Nikon 80-200 & 300 f4 for a Sigma 120-300 2.8?

ukaskew

ukaskew

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Chris
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I have...

Nikon 80-200 2.8 AF-S
Nikon 300mm f4

Do you think it's worth doing a straight swap for a Sigma 120-300 2.8 EX assuming it wouldn't cost me anything?

I mainly shoot motorsport, and more often than not I'm panning, so I would say focus speed is probably more important than overall image quality.
 
Damn yes - The 120-300mm f/2.8 is a god amongst lenses. Personally, I'd do it without hesitation...
 
Hmmm...tough one. The 80-200 AF-S is a sought-after lens and commands a good price, as does the 300mm f/4 (I assume the non af-s version). I'm not so sure I'd have a secondhand Sigma over two Nikons - the Nikons will hold their value better, plus the Sigma is a heavy lens and it's not as if you can leave "half" of it behind if need be like you can with the Nikon combo....
 
Flash In The Pan said:
Hmmm...tough one. The 80-200 AF-S is a sought-after lens and commands a good price, as does the 300mm f/4 (I assume the non af-s version). I'm not so sure I'd have a secondhand Sigma over two Nikons - the Nikons will hold their value better, plus the Sigma is a heavy lens and it's not as if you can leave "half" of it behind if need be like you can with the Nikon combo....
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Both the 80-200 and 300 I have are AF-S versions, I haven't investigated what they are worth on the 'open market', any ideas?

Size doesn't concern me, my two lenses get used exclusively at motorsport events where I'm plenty used to lugging heavy equipment around all day. Only nagging doubt is AF speed, as my 80-200 is lightning quick and I do work my AF very hard with the style of shots I like to take.
 
The sigma 120-300mm f2.8 is a good lens and if use only for motorsport is a good choice, it starts to let you down with the autofocus hunting if conditions drop off and say your taking images of fast moving objects moving in and out of shadow, not good for a f2.8 lens and the build quality for a £1500 lens is substandard, things having a tendency to fall out (retaining screws), friends just sold his 4 month old lens and bought a canon 300mm f2.8 (non IS) version secondhand, but the sigma is still a stella performer in the right conditions and has a nice range (no other lens offers that range with that f-stop) and price tag is affordable

Peter
 
This is shot with my Sigma 120-300, not many things need a faster AF that this.

Alfa1.jpg
 
pete.rush said:
The sigma 120-300mm f2.8 is a good lens and if use only for motorsport is a good choice, it starts to let you down with the autofocus hunting if conditions drop off and say your taking images of fast moving objects moving in and out of shadow, not good for a f2.8 lens and the build quality for a £1500 lens is substandard, things having a tendency to fall out (retaining screws), friends just sold his 4 month old lens and bought a canon 300mm f2.8 (non IS) version secondhand, but the sigma is still a stella performer in the right conditions and has a nice range (no other lens offers that range with that f-stop) and price tag is affordable

Peter
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This is only probably the second or third post I've come across where someone has anything but praise for this lens. Given that Sigma don't have a stellar reputation for build quality, this always surprised me. As of yet I've still to come across anyone up here who uses one for motorsport to get "horse's mouth" view, but screws falling out of anything that cost £1500 after 4 months, especially a precision optical instrument, is a bit worrying....
 
The lack of Motorsport togs using it is worrying me a little (a simple Flickr search usually yields loads of motorsport stuff for most telephotos or long primes, not so the 120-300)

I'm going to keep digging over the weekend to see if I can find any more info. Cheers for the comments so far.
 
IMO unless you really need f2.8 at 300mm i would stick with what youve got. as they are both great lenses
 
Xup said:
This is shot with my Sigma 120-300, not many things need a faster AF that this.

Alfa1.jpg
Click to expand...

True and it is a good performer, but I've read a few non motorsport related threads that knock its autofocusing ability in varying light conditions, and from what my friend took earlier on in the year at Tebay, his shot sort of back this up and thats why he sold it.

For the money and in the right conditions is still a very good lens and another friend swears by it for motorsport, I just have my doubts about its all round capabilities

Peter
 
andrewc said:
Lots of motorsport togs use the Sigma 120-300 - many in the motorsport section of POTN.

I've only heard good things about it.
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The problems I've found with POTN review of lenses and I'm not knocking there abilities, understanding or reviews, but have you seen the weather in the US where most of these lenses get tried out and reviewed by its members, and that's where I'm coming from, they say this lens is great or that lens is great, but you use that lens in UK with our weather and lighting conditions and hey presso not such a good performer, especially for the type of photography that I do, I'm not knocking the sigma, for motorsport it's a good lens, which most people us it for, but it does have its limitations when it comes to other situations, unfortunately for canon and nikon users there is a significant jump up in $$$ to the next lenses from the 70-200, 100-400 lens range like the nikon 200-400mm f4 or the canon 300mm f2.8. The sigma fills this gap, but it does have its flaws

Peter
 
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