Sunday, February 16, 2014

Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Review

Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM | S


Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSMHere's a review of the Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Sport, a high-end super telephoto lens with a versatile zoom range and a wide constant aperture of f/2.8, designed for wildlife, sports and portrait photographers. This is the third generation of the lens. Its predecessor, the Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM was released back in 2005 with very similar optical design. 

What has changed, is the exterior built and appearance of the lens (along with the tripod collar and tripod foot), the new rigorous quality control that Sigma has implemented on its new lines of high quality lenses, and the ability to attach a USB dock for fine tuning the autofocus operation of the lens. You can see the complete technical specifications below.

The Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 is a very interesting lens, not only because of its versatile zoom range that is not found on any other lens on the market, but also because of its large constant aperture of f/2.8. To date, no other manufacturer has produced a comparable lens. Nikon has a 200-400mm f/4 constant aperture superzoom in its arsenal that costs approx. $7,000 USD, while Canon offers a 200-400mm f/4 lens with a 1.4x built-in teleconverter, at a much heftier price of close to $11,000. Both offer more reach, but sacrifice 1 full stop of light. And once you compare them to the Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8, which becomes a 168-420mm f/4 lens with a 1.4x teleconverter, you will see why it becomes such an attractive choice for many, especially with its current market price of $3,400. (Prices listed here are approx., based on a single dealer)

 

Lens Specifications

Main Features:
  1. Large aperture with great zoom range
  2. Includes technology such as a HSM & OS
  3. Accessories include: Lens Hood (LH1220-01) & Carrying Case.

Technical Specifications:
  1. Mounts: Sigma, Nikon, Canon
  2. Focal Length: 120-300mm
  3. Maximum Aperture: f/2.8
  4. Minimum Aperture f/22
  5. Maximum Angle of View: 20.4° – 8.2°
  6. Maximum Reproduction Ratio: 1:8.1
  7. Lens Elements: 23
  8. Lens Groups: 18
  9. Image Stabilization: Yes
  10. Diaphragm Blades: 9
  11. Distance Information: Yes
  12. FLD Glass Elements: 2
  13. SLD Glass Elements: 1
  14. Autofocus: Yes
  15. HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor): Yes
  16. Internal Focusing: Yes
  17. Minimum Focus Distance: 1.50m
  18. Focus Mode: Auto, Manual
  19. Filter Size: 105mm
  20. Accepts Filter Type: Screw-on
  21. Dimensions (Approx.): 124 x 291mm
  22. Weight (Approx.): 3.39 kg
  23. Supplied Accessories: Lens Hood (LH1220-01) & Carrying Case
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