• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

I just bought a used Sigma 100-300mm for $550! Yay!!!

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Originally posted by: pyonir
Nice lens man. I've heard great things about it.

I have the Sigma 70-200 and i wish i had gotten the Canon. It isn't as sharp as i'd like, and im not sure how to describe it, but the Canon, the colors are more defined...like on my Sigma, the contrast looks blurred, or blended. I guess it goes back to the sharpness factor. It's soft at 2.8 and it's soft at 200mm. Two things i'm not pleased with. but it saved me a grip of money too...so...i just wish i had gotten the Canon one.

I do have a Sigma 24-70 2.8 and i'm VERY happy with that lens thus far.
Click to expand...

You could sell the Sigma for around $650 and get a Canon 70-200mm f/4L for around $450. From a sharpness perspective, since the Sigma is soft at f/2.8 and sharp at f/4, I would consider the lens essentially an f/4 lens. In contrast, the 70-200mm f/4L is sharp at f/4 and at all focal lengths, and still stays really sharp with a 1.4X TC. This is one of the reasons I didn't go with the Sigma 70-200mm. I would be using f/4 95% of the time, and only using f/2.8 if I really really had to.
 
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Originally posted by: pyonir
Nice lens man. I've heard great things about it.

I have the Sigma 70-200 and i wish i had gotten the Canon. It isn't as sharp as i'd like, and im not sure how to describe it, but the Canon, the colors are more defined...like on my Sigma, the contrast looks blurred, or blended. I guess it goes back to the sharpness factor. It's soft at 2.8 and it's soft at 200mm. Two things i'm not pleased with. but it saved me a grip of money too...so...i just wish i had gotten the Canon one.

I do have a Sigma 24-70 2.8 and i'm VERY happy with that lens thus far.
Click to expand...

You could sell the Sigma for around $650 and get a Canon 70-200mm f/4L for around $450. From a sharpness perspective, since the Sigma is soft at f/2.8 and sharp at f/4, I would consider the lens essentially an f/4 lens. In contrast, the 70-200mm f/4L is sharp at f/4 and at all focal lengths, and still stays really sharp with a 1.4X TC. This is one of the reasons I didn't go with the Sigma 70-200mm. I would be using f/4 95% of the time, and only using f/2.8 if I really really had to.
Click to expand...

nah, i shoot sports...sometimes high school, so i need the 2.8.
 
Originally posted by: idiotekniQues
thats a nice lens.

but why not the canon 70-300IS lens for <550 new? sure the aper. goes to 5.6 but that is only 1 stop less light, and you get IS which is 3-stop on this lens. on a crop sensor camera, this lens is very close to L quality as per many reviews, ca is virtually nonexistant. the build quality on the sigma is definitely better, and the non extending zoom element is good for a circular polarizer if you use one often compared to the canon.

i did shoot in china this past may on a university trip. i didnt have to worry about model releases, as it would have been impossible to communicate with the people there 🙂
Click to expand...

To tell you the truth, I'd never even considered the 70-300mm IS. A couple of years back the 75-300mm types of Canon lenses were really just subpar, and I guess I just continued to think that consumer grade 7X-300mm lenses from Canon were bad. But now that I'm looking at reviews for the 70-300mm IS.... I guess the only bad thing I can say about it is that it would be too dark to autofocus with a TC and my 30D.

Dangit, now you've got me second guessing myself. The numbers and specs are EXTREMELY good for a lens of this class. And the freedom of IS.... 🙁
 
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Originally posted by: idiotekniQues
thats a nice lens.

but why not the canon 70-300IS lens for <550 new? sure the aper. goes to 5.6 but that is only 1 stop less light, and you get IS which is 3-stop on this lens. on a crop sensor camera, this lens is very close to L quality as per many reviews, ca is virtually nonexistant. the build quality on the sigma is definitely better, and the non extending zoom element is good for a circular polarizer if you use one often compared to the canon.

i did shoot in china this past may on a university trip. i didnt have to worry about model releases, as it would have been impossible to communicate with the people there 🙂
Click to expand...

To tell you the truth, I'd never even considered the 70-300mm IS. A couple of years back the 75-300mm types of Canon lenses were really just subpar, and I guess I just continued to think that consumer grade 7X-300mm lenses from Canon were bad. But now that I'm looking at reviews for the 70-300mm IS.... I guess the only bad thing I can say about it is that it would be too dark to autofocus with a TC and my 30D.

Dangit, now you've got me second guessing myself. The numbers and specs are EXTREMELY good for a lens of this class. And the freedom of IS.... 🙁
Click to expand...

I wouldn't second guess...IMO that one stop is a huge difference. It doesn't seem like it...but i don't think i'd buy a lens with that focal length if it couldn't get to F/4.
 
i have the 70-300IS and it definitely feels consumer grade build-wise. it is not exactly confidence inspiring. drop it once and good luck. it has lasted me almost a year now including a trip to china, but it hasnt been dropped.

the 75-300 was junk from what i read. they added a sld element to the 70-300 which brought up the IQ big time.

i have a sigma 10-20ex and it is built like a tank, and i love it. i dropped it once and nothing happened to it, from about 4 feet high onto a hard floor. the 70-300 wouldnt have made it. the 100-300 sigma will also be built like a tank. big plus. i wisih my 70-300 was built like that. using a circular polarizer on my lens is not exactly fun either, but i dont use them much.

i love IS though, i really do. it has helped me out countless times from steadying my hand at zoom lengths, to letting me blur motion while handholding as well.

i dont think you can go wrong with either lens. that sigma is tip top. didnt want to make you second guess yourself, just was thinking out loud.
 
Originally posted by: idiotekniQues
i have the 70-300IS and it definitely feels consumer grade build-wise. it is not exactly confidence inspiring. drop it once and good luck. it has lasted me almost a year now including a trip to china, but it hasnt been dropped.

the 75-300 was junk from what i read. they added a sld element to the 70-300 which brought up the IQ big time.

i have a sigma 10-20ex and it is built like a tank, and i love it. i dropped it once and nothing happened to it, from about 4 feet high onto a hard floor. the 70-300 wouldnt have made it. the 100-300 sigma will also be built like a tank. big plus. i wisih my 70-300 was built like that. using a circular polarizer on my lens is not exactly fun either, but i dont use them much.

i love IS though, i really do. it has helped me out countless times from steadying my hand at zoom lengths, to letting me blur motion while handholding as well.

i dont think you can go wrong with either lens. that sigma is tip top. didnt want to make you second guess yourself, just was thinking out loud.
Click to expand...

It's ok. It's just that there are always so many pros and cons to consider when plunking down considerable cash on a purchase like this. It's often irritating. The decision process is not always so clear cut. There's always going to be things you want in this lens but can't have, but is available in the alternative. But then the alternative doesn't have things that you want, but those things are available in the original lens. It's not financially feasable to get both, so one has to decide.

Bah, I guess I'll just be carrying my monopod or tripod along where ever I go with the 100-300mm. I've been my own pack mule for all these years, I'm used to it 😛
 
Hehe, almost the same lense linup I have 🙂

Sigma 10-20mm
Sigma 30mm f1.4
Canon 50mm f1.8
Canon 85mm f1.8 (Highest IQ lense I have, hiiighly recomended)
Canon 70-300mm IS


I agree with idiotekniQues on the build quality of the Canon 70-300mm, its just not that good. Was even worse with the 1st gen flawed lense I had first, then got it replaced with the fixed version.

Even after holding L lenses and comparing the build quality to Sigma EX lenses, I still think Sigma does a better job 🙂
 
Originally posted by: Czar
Hehe, almost the same lense linup I have 🙂

Sigma 10-20mm
Sigma 30mm f1.4
Canon 50mm f1.8
Canon 85mm f1.8 (Highest IQ lense I have, hiiighly recomended)
Canon 70-300mm IS

I agree with idiotekniQues on the build quality of the Canon 70-300mm, its just not that good. Was even worse with the 1st gen flawed lense I had first, then got it replaced with the fixed version.

Even after holding L lenses and comparing the build quality to Sigma EX lenses, I still think Sigma does a better job 🙂
Click to expand...

Nice! Having used L and EX, the difference in build quality is clear. Sigma is just pure "I AM A TANK." Thick, heavy, serious, black metal with a matte finish. My 50-500mm would probably crack the concrete if it was dropped (j/k, sorta). The Canon L's on the other hand are very refined, very smooth operating. It's kinda like comparing an old school hummer to a Lexus. Both build qualities are great, just different, and both are great under the hood. I'm the hummer type, but have no problems test driving luxury every once in a while 🙂

Tamron's build quality on the other hand is just like a Honda or Toyota. It gets the job done with good quality. No real bells or whistles and could survive but will be dinged pretty badly by a crash. An economical mix of plastic and metal, neither buttery smooth nor junker-ish controls.
 
Exactly, when you hold an EX lense it feels almost like one clump of material, you sortof get amazed that it has any moving parts 😛
 
can you recommend a good telephoto lens for outdoor stuff (mostly sports etc), 70-200 f/4 L seems like an obvious choice, is there something else I should consider.
 
The 70-200 f2.8 IS or no IS 🙂

Or you could go with low light primes. Depends on what sport you are shooting.
 
Yeah, it depends heavily on the sport and how close you can get to the action. If you're an official photographer you should have no problem getting in close. If you're just some fan in the stands though...

I once used a 70-200mm f/4L at a college football game. Since I didn't have any official photographer credentials (in fact I had to sneak into the game itself 😛 ), I couldn't stand on the field where the other photogs were. I had to shoot from the stands, and 200mm was just not long enough, nor was f/4 bright enough. The actual photogs sported lenses like the 70-200mm f/2.8 or bright ~400mm primes.

You also need a camera with good focus tracking and fast shooting speed. The XT is NOT one of them. The 30D is barely there with its 5FPS. The 5D is not. The 1D (not 1Ds) series of cameras were made for action with spot-on focus tracking and 8FPS.
 
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Would you like to buy a Sigma 24-70 f/2.8? Because I'd like to get rid of one.
Click to expand...

The 24-70mm doesn't really fit in my current range. I'm going to China this summer and I plan to take these lenses:

50mm f/1.4
30mm f/1.4

Sigma 10-20mm
Tamron 17-50mm
Sigma 100-300mm
1.4X TC (used for filling the gap between the 17-50mm and 100-300mm, as well as adding extra reach to the 100-300mm)

Lenses being left behind:

Tamron 180mm
Sigma 50-500mm

My original plan was to complement the Tamron 17-50mm with the Sigma 70-200mm, but I was dissappointed by the Sigma's sharpness 🙁
Click to expand...

You're not going to need all that. Take the 17-50 and maybe the 180 and leave everything else at home. I shot for 2 weeks straight in HK last year and most of my lenses never even left the room. Go simple and shoot light, 1 body + 1-2 lenses.
 
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
When I do street photography the reach will be useful in making sure the subject doesn't know I'm photographing him.
Click to expand...

Errr, you're shooting people. Not birds 😉

Get in closer with a standard lens and provide some context to your shots. Emphasize the locale just as much as your subject. Unknowing subjects on super compressed backgrounds isn't considered good street photography.
 
Originally posted by: virtuamike
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Would you like to buy a Sigma 24-70 f/2.8? Because I'd like to get rid of one.
Click to expand...

The 24-70mm doesn't really fit in my current range. I'm going to China this summer and I plan to take these lenses:

50mm f/1.4
30mm f/1.4

Sigma 10-20mm
Tamron 17-50mm
Sigma 100-300mm
1.4X TC (used for filling the gap between the 17-50mm and 100-300mm, as well as adding extra reach to the 100-300mm)

Lenses being left behind:

Tamron 180mm
Sigma 50-500mm

My original plan was to complement the Tamron 17-50mm with the Sigma 70-200mm, but I was dissappointed by the Sigma's sharpness 🙁
Click to expand...

You're not going to need all that. Take the 17-50 and maybe the 180 and leave everything else at home. I shot for 2 weeks straight in HK last year and most of my lenses never even left the room. Go simple and shoot light, 1 body + 1-2 lenses.
Click to expand...

The problem is that I don't know what to expect. It's a 4 week long summer international program in my college's school of business. We're hitting up parts of China, Japan, South Korea, and Hawaii. We'll go to cities, factories, tourist destinations, grand vistas, and other places I don't know about yet.

I'll probably need the 10-20mm for landscapes, especially the 10mm end, definitely the 17-50mm, and very likely the 100-300mm. The 180mm is my least used lens by far and it might even be sold by the time I leave. My primes are so small and light as it is, I might as well just take them with me. I'll be bringing an extra body (my old XT) and will probably have a lens on it to make picture taking quicker, like the 10-20mm on the XT and the 17-50mm on the 30D, and switch back and forth as need be.
 
Originally posted by: virtuamike
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
When I do street photography the reach will be useful in making sure the subject doesn't know I'm photographing him.
Click to expand...

Errr, you're shooting people. Not birds 😉

Get in closer with a standard lens and provide some context to your shots. Emphasize the locale just as much as your subject. Unknowing subjects on super compressed backgrounds isn't considered good street photography.
Click to expand...

Good point. Not sure what I was thinking.
 
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Yeah, it depends heavily on the sport and how close you can get to the action. If you're an official photographer you should have no problem getting in close. If you're just some fan in the stands though...

I once used a 70-200mm f/4L at a college football game. Since I didn't have any official photographer credentials (in fact I had to sneak into the game itself 😛 ), I couldn't stand on the field where the other photogs were. I had to shoot from the stands, and 200mm was just not long enough, nor was f/4 bright enough. The actual photogs sported lenses like the 70-200mm f/2.8 or bright ~400mm primes.

You also need a camera with good focus tracking and fast shooting speed. The XT is NOT one of them. The 30D is barely there with its 5FPS. The 5D is not. The 1D (not 1Ds) series of cameras were made for action with spot-on focus tracking and 8FPS.
Click to expand...

Yes, fast glass is very handy especially for night games and indoor sports (f/2.8 and faster, and be ready to let your ISO climb). But consider tracking and bursting as a luxury rather than a necessity. Sports photography did exist before AF and high fps 🙂

It depends on the sport, but pick your places and wait for the action to come to you. Learn to watch and time the action. If you can't get the shot with 1 frame, then bursting isn't going to help (unless you're in the 8 fps range, and even then the SI editors are still knocking people for blindly machine gunning it). And this'll sound weird, but learn to shoot and watch the game with both eyes open (one in the camera, and the other watching everything else). You need to plan and be able to change focal lengths pretty quick if the action moves (and more often than not, that means switching to another body + lens combo rather than zooming in/out).
 
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Originally posted by: virtuamike
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Would you like to buy a Sigma 24-70 f/2.8? Because I'd like to get rid of one.
Click to expand...

The 24-70mm doesn't really fit in my current range. I'm going to China this summer and I plan to take these lenses:

50mm f/1.4
30mm f/1.4

Sigma 10-20mm
Tamron 17-50mm
Sigma 100-300mm
1.4X TC (used for filling the gap between the 17-50mm and 100-300mm, as well as adding extra reach to the 100-300mm)

Lenses being left behind:

Tamron 180mm
Sigma 50-500mm

My original plan was to complement the Tamron 17-50mm with the Sigma 70-200mm, but I was dissappointed by the Sigma's sharpness 🙁
Click to expand...

You're not going to need all that. Take the 17-50 and maybe the 180 and leave everything else at home. I shot for 2 weeks straight in HK last year and most of my lenses never even left the room. Go simple and shoot light, 1 body + 1-2 lenses.
Click to expand...

The problem is that I don't know what to expect. It's a 4 week long summer international program in my college's school of business. We're hitting up parts of China, Japan, South Korea, and Hawaii. We'll go to cities, factories, tourist destinations, grand vistas, and other places I don't know about yet.

I'll probably need the 10-20mm for landscapes, especially the 10mm end, definitely the 17-50mm, and very likely the 100-300mm. The 180mm is my least used lens by far and it might even be sold by the time I leave. My primes are so small and light as it is, I might as well just take them with me. I'll be bringing an extra body (my old XT) and will probably have a lens on it to make picture taking quicker, like the 10-20mm on the XT and the 17-50mm on the 30D, and switch back and forth as need be.
Click to expand...

That's what I thought about my 35/1.4 and 50/1.4, and I barely even used them during my 2 weeks in HK. I use them a lot for street shooting locally, but that's because I know the area and I can shoot at my own pace. When you're traveling and sight seeing, you're going to be too excited to be switching lenses all the time (and you're going to regret lugging all that gear everywhere).

The 100-300 will probably be more flexible than the 180, but do you really plan on doing that much tele work when traveling?

Keep it simple 🙂
 
Have fun with your new lens, it's a great piece of glass.

I'm regretting I sold mine now.

Although I did sell mine for $700 after buying it new for $750! 😀
 
i went to china for 12 days and i took:

canon 17-85 IS
sigma 10-20 EX
canon 70-300 IS

& a 50 f1.8 (so light it was nothing, but a fun lil lens all the same)


i used every lens fairly often that it was completely worth it - and a lot of time i was doing school related stuff, not shooting pictures and doing tourist stuff.

my china gallery is here, although i have a lot more pictures that i need to go back and edit, but a taste of my more artistic shots from china are there:

http://athos.smugmug.com/gallery/1526778#73405696

for street stuff i have heard some purists say the only way to shoot street is with a rangefinder. then i hear the camera isnot so important but if you arent up close its not real street. then i hear stand far back to not intrude.

personally i believe none of it as being a set rule, being the amateur that i am, and do whatever i want. i havent had the time to shoot street much since i got a camera last april sicne i was talking 6-7 classes a semester and summer courses, and now it is very cold here - but i used everything to shoot from 17mm to 300mm. now that my schedule is calmer, i cant wait for more time to go shoot in the city and learn 🙂 - a few street shots here:

http://athos.smugmug.com/gallery/1539069#73406857


 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top