Solid built, good looks, low price, good image quality, 58 mm filter size, lightweight and compact. Comes with a decent lens hood and lens bag.

Slow autofocus, especially when in macro mode, I would kill for a constant aperture of, say f3.5 or f4.

This is not just a very good lens for the money. I think it is a good lens period. Although it says it's a macro lens, I must say that this lens is not suitable for macro photography. First because of the terribly slow focus at 300mm and macro switch on, and second: macro switch can be switched on only at 300mm and at this point the image quality is not so good as at other focal lengths. And I find 300mm to be a too long lens for macro photography (I prefer 105mm).
I use this lens for general outdoor photography, from people to landscapes and I am very impressed. Images are very nice and sharp, I had not have problems with lens flare, even if not using the lens hood. Bottom line: A very good lens for beginners and advanced amateurs (not a pro lens though - look at the price again!)if macro photography isn't your primary intention - I look at macro capability as a nice bonus to an overall good, not expencive lens, which will last a long time.

I'd give it 4.5 stars if possible, but because there are a lot better and more expencive lenses out there I'm rounding it down to 4 stars.

Customer Service

Not needed yet

Similar Products Used:

Various Sigma, Nikon and Tamron lenses.

Decent sharpness. Cheap for what it is capable of. Macro feature is nice but rarely used.

The zoom barrel slides and slips now, after only 4 months of use. The lens cap is difficult to put on with the enormous lens hood.

Cheap lens, fine for outdoor SUNNY photography.

Similar Products Used:

None

Very clear & crisp under good lighting (esp good daylight, overcast is fine).
Focus is acceptably fast with good lighting.
Good built and feel.
The macro switch and aperture ring switch feels better quality that my Nikkor 28-105mm.

The lens caps doesn't fit my Kenko SMC UV filter nicely.

Focus hunts in weak lighting. And is quite noisy, sounds like a turret.

This is a APO lens. The image, with a steady hand or tripod is very clear & crisp. Lighting plays a big part too. Overall this is one of the best in the 70-300mm class. A great value for money - don't expect speed and you won't be disappointed

Customer Service

Hope I never need to visit.

Similar Products Used:

None

Good image quality.
58 mm filter size. Lightweight and compact.
Comes with nice lens hood and bag.
Love the macro at 300mm.

I used it on manual focus 99% of the time because of the very slow auto focus and tends to search for foucs.

Good picture quality. The macro you will love. If you don't mine using a manual focus lens I would sugest buying one. I was going to buy another for my Nikon N90s but it is too slow and tends to break.

Customer Service

TWICE! The scale gear in the lens broke twice. This gear is used for auto focus, which I never used. When sent in it takes almost a month to fix.

Similar Products Used:

Sigma 28-85mm
Sigma 50mm f2.8
Nikon 24-120mm

Light, sharp, good zoom range, good colours, popular 58mm thread size, nice case and hood.

Slow and noisy AF on an N90, feels plasticky and the zoom action is sticky. It has a rotating front element which together with the very deep lens hood makes using a polarising filter a pain in the ass! Not the prettiest of lenses.

I like the pictures I get with this lens, despite its weaknesses (as above). I don't shoot slide, only print, so assessing pictures to me doesn't involve analyzing sharpness or distortion at all. If it looks good on print then I'm happy. I have found with this lens that colours are very vivid, it flattens nicely at 300mm and I can get really nicely framed portraits even from afar. Some of the best pictures I have taken were using this lens on all three of the AF Nikons I have had in the past year (F60, N8008 & N90). I would recommend this lens to any amateur photographer who takes his hobby seriously, but as for me, I'm moving up to the 80-200mm, so this little fella is likely to be sold anyday now.

Customer Service

Not needed.

Similar Products Used:

Tamron 70-210 f/4, Tokina 100-300 f5.6-6.7, Vivitar 28-105 f/2.8 Series 1, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 MF, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX Macro, Nikkor 35-70mm f/3.3-4.5, Tamron 28-200 f/3.8-5.6(?).

I't 'll be a fine lens.

I've tried this lens at the store and found out that the zoom action from 150 to 300 mm was stickey. It also made a squeeking noise. This was the sound of airmovement the salesman said. I think i's plastic rubbing. this was one with a canon mount, but one with a nikon mount wasn't mutch better.

slow autofocus and it's to large when zoomed up to 300mm.
Didn't buy it.

This stickey zoom action and the slow autofocus were the reasons not to buy this lens. Manual focus was also lose. This is not a solid lens. I do have a 28-70 2.8 ex aspherical, and that is a fast autofocus lens with smooth zoom.

In other words, There are better lenses!

Customer Service

none used

Similar Products Used:

none yet

Size
Very good sharpness
Macro capability
and good zoom range of
70-300mm

None

This is a great consumer lens you'll ever own. If you're shooting occationaly like me, things like
animals at zoo, bird photography or architecture.
It'll satisfy you.

Customer Service

Never required.

Similar Products Used:

None

allright sharpness at around 5.6 to 8.0

Not a basher but this thing is crap!! Seriously stay away from any lens with a crappy Marco switch it just breaks !

Sigma isn't that great , allot better off with Tokina for the same price or less. Looking for a deal ? Try Tokina or Tamron, got cash ? stick with the Nikon , Minolta, Cannon

Similar Products Used:

tons of lenses

1. Good range, good optics
2. all accessories included (leather case, hood) so no need to hunt around for extras
3. 1:2 macro at 300mm very handy

1. build quality not great
2. AF very slow

I think this lens is very good optically, and the 1:2 macro at 300mm comes very handy when you want to do some close-up. Sigma's custom service is certainly first-rate, very prompt, very professional. I sent it in for the re-chipping, I got it back even before I received the return receipt from the post office. It is not very expensive considering it uses APO elements, I will definitely choose it over its DL cousin. But I think for this focal range the "IS" capability would be very useful -- if you are in the Canon camp. But the "IS" version is almost 2.5 times as expensive.

Customer Service

I sent it in to Sigma Corporation of America to get it rechipped for Canon Elan 7. They rechipped it at no charge and returned it within a week, very professional.

Similar Products Used:

None

Excellent image from one end to the other.
Decent build for price paid.
Immediate Focus on a Canon D30.

Macro switch a bit sticky.

For around $200 I doubt there is another lens with this versatility and overall performance. A great and portable add-on consideration for a D30 owner as it will only use the central part of the lens and avoid any pitfalls of the corners.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Canon 70-300
Tamron 70-300