Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG IF HSM APO Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras
by SIGMA
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Digital product summary information
Manufacturer: SIGMAModel: B000BBGB0G
Product features:
- Features a large aperture of f/2.8 at the 300 millimeter focal length
- Multi-layer lens coating and lens design reduces flare and ghosting
- Features SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements for superior correction of chromatic aberration
- Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) for ultra-quiet shooting
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Digital camera reviews of Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG IF HSM APO Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras
Digital camera Review: Awesome Lens for Sports
Summary: 4 Stars
Got this lens for use with a Nikon D3 and D300. I shoot mostly sports and needed something a bit longer than my old 80-200/2.8 for field sports like baseball and lacrosse. I also have used this lens indoors for volleyball on my D3 so I can sit way up in the stands and still get close enough while looking down onto court at a cool angle. The 2.8 really comes in handy since my gym's lighting is absolutely horrible.
Anyway, I also got the Sigma 1.4x TC (which only AF and meters with a few lenses, including this one and the 300/2.8 prime, but they don't tell you that until you read the booklet insde the TC box!) So combining my 1.5 crop D300 with the 1.4x TC and this monster lens, I get about 250-630/4. In the full-frame D3 I get about 168-420/4 with the same setup. I have heard that some copies of this lens don't zoom all the way out the the claimed 300 mm but my metadata shows that my max focal length is actually 420 mm with the 1.4 TC on the D3, FWIW.
I thought about getting the 300 prime but really wanted the zoom feature since moving around a lot is not really an option for most sports shooting. I would love to get the Nikkor 200-400/4 but at $5K, that's not really an option and besides, I have a 2.8!
Pros: Good image quality, even with 1.4x TC, on par with or better than my Nikkor 80-200/2.8; great in low light at f/2.8; fast and quiet focusing that can keep up with fast action sports; way cheaper than anything Nikon makes (especially since they don't even make a 120-300/2.8 zoom!)
Cons: Cheap metal finish quality (thin, matte paint that shows scratches easily, if it doesn't chip off entirely); the zoom ring is reverse of Nikon direction (not bad if zooming is slow and deliberate, but I have issues when I need to snap in or out quickly and old habits take over from using Nikon lenses); zoom ring feels a bit stiffer than my 80-200 (don't know if it's just my copy, but I only need gentle fingertip pressure on the 80-200 to zoom but the Sigma requires a firm finger "squeeze") which affects how fast I can zoom in and out and thus how I shoot; lame lens cover "sock" that doesn't stay on when the hood is deployed
Other thoughts: Great lens for the money, especially when paired with 1.4x TC. The zoom ring issues I'm dealing with ok, it's just annoying at times, but not a deal-breaker for me. The biggest niggle is the cheap paint that flakes off (especially on the handle of the rotating collar and the edges of the hood--places that see the most action)
Summary of Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG IF HSM APO Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras
A telephoto zoom lens, which retains a constant fast aperture of F2.8 at all focal lengths. This telephoto zoom lens has a large aperture of F2.8 that is constant throughout the zoom range. The angle of view of the 120-300mmF2.8 varies from 20.4degree to 8.2degree and offers great versatility of composition from a fixed position. Two Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass elements in the front lens group and two in the rear group offer effective compensation of color aberration. Since focusing and zooming do not change its overall length, this lens offers ease of handling. HSM ensures a quiet, high-speed, AF as well as full-time manual focus (for Sigma, Canon and Nikon mounts).The Sigma APO 120-300mm f2.8 EX DG HSM Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras features a large aperture of f2.8 at the 300 millimeter focal length and is optimized for used with digital SLR cameras. This lens transforms a large-aperture f2.8 300 millimeter lens into a zoom lens that allows you to determine the picture composition you want without having to change your vantage point. It has two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements in front group and another SLD element in the rear group for excellent correction of chromatic aberration.
The latest in multi-layer lens coating technology and lens design reduce flare and ghosting, which is a common problem with digital cameras, and it also creates an optimum color balance through the entire zoom range. The lens' AF drive is equipped with a silent, responsive and high speed Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM), which also provides full-time manual focus function. Since focusing and zooming do not change its overall length, this lens is easy to hold and use. In addition, since the front of the lens does not rotate, a circular polarizing filter can be easily attached and used. High-speed focusing is possible when this lens is used with dedicated APO EX 1.4 x or 2x tele-converters (sold separately).
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