Sigma APO 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG OS
I've had this lens a whole year now and still love it - more every
day. It is solid, fast and accurate. I'm kind of sorry I seem to have
started quite a stir in my description of the Stabilization sound. It
really is not bad at all. It was more of a first impression. No
regrets on this lens.
I also have a TOKINA 11-16 f2.8, and a Canon 17-55 f2.8 These three lenses are all I need for quality shooting from ultrawide to telephoto. -TXJAVA
2/1/11 - update. Official price drop. New price now $1399 - that's more like it... If you have been on the fence with this lens, time to give it another look. I still love this lens. -TXJAVA
12/15/11 My apologies in advance for a long review. There are not a whole lot of reviews out there for this lens so I'm hoping I can help some others make a good decision. Summary: It is a great Lens, but perhaps not for everyone.
I have been watching this one since it was announced. I tried it out at the local Camera shop and fell in love with it. I decided at that moment, I was going to own this lens.
The initial drawback was always price. At $1699 (sixteen-ninety-nine) it seems a bit high. Yes, this is a quality lens with a 2.8 constant aperture throughout the zoom range and a very good OS optical stabilization (IS in Canon's terminology) but at that price it is only a few hundred less than the highly rated excellent Canon 70-200 2.8 IS ii. So I've been waiting patiently for the price to move.
Well one day, quite unexpectedly, the price at the "B" Camera vendor was $350 (three-fifty) less. Suddenly, at $1349 (thirteen-forty-nine) it was near my strike price (I think the lens should sell for $1200 or so). So I watched to see if the "A" internet vendors would match. They did not. I knew this was less that wholesale for the lens, so I ordered one from the "B" vendor. (The next day the two "A" vendors matched the price - Sorry Amazon, you were not fast enough). The lens arrived a couple days later, VERY well packed. With Amazon, packing can be a bit hit or miss. By the time the lens arrived, all the vendors were priced at the original $1699 (sixteen-ninety-nine). Hmmm, maybe it had been a price mistake.
So enough of that - What do I think of the lens? I still love it; however, there was something that I had not noticed in the store. When the OS system started up (1/2 press of the shutter key), it made a fairly loud click and then the Gyros sounded like very distant fire truck sirens. I literally though that there was a fire truck outside. But it turned out to be coming from the lens. Mind you, it was not loud, but it was disconcerting. I own the excellent Canon EF-S 17-55 2.8 IS and the IS system on that is near silent. I've been spoiled by that lens. I went down to the camera shop to see if their copy had the same sound. It did have some OS sound, but I had not noticed before above the ambient sound in the store. The store model did not sound like my copy. So I called the "B" Vendor and they quickly sent me a new lens.
The new lens arrived today and it too had the OS sound but not as noticeable as the first copy of the lens (I was able to compare side by side). Is the sound bad? No not really, but it is different than the low level "whurl" of the Canon IS system.
That said, the OS system does work very well. It is especially nice at the tele- end of the zoom. You can really see that camera shake through the viewfinder, and then you press the shutter release ½ way and suddenly it locks into place. Very nice, very cool. I have been able to take nice sharp pictures as low as ¼ second - and that is at the long end of the zoom. Impressive!
The rest of the build quality is very good. Both the focus and the zoom rings operate very smoothly and with just the right amount of resistance.
The lens is heavy (over 3 pounds). The rebel series cameras will benefit from the extra holding power that the extra battery grip offers. It comes with a tripod collar so you can use it on a monopod. A lens hood included (wish Canon would include hoods with all their lenses) there is even an extender for APS-c crop sensor cameras. However, I don't intend to use it.
The pictures I have taken have all been great. It is a bit soft at 2.8 (as many lenses are), but still within my tolerances. The 2.8 aperture really helps for indoor shots. It is great because you can sit across the room and shoot away without bothering those in the room. F4.0 lenses just do not give you enough light for indoor shooting, especially sports. Seems like it would be a great lens for weddings and other indoor events. As for picture quality, I've seen some web reviews that compare this with the Canon and the Sigma comes out pretty good. I do not see any CA at all on my copy. Focus is fast and accurate with no front or back focusing - it is spot on. It is not as fast or quiet as the canon, but still focus motor is still very good. You also have full time manual focus override. So for those of us who are mere enthusiasts or hobbyists this is a great lens to have for the all-important 70-200 tele- range. Pros might want to stick to the Canon version.
All and all, this lens is a keeper. It takes great pics, the OS is very effective (although a bit loud) and the nice 2.8 aperture really shines. Lastly, one of the real reasons I got this is because it is black. You are already conspicuous when you have 8" of lens hanging off the end of your camera at your son's basketball game, or your daughter's rehearsal. You really start to look ridiculous when you have 8"s of a white and black striped Canon lens. (I know I have lost some of my credibility with that last statement, but I just prefer black lenses...)
So the choice is yours. If you are looking for a lens in the 70-200 or 75-300 range, save your money up for a fast 2.8 version with stabilization, you will not be sorry. Those less expensive f3.2-5.6 or lower lenses are just not as practical as a good 2.8 lens. If you can afford the Canon and don't mind the black and white stripes, by all means get it, otherwise, get this one, you will be very pleased that you did.
I also have a TOKINA 11-16 f2.8, and a Canon 17-55 f2.8 These three lenses are all I need for quality shooting from ultrawide to telephoto. -TXJAVA
2/1/11 - update. Official price drop. New price now $1399 - that's more like it... If you have been on the fence with this lens, time to give it another look. I still love this lens. -TXJAVA
12/15/11 My apologies in advance for a long review. There are not a whole lot of reviews out there for this lens so I'm hoping I can help some others make a good decision. Summary: It is a great Lens, but perhaps not for everyone.
I have been watching this one since it was announced. I tried it out at the local Camera shop and fell in love with it. I decided at that moment, I was going to own this lens.
The initial drawback was always price. At $1699 (sixteen-ninety-nine) it seems a bit high. Yes, this is a quality lens with a 2.8 constant aperture throughout the zoom range and a very good OS optical stabilization (IS in Canon's terminology) but at that price it is only a few hundred less than the highly rated excellent Canon 70-200 2.8 IS ii. So I've been waiting patiently for the price to move.
Well one day, quite unexpectedly, the price at the "B" Camera vendor was $350 (three-fifty) less. Suddenly, at $1349 (thirteen-forty-nine) it was near my strike price (I think the lens should sell for $1200 or so). So I watched to see if the "A" internet vendors would match. They did not. I knew this was less that wholesale for the lens, so I ordered one from the "B" vendor. (The next day the two "A" vendors matched the price - Sorry Amazon, you were not fast enough). The lens arrived a couple days later, VERY well packed. With Amazon, packing can be a bit hit or miss. By the time the lens arrived, all the vendors were priced at the original $1699 (sixteen-ninety-nine). Hmmm, maybe it had been a price mistake.
So enough of that - What do I think of the lens? I still love it; however, there was something that I had not noticed in the store. When the OS system started up (1/2 press of the shutter key), it made a fairly loud click and then the Gyros sounded like very distant fire truck sirens. I literally though that there was a fire truck outside. But it turned out to be coming from the lens. Mind you, it was not loud, but it was disconcerting. I own the excellent Canon EF-S 17-55 2.8 IS and the IS system on that is near silent. I've been spoiled by that lens. I went down to the camera shop to see if their copy had the same sound. It did have some OS sound, but I had not noticed before above the ambient sound in the store. The store model did not sound like my copy. So I called the "B" Vendor and they quickly sent me a new lens.
The new lens arrived today and it too had the OS sound but not as noticeable as the first copy of the lens (I was able to compare side by side). Is the sound bad? No not really, but it is different than the low level "whurl" of the Canon IS system.
That said, the OS system does work very well. It is especially nice at the tele- end of the zoom. You can really see that camera shake through the viewfinder, and then you press the shutter release ½ way and suddenly it locks into place. Very nice, very cool. I have been able to take nice sharp pictures as low as ¼ second - and that is at the long end of the zoom. Impressive!
The rest of the build quality is very good. Both the focus and the zoom rings operate very smoothly and with just the right amount of resistance.
The lens is heavy (over 3 pounds). The rebel series cameras will benefit from the extra holding power that the extra battery grip offers. It comes with a tripod collar so you can use it on a monopod. A lens hood included (wish Canon would include hoods with all their lenses) there is even an extender for APS-c crop sensor cameras. However, I don't intend to use it.
The pictures I have taken have all been great. It is a bit soft at 2.8 (as many lenses are), but still within my tolerances. The 2.8 aperture really helps for indoor shots. It is great because you can sit across the room and shoot away without bothering those in the room. F4.0 lenses just do not give you enough light for indoor shooting, especially sports. Seems like it would be a great lens for weddings and other indoor events. As for picture quality, I've seen some web reviews that compare this with the Canon and the Sigma comes out pretty good. I do not see any CA at all on my copy. Focus is fast and accurate with no front or back focusing - it is spot on. It is not as fast or quiet as the canon, but still focus motor is still very good. You also have full time manual focus override. So for those of us who are mere enthusiasts or hobbyists this is a great lens to have for the all-important 70-200 tele- range. Pros might want to stick to the Canon version.
All and all, this lens is a keeper. It takes great pics, the OS is very effective (although a bit loud) and the nice 2.8 aperture really shines. Lastly, one of the real reasons I got this is because it is black. You are already conspicuous when you have 8" of lens hanging off the end of your camera at your son's basketball game, or your daughter's rehearsal. You really start to look ridiculous when you have 8"s of a white and black striped Canon lens. (I know I have lost some of my credibility with that last statement, but I just prefer black lenses...)
So the choice is yours. If you are looking for a lens in the 70-200 or 75-300 range, save your money up for a fast 2.8 version with stabilization, you will not be sorry. Those less expensive f3.2-5.6 or lower lenses are just not as practical as a good 2.8 lens. If you can afford the Canon and don't mind the black and white stripes, by all means get it, otherwise, get this one, you will be very pleased that you did.
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