Sigma Zoom Telephoto 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro Autofocus Lens for Sony Alpha & Minolta Maxxum Series

Comments about Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro AF Lens:

great for landscapes

Comments about Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro AF Lens:

Great Lense
very Versitale

Comments about Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro AF Lens:

I have used this lens which gave me nice service ever. I would like to say really its does work for Sony and other cameras awesome. You can buy it.

Comments about Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro AF Lens:

Macro, portrait, landscape...
it's a good lens for amateur
focus slow over 200

Comments about Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro AF Lens:

I bought this lens for taking pictures on vacation. My 1st trip with the lens was to the Bahamas and the lens took great pictures. The only down side was in dark environments the lens took a while to auto focus.

Comments about Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro AF Lens:

I was happy when I bought this lens, seemed perfect for the type of photography (nature) that I love to do. Great versatility, crisp images. BUT ... in less than a year the AF gear went on it. I found another person who experienced the same problem in even less time. Such a shame. I'm moving on to a better built lens. Learned my lesson.

Comments about Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro AF Lens:

I am just getting started in photography and I use this lens for family get-togethers, events and nature shots like flowers, animals, sunrise, sunset etc… I use it on my Alpha 350 and I love to use this lens. Great lens - Great price!

Comments about Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro AF Lens:

I needed something a bit smaller than my 70-200 f2.8 so when I seen the deal of the Sgima 70-300 I couldn't pass it up. The colors are warm and the quality is sharp. Macro mode is also a plus and works well. This lens will be one of my general lens on everyday shooting! Recommended!

Comments about Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro AF Lens:

Perfect for shooting animals at a distance. Not perfect, but a real good value for the money.

Comments about Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro AF Lens:

my sisters are 5th grade teachers and, i am the kid that loves to take pictures. i have used this lens to take picturesat their school events

Comments about Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro AF Lens:

Cant go wrong here. Good price. Great results with my Alpha 350.

Comments about Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro AF Lens:

Positive: This inexpensive zoom is solidly built, operates smoothly and has minimal chromatic aberration ("purple fringing'). Very useful outdoors and for general telefoto purposes. On a Sony alpha camera with a C-size sensor gives the 35mm equivalent of 105-450 mm. I expected softness at the end of the zoom range but was pleasantly surprised (!). Allows me to find interesting faces in a crowd and capture fine details of remote objects (e.g. when filming architectural curiosities). Not too heavy and, when attached to a A700, balances well. I also own a Tamron 28-300 zoom and, as expected, this Sigma lens is sharper and operates smoother in the 200-300 mm range. The lens does not creep and requires just the right amount of force in changing the focal length (which is nice; I am annoyed by the lens creep on the otherwise excellent Sony Zeiss 16-80)
Negative: maximum aperture at 300mm is 5.6 which is a bit dim for the autofocus. As a result autofocus is often slower and may hunt for up to 5 seconds (after which I usually angrily turn it off and focus manually). The hunt happens about once every 15-20 shots (I film as I go: "oh, look there's a bird -- oh, look there is an interesting face -- oh, look at that roofline"). Macro feature is not a true macro and is available only when the lens focal length is set between 200 and 300, macro images are rather dim and somewhat flat but usable. Not a "walkaround" lens (105 mm minimum focal length; be prepared to switch lenses a lot). The autofocus motor seems to consume a bit more electricity than the Minolta/Sony 75-300 lens, Sony 18-200 lens and Sony Zeiss 16-80 lens (=shorter battery life but not by much).
In short: recommended

Comments about Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro AF Lens:

It does what it is supposed to. Easy to put on camera and provides great zoom. Even fits into our existing camera case.

Comments about Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro AF Lens:

I've been using this lens for over a year, and feel it is well worth the money. For a very reasonable price you get a lens that has reasonable sharpness, and an effective macro. There are much cheaper lenses out there and much more expensive ones too. If you are looking for a good zoom lens at a reasonable price, you should put this on your list of top contenders.

I use the lens mostly for Air Show photography. It has enough reach (especially with 1.5 crop factor on many DSLR cameras) to bring the planes in close, and since I'm outdoors, the 5.6 aperture isn't an issue. When the light gets dimmer, you will need to bump up the ISO and auto focus 'hunting' starts to become an issue, but at this price point thats a fact of life. This is a great all around lens for anyone looking for a reasonably priced lens with great reach for outdoor shooting.

Comments about Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro AF Lens:

I've had this for about 10 months and taken thousands of pictures. It's the lens I normally leave mounted because I take mostly outdoor/nature. The macro range allows 300mm magnified close ups right at your feet while standing, rather than stooping or kneeling, and allows safe distance to a small target that stings or startles. Even without macro range, focus is close enough for most situations. Images are sharp, with only slight fall off at the edge at the 70mm end. No problem handholding at 300. Autofocus is partly a camera body issue, but it is quick enough in any reasonable light. Sometimes in low light it does go to full one way or another before coming back to focus. Filter does rotate with focus. No zoom creep hanging on strap. Hood will attach reversed for storage.

Problems Encountered: Not problems but minor annoyances, but I assume that's what you want to know: The switch from macro to regular will move only in certain zoom/focus ranges: takes a little practice. In manual focus the pressure is light and travel short, so for me it is a little twitchy (gripping the larger diameter hood helps. ) Full travel focus to infinity end goes beyond infinity. In practice this means that af has trouble with for example a bird against the sky, since you have to be right on target or it will go past infinite focus and keep hunting in and out. Also an issue for manual focus since turning the focus fully out does not give clear infinite focus, which would be more convenient. I did have one failure under warranty (after thousands or pictures). AF motor stopped driving ring. Good news is when I sent it in, Sigma repaired and shipped back by 2nd day delivery the day after they received it. paperwork said replaced AF gear.