From NaturePixels.org
by Roger Deng
Contents |
Introduction
As a sports and nature shooter, I like my lens compact, lightweight and versatile. Not forgetting, cheap too.
Good long lenses from Nikon or Canon can be costly. Good thing is that we have 3rd part brands with the likes of Sigma, Tamron and Tokina. Latest check I made on the prices of a Nikon AF-S 300mm f/2.8D IF-ED II VR is about SGD$7200 while a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM is going for about SGD$7,488. A Sigma APO 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG HSM Lens for Nikon cost about SGD$3000. Ok, is that a bargain? Well, of course its subjective but for me, it is a bargain.
Sigma 120-300mm F/2.8
Website you can check to get latest pricing updates.
Current Nikon Lenses price list : [1]
Current Canon Lenses price list : [2]
This lens as far as I know works with its own specific Sigma tele-converters, namely the 1.4x and the 2x. A Nikon or a Kenko tele-converter will not fit the lens mount. For protection of the front lens element, a front MC filter is available from Sigma or Hoya. But to some, the lens hood provides a good enough protection.
Built Quality
This lens is built like a tank. The weight requires a strong arm and it needs a little bit of getting used to. The supplied lens hood is very short and it will be nice for it to be longer. The tripod collar is designed to be able to detached from the lens and at the bottom of the tripod collar, it has an area where you could slip in a shoulder strap which is useful when you are handhold the lens. As with regular fair wear and tear, I would expect the tripod collar joints to give way after extensive usage due to the design. The zoom and focus rings are rubberized who is a nice touch by Sigma.
This lens only comes in black color. As with the likes of other Sigma lens models, the paint coat will come off after some period of usage. The other issue I have is the lack of ‘eye candy-ness’ this lens possesses compares to the like of the Canon-L lens or the sleek finishing Nikon AF-S VR lenses. When I was covering a sports event with this lens, my buddy with a white Canon 300mm-L lens hardly needs any press credentials compare to what I have to dish out to get entry. Honestly, there is something powerful about those white Canon lens that I don’t understand.
With 1.4x APO tele-converter, you will have 168-420mm f/4 zoom range while with the 2x APO tele-converters, you will have a 240-600mm f/5.6 zoom range available. Obviously, little or no working photojournalist in the market uses this lens, but in my opinion, its overall built is close to the standards of a modern Canon or Nikon 300mm f/2.8. As far as I know, Nikon or Canon does not offer a 120-300mm f/2.8 zoom. (Nor does any other manufacturer, for that matter.) This is one area which I find this lens very attractive.
Autofocus
Overall focusing is reliable and direct. This lens is equipped with HSM which is the ‘so called’ equivalent of the Nikon’s AF-S. But do not expect the focusing to be as fast compared to the Nikons. I would consider the Sigma to be about 20% slower but if you know your gear and subject movement well, this will only be considered a mild handicap. And coupled with a pro-body like the Nikon D2X, the focusing speed gets an added boost. Focusing speed will decrease further when a 1.4x or 2x tele-convertor is added on. If Sigma were to improve the lens’s auto focusing speed and bundle an optical stabilization function, this lens will be a stunner!
Some of the images of birds in action.
Little terns. (above) Nikon D2x, 300mm, iso200, 1/1000sec, F4
Oriential Pied Hornbill. (above) Nikon D300, 420mm, 1.4x TC, iso 400, 1/1000sec, f4
Black-Shouldered Kite. (above) Nikon D2x, 600mm, 2x TC, iso200, 1/800sec, f5.6
Image Quality
For this price, what should we expect? Colors output from this lens are rather natural. It has decent sharpness wide open and gets really nice stopped down a stop or so. CA (Chromatic Aberration) is well-controlled with a small amount showing at the wide end of the focal length range in strong contrasting areas.
But overall, I simply have little or no complains about the image quality for its price.
The images below are taken with the Sigma 120-300mm attached with a 2x teleconvertor.
D2x, iso100, F8 , 1/1000secs
Image above is taken full frame at 600mm
Image above is the 100% crop from full frame.
One thing to take note when using the lens with a 2x teleconvertor is it will tend to lose an extra 1-2 stop of light. Which means, when no EV compensation is applied, chances are your images will be underexposed. Without the tele-converter or with a 1.4x, images turns out well exposed.
Images of stationary subjects with more colors
White-Throated Kingfisher. (above) D2x, 420mm, 1.4x TC, iso160, 1/500sec
Pink-Necked Green Pigeon. (above) Nikon D2x, 600mm, 2x TC, iso 200, 1/320sec
Purchasing Info
New versions of this lens can be easily purchased in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan with worldwide warranty.
This lens can also be easily purchased over in the used market. And one needs to be mindful about the various versions about this lens. Older versions does have a slightly inferior tripod collar and different lens coating. But overall, image quality will not differ between the versions. Do test the lens for some back focusing issues which many of my friends who own this lens complains about.
Conclusion
Apart from the poor exterior paint coat quality, not so durable tripod collar, short lens hood and perhaps a slightly slower focusing speed, this lens is well worth every cent paid for. In my opinion, it fits the usage of budget hobbyists and semi professionals who want a flexibility of a zoom focal range between 120mm to a long reach of 600mm. Image quality is slightly inferior to the likes of the Nikons or Canon 300mm primes but by no means a great difference.
- review is written by and is copyright of Roger Deng
