Experience of a Sigma 70 - 300 mm?

[AnnieP]

Hi

I have a Nikon D40X & am looking at a Sigma 70-300mm lens - can anyone recommend it?
Thanks

[mashab]

Hi AnnieP,
I have used Sigma Zoom lenses since the mid 1980's, both in the film and digital field, and always found them to be very reliable. Having said that my favourite Sigma 24~300 failed just recently on a trip to Central Australia. Source of the lens failure is still unknown. I choose the Sigma lens over other manufacturers due to personal experience and the faultless operation in the past. I'm still convinced of the Sigma brand that I'm considering replacing this lens with a Sigma. The best judge of the lens is you. Ask, the retailer, if you can take it for a test ride outside the shop. Shoot frames, use the various lens functions but most of all how does it feel in your hands? Camera balance and lugging it around can take its toll. Afterall you will be the only one that can decide if you want to part with your $'s. Happy hunting from a very happy Sigma owner and user. mashab

[Beee]

Can't help with the Sigma Annie, but I have a Nikon 70-300mm VR and it is wonderful! The VR makes all the difference, I'm sure, as with the my D80 which has no inbuilt vibration control feature. Remember, as you magnify the focal distance, you magnify the vibration. Might not be a problem with D40X - lucky you!

[AnnieP]

Thank you Mashab and Beee - lots o f useful info there - it looks like you are both happy with your respective lenses.... I just want it all now!!! it's so hard just to choose one (affordable) lens!

[arthurking83]

The Sigma 70-300 APO Macro is a very good lens for the price level it's targeted at.

I used to have an older model and with careful use you shoudl be able to extract some very decent images out one.

I believe it'll give better results than the Nikon equivalent the (NON VR!!!) 70-300mm f/4-5.6... both priced to a similar market.

The Nikon 70-300VR is a different kettle of beast. It is approx 2-3x the price of the other two(depending on where you get it).. and every image I've seen(in the hands of capable users) has show this lens to be about one of the best consumer lenses in this range.

I've also been looking to get one secondhand at a decent price, but the two that I've stumbled across over the last year or so have been priced too high($550 and $600! )

I'm kind'a hoping to get one for approx $400 or so, as I don't really need it.

cheapest 70-300VR I've seen retails for approximately $550 as a grey market item.

That'd be the most highly recommended lens to get at that price followed by the Sigma APO Macro lens for approximately $230 or so from the same grey market retailer.

Note that there are two (or more versions of that lens from Sigma) and there is a OS version too(image stabilised) and it's selling for approx $450. I think once you get to that price, you may as well get the Nikon(which is known to be very good! )

[AnnieP]

Wow thanks Arthur for such detailed information!

[arthurking83]

LOL! that was just a quick by line!

if you do go for the Sigma(and remembering that my personal experience is with an older model).. I found that over 250mm this lens is too soft for vital image sharpness.

The pics can be ok in terms of sharpness quality when viewed at an appropriate size, but if you want to crop an image heavily or enlarge the image (like A4 or larger) you would kind of need to keep focal length limited to 250mm in some way. I did it by feel.

I taught myself where 300mm was on the zoom ring and then wound it back to where I thought approximately 250mm was. you son get used to it, and that last 50mm isn't really an issue, in terms of "I need to get that closely zoomed in".
Colour out of that lens was "THE BEST" I've ever seen in any of my lenses, and while colour can be added/removed/processed easily in digital images, this lens was perfectly saturated without looking over saturated.

good lens for the money, but be aware that is the APO Macro version.. not the non Macro version.

macro was pretty useless tho. Not really macro and unfortunately only at 300mm.. where I just explained not ideal in terms of sharpness... the rest you should easily be able to figure out.