Sigma 120-300

Bigvin

Bigvin

Suspended / Banned
Messages
616
Edit My Images
No
Hi

I'm looking at buying a Sigma 120-300 2.8 OS, but have a couple of concerns.

Firstly, how common is this AF issue? Been reading up on the net and a lot of people seem to be reporting it.

Secondly. I can buy new for £1679, Import from Digital Rev for £1469 or second hand for £1250.
Again the AF issue would raise it's head. UK lens no problems. Import, not under UK warranty, but would they fix it if I paid? (Around £167 looking at the tariff sheet on Sigma's website) Second hand, again a £167 hit if it broke.

Lastly, I would say 95% of my shooting is done handheld, but I'm getting a gimbal head and new tripod for xmas, so I'm going to try using my camera tripod mounted as much as possible. To that end would I be better off getting the non-OS lens and saving the money for something else? The only issue being if I end up leaving the tripod at home all the time because of the weight.


Sorry for the long post, but I'm getting a bit nervous about spending up to £2k for the first time on a lens/tele combo, want to make sure I get it right.

Anyone have any advice / experience with these lenses.

Cheers
 
No af problems with mine. The os version is sharper than the non. The os is also superb and you can shoot handheld with the lens. I would get a uk lens as sigma are very sniffy about imports and I have heard of them refusing to work on import lenses.
 
I would be weary of buying a sigma tele zoom that you can't test as everyone I've had had been quite soft (well more so than what I was lead to believe) but I have seen lots of examples that are pin sharp.

I'd rather pay an extra £200 so I could test THAT VERSION in store or of course buy second hand but test a sigma :)
 
I've got a Sigma 150-500 at the minute so I do know about the quality issues. Bought it from here so was lucky enough to have peace of mind.

This one is from another forum that i'm relatively new to so I'm a bit cautious.

Reading through Digital Revs warranty policy it does seem to provide decent cover. Does anyone have experience of a warranty claim with them?
 
Update......
Just read through the post about Digital Rev and the 5d3.
Think I might give them a miss.
 
The issue you have read about ref the 5D3 looks like a very isolated occurance... Keep an eye on the thread as I think DR might do good to the guys concerned.
 
I've had absolutely no issues with the AF on my copy at all and to be honest I haven't heard about any. The OS version is lightyears better than the older ones btw.
 
I have the Nikon fit version, optically no problems at all, very sharp, works great with both teleconverters as well. I did have a problem with the af motor, it packed up on holiday, the lens chattered and hunted for focus. Sigma repaired it under warranty no probs and it's been fine since. I wouldnt buy a grey market version of this lens as too many people seemed to have had af issues to chance it. As for handholding it all the time, yes you could but it's very front heavy, a lot of my work, especially bird photography is done off a monopod, I don't bother with a tripod and gimbal.
 
I bought the 120-300/2.8 OS from Jessops on clearance this summer. Very sharp. Very powerful OS system.

Mostly it has worked well, but I have had some issues.....

1. In the early days I often found the AF to absolutely crawl - like taking 20" to creep towards focus. At other times it would be as snappy as one would hope and expect. I think the problem was down to poor contact between lens and camera, with the problem being on the lens side of things. Like I say, that was in the early days. More recently I have seen no further problems.

2. AF calibration - I've used Focal to calibrate this lens and others with various bodies. Often I have found that the adjustment needed at the long end is quite different from that required at the short end. On my 5D3 this is no problem at all, and the combination is very usable throughout the focal length range. On my 7D it is a disaster, rendering the lens unusable unless I pick a specific focal length to shoot at and tune the calibration to suit that length.

3. The OS is rock solid - if you can hold the camera steady enough in the first place. If you are struggling to keep the camera sufficiently steady the OS becomes very jittery. This is quite a different behaviour to my various Canon lenses with IS. This is not so much of a problem when shooting a static subject, but makes things very difficult (with my talents at least) when trying to track a moving subject, and more so with a TC fitted. I found this to be the case when attending an airshow and using a Kenko 1.4X TC. Even when shooting at slow shutter speeds for the prop planes I was getting better results with the OS turned off than with it on.

Since I have an authorised UK model I have three years warranty with Sigma. I think that is very desirable.

If you're not already aware a new version of this lens has been announced, supposedly with improved build and the ability to upgrade firmware at home. I don't know when it is due to hit the market, but it might create downward pressure on prices for the current model. I would not consider the non OS version for the reasons stated by Mark.

Worth a browse through this thread - http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=934592&page=178
 
Last edited:
Thanks for that Tim.

Yeah I was aware of the new version, supposedly being released in Spring next year, but after watching the interview with the head of Sigma, I think there's also going to be a hefty increase in price to go with it. Therefore making the price of the current model and second hand prices remain high.
 
No experience of the lens but I just happen to have Mifsuds's ad open in front of me (BAD GAS, Bad!) and see that they have a Nikon fit 120-300 f/2.8 for £949 (non OS).
 
Can only see a Canon fit one for £899.

MPB do have a Nikon fit OS one for £1389 with 6 months warranty.

Or a brand new one from WEX for £1689 with 3 years warranty.

Decisions decisions. :help:
 
menthel said:
No af problems with mine. The os version is sharper than the non. The os is also superb and you can shoot handheld with the lens. I would get a uk lens as sigma are very sniffy about imports and I have heard of them refusing to work on import lenses.
Click to expand...

Hi do you mean that they may not do out of warranty work at all on grey imports?
I have bought lenses from Sigma, Tamron and Tokina all as grey imports and the saving was such that I took a chance on the warranty
Thought if in the unlikely event that the lens went wrong I would just pay the bill myself
It would be a nightmare if I sent a lens for a service and they refused to work on it
Pete
 
LCPete said:
Hi do you mean that they may not do out of warranty work at all on grey imports?
I have bought lenses from Sigma, Tamron and Tokina all as grey imports and the saving was such that I took a chance on the warranty
Thought if in the unlikely event that the lens went wrong I would just pay the bill myself
It would be a nightmare if I sent a lens for a service and they refused to work on it
Pete
Click to expand...

I have heard it in a thread here. I can't remember the exact thread but that was definately what was said. May be worth clearing up with Sigma UK.
 
menthel said:
I have heard it in a thread here. I can't remember the exact thread but that was definately what was said. May be worth clearing up with Sigma UK.
Click to expand...

OK thanks certainly worth bearing in mind :)
The Sigma 120 - 300 is on my wish list as an affordable way of getting F2.8 on a long lens:)
On reflection I would probably get a UK one on a lens that expensive as it would be easier if anything went wrong:)
 
Sorry Vin - that'll teach me to look at Photography Monthly! The only reason I have it is that my wife bought it in error instead of AP.
 
tdodd said:
I bought the 120-300/2.8 OS from Jessops on clearance this summer. Very sharp. Very powerful OS system.

Mostly it has worked well, but I have had some issues.....

1. In the early days I often found the AF to absolutely crawl - like taking 20" to creep towards focus. At other times it would be as snappy as one would hope and expect. I think the problem was down to poor contact between lens and camera, with the problem being on the lens side of things. Like I say, that was in the early days. More recently I have seen no further problems.

<snip>
Click to expand...

AF problems have returned with a vengeance. It gave up the ghost again today whilst trying to photograph my dog, worked sporadically, but was mostly useless. When I got home I tried it on three other bodies and the AF was u/s on all of them. So today I took it back to Jessops, where it also failed to focus with one of their bodies and then started working again.

Clearly without repair it is not a lens I can trust to behave so it's gone away for Christ knows how many weeks to be repaired. Since the fault is intermittent I really hope they don't send it back with nothing done to address the problem.
 
Nothing but trouble with mine, I'm fairly forgiving but AF was incredibly hit and miss for a while then stopped working altogether. Then it started losing contact with my camera on and off.

Sent it back to Sigma who replaced pretty much everything but the glass (it was from MPB but out of warranty, so cost me about £250 I think) but by then I had lost confidence in it so got rid of it.

Shame as in theory nothing can touch it for the price, but it's thrown my confidence in Sigma to be honest.
 
Bigvin said:
Thanks for that Tim.

Yeah I was aware of the new version, supposedly being released in Spring next year, but after watching the interview with the head of Sigma, I think there's also going to be a hefty increase in price to go with it. Therefore making the price of the current model and second hand prices remain high.
Click to expand...

At the start it will be higher, but hopefully will slowly fall. I would suggest getting the new one if possible, or TEST them out if you buy current one. What is acceptable for one user may not be good enough for another (and why are they selling it?)
 
I forgot all about this thread.

I bought a 120-300 from MPB last week, and have just had a chance to get a couple of shots with it due to work commitments.

First impressions, a great lens. AF seems fast but haven't had a chance to try BIF yet. I find it's easily handheld and the OS system is a fantastic improvement from my 150-500.

The only issue I've had is when I used my Kenko 1.4TC. It focuses to about the right point but then doesn't lock focus. It seems to judder back and forth and gives rubbish images 95% of the time. I'm not quite sure if this is a lens or a TC problem. Has anyone heard of this before?

Sorry to hear about your problems guys. If I hadn't already bought the lens, I would have probably have bottled it after reading your issues. Fingers crossed I won't have too many problems with it. :(
 
I got a sigma x2 specifically to use with the lens as I felt it was most likely to work. No problems with mine either!
 
Canon 2X MK III for mine, but that didn't stop it being faulty.
 
Bigvin said:
I forgot all about this thread.

I bought a 120-300 from MPB last week, and have just had a chance to get a couple of shots with it due to work commitments.

First impressions, a great lens. AF seems fast but haven't had a chance to try BIF yet. I find it's easily handheld and the OS system is a fantastic improvement from my 150-500.

The only issue I've had is when I used my Kenko 1.4TC. It focuses to about the right point but then doesn't lock focus. It seems to judder back and forth and gives rubbish images 95% of the time. I'm not quite sure if this is a lens or a TC problem. Has anyone heard of this before?

Sorry to hear about your problems guys. If I hadn't already bought the lens, I would have probably have bottled it after reading your issues. Fingers crossed I won't have too many problems with it. :(
Click to expand...

Hi, I was looking at these at MPB too, how are you getting on with it?
Cheers
Dean
 
tdodd said:
AF problems have returned with a vengeance. It gave up the ghost again today whilst trying to photograph my dog, worked sporadically, but was mostly useless. When I got home I tried it on three other bodies and the AF was u/s on all of them. So today I took it back to Jessops, where it also failed to focus with one of their bodies and then started working again.

Clearly without repair it is not a lens I can trust to behave so it's gone away for Christ knows how many weeks to be repaired. Since the fault is intermittent I really hope they don't send it back with nothing done to address the problem.
Click to expand...

I picked up the lens today from Jessops, following repair which took just over four weeks all in all. It required a replacement AF motor. Initial testing shows that it is at least focusing, but the original fault was intermittent so only time will tell. However, with the bare lens on my 7D One Shot AF seems to jitter towards the final stages of focus lock rather than confidently hitting it first time. I have other bodies and a couple of TCs to try it with too, but the light has gone now and I'm not fannying about in the dark. I hope it all turns out to be OK. Given yesterday's announcement I'm not sure I would feel safe returning it to Jessops again for further repair work and I'm not even sure whether they would take it back. At least Sigma's three year warranty should cover any shortfall, so I still have 2.5 years of cover remaining.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top