Canon EF 75-300mm or Sigma 70-300mm DG Macro?

[Paul Tinworth]

I'm only beginning to get into digital photography, so I'm going to need some help here! I've just bought myself a second-hand 50mm f/1.8 MkII (very happy - can't wait until it arrives!) and now I'm thinking about my next purchase: a 300mm telephoto.

I already have a Sigma 55-200mm f/4-5.6 DC, and while at university, I borrowed my flatmate's Canon 75-300mm f/4-5.6 (I should note that it is a film-lens, not a digital one) with some amazing results, hence why I wish to buy a larger telephoto.

Anyway, to the point!

My flatmate is willing to sell his lens for £90... but I have just come across this for £95: a Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro (http://www.microglobe.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?pName=sigma-70300mm-f456-dg-macro-zoom-lens-for-canon-eos&cName=lenses-sigma).

My questions:

Is this lens primarily for macro photography, or, like it suggests, is it a 'normal' telephoto but with the ability to undertake macro photography?
Is it better than the Canon 75-300mm f/4-5.6?
What do the 'DC' and 'DG' suffixes mean? :oops:

[4x4rock]

From what I've read the Sigma is a better lens than the Canon 75-300.

[Dorman]

The Sigma is generally regarded as the better of the two lenses, and it's a real gem for a "budget" telephoto. It's a normal telephoto with the ability to do close-ups, the magnification is half of life size, so close up but not true macro.

[liza]

The Sigma is much better. I own the Canon and my copy sucks.

[delhi]

Make sure it's with the APO designation. You get not one but TWO extra LD glasses making it THREE in total.

[Paul Tinworth]

Thanks for the replies, everyone! Greatly appreciated :)

I'm afraid I can't afford the APO variant, Delhi, (I'm a poor student!) but thanks for the advice anyway :)

[Stavhp]

it wont do macro, it will just le you focus at o,95 metres aways from something at 300, i think the macro button wasw just put there so it wouldnt hunt so much and just as another selling point

[delhi]

Thanks for the replies, everyone! Greatly appreciated :)

I'm afraid I can't afford the APO variant, Delhi, (I'm a poor student!) but thanks for the advice anyway :)

But you must! you must! avoid a few beers and eat KDs over a few weeks. The IQ is better and you avoid CA.

[Paul Tinworth]

I'm going to guess IQ is 'Image Quality', but I haven't a clue what CA is. I'm afraid I haven't gotten used to camera lingo yet :oops: :( While we're on the subject of acronyms and abbreviations, can anyone tell me what DC and DG mean?

And I simply can't afford it! I want to put the rest of my money towards a nice, slim P&S camera for when I go out; not too sensible carrying around decent kit in a pub or nightclub! :lol: :rolleyes:

[liza]

CA=chromatic aberration

[form]

CA - Chromatic Aberration - is an effect where the different colors are not refracted in exactly the same way by the lens, causing a colored "fringe" to show up at a specific angle along the edge of an object or contrasting area. It typically grows stronger towards the corners of an image.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatic_aberration

Sigma's DC line is only for cameras that use APS-C size (1.5x or 1.6x crop, I believe) sensors, and will produce black corners (an extreme version of vignetting) on larger sensors, particularly at the widest focal lengths the lens reaches (if it's a zoom; if it's a fixed focal DC lens, then the vignetting is unavoidable on a larger sensor/full frame camera). For the same reason of tighter tolerances, the DC line, and other similar lines by other manufacturers (Tamron's "Di II", Canon's "EF-S") whose lenses are designed specifically for 1.5x and 1.6x crop sensors, have more vignetting on APS-C based cameras than lenses designed for full frame.

The DG line can be used on anything; they are compatible with APS-C sensors as well as larger sensors and full-frame 35mm cameras, and won't have black corners on any of them.

For indoors compact digicams, http://www.dpreview.com just reviewed the Fuji Finepix F30. I owned their F10 before I bought a rebel xt. Not the best for movies or burst mode, but otherwise I very much liked the images I got from it, especially compared to my Kodak DC280 Zoom. Sony, certain Casio models - not the Z850 - and (supposedly) Canon, are probably better for movie mode. A friend of mine has a Sony DSC-P200 and the movies I've seen from that camera are quite good.

[red hot sheep]

Unless you need the 300mm range, go for the tamron 55-200mm. I just got one for £99, and for the price, the IQ is amazing! I will review it later in a new thread.

[Michel Souris]

Look at this link. It's got samples from the non-APO Sigma (which I'm selling elsewhere on this forum), the model immediately preceding the current DG model, but really the same lens. The sharpness, contrast, and focussing-accuracy are great.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/msouris2003/sets/72157594213303081/

[Matatazela]

The Sigma is much better. I own the Canon and my copy sucks. I owned the Canon and my copy sucked.

Answer is simple. Get the Sigma. Or better - get the EF 100-400 IS USM L. You will not regret it.

[liza]

I should probably sell my copy so I, too, can refer to it in the past tense. But I can't justify unloading my lens on anyone else. It's that bad.

[ron chappel]

Most are recommending you buy the sigma without realizing it's the APO version that is the good one ,NOT THE ONE YOU LINKED.
I have seen results that suggest the non apo model is a little better than the canon 75-300 but sadly real ,hard facts are few and far between on that particular sigma :(
That said you can't go far wrong,it's not a terrible lens by any means :)

Can you tollerate slightly slow autofocus? If so then grab the Tamron 70-300LD 1:2 macro. It's inexpensive and has very decent image quality (actually one of the sharper consumer zooms at the long end !:D)

[Paul Tinworth]

Matatazela, as much as I'd love one, there is absolutely no way I'll ever be able to afford an L lens :(

Thanks for the advice, Ron! It looks like the APO version is out of my price-range as well, although I'll have a look at that Tamron :)

[PhotoAlien]

How about Tamron 70-300mm macro? I like mine and it was dirt cheap new.
The macro mode can be used between 180-300mm at 0.95m close range.

[PhotoAlien]

Doh, nevermind.

[Fureinku]

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1773937&postcount=21

I vote Tamron, I owned the Canon EF 75-300 III USM for 3 days and returned it... www.fredmiranda.com, excellent lens reviews

EDIT:Mods, the larger pic is to show DOF and detail throughout...