters. First I am comparing against the Canon lenses. The Canon 300 II has no equal IMO. Rarely use the Sigma lens now.

Sigma 300mm f2.8 EX APO HSM | BirdForum Sigma 300mm f2.8 EX APO HSM | BirdForum

Corner shading isn't much to write home about when the lens is mounted on the sub-frame 20D - the corners are just a quarter-stop darker than the center when used wide open at ƒ/2.8. Stop the lens down even to ƒ/4, and the shading goes away. The lens helps to create vibrant crisp color. Subjects, which were often close, always had great color. Skin tones are spot on. For the most part it was fine. Only when the subject was further away at say past 150ft, I started to notice color fringing. The farther away, the worse it was. However, it was fixable in post. Conclusions Thought i would share this with you. I have had the sigma 300mm f2.8 in the service center 3 times now. finally with a new chip that the dealer here can reprogram it is really giving me shaaaarp images. If you buy this lens i highly recommend you get it calibrated with your camera and the new chip installed. A world of difference for me. I am so amazed at the images at 2.8, wide open It is just incredible. Now i cannot tell the difference in wide open and stopped down. And i am a crop every image heavily. Also i had to quit using the sigma 1.4 and 2.0 t.c.. It degrades the images fo much for me. I have a Sigma 500mm F/4.5. The autofocus of the 300 is a bit faster than the 500. I didn't see any chromatic abberations when I closely examined my photos. I wish I could buy a TS-41 lens handle for this but Sigma doesn't make them anymore. It would make it easier to carry in the field. Press release: Sony Electronics Announces Development of New 300mm F2.8 G Master OSS Telephoto Full-Frame E-mount Lens, Targeting to Launch in Early 2024lens-db.com lists 4 versions of the sigma 300mm f2.8 apo starting in 1988 with the original MF version - rather similar to the tamron adaptall 60B 300mm f2.8. An AF version was introduced the same year, then a HSM EX version with 11 elements instead of 12 superceded the 1988 design in 1999. The last version was the more compact EX DG HSM introduced in 2005. How well (or poorly) it works w/ the Sigma converters is largely a matter of users' expectations. IMO the IQ w/ the 1.4x is still close to excellent; significantly better than cropping the image done w/o the converter, and with the benefit of better magnification in close-ups. With the 2x there is a greater loss of IQ, but combo is still usable and still yields better IQ than cropping the 300mm image; the biggest loss IMO is in contrast. Of course a 600mm combination is very vulnerable to subject motion, so high shutter speeds are called for in many situations, but that would be the same issue with almost any very long lens or combination. These were all taken stopped down a good deal, unlike most all the shots taken during my Tanzania outing which were mostly taken at or near wide open.

Sigma 300mm F2.8 APO EX DG HSM: Digital Photography Review Sigma 300mm F2.8 APO EX DG HSM: Digital Photography Review

Another issue is that the mass of the lens shifts when zooming. Every time I mount a lens on my Gimbal head I balance it by adjusting the fore/aft position of the lens foot in the clamp. This means that when my hands are off the lens and camera, it is self-centering (if the tilt adjustment knob is loose). What I noticed with the Sigma 120-300 f/2.8, is that if I centered the lens when zoomed to 300 and then zoomed out to 120, the balance shifted to the front of the lens causing it to pitch downward. The 120-300mm f2.8 benefits from the latest Nikon optical technology as the results clearly demonstrate. But it clearly belongs to the E FL generation of lenses in terms of build (still pretty light all things considered). Meaning that it does not benefit from the next generation build enhancements seen in the breakthrough Z mount 400mm f2.8 TC and 600mm f4 TC. All companies develop some technologies and deploy them in products when they are ready.

Sigma 300mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM APO User Reviews

these are with the 1.4x TC) I do note a tad of color fringing in the full rez of these images too. Now that I realized how to use Lightroom correctly, I can/should re-do them to get rid of it. The separate focusing and zooming rings are wide with large rubber ribs for an easy grip. The zoom ring is larger at about 2.25 inches and has a two-tiered raised portion for easy identification without looking. The focus ring, on the other hand, is smaller at about 1.25 inches, with slightly smaller rubberized ribs. The zoom ring is farther away and the focus ring is closer to the camera. Overall the images quality of this lens was delightful, way better than I expected. Bokeh and Depth of Field f2.8

Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Sports Review Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Sports Review

An image of Sony’s 400mm F2.8 G Master OSS lens. The forthcoming 300mm F2.8 G Master OSS lens will likely have a lot of similarities to its longer telephoto sibling. Image credit: Sony

Sony Electronics Announces Development of New 300mm F2.8 G Master OSS Telephoto Full-Frame E-mount Lens, Targeting to Launch in Early 2024

In summary, good results on average, but you don't see big gains through stopping down. As well, the Sigma magic doesn't seem to come through on this sample of the lens; there isn't an aperture setting which provides extraordinary sharpness.