Sigma EX 80-400mm f4.5-5.6 Lens - any good?

RichardC27

RichardC27

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I'm looking to upgrade my lens over the winter, and I've just found this for a tad under 700 notes on Amazon.co.uk. I've been trying to find a way to stump up the cash for the Canon 100-400mm L series lens, but this seems to have a similar spec for less cash. It would be used for motorsport photography on a Canon EOS 400D body.

Anybody got any experiences, good or bad, with this lens?

Link to the page on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sigma-EX-Telephoto-4-5-5-6-Canon/dp/B0000C1I36/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1225123879&sr=8-2
 
Hi,

at that price you'd be better picking up a S/H 100-400 Canon, there is someone over on AvForums who has one at £675. I don't know the seller but it would be worth a look at the thread, just remember that unlike the classifieds here all conversations/dealings are to be posted on the thread until a deal is struck and then you go to PM to swap payment details etc.

Have a look HERE, I know it says £750 on the original thread but the seller reduced it on page 4 to £675 inc P+P so might be worth a look. A superior lens to the Sigma as it will have faster AF and there are loads of people on here who use one, I haven't heard of anyone using the Sigma.

Mike.
 
andrewc said:
Personally I would recommend Sigma 100-300 f4 EX. Between 100-300 IQ is as good as 100-400L and has the advantage of being 1/2-1 stop faster which is great in gloomy old UK
Click to expand...

Hi,

I agree a cracking lens but the IS on the Canon will be more useful with the winter gloom in this country than the extra 1/2 - 1 stop of the Sigma, although they can be picked up for a lot less than the Canon 100-400, I have owned both and if a push came to a shove as to which one I would buy now....... well I'd probably be sat nice and cosy on the fence :D

However saying that I still think I'd go for the Canon with the extra 100mm of reach which is handy for wildlife, I didn't like my Siggy with a TC on it as it exagerrated the CA especially for flight shots and shots of birds in leafless trees, it showed up a lot of CA on the edges of branches etc.

The Canon is THE versatile wildlife zoom with that range and at £675 for a used one it's a good deal.

Mike.
 
Thanks guys. Since I saw this lens, I've found the Sigma 120-400mm f4.5-5.6 APO DG OS HSM (longest lens name ever?!), which is available on warehousexpress.com for £498.99. A lens with image stabilisation, hypersonic motor (USM) and that reach for under £500 is a bargain, and anything is going to be better than the gear I've got. Unless anybody has any total horror stories about this lens? Amazon link here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sigma-120-400mm-f4-5-5-6-Digital-Cameras/dp/B0015453NO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1225318440&sr=8-3


A Canon 100-400mm would be nice, but, realistically, it's a little out of my price range.
 
It's first generation IS, so gives 2-stops apparently. Sigma claim a 4-stop IS for the 120-400mm lens.
 
RichardC27 said:
I've found the Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 APO DG OS HSM (longest lens name ever?!)
Click to expand...
Ooh, time to go completely OT here!

That Sigma has "only" 40 characters in its name.

My contender is the AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G IF-ED (49 characters).
 
Has anybody had any quality control problems with this lens? I've read various stories on here of people returning two or three Sigma lenses before getting a good one.
 
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