Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DL Macro Super 35mm Zoom
Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DL Macro Super 35mm Zoom
USER REVIEWS
[Oct 26, 2010]
Rusty Iees
Expert
Strength:
Sharp at f/8-f16 throughout the zoom range.
Weakness:
Poor in low light.
I find the lens pretty sharp in all focal ranges if stepped down, not the sharpest wide open but step this down to F/8 and you get some serious sharp photos, thats always going to be the case with a 300mm zoom lens!
Similar Products Used: Tamaron 18-250mm |
[Nov 25, 2008]
romesz
Casual
Strength:
none
Weakness:
in action shots it is slow to focus in auto mode. I have purchased this lens for it price and capabilities. It is light and easy to use both auto and manual mode. If I had known then, what I know about it now, I would not had bought this lens. The quality is just not there. Just out side of the warranty the lens broke, every time I turn the camera on it shakes and vibrates for a second or two. I do not think that is good for my camera, so I stopped using it. I think it was an expensive lesson. I know that I will not but nor will recommend any "SIGMA" products to any friends nor my enemies. Customer Service Friendly but useless. Similar Products Used: no |
[Oct 27, 2008]
whisky_n_whisky
Intermediate
Strength:
price
Weakness:
soft at most focal lengths
soft at 300mm gets a bit sharper at shorter focal lengths. not much to say about this lens as its the bottom line for zoom lenses. maybe comparable to sony 75-300mm still softer then that one.
Customer Service www.sigmaphoto.com/lenses Similar Products Used: tokina 28-210mm |
[Feb 12, 2008]
sem7ex
Casual
Strength:
Low price.
Weakness:
Not very usefull above 200mm.
I read all kinds of reviews about this lens. Mostly that it's good considering the price. Soft above 200mm but mostly ok. I thought i wouldn't notice the downsides beeing a relative beginner. Trust me, it's obvious. Above 200mm it's very soft. Unusable with ISO's higher than 200.
Similar Products Used: Nikkor 18-55 AF s DX. Not very similar but for a stock lens it's much better than the Sigma. |
[Oct 28, 2006]
craikel
Intermediate
Strength:
- Cheap, great value
Weakness:
- Autofocus can hunt a bit in low light (minor criticism considering the price)
Consumer Sigma lenses aren't the best lenses on the market at any price, and I have churned through a lot of different brands looking for happiness at various price ranges. However, I keep being tempted back to sigma for the unbeatable value for money they generally offer.
Customer Service Haven't used, though I believe quite good in Australia Similar Products Used: Sigma 28-80mm
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[Jul 31, 2005]
SunCalc
Intermediate
Strength:
Inexpensive.
Weakness:
Soft at all focal lengths Very soft beyond 200mm I have been using this lens on my D70 for about a year and the best way to describe its performance is disappointing. I bought this lens because I needed a long zoom for a family vacation quickly and it was cheap and readily available. I really should have known better. At 70mm this lens has about 1/2 the sharpness of my Nikon AF-S 18-70mm 1:3.5-4.5G ED kit lens that came with the D70. Shooting with this lens is like shooting with a very sharp lens with a softening filter. If you never print photos bigger then about 4x6 (using the full frame) this really isn't a problem. But even at 8x12, the softness really shows. If you do any cropping of the photo, the problem is even worse. On animal photos where I am accustomed to seeing individual hairs in a photo, with this lens all I get is a soft blur. Perhaps at this price I shouldn't complain, but the image quality of this lens just isn't up to par for modern optics; at any price. The problem with buying a lens like this, is that once it's in your bag you'll use it, and you'll lose great photos because your equipment wasn't up to the task. My advice for this lens is to save your money and spring for a Nikon 70-300 f/4-5.6. You'll get a sharper lens and a lot less headaches. Customer Service N/A Similar Products Used: Nikon 70-300 F/4-5.6 |
[Jun 30, 2005]
SolaresLarrave
Intermediate
Strength:
I really liked the macro. Also, filter size is convenient (58ø) for use with diopters. The mount is metal and the lens itself, though plastic, is not too heavy.
Weakness:
Slooooooooow. Both, at focusing and in terms of light. Gave up using it with ISO 100 film. Heck, I gave up using it with 400! If it's not ISO 800 stuff, forget about handholding the camera. Bought this lens because I couldn't conceive life without a long lens. I found it worked fine with my Nikon F80. Sure, it hunts a lot, but it works well under strong lighting; the build is a bit cheap, but then, it's an inexpensive lens; sharpness isn't there all the time, but it's achievable. In sum, a good lens for the money. Customer Service Good! I dropped the lens and they fixed it for $50 (it was about one year old). Similar Products Used: Vivitar 75-300 manual focus for Minolta, even slower. |
[May 31, 2005]
hello_kitty
Casual
Strength:
Good constrast and sharpness between 70-180mm when stop down to f8 light weight
Weakness:
build quality bad sharpness and constrast over 180mm (even stop down) unusable macro AF hunt I used this lens mainly on 300D, and this is the worst lens I've ever used... Keep in mind the "sweet spot" for this lens is 70-180mm f8 and above... the softness at 300mm is noticeable even on a 4x6 print... If you are looking for a 70-180mm f8 lens, this is for you.... Customer Service N/A Similar Products Used: canon 70-200 f2.8 IS canon 18-55mm canon 35mm f2 |
[Feb 05, 2005]
shina1
Intermediate
Strength:
very sharp , bright and color accurate lens, allt better than my canon one.get one NOW !! you'll be surprised !
Weakness:
non what so ever very very sharp and bright lens. i didn't expect that for the price, but i guess sigma did allot of chnges to ensure quality control. the zoom ring is firm , construction looks very good , focus ing very smooth. AF works perfectly fine for non usm .(don't blame the lens or hunting , blame the camera's AF sensor). macro looks very good. on my d-rebel , i hav'nt noticed any softness. from 70 to 300 , images look sharp and chromatic ab. is very very low, (well i use a cmos sensor on the canon....) Customer Service non Similar Products Used: canon 18-55 |
[Jan 30, 2005]
nspur
Expert
Strength:
The macro facility.
Weakness:
Cheap plastic construction, poorish optics, sticky zoom ring, lens rotates when focusing, poor auto-focus. The Sigma 70-300 DL Macro Super II version is the one not to buy. The APO version (with the red ring on the barrel) is a little more expensive and much better. I bought this lens for the macro facility at between 200 and 300 and that (if you focus manually) is fine and useful. The DL lens is OK between 70 and about 180 and especially at f8 to f11. Even so there's too much purple fringing. Over 200 I don't find the results acceptable for architectural work. Landscape won't show up the defects so much. Similar Products Used: Sigma EX 70-200 f 2.8 Sigma EX 1.4x teleconverter |