Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM lens

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piggin

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Paul
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Hi
Has anyone had any personal experience with this lens? (Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM)
I have looked @ all the reviews & this is getting very good comments.
I understand the canon is a better lens but I don't have that budget @ this time.
Any help will be much appreciated.
 
I too would be interested to know. Its half the price of the latest Canon 70-200 & still cheaper that a second hand Canon 70-200 IS mkI.
 
Guys there are loads of threads on this one - if you type it in the search bar it'll come up with more threads you can shake a stick at!

For the record I have the non OS version and its a brilliant lens. The OS is supposed to be even better. Its very sharp and very fast to focus and great in low light. As good image quality wise as the mk1 Canon 70-200L f/2.8 I have also used but for much less £. The Canon is NOT worth spending twice the amount for, that's a fact. The only advantage with the Canon is build but the Sigma is still built very very well.

I can post some example images up from the non OS which will give you an idea if you want but if you search the threads I'm sure you'll find some.
 
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Thanks Jim for your thoughts, very interesting.
I did put in a search earlier & was not very successful, lots of comments on the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX Macro HSM but nothing on the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM lens.
If you could point me in the right direction that will be great.

Also, do you know anything about the Sigma 3 year lens warranty?
If I purchase from Jessops am I covered?
 
Maybe there are less threads for the OS version - I just assumed there were more as the Sigma v Canon 70-200 is always popping up!

I bought mine from amazon and the 3 year warranty was honored. All you do is go on their website and enter your email and lens serial number and they'll send you an email confirming registration and extended warranty. If its a lens imported into the UK by an independent reseller sometimes they wont be covered, but I'm 99% sure a lens from Jessops will as they are an authorised dealer.
 
Thanks Jim
I have also been in contact with Sigma UK.
I think they employ populations to answer the e-mails, as you can't get a straight answer from them.
Finally got them to say, yes, Jessops sell UK items & they will have the 3 year warranty.

Regarding the Canon/ Sigma argument.
I have read a lot of these & it does bring the 'red ring lovers' out of the wood work.
I can see that the Sigma build quality is not as good as Canon but £600 better, I am not so sure.
 
I've seen some reviews that say the lens is let down by softness when wide open - so it would be nice to see RAW files straight from camera at various focal lengths.
 
Dogfish_magnet said:
I've seen some reviews that say the lens is let down by softness when wide open - so it would be nice to see RAW files straight from camera at various focal lengths.
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My non OS is very sharp at f/2.8, I couldn't use it for a lot of the indoor sport I do otherwise!

Ive not heard that softness is an issue with the OS version at f/2.8?
 
Dogfish_magnet said:
Dpreview

DigitalSLR
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They only state it's soft towards the *edges* when wide open, not soft generally. The edges arnt so important wide open as 9/10 they'll be out of focus anyway.

TBH I'd expect that with most fast aperture lenses wide open at the edges. I certainly wouldn't pay double to have sharp edges that I dont use at f/2.8!

Have I broken the TP record for saying the word 'edges' in one post?
 
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Thanks for all the input everyone.
I think for every good review you can also find a bad.
A lot of reviews mention about the 'softness' on the edges when @ 2.8 but this occurs when the picture is cropped.

Jim have you used a telephoto converter with your lens?
 
piggin said:
Thanks for all the input everyone.
I think for every good review you can also find a bad.
A lot of reviews mention about the 'softness' on the edges when @ 2.8 but this occurs when the picture is cropped.

Jim have you used a telephoto converter with your lens?
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Yeah I've got a Kenko NC7 x2 convertor which works very well with it.

I took some pretty good pics at the British gp this year with that combo.
 
Thanks Jim
I have been reading up about the Kenko converters. They all say the 2x unit works well but the general opinion is the 1.4 is a better.
Does anyone else have any experience with using it?
 
pmaccyd said:
My non OS version was a nightmare. I wouldn't buy another even with OS. Still bitter and twisted.. lol
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In what way?
 
I've just got my hands on an older non macro model, any reports on these stall? Also what tc 1.4 can I use and what will it stop?????
 
i think this thread highlights an issue with sigma lenses.. people will comment with negative points from what theyve heard or read on a review rather than actual first hand experience.

Gregory Hicks said:
I've just got my hands on an older non macro model, any reports on these stall? Also what tc 1.4 can I use and what will it stop?????
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supposedly the sharpest of the lot (although ive not had sharpness issues with my "macro"), any 1.4tc should do fine, wont stop anything although will take max aperture down to f4, potentially slow down AF and degrade IQ slightly.
 
Oh, the sharpest of them all, thats good to no, im not sure if i made the right choice seapping my canon 70-200 f4 still though. We will c i guess :-)
 
Quick Q - is the OS still ok when used with a TC?
Cheers

Think this is another one on the Christmas list...
 
I have the non-OS version, and use it for live gig photography, so it's very nearly *always* towards f2.8.

I borrowed a friend's Canon, IS and all, and the main difference was that I could use slower shutter speeds, but because I was used to my own, it just made it *easier* rather than any great difference in the photos taken - though I could obviously tell the build quality was massively, massively better. I imagine going from the Canon to the Sigma would be much more difficult a change.



This was taken using it, for example.
 
Sorry, was that pic with the canot or the stigma?
Cool pic btw
 
BazEP said:
Sorry, was that pic with the canot or the stigma?
Cool pic btw
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That one was with the Sigma.

Sorry if I didn't make sense earlier, it's harder to get great results with the Sigma, but ultimately possible, if you can't justify the price of the Canon - or simply can't afford it, like in my case! I'd prefer to have the Canon, obviously, it's infinitely sturdier and I'm sure in other situations the difference would be obvious in the images.

I've just read so many people say it's bad, and there's no way they'd not get the Canon, but my experience has been that actually, it's OK and does what I need it to!
 
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i've looked at these too
there is a package for a grand with the lens plus 1.4xTC
tempting
the review I saw on youtube liked it but it still lost out massively to the 70-200 IS on build quality and sharpness.
however, tbh that's a lot more money! maybe 1/2 again to double the costs..ISH

so I'm very tempted, weight and size seem comparable.
I'd go canon everytime....if I had the money!
if 2nd hand is an option I'd compare this to the IS 70-200 Mk I instead and see where it falls.

I have a sigma 50-150 2.8 at the moment and really like it but it's not as sharp as a canon L glass!
 
supermodernista said:
That one was with the Sigma.

Sorry if I didn't make sense earlier, it's harder to get great results with the Sigma, but ultimately possible, if you can't justify the price of the Canon - or simply can't afford it, like in my case! I'd prefer to have the Canon, obviously, it's infinitely sturdier and I'm sure in other situations the difference would be obvious in the images.

I've just read so many people say it's bad, and there's no way they'd not get the Canon, but my experience has been that actually, it's OK and does what I need it to!
Click to expand...

Ok so rate the sigma out of 10 then............
 
i had the older sigma non macro in pentax mount and i was a cracking lens wide open it was sharp wide open, it was great with a 1.4x tc and with a 2x ok but not brill and with the 2x the af slowed down abit.
but if the new os version is as good and better then it should be very good, and the os on the sigmas is the best i have used,
 
Dale_d3100 said:
In what way?
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Initially using the Sigma on a 40D but had bad focusing issues, it would front then back focus. Went to Sigma for calibration, fair enough I thought, without my camera for nearly a month (calibration PC broken and had to wait for their PC guy to return from holiday). Got it back then e99 on camera a few day later, no problem with my other lenses.. back to Sigma. The copy was replaced 2 days later. New lens very soft wide open from 100mm upwards on the 40d and new 7d (MA adjusted). You guest it back to sigma, off to Japan this time, came back with all new optics about 2 weeks later with fungus on the elements!! Man I had this lens for over 9 months and hardly used it. Got the fungus sorted and was all ok but sold it as soon as it was working. I vowed never to buy third party lenses again. I know I could have been unlucky but if you manufacture something its got to be fit for purpose and work! I must say Sigma were helpful and polite but it seemed that this wasn't unusual.
 
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