Sigma Zoom Telephoto 120-300mm f/2.8 EX APO DG IF HSM Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS

Comments about Sigma Zoom Telephoto 120-300mm f/2.8 EX APO DG IF HSM AF Lens:

I have to say this is a really nice lens. I also own a Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 APO DG OS, Sigma 2x and 1.4x teleconverters plus a Phoenix 500mm f/8 reflex lens plus others. I use a Nikon D300.The Sigma 120-300mm lens is fast. My first experience using it was indoors at a high school graduation located in a gymnasium. It is very heavy, as one would expect, and I used a monopod. The monopod worked well. My photos of the graduation were taken from the stands and I was still able to zoom in and capture very clear images of my nephew on stage receiving his diploma. All photos came out very clear. I setup an experiment and used all three lenses plus the teleconverters on the Sigma 120-300mm only. Although the Phoenix 500mm reflector looks kinda cool on the camera is really produces extremely poor quality images. Of course it cost about $100 compared to the [$] for the Sigma 120-300mm. I setup the Sigma 150-500mm lens at 300mm and 500mm ranges and took photos. Then I setup the Sigma 120-300mm at 300mm and took the same shot. I also used the 120-300mm with the 2X and simulated 300mm, 500mm and 600mm. Comparing images to the other Sigma lens I noticed that without the teleconverter the 120-300mm lens produced colors much better. The quality of the image was similar but the colors were better. Using the Sigma 2x teleconverter on the Sigma 120-300mm the image degraded quite a bit. Using the Sigma 1.4x teleconverter on this Sigma 120-300mm lens the image still degrades some but not as much as the 2x. I do appreciate the fact that the autofocus works well with the teleconverters on this 120-300mm lens. They do not work with autofocus on the 150-500mm lens. Another comparison I made between the 150-500mm lens and the 120-300mm lens was focus. The autofocus on the 120-300mm is much slower than the 150-500mm lens. Also the 120-300mm does not have optical stabilization where the 150-500mm does. The mount for this lens seems a little sluggish and not as tight as I think it should. This is true for both Sigma lenses used. I am not a professional so I don't see the difference on images. However a professional might be able to tell the difference. I have smaller Nikon lenses and they seem to fit tighter. Of course the weight is much less on the Nikon lenses I own so that might be a factor. Another item I noted. The lens has a grip one can use to hold the lens/camera. I would not recommend holding the camera by itself because the lens is so heavy. However I can support the lens with my left hand and be able to reach both zoom and focus controls fairly easily. The zoom is also internal to the body of the lens so unlike the 150-500mm lens that extends the tube when you zoom in this does not happen with the 120-300mm. I believe this allows one to have a better grip and be able to maintain balance on the lens. As for lens creep? I didn't notice any at all for the 120-300mm where the 150-500mm creeps badly.I hope this is helpful. Enjoy.

Comments about Sigma Zoom Telephoto 120-300mm f/2.8 EX APO DG IF HSM AF Lens:

I boughted this lens back in 06-08, I read the comments other made. Well the focus hunting is true some of the times. It is heavey, but it is a 2.8 lens. It realy shines at out door event shootings. I started to photograph youth flag footballin 08 along with the sig 2x extender. I'm able to photograph from the endzone and since its a zoom 120 to 300 I use it on the side line accross from the quarterback and still had zoom left.
The focus hunting snaps from infinity to minimun focus and back never locking onto the subjects, even though I had multible focus points selected.
I let up on the trigher then back down and it lock tight on focus.
I wish it had a zoom range from 50-300 at 2.8 but it is a great lens to use.

I have taken a few photos at an indoor hocky game and the 2.8 is a must to get any kind of shutter speed to stop the action.

Comments about Sigma Zoom Telephoto 120-300mm f/2.8 EX APO DG IF HSM AF Lens:

I've had this lens for over a year and I have to say it's a fantastic piece of kit. It has a unique zoom range for a f/2.8 lens. It isn't too big for the bag but requires a mono or tripod. The DG version comes with the upgraded tripod collar that makes tripod use much easier. The matte finish looks nice.The pictures produced are fantastic, so much so my work with this lens gave me the confidence to put my work on an online photo hosting site. However, even with a good digital, shooting at 2.8 can be dicey because the depth of field is so shallow. When filming bears in the woods the camera might focus on a blade of grass slightly in front and the subject will be very slightly out of focus. Not bad, but enough to make the shot unusable for stock photo agencies. Stopping down one stop is necessary, especially when using a tele-converter.My only gripes are small. The lens hood is not sufficient to keep sunlight from hitting the front glass element. I'm working on a quick cardboard fik. The lens cap won't stay on the hood. A [$] cap from [@] fixed that.Overall a great lens. A fantastic value!

Comments about Sigma Zoom Telephoto 120-300mm f/2.8 EX APO DG IF HSM AF Lens:

This is an update to my review of almost one year ago (12/06). My lens developed a front to back focus issue when used with my 1DMKII. I would have to stop down for added depth of field to get acceptable images. While at PMA last year I spoke with the Sigma rep . I sent the lens in for calibration. They were quick! No problems. However, the lens still had some of the same issues (although not as much, they wanted me to send in my body with the lens for calibration which I wasn't willing to do, so I'll take some of the blame). I now use this with a 1DMKIII. I was able the dial out the focus point using the camera's custom function. The camera remembers the lens each time it is used so once it's dialed in its fire and forget it. When this lens works, it is spot on. The images in bright sun are not as contrasty as the L series (yes I'm an L snob). However, I use the 120-300 for low light sports. The images are very good. I get a high ratio of usable images, just not as many as an L. I'm not one to blast at 8-10 frames/sec just to catch an image.After one year of use, the lens is still very tight. Nothing has loosened up. Yes there is some wear to the tripod collar and the lens hood. I griped to Sigma about the lens hood to which they replied that's what you get with a zoom..... It would have been nice to have some sort of tulip design like the canon 70-200 but.....I would buy the lens again. I'm glad I got mine before the price went up. The lens has proven to be durable which was a big concern of mine.

Expertise: Part-time Pro 20+ years

Problems Encountered: Front to back focus issues. I was able to dial this out using the 1DMKIII's custom functions.

Previous Equivalent Item Owned: Canon L 100-400, 70-200 f2.8 is, plus others

Items I Recommend: Monopod

Comments about Sigma Zoom Telephoto 120-300mm f/2.8 EX APO DG IF HSM AF Lens:

This is one of the only non-L lenses I own, and to me it ranks up there. The build quality, and sharpness is amazing. (In terms of sharpness, it has bested the 100-400L I was using) Most people are comparing this lens to the Canon 300 2.8 which is wrong in so many ways, its a zoom lens vs. a prime, and everyone knows primes will always best zooms, if anything, they should be comparing it to the Canon 100-400L. But then again Canon L snobs would not like to know their L glass cant stand up against Sigma's). I use this on a spare 5D body, to alleviate the weight issues (6lbs). As far as focusing about 98% spot on when shooting fast moving objects (sports/cars races/etc). This thing is built like a tank, I already smacked it good without any problems internally. This to me is one of the rare gems of Sigma, well worth the cash.

Expertise: Semi-pro

Problems Encountered: The only problem is the weight issue, and the 105mm filter size.

Previous Equivalent Item Owned: 100-400L

Comments about Sigma Zoom Telephoto 120-300mm f/2.8 EX APO DG IF HSM AF Lens:

I have owned this lens a little over two years. It provides a great range for sports with its 120-300 range using a Canon 1D-MkII as it has a bit more reach than my Canon 70-200 2.8. The lens hood, however, is a bit of a nightmare as the thumbscrew almost has to be overtightened to make sure that it does not fall off.Images are definitely a bit softer than my Canon 300 2.8, but the versatility for closer action shots is the trade off. I have used it 2-3 times a week the entire time I have had it and it has been a workhorse and the 2.8 is great.Again, for the money it's a good lens....but I'm not sure it's worth the $500 increase in the past two years.Now, if Canon could come up with the equivalent for less than $4000!

Problems Encountered: Black finish is wearing off, zoom is binding up reducing it's focal length to 200-300mm. The optional lens collar is a must as the one shipped with it is useless for a lens of this weight. Lens hood is too small and the attachment method is a bit cheap.

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: Canon 70-200mm 2.8, Canon 300 2.8

Items I Recommend: Sigma TS-41 Tripod collar, Sigma 1.4x teleconverter

Comments about Sigma Zoom Telephoto 120-300mm f/2.8 EX APO DG IF HSM AF Lens:

One of the handiest lenses anywhere with its 120-300 rangeand it f/2.8. Sharp as a tack. I paid around $1900 when Ibought mine 3 years ago, but now I see they've jumped theprice tag to the $2600 range...Its AF isn't 100% up to snuff with Canon's L line, but itgets the job done...optically, I have no complaintswhatsoever, but just recently the zoom ring locked up in the150-200 range won't zoom any higher or lower and it's beensomewhere in New York awaiting a $350 repair...The jury's still out on Sigma's repair service...we'll see...

Problems Encountered: Biggest gripe was my tripod/monopod collar had its threadsstripped out within 4-5 months of use...that was rinky dinkand I had to shuck out $150 for a much better and heavierduty replacement...couldn't figure why Sigma didn't includethe higher quality collar in the first place...

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: None...

Comments about Sigma Zoom Telephoto 120-300mm f/2.8 EX APO DG IF HSM AF Lens:

I shoot a lot of sports. I use this lens in low light (night football). I shoot a Canon 1DMKII. This is my only non L series lens. The lens is HEAVY, you've got to use a monopod. I have found it slower to focus than the L series. The focus tends to bounce around at times. The lens is very tight. That's a good thing as I've shot it in light rain with no problems. The zoom is very tight and takes some getting used too. The contrast and sharpness are exceptable. Not like an L series but very good (a lot less expensive than a Canon 300 f2.8). I've used it some with a Canon 2x extender mainly to find faults with the softness. The images hold up fine. I shoot a tight crop and find the images hold up quite well to at least 11x14. I know of several other pros who use this lens and swear by it. That's why I bought it. I would buy it again. It's a good lens for the cash.

Problems Encountered: The lens could focus quicker when shooting fast action where the subject is moving straight towards you. The lens hood is poorly designed. It's not big enough and its awkward to moun/dismount. The black finish on the lens mars easily.

Previous Equivalent Items Owned: Canon 100-400 L IS: 70-200 L

Items I Recommend: Monopod,