300 2.8 & 120-300

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woollyback

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Hello folks,

I have almost made my mind up to buy the canon 300 2.8 but at the price of a kidney and the 120-300 sigma seemingly a bargain I would like to try them out side by side.

Question is... where in the North East would be best bet. I guess WEX would have both but we are not overrun with camera shops in the North East so any ideas would be great.

Many thanks for any info

Cheers

Rob
PS anyone want to buy a kidney :)
 
Lot of money. Hire them both (with extenders?) and try side by side.
 
no differance in iq but the soggy has better flexibility
 
holty said:
no differance in iq but the soggy has better flexibility
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I disagree. In terms of performance under all conditions the 300 wins hands down, especially the autofocus performance in reduced light conditions and with TCs. The sigma wins on price and flexibility, but although a good contender, is still not in the league of the 300.
 
I've tried neither but I would back up what Hoppy says, or find someone who owns (or has owned) both as theres alot of rubbish spoken about Sigmas by people who have never owned one (I don't mean you Pete btw as I know you've recommended Sigmas before).

From what I hear the 120-300 OS is very good, but again its hearsay so you really want to try for yourself.

I'll pass non the kidney ;)
 
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There's quite a lot on this both here (search posts by micloi) and also on POTN.

Bottom line is the Sigma is not as sharp, and it would be a miracle if it was, but it's very good and is much more versatile, and cheaper. The Canon will really shine when using extenders.

It's not really a choice anyone but you can make - need to try them both.
 
yep I agree I need to try both, just need to find somewhere that has them. I think ergonomics are important on these type of lenses so looks like a trip to WEX.

I think I want a 300 but it has to be 3x better for the price and am not sure for me it will be

thanks for the inputs

Rob
 
woollyback said:
yep I agree I need to try both, just need to find somewhere that has them. I think ergonomics are important on these type of lenses so looks like a trip to WEX.

I think I want a 300 but it has to be 3x better for the price and am not sure for me it will be

thanks for the inputs

Rob
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Why not look at the 300mm f2.8 IS MKI (used £2500 - 3000) it's still a very good lens

Canon 300mm f2.8 IS MKI + MKII TCs
IMG_3742copy1.jpg


IMG_3738copy1.jpg


IMG_3891copyb.jpg


300mm F2.8 (MKI) + 1.4x and 2x TC (MKII) stacked
IMG_6377_copy_1.jpg


Canon 300mm f2.8 + 2x TC (MKII)

IMG_5724copy1.jpg


IMG_5711copy1.jpg


But with every photo, its all about the light, you have the right conditions you achieve the best results.
 
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I've heard really good comments about the Sigma and seen some prints from one that were really impressive. The Canon has always had a rep for image quality of the highest standards. For me it would be about the AF speed and tracking with converters that would decide it. Every so often I feel the urge to swap my 500 for a 300 and have read the comments about the sigma on other threads with interest. I'm always held back by the fact that I'd need to use a x2 and concerns that neither lens would be as fast or as accurate as my 500.
 
Ive just bought the sigma 120-300 myself. I needed the flexi ility of a zoom over the prime. I wont be using it properly until the racing season starts in full, but when it does il be putting a tc on it to see how she performs!
 
pete.rush said:
I disagree. In terms of performance under all conditions the 300 wins hands down, especially the autofocus performance in reduced light conditions and with TCs. The sigma wins on price and flexibility, but although a good contender, is still not in the league of the 300.
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:agree:
 
I've used both and I own the Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS USM MKI. In terms of performance I'd say that the Canon has it in spades especially wide open! With a 2xMKIII converter fitted, it's still very quick off the mark.

To put things into perspective, I was up on Bwlch Exit before Christmas with 22 others photographing low-flying jets and the single most popular lens up there on a Canon body (from what I could see) was the Canon 300mm f/2.8 :)

If you want the versatility and cost saving, go for the Sigma but if you want out-and-out image quality, go for the Canon! :thumbs:
 
A few months back I was undecided between the Canon MKI 300mm f2.8 IS and Sigma 120-300mm OS (mainly because of price and the fact the Sigma has the benefit of being a zoom). In the end I decided on the Canon, based purely on IQ with a 2x converter. I think most people buy a 300mm 2.8 as a reasonably priced and fastish way of getting 400mm + (hopefully 600mm f5.6) with decent quality and after doing a lot of comparisons the Canon lens was (to me at any rate) sharper where it counted.

Ratio wise it probably isn't worth the price difference but (for me) it was a once in a lifetime purchase and I didn't want to buy the Sigma and then 6 months down the line kick myself for not getting the Canon.
 
One thing people haven't mentioned here is the reliability of these lenses. The Canon white lenses are built like tanks, the Sigmas are probably too new to really know although judging by LensRentals not very good:
http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/09/lensrentals-repair-data-january-july-2012#wp-table-reloaded-id-17-no-1

I know this is going to sound like a Sigma bashing, it isn't. This is the way I see it. The Canon lens is the lens Sigma tries to aspire to. I am in no way saying that the Sigma is a bad lens and that people don't get fantastic results from it. I don't need to be reminded of "Mr. xxx" uses a Sigma and his images are fantastic. I know that and have seen the images. However overall the Sigma is not as good as the Canon otherwise it would be on top of everyone's list. If you require zoom, then obviously the Sigma is the better option. If you don't require zoom I would choose/recommend the Canon 100% of the time.
 
pete.rush said:
Why not look at the 300mm f2.8 IS MKI (used £2500 - 3000) it's still a very good lens

Canon 300mm f2.8 IS MKI + MKII TCs
IMG_3742copy1.jpg


IMG_3738copy1.jpg


IMG_3891copyb.jpg


300mm F2.8 (MKI) + 1.4x and 2x TC (MKII) stacked
IMG_6377_copy_1.jpg


Canon 300mm f2.8 + 2x TC (MKII)

IMG_5724copy1.jpg


IMG_5711copy1.jpg


But with every photo, its all about the light, you have the right conditions you achieve the best results.
Click to expand...



Pete,

Completely agree its all about the lights but OMG your images are amazing :)
 
Gaz J said:
I've heard really good comments about the Sigma and seen some prints from one that were really impressive. The Canon has always had a rep for image quality of the highest standards. For me it would be about the AF speed and tracking with converters that would decide it. Every so often I feel the urge to swap my 500 for a 300 and have read the comments about the sigma on other threads with interest. I'm always held back by the fact that I'd need to use a x2 and concerns that neither lens would be as fast or as accurate as my 500.
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Gaz,

I tried the 500 mk1 and for me it was just too heavy to be portable for the type of shooting I like.

But you are correct - native length will alwaays win over TC's
 
i would still go for the siggy you wont be dissapointed and you still get great IQ unless your a pixel peeper and does not cost an arm and leg unless you are a pro printing 8ft high posters
unless your a canon purist
 
bdigital said:
Ive just bought the sigma 120-300 myself. I needed the flexi ility of a zoom over the prime. I wont be using it properly until the racing season starts in full, but when it does il be putting a tc on it to see how she performs!
Click to expand...

Agree - its the flexibility of the zoom that attracts me, but I too would want to use it with a TC or 2
 
holty said:
i would still go for the siggy you wont be dissapointed and you still get great IQ unless your a pixel peeper and does not cost an arm and leg unless you are a pro printing 8ft high posters
unless your a canon purist
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I don't think being a Canon purist has anything to do with it.
For me it was about buying the best lens I could afford, and the Canon is better where it counts ... 300mm f2.8

See here ... I think that shows the difference nicely.
Whether it's worth the extra money is another matter ... to me it was.
 
holty said:
i would still go for the siggy you wont be dissapointed and you still get great IQ unless your a pixel peeper and does not cost an arm and leg unless you are a pro printing 8ft high posters
unless your a canon purist
Click to expand...


holty,

just a happy snapper mate - will never be a pro :)
 
just get the Canon, you will always be wishing you had bought it if you don’t. This was my logic for buying the 5D3 over the 5D2. Also I guess I would be classed as a Canon purist as all my kit is genuine Canon, there is a reason cheaper is cheaper.
 
At the end of the day, it's a big investment in a lens. The sigma gives you the versatility of a zoom, an aperture of f2.8 and the price. Sigma still has its issues and if you we're going to buy the MKII canon, personally I would probably go with the sigma. At the time I bought mine (canon 300) there was no comparison, the MKI sigma just had too many issues and the investment in the 300 was a no brainer (and no I'm not a pro either) The new OS version does muddy the waters slightly, but the 300 MKI still a very good investment, it's all down to what you're will to pay and whether you want the versitility of a zoom.

Best uk price sigma OS £1600-1700 v £2500-3000 for used canon MKI IS.

The advantage of the canon is it will hold its price, bought mine used for £2500 over 2 years ago so actually I could sell it for more than I purchased it for, not sure you could say that about the sigma
 
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pete.rush said:
The advantage of the canon is it will hold its price, bought mine used for £2500 over 2 years ago so actually I could sell it for more than I purchased it for, not sure you could say that about the sigma
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Must admit that was also a factor in my purchase. I paid £2600 for a mint 2010 lens in the knowledge that if and when I decide to sell I will most likely get my money back.
 
first off can you still get a canon mk1 repaired if it goes wrong,I seem to remember reading somewhere that parts were becoming hard to get hold of and secondly what about a sigma 300 f2.8 EX DG HSM £2175 new on camerapricebusters.
 
chris954 said:
first off can you still get a canon mk1 repaired if it goes wrong,I seem to remember reading somewhere that parts were becoming hard to get hold of and secondly what about a sigma 300 f2.8 EX DG HSM £2175 new on camerapricebusters.
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You could be getting mixed up with the 300mm f2.8 non IS. As for the sigma 300mm f2.8, the sigma 120-300mm zoom a better lens than the sigma prime.
 
For a while I was undecided about a 300mm lens, Sigma 120-300, or, a lot dearer the Canon 300 2.8 is. Eventually after a lot of reading reviews etc. decided to purchase the Sigma 120-300. Unpacked the lens to try on my 7d body & was gutted that the autofocus or manual focus would not work. Sent the lens back, to eventually be told by the supplier they were sorry & it was faulty. Cancelled the order & around 6 weeks ago bought a lovely s/h Canon 300 2.8 is, made up.
 
That's the issue with the sigma, a friend had several copies of the old version, before he was 85% happy, another just wasn't happy with bits falling off and bought the canon, then again another friend lens worked straight out of the box and he swears by it for Motorsport.
 
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I use the 120-300mm OS myself, very happy with it and is worth the money. For use in less-then-ideal conditions in the Mach Loop I felt that the 2.8 aperture was the only option. I would of loved the Nikon 300 2.8 prime but it was out of my budget range as I wanted to buy brand new. The Sigma was my next choice, read a lot of good over the OS version so I pulled the trigger. First shot is wide open, the 2nd at f4


BAE Hawk T2 through the exit by Kev Martindale, on Flickr


Virgin 747 rotation by Kev Martindale, on Flickr
 
KevMP said:
I use the 120-300mm OS myself, very happy with it and is worth the money. For use in less-then-ideal conditions in the Mach Loop I felt that the 2.8 aperture was the only option. I would of loved the Nikon 300 2.8 prime but it was out of my budget range as I wanted to buy brand new. The Sigma was my next choice, read a lot of good over the OS version so I pulled the trigger. First shot is wide open, the 2nd at f4


BAE Hawk T2 through the exit by Kev Martindale, on Flickr


Virgin 747 rotation by Kev Martindale, on Flickr
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Thanks Kev for posting these up - they look great. More pondering as to which is best :shrug::shrug::shrug::shrug:
 
Ignore this line, an old RSS feed on CanonRumors made me think there was a new 120-300 OS
 
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JohnN said:
Ignore this line, an old RSS feed on CanonRumors made me think there was a new 120-300 OS
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I believe there is indeed, although I've not yet been able to establish just what the differences are. Wex now list two versions of the 120-300mm f/2.8:

Old (Mk.II, with OS): http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-120-300mm-f-2-8-ex-dg-os-hsm-nikon-fit/p1524204

New (Mk.III): http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-sigma-120-300mm-f2-8-dg-os-hsm-lens-nikon-fit/p1534895

(Must lens manufacturers be quite so coy about revisions?)
 
Oh, I guess it was real. Evil looking price though!
 
As always, my advice is to try both to see which you prefer and to try the actual lens you'll be buying before forking out. Bricks and mortar are a far better (if more expensive) option that a website that may be 1/2 way round the globe - you should be able to return a dodgy lens (of whatever brand - Sigmas aren't the only lenses to suffer from bad copies...) should you need to and a reputable shop will have full manufacturer support. If a shop visit means a journey, make the journey! It might cost you a few extra quid in fuel but compared to the frustrations and costs of a courier return etc, the extra costs may well be worth it!
 
I've just been playing with a Sigma 120-300 f2.8 OS and have been very impressed by it - it is plenty sharp enough wide open and even with a 1.4x or 2x in place it is still usable wide open (though stopping down a bit helps). It isn't as good as the Canon 300 f2.8 IS (I've only used the mkI) but given the price of it I wasn't expecting it to be. Be aware that it is only really 300mm at infinity, at close ranges it appears a chunk shorter than the prime.
 
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