Sigma 70-200 EX 2.8 HSM

[tony4563]

Can anyone who has a D60 and the Sigma 70-200EX 2.8 HSM give me their honest opinion on this combination. Just how sharp is this lens with this camera? Any samples appreciated!

[bluebomberx]

The Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 EX HSM is my favorite lens in my bag. It works with my 10D like it does with my film bodies. Here are a few samples.

Click image to open a full resolution version
http://www.phototalk.net/photos/data/500/510126_2647.jpg (http://www.phototalk.net/rryerson/EOS10D/126_2647?full=1)

with slow sync flash
http://www.phototalk.net/photos/data/500/510131_3144.jpg

with Sigma 2x APO Teleconverter
http://www.phototalk.net/photos/data/500/510CFD006.jpg

[CyberDyneSystems]

I have it on my 10D a lot too,. and it is superb. Definatley the best performing lens I have yet to try.

I have not had the priviledge of using "L" glass,. but I like it a good deal more than the "consumer" Canon lenses I have tried.

below you see the narrow depth of feild effect of that large aperture... the second duck is very much out of focus and the water gets more guassian as it receeds.

http://images.fotopic.net/?id=528049&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

[CyberDyneSystems]

Taken in a relatively dark theatre at ISO 1600 with 10D and 70-200 EX.

No tweeking,.. just resized.

There are more of this fashion show in my gallery,. I would NOT have been able to get these pics with out the 10D's 1600 ISO and this lens (as compared to any of my other lenses)


http://images.fotopic.net/?id=544771&outx=600&noresize=1&nostamp=1

[tony4563]

Wow! Excellent selection of quality shots. Thanks everyone. My mind is made up now and I'm gonna go for one. BluebomberX - Can I ask you which software you used for the copyright message? Looks really cool!

[bluebomberx]

tony4563 wrote:
Wow! Excellent selection of quality shots. Thanks everyone. My mind is made up now and I'm gonna go for one. BluebomberX - Can I ask you which software you used for the copyright message? Looks really cool!

Tony, I put the copyright info on my images with Adobe Photoshop. You can do it in almost any image editor though. Here are a 14 more samples with the Canon 10D and Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 EX HSM (http://www.phototalk.net/rryerson/motorsports). All of the images with a copyright were taken today. All of the others were taken with the same lens on a different day.

-Richie

[CyberDyneSystems]

Nice action Shots BluebomberX!

I like the Wheely!

[tony4563]

Thanks for the samples Bluebomberx. Great shots! My minds made up. I'm using a Sigma 70-10 f4-5.6 UC APO at the moment. To be fair, it produces really good results. However, the autofocus is a little slow and I want more depth of field (or is it less for a blurred background?!) when taking portraits or action shots. Are you happy with the speed of autofocus on yours? I can get a mint- condition lens over here in the UK for around £500, unless anyone knows a good price for a new one in the UK?

Thanks again for your replies...most appreciated.

[bluebomberx]

tony4563 wrote:
Thanks for the samples Bluebomberx. Great shots! My minds made up. I'm using a Sigma 70-10 f4-5.6 UC APO at the moment. To be fair, it produces really good results. However, the autofocus is a little slow and I want more depth of field (or is it less for a blurred background?!) when taking portraits or action shots. Are you happy with the speed of autofocus on yours? I can get a mint- condition lens over here in the UK for around £500, unless anyone knows a good price for a new one in the UK?

Thanks again for your replies...most appreciated.

The AF with the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 EX HSM is every bit as fast as the Canon. I picked mine up at B&H for $550/US used. I also found a matching 2x teleconverter at B&H for $130/US used. The loss of sharpness becomes apparent when coupled with the 2x teleconverter. I've read that much better results can come for the Sigma 1.4 teleconverter.

To answer your question about DOF, larger apertures decrease DOF and smaller apertures increase DOF. The blur in my photos was caused by panning with the cars. I had to stop down around f/8-f/11 to get the shutter speeds of 1/60-1/80 that I needed to pan.

[tony4563]

Thanks for clearing that up. I'll be on the phone to order on Monday.

[CyberDyneSystems]

FYI I just got the 1.4X Sigma EX converter and it works really well with this lens. Yes the 2X works amazingly well too,. but with the 1.4x the colr change is much less,.. and the lens behaves pretty much identically to the way it does without a converter. I noticed no slowdown in focusing.

[raymond_anthony]

But how does this compare to the canon 70-200 L series 2.8. Is it worth the extra 600 for that lens.

Or how about the canon 70-200 L 4.0. That one is about $530. I can get the sigma for 599. I think I will use the 2.8 more because of the wedding shots i do.