New Toy - Sigma 120-300

[Gidders]

Well thanks to a bit of impulse buying when I saw that Peter (Postcardcv) was selling this lens, and it coincided with cashing in a savings plan, so now the saving are now gone

Having met up with Peter today, I was disappointed that it was pouring with rain this afternoon, so when the sky cleared and the sun came out this evening I just had to grab my gear and rush down to the local park in the fading light shooting at ISO 800 & f4 using a mono-pod. Not very inspiring subject matter, but image quality is just stunning

Very different to use to my Canon 70-300 IS so a new learning curve there. Will be looking for some sports action opportunities at the weekend

[postcardcv]

It was good to meet you today Clive, nice to see you've been out using the lens already and seem to be getting on well with it. Don't go posting to many nice shots taken through it or I'll regret selling it... Now I just need to go and find a new toy to buy

[Nigel G]

Nice one Clive. I just wish they would make this in a four thirds mount. With a x2 crop and in-body IS I reckon it would be a awesome combination - particularly at about £3k cheaper than the Olympus 300mm.

[postcardcv]

Well the regrets about selling this lens took longer to kick in than expected but finally it has, so now I'm toying with buying another. Do you still have this lens Clive and if so do you use it much? I have been looking at another and am trying to decide if I'll use it enough to warrant buying it. If I do go for one I'll have to sell either my 300 f4 or my 85 f1.2 to fund it so want to be sure before buying.

[Gidders]

Lol - no I dont - I found that it was sooo heavy that i wasn't using it. Sold in on Ebay and bought a 70-200 f2.8 IS L - positively light weight by comparison & love it to bits

[postcardcv]

Originally Posted by Gidders

Lol - no I dont - I found that it was sooo heavy that i wasn't using it. Sold in on Ebay and bought a 70-200 f2.8 IS L - positively light weight by comparison & love it to bits

yeah I do remember it being a bit of a beast and there is no doubting that the 70-200 IS L is a stunning lens. Hopefully I'll get the chance to test the 120-300 in the next couple of days and I might well be tempted to give it another go.

[postcardcv]

well I went to try the lens and was very disapointed with the results... very soft amd with low contrast at f2.8 getting a bit better at f4 but even then it was nowhere near as good as the Canon 300 f4 at f4. Also it was interesting to see just how far short of 300mm the Sigma is. Attached are three 100% crops from my test shots, shame it wasn't a good copy or I'd have had it.

[Gidders]

Was this one of the new OS lenses, or one of the original ones?

Certainly from those crops your 300 F4 L is streets ahead... no point in having a fast lens if you cant use it wide open

[postcardcv]

Originally Posted by Gidders

Was this one of the new OS lenses, or one of the original ones?

Certainly from those crops your 300 F4 L is streets ahead... no point in having a fast lens if you cant use it wide open

It was and original non-OS version of the lens (I found somewhere doing their last one cheap), unfortunately the budget won't stretch to an OS version which is a shame as it is supposed to be a better lens. Oh well I'll just take the cheapest option and stick with the Canon for now.