Sigma 55-200mm F4-5.6 DC

[night_day]

Well, I'm sure more and more people will get this lens after seeing Nick_C's thread (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=291362) (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=291362&highlight=nick_c)

I just picked it up so I'd like to see other's post shots they've taken with this lens, seems like a great lens for the price!

[Nick_C]

Here are some of my first shots taken with this lens, im even using it on my 5D with pretty good results so far, tack sharp at 55-160mm with a decent sharpness at 200mm.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1008/526607115_76a7926df0_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/215/526607119_4dde7482fd_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/187/477108533_460d1bc2a4_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/209/467385762_57193f077f_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/221/477091040_0eba8671a1_o.jpg

The above shots were taken using my 350D, below is a 100% crop from a recent shot taken using the 55-200 on the 5D, yes its a full frame lens at bargain basement price!

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1411/651531288_a1f2355201_o.jpg

Its exactly this level of sharpness wideopen as well, stopping down doesnt seem to effect sharpness on this lens, I stopped down on this shot for DOF as its pretty narrow at 200mm F5.6.

Anyone else have any shots?

Nick :-)

[Nick_C]

Here is a more recent shot taken just the other day with the 55-200 on the 5D, the 55mm end is much more usable on the 5D rather than on a 350D or a 30D as its a true 55mm so its much wider, of course you do lose on the 200mm end but the 5D captures so much more detail than any other camera I have ever use (350D, 30D) its worth it, im a landscape photographer anyway so it matches my needs much better.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1323/661277995_701b13df80_o.jpg

The colour isnt quite up to the standard on my 24-105L lens but that costs considerably more.

Nick :-)

[bauerman]

This thread needs to fill up with great photos from this great lens. I LOVE the performance of this lens along with its size and weight. Feels like you have a kit lens on your camera when in reality you have some reach.

Here is just a quick shot from a butterfly exhibit the other day - no post processing on this whatsoever, right out of the camera. Will post more...

http://jbauer.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p805216056.jpg



Canon EOS 10D
Focal length 176 mm
Exposure 1/500 at f/8
Flash Not fired
Exposure bias -2/3 EV
ISO speed ISO 200
Metering mode Average

[gorby]

Cloudy day, through gates:
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/2690/img9696webeg7.jpg

I really enjoy this lens, it's a wonderful 'first telephoto' for me. And it's made me a Sigma fan. Will have no hesitation buying my next lens- the 17-70!

[bauerman]

Really nice shot gorby...

[gorby]

Thanks bauerman.

I kinda like this shot too, from the same day:

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/1701/img9652webpj0.jpg

Not what I'd call tack sharp or anything, but it came out ok considering the circumstances-- again, cloudy, behind dim cage, jittery thing that doesn't hold still for second (tallest flying bird), and me MFing the lens.

[bauerman]

Another good one Gorby.

I just returned from a trip to San Diego (with this being the only lens that I took with me) and was very pleased with its performance and its light weight and ease of carrying.

Here is a shot captured at the San Diego Wild Animal Park with the Sigma 55-200mm ...at 200mm I might add where I spent most of this day - fully zoomed.

http://jbauer.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p446689729-4.jpg

[gorby]

Nice dude! I'm itching to get to the LA Zoo one of these days.

(I shot the others on vacation)

[bauerman]

I love shooting at zoos - great photographic fodder all in a nice compact space. The San Diego Wild Animal Park is a whole different story though - the way they have that park set up the photo ops are wonderful as most of the time you can get unobstructed views of the animals as they are in large paddocks rather than in chain link cages. They even offer photo tours (which I could not take this time) that take you out into the field for even better shots.

We did the San Diego Zoo as well which is wonderful in its own right. Shooting the pandas there was a great experience. All with my trusty, small, compact, light, sharp Sigma 55-200mm !

[bauerman]

Another one from the Wild Animal Park last week fully zoomed with the Sig 55-200:

http://jbauer.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p486384154-4.jpg

[bauerman]

I had this thread added to the lens archive "sticky" at the top of the lens forum.

[bauerman]

Here is another shot taken with the Siggy 55-200 at the San Diego Zoo - they only had one panda out the day we were there, but it was great to view and photograph this wonderful animal.

[SLED-WERX Racing]

Holly Crap! and to think I just about smoked $500+ for a 70-200 f/4 L ??

when I can get this lens off AIR MILES for FREE ???

anyone with some action shots? auto's, birds in flight anything?

[Nick_C]

Holly Crap! and to think I just about smoked $500+ for a 70-200 f/4 L ??

when I can get this lens off AIR MILES for FREE ???

anyone with some action shots? auto's, birds in flight anything?

Its a very underated lens, infact I dont think many people have even tried this lens, assuming that because of the price its bound to be rubbish, but its actually quite good.

The only bird in flight shot I did with the lens was the one on my previous post, scroll up to the top of the page, that seagull shot is uncropped.

Its one of Sigmas best bargains, as a bonus its also a full frame compatible lens, Sigma state its for APS-C bodies only, but someone made a blunder with the marketing as ive used it on the 5D with great results ;)

[SLED-WERX Racing]

would it work on a tripod without a colar? is it light enough?

[gorby]

Holly Crap! and to think I just about smoked $500+ for a 70-200 f/4 L ??

when I can get this lens off AIR MILES for FREE ???

anyone with some action shots? auto's, birds in flight anything?

I don't quite understand, do you already have the 70-200 f/4L?

I'm not sure why you would want the Siggy if that were the case. Nice as it is for the price, I doubt it compares very favorably. I am actually going to upgrade to the L in the future.


But to answer you question, yes it is plenty light. It is not very big, and not very heavy. Not much more cumbersome to use than the kit lens.

[SLED-WERX Racing]

don't have the other lens, was going to purchase here though, until I got this info on the Sigma. Would rather pick this lens up for FREE with air miles and then when time and $$ permits just directly into the 2.8 L IS

[Nick_C]

would it work on a tripod without a colar? is it light enough?

Yes it would, its very light.

[SLED-WERX Racing]

Thanks Nick

with all this great info on the SIGMA, what would you suggest for high speed outdoor winter shots of snowmobiles racing/dragging..... as the eventual step up to use with the Rebel XTi are there any lenses out there in your personal opinion that would be 'best' suited for this purpose application and any good bargain lenses that compare to the F2.8 L but not $1500+ ?

[gorby]

don't have the other lens, was going to purchase here though, until I got this info on the Sigma. Would rather pick this lens up for FREE with air miles and then when time and $$ permits just directly into the 2.8 L IS

I see, good luck with that! Something in the price range of 2.8L will probably just never be an option me. But then again I thought I could spend more than $500 for a lens either...

Using the sigma 55-200 has taught me I love telephoto though :)

[Nick_C]

Thanks Nick

with all this great info on the SIGMA, what would you suggest for high speed outdoor winter shots of snowmobiles racing/dragging..... as the eventual step up to use with the Rebel XTi are there any lenses out there in your personal opinion that would be 'best' suited for this purpose application and any good bargain lenses that compare to the F2.8 L but not $1500+ ?

Well quite a few people love the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8, its also a lot cheaper than the Canon equivalent.

The other lens I like the sound of is the Sigma 50-500, its not the fastest lens around but sure does have a might range!

[bauerman]

Back to examples from this great lens...

Another Panda shot from the San Diego Zoo.

http://jbauer.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p985428829-4.jpg

[Starman27]

I know this is an old thread, but I figured I could ask my question in here instead of starting another thread. I have a 400d with the kit lens and a nifty fifty. Would this be a good lens for a christmas present to upgrade from the kit lens, or is there something better in the $300 and under price range as far as zoom lenses go? Thanks a lot.

[Nick_C]

I know this is an old thread, but I figured I could ask my question in here instead of starting another thread. I have a 400d with the kit lens and a nifty fifty. Would this be a good lens for a christmas present to upgrade from the kit lens, or is there something better in the $300 and under price range as far as zoom lenses go? Thanks a lot.

I found the image quality better on the 55-200 over the kit lens, but you say to upgrade from your kit lens? this is really something to compliment your kit lens than to upgrade or even replace it entirely.

I would say yes it would make a nice little christmas present, its cheap to buy but its cheaply made (its much better than the kit lens) & while there are better lenses around NOTHING even comes close to this lens when you consider the price!

Its also compatible with full frame cameras like the 5D despite what Sigma say on their website, I used to use mine on the 5D with great results.

[olly_k]

Haven't used this lens as much as I would like to but I think it is great - I bet you would be hard pressed to find better value for money!


http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u270/olly-k/Bird1.jpg





http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u270/olly-k/Cat55200.jpg


http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u270/olly-k/Cat55200b.jpg


Oh, all edited in Picasa then resized & resharpened in PSP I'm afraid :oops: Don't ask why!!

[Starman27]

Great pics Olly.

Yeah, I meant compliment Nick, I just chose the wrong word. Looks like I know what will be in one of those boxes in a month then ;) I see how glass can be addicting. I am already lusting way too much over new glass that I don't need all that bad, lol.

[Nick_C]

Great pics Olly.

Yeah, I meant compliment Nick, I just chose the wrong word. Looks like I know what will be in one of those boxes in a month then ;) I see how glass can be addicting. I am already lusting way too much over new glass that I don't need all that bad, lol.

Yep, not much of a suprise when you open that present :p

Im sure you will love the lens, I compared it to the Tamron 55-200 & the Sigma was the nicer of the two lenses, build quality was far better than the Tamron.

For the money you cant get anything better, thats for SURE! this is one lens that not many people own or are even willing to try, I think most get turned off because of the price, thinking that it MUST be rubbish for that money, but its one of Sigma's best bargains!

[4rgentum]

how much did you guys pay for the sigma 55-200?? is $128 a good price? has anyone had any experience with shopping at focuscamera.com?

Thanks!

[Starman27]

If you ever have a question about an online retailer, check out resellerratings.com. As far as this site goes, it got a 6.67, which isn't bad, but not great. You can get the lens from Sigma4ess.com for $125, which is cheaper, and a well-known and trusted site.

http://www.sigma4less.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=154747a3a9931f6/shopdata/0010_Lenses/0010_Zoom/0010_Digital+Zoom/product_details.shopscript?article=1050_Sigma%2BZo om%2BNormal-Telephoto%2B55-200mm%2Bf%3D26slash%3D3B4-5%3D252E6%2BDC%2BAutofocus%2BLens%2Bfor%2BCanon%2B Digital%2BEOS%2B%3D28SG55200F4CA%3D29

[bauerman]

how much did you guys pay for the sigma 55-200?? is $128 a good price? has anyone had any experience with shopping at focuscamera.com?

Thanks!

I would highly recommend keeping an eye on the buy and sell boards here at POTN....that is where I was able to grab my 55-200 and I was able to do so for significantly less than $120 bones...........

[leehfd]

I have been looking into getting this lens for a while now, but could never find a good review of it, but this is a great thread and has helped me make my mind up, i will be ordering it next weekend!

so thanks for the info and photos! :)

[bauerman]

You are making a good choice - what camera body are you going to be using it with?

[leehfd]

At the moment i have the Canon EOS 400D w/18-55mm lens =]

[bauerman]

At the moment i have the Canon EOS 400D w/18-55mm lens =]

Good body to pair that lens with and you will love the versatility and light weight of the 55-200mm lens. Its a great focal range and not much to pack around. Post some examples in this thread once you get the lens in hand for sure.

[leehfd]

will do =]

[leehfd]

Got the lens a few days ago :)

havent actually been able to try it out properly because the weather has been awful, hoping to go out someday next week :)

overall though, i thinks its great, from the shots ive taken so far (nothing decent) the picture quality seems great, and the build quality is alot better than my 18-55.

does anyone know if the pictures at 55mm are better on the sigma than the kit lens? as i said, havent been able to try it out properly yet :(

[Nick_C]

Got the lens a few days ago :)

havent actually been able to try it out properly because the weather has been awful, hoping to go out someday next week :)

overall though, i thinks its great, from the shots ive taken so far (nothing decent) the picture quality seems great, and the build quality is alot better than my 18-55.

does anyone know if the pictures at 55mm are better on the sigma than the kit lens? as i said, havent been able to try it out properly yet :(

Yes they are! although its not hard to beat the old kit lens ;)

[leehfd]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lee401/

the top 4 photos are ones ive taken with the sigma, they're not great, i will be uploading some more (hopefully better) ones once ive had the chance to play around with it some more :)

great lens tho, deffinatly worth the £120 i paid :)

[bauerman]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lee401/

the top 4 photos are ones ive taken with the sigma, they're not great, i will be uploading some more (hopefully better) ones once ive had the chance to play around with it some more :)

great lens tho, deffinatly worth the £120 i paid :)

Nice shots Lee - love the sunsets and squirrels! Glad that you are enjoying your lens.

[leehfd]

Thanks! I added a few new ones up today, www.flickr.com/photos/lee401/

=]

[HighLife]

all shots look great....thanks for sharing....going to try and pick up one of these.

Let me know if you like to sell yours....check my sig for details.

[bauerman]

all shots look great....thanks for sharing....going to try and pick up one of these.

Let me know if you like to sell yours....check my sig for details.

Were you finally able to pick one of these up? Post some pics to this thread if so.

[HighLife]

no, i picked up a 75-300mm which is just to give me range...its soft, but it was cheap..

I need to get one of these though...

[SLED-WERX Racing]

ANY ACTION SHOTS OF HIGH SPEED MOVING OBJECTS USING THIS LENS?

thanks

[HoosierJoe]

I have been looking into getting this lens for a while now, but could never find a good review of it, but this is a great thread and has helped me make my mind up, i will be ordering it next weekend!

so thanks for the info and photos! :)
Do a search on this board. Somewhere there is a comparison of this lens to a similar Tamron lens. It is what made up my mind.

[Nick_C]

You mean my original review? ;-)

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=291362

[HighLife]

finally got one of these bad boys off FM...im very excited to say the least.....had to sell off some other stuff really quick since im over my photo budget.....really going to miss my 75-300, great cheap lens....alittle soft..however still looks great.

Now, to kill my budget even more, i need something to make up the 100mm im losing at the long end....so i guess i need something longer now haha...

you know, im a member of head fi forums....and i think a saying there holds true here...

"Welcome to the forums and sorry for your wallet!!!"

[bauerman]

finally got one of these bad boys off FM...im very excited to say the least.....had to sell off some other stuff really quick since im over my photo budget.....really going to miss my 75-300, great cheap lens....alittle soft..however still looks great.

Now, to kill my budget even more, i need something to make up the 100mm im losing at the long end....so i guess i need something longer now haha...

you know, im a member of head fi forums....and i think a saying there holds true here...

"Welcome to the forums and sorry for your wallet!!!"

Nice pickup on the 55-200mm - you will love it, one of my favorite lenses of all time. You have to keep in mind when thinking about focal length that this lens on a 1.6 crop camera the long end is effectively over 300mm (88-320mm to be exact). I really don't have any current needs longer than what this lens provides.

Now that you have one - time to post some samples!!

[HighLife]

will do, ive been busy all week...got 3 new lenses to play with also =) picked up a 18-55 IS and also a sigma 28-80 just to get some time with macro shots. I have soo much to play with already...yet im strangely attracted to more gear...its like a fantastic blue light that just doesnt shine till you buy something....

I would love to have a longer lens to get nicer shots of the moon..anyone have a shot with their sigma 55-200 and the moon?

Thats why i didnt want to spend to much on the 75-300, was only going to really use it once in a blue moon (no pun intended). However, was fun sitting outside with the tripod and the remote shutter release. Also got to see what a difference mirror lock up makes when you shooting at 300mm.

[DStanic]

Wow these are some nice sharp pictures! Blows away the IQ of my Tammy thats for sure. I think the 55mm wide end would be nice compared to 70 or 75mm. How is this lens indoors? Can you use it with an extender (at least in MF for shooting the moon)? I was thinking about a 70-200 F/4L but for the price hey..

[bauerman]

Wow these are some nice sharp pictures! Blows away the IQ of my Tammy thats for sure. I think the 55mm wide end would be nice compared to 70 or 75mm. How is this lens indoors? Can you use it with an extender (at least in MF for shooting the moon)? I was thinking about a 70-200 F/4L but for the price hey..

I have used it indoors quite a bit and it has worked fine - focused well even in fairly minimal lighting. The 55mm on the wide side does not work for a lot of indoor applications. I have never used an extender, but NickC might have as is the "POTN Pioneer" of this lens.

[bauerman]

A few more samples from the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Wild Animal Park. No post processing on these at all except for the white framing and the re-size - thats it. The 55-200mm Sigma was again the only lens that I took on this trip, I wanted to travel light from a photographic standpoint but also wanted to have a little bit of reach.

It's wonderful to have a focal range from 55-200mm in such a small package, I mean compare the size and weight of this lens against any other 70-200mm lens and its not even close size and weight wise.


http://jbauer.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p303618172.jpg

http://jbauer.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p512345664.jpg

http://jbauer.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p124327579.jpg

http://jbauer.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p102446149.jpg

[pregnantcowlady]

i have swing set pictures with this lens, is that high speed enough CAPS GUY?

:)

[bauerman]

i have swing set pictures with this lens, is that high speed enough CAPS GUY?

:)

Post it up here - give us a look! :)

[HighLife]

love that pic with the baby elephant.

pregnantcowlady, post some pics =) love to see what this lens can do with everyones camera....makes me even more excited about getting one =)

[pregnantcowlady]

okay i will when i get to my normal computer with all my goodies. :)

when do you get yours highlife? i see it says soon. i was excited to get mine too.. :)

[HighLife]

going to be shipped tomorrow, should have it within a few days =) soo excited to say the least..

[Nick_C]

going to be shipped tomorrow, should have it within a few days =) soo excited to say the least..

Im sure you will enjoy using the lens, I very much liked my 55-200, a superb bargain of a lens, only problem is since my review I noticed the prices have all gone steadily up (oops) perhaps they had got wind of how good this is & decided to increase the price :rolleyes:

Anyways, enjoy the lens, its incredibly lightweight & has good optics considering the price, also if you ever want to upgrade to full frame in the future you dont have to get rid of the lens, it works great on FF, despite the fact that Sigma say it wont work!

[bauerman]

Yeah Nick - way to go - you ruined the great bargain that we had going in the Siggy 55-200 - the cheapest price I can see for a new one is about $135! ;)

Re-asking the question that was posed above - did you ever use your 55-200 when you had it in your bag with an extender? Just curious.

[Nick_C]

Yeah Nick - way to go - you ruined the great bargain that we had going in the Siggy 55-200 - the cheapest price I can see for a new one is about $135! ;)

Re-asking the question that was posed above - did you ever use your 55-200 when you had it in your bag with an extender? Just curious.

hehe yes sorry about that :p

I missed that question, but no I never tried it with any extenders, I only tried it on full frame of which it worked even better than on my 1.6x body, but of course 200mm on full frame is nothing much.

I would imagine though that with a 1.4x TC the IQ would suffer, AF would also be more hit & miss, with a 2x TC I would think the quality would be unacceptable, but of course we could all be suprised if somebody were to try this setup ;)

[pregnantcowlady]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2036/2290685853_b4da45924e.jpg?v=0


here's the swing set one. a little off crop, but they were going fast and its a pretty sharp example. :)

[bauerman]

It looks like a nice sharp shot - that is for sure. It would be great if you could post a slightly larger version. Or at least provide a link to a larger version. Thanks.

[pregnantcowlady]

good idea. :)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2036/2290685853_b4da45924e_b.jpg

[pregnantcowlady]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2120/2290728255_114e2a0e99_b.jpg

another sharp one. :)

[bauerman]

Nicely done - the swing set shot it very crisp and what I would expect from the Sigma lens we are discussing here. Both of them are. As always, feel free to post more!

[pregnantcowlady]

i was extremely suprised at the images. this was my first day out with it. BIGMA my butt, sigma is really great for the price!

[bauerman]

i was extremely suprised at the images. this was my first day out with it. BIGMA my butt, sigma is really great for the price!

The term "BIGMA" is actually a friendly moniker placed on the Sigma 50-500mm lens by its users. I was not sure what you meant when using the term above.

[HighLife]

very nice shots pregnantcowlady (where did you come up with a name like that hehe)...

What was the Aperture/shutterspeed/ISO were you using there? Extremely crisp shots.

[pregnantcowlady]

oh. haha. i thought bigma meant bad. haha. :)

ducky shot:
Exposure: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/6.3
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100

swig set:
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 200 mm
ISO Speed: 100

[HighLife]

two MOOOOOOOOOO'S up for Pregnantcowlady....extremely nice shots. Im SOOOOOOOOO EXCited for this.

LOVE the ducky shot....like the ugly duckling =)

That park looks familiar....you in Jupiter area?

[pregnantcowlady]

like jupiter the planet? haha.

the park is in apollo beach/ruskin area. :)

and the duckies are on my lake.


thanks highlife. :)
post some up now!

[HighLife]

like jupiter the planet? haha.

the park is in apollo beach/ruskin area. :)

and the duckies are on my lake.


thanks highlife. :)
post some up now!

HAHAH....looks like Jupiter (the city) =)

omg you have a lake? ...btw...wth is Ruskin? Thats a town? Ive lived in florida all my life...went to UF (Goo gators)...however, never heard of Ruskin....what county is that?

and omg you have a lake? hahaha

[pregnantcowlady]

yeah it's all mine. haha.

and it's by tampa/st. pete area

[HighLife]

ohhhh....nice, i have to spend more time up there as the last time i was there i didnt have my camera as yet. I have tons of friends in the tampa area. I grew up in Port Richey and moved to South florida when i was 8.

[pregnantcowlady]

true. yeah, its a pretty place.
bored with the photography here.
Hence the: get me out of here, fl location. :)

[HighLife]

haha...we can switch...you come here and ill go there....kinda like life swap..

Then we compare photo....

ready......set......GO!

[pregnantcowlady]

haha. where is coral springs exactly?

[HighLife]

haha. where is coral springs exactly?

Broward county...im like 20mins North of Miami, just about 15mins west of Fort Liquiordale =)

[pregnantcowlady]

haha.
then you have a lot of beach too. :)

added you on flickr. you're my first friend! haha. (sad sad)

[HighLife]

might have to do it again, i had it linked to someone else cause i copied and pasted the web url..

I just added you to my list...so you should be able to see it now.

[pregnantcowlady]

yeah, i thought i added a guy in hong kong. haha. :)

[DStanic]

pregnantcowlady:

Did you do much PP to those shots? (sharpening in particular) ??? They look great!

[pregnantcowlady]

nope. no pp. it's all the lens. thank you though! :)

[HighLife]

here you go pregocowlady....first and only shot taken with my new lens. Im excited to say the least...please forgive the WB, it set wrong for this pic...was soo excited forgot to switch it out of CLoudy haha...doesnt look that bad though does it ahah...

F13, flash used (430ex), 1/250th, 200mm, ISO 100
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/8858/img0073largepn0.jpg

[pregnantcowlady]

haha. looks good. :)
sharp sharp sharp!

[HighLife]

here are some quick shots....these are all wide open...wanted to see how sharp they are with the largest aperture. I know not the best photos, but just want to test the sharpest at different focal lengths. I like know how my lens reacts to what before i go out and try to use it for good photos =)

Left this shot alittle underexposed so the detail doesnt get washed out...awful day today in South Florida
http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/8692/img0084largeqk5.jpg
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/2532/img0104largerf5.jpg
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/1483/img0112largegm2.jpg
http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/2145/img0113largeyr1.jpg

[Nick_C]

As good as any lens around, which shows you dont always have to pay a fortune to get a good quality lens ;-)

[pregnantcowlady]

today was disgusting... AND COLD!
they are sharp though. can i have your tv? :)

[HighLife]

today was disgusting... AND COLD!
they are sharp though. can i have your tv? :)

Indeed, cold and raining here today....was awful....Ya, i need a new TV, thats a DILA ...not even LCD or Plasma...

[bauerman]

It does look like you got a nice sharp copy highlife. Post more samples when the weather improves.

[Nick_C]

today was disgusting... AND COLD!
they are sharp though. can i have your tv? :)

Could be worse, you could live over here (UK) where a raincoat is a daily requirement :D

[bauerman]

Could be worse, you could live over here (UK) where a raincoat is a daily requirement :D

Nick is of course correct - when someone from England reads about someone in FLORIDA complaining about the weather - they probably just chuckle to themselves. ;)

[pregnantcowlady]

haha. probably true. :)

[HighLife]

Sometimes florida weather is iffy at best....example...

The week prior to Hurricane Wilma, we had wonderful blue skies...about 80F outside...lots of humidity since its florida and all...

Within 8 hours of hurricane

The sky is completely gray out, rain is POURING down, looks like 5pm in the afternoon at 11am in the morning. I actually got up, but went back to sleep cause i still thought it was early morning or night still...

The hurricane hits in the early evening....around 7pm...pounds us all through the night and till about 4am....the eye passes us, clear weather for about 2 hours...then all hell breaks loose again......

Now the fun part begins....the clean up which looks like

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2049/2157164317_8ec71b6065.jpg

Soo not to nice of a storm....over 85% of our covering trees (shade us from the direct sun) was completely gone and laying on the road.

We lost power for 5 days....YES FIVE DAYS....no real worries for me as i have a generator. I had my fridge, my hot water, my stove, my PC and TV to keep my company.

All in all, people seem to think Florida is 365 days of sunshine and nice warm weather...Its actually about 250 days of sunshine...115 days of rain, high humidity, and major heat during the summer (past 100F every summer)

I would take a UK winter over a 5 day power outage any day of the week and twice on sunday. Living without power really really sucks...not just for your home..but when you need to go out...no power for street lights....need to go shopping? No power for the CC machines....need Gas? no power to pump it...It was 5 days of living hell.

[bauerman]

For all the reasons mentioned above - I am more than happy to live in Idaho, we don't have hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, excessive heat, famines, pestilence and so forth! :D

Plus I like to ski - not even a bunny hill in Florida!

[pregnantcowlady]

haha. true. florida does suck.
and it gives me sunburn :(

[SLED-WERX Racing]

any advice when shooting fast moving objects with this lens?

stick to f8 ? what about speed settings

[Nick_C]

any advice when shooting fast moving objects with this lens?

stick to f8 ? what about speed settings

You can shoot wideopen with this lens, its just as sharp (or at least my copy was) & so long as your shutter speed is around the 1/500th mark you should be ready for anything :D

[SLED-WERX Racing]

thanks Nick, you always give great advice

the lens hood/lid that came with the lens, should I be using that for outdoor action shots? must be so the sun doesn't reflect off the lens directly ( yes dumb question but I'm still green )

sled shots found in this link - they were shot with kit lens at 100 ISO maybe I should be at 200 ISO??

link http://2koolperformance.ca/forum/ind...topic=2406&hl=

[SLED-WERX Racing]

ttt

[DStanic]

Wow I keep getting more impressed with each picture I see.

Looks like here in Canada Henry's has it for $200. Camera Canada has it for $185 so I'm sure Henrys should match that price. Right now they're like $130+25shipping (or more) so might be better off getting it from a trusted source and have a real warranty.



Wonder how good this lens would be for weddings???

[bauerman]

thanks Nick, you always give great advice

the lens hood/lid that came with the lens, should I be using that for outdoor action shots? must be so the sun doesn't reflect off the lens directly ( yes dumb question but I'm still green )

sled shots found in this link - they were shot with kit lens at 100 ISO maybe I should be at 200 ISO??

link http://2koolperformance.ca/forum/ind...topic=2406&hl=

That link is not working for me...FYI

[bauerman]

any advice when shooting fast moving objects with this lens?

stick to f8 ? what about speed settings

In addition to watching your shutter speed for action shots - you need to work on your panning technique as well. This technique combines a high shutter speed with the shooter physically panning in the direction of the action while releasing the shutter. You can get some wonderful results with this technique.

There are many websites (and/or books) that can give you a complete rundown of how to pan.

[Nick_C]

thanks Nick, you always give great advice

the lens hood/lid that came with the lens, should I be using that for outdoor action shots? must be so the sun doesn't reflect off the lens directly ( yes dumb question but I'm still green )

sled shots found in this link - they were shot with kit lens at 100 ISO maybe I should be at 200 ISO??

link http://2koolperformance.ca/forum/ind...topic=2406&hl=

Yes I would make a habit of putting the lens hood on everytime you take the lens outdoors, the majority of the time you would be hard pushed to see any difference in the final image, hood or no hood, BUT there is always that one instance when the sun hits the front element at such an angle that it washes out all contrast from the image, the lens hood will help to prevent this.

As for ISO speed, obviously it all depends on the camera body as some handle noise levels better than others, but as a starting point I would choose ISO400 for action shots, I think unless its very sunny ISO100 or 200 could result in some blurry images where the shutter speed has fallen too low, ISO400 is a good allround setting.

Don't be afraid of going up to ISO800 or even 1600 in order to achieve a decent shutter speed, after all an image that has a little more noise is far better than a noise free image but a heavily blurred subject!

I mainly shoot landscapes, but I have done some bird shots from time to time & quite often shoot certain landscape details from moving vehicles & at 70mph I find the same rules for action photography applies (its just me thats moving now), you really do need a fast shutter speed & that often means shooting wideopen (lower f numbers) with higher ISO speeds, moving the lens in speed with the subject is also a good way of ensuring a sharper result, rather than keeping still & capturing the subject whizzing past the lens ;)

[SLED-WERX Racing]

as always incredible advice and thanks, much appreciated.

only concern is at ISO 800 outside shooting in bright snow conditions the sleds were VERY VERY dark and the snow looked grey/

last week when we were out using 100 ISO the now was BRIGHT WHITE yet the sleds were still too dark.

trying to find a happy medium in bright, sunny snow background conditions

panning advice taken also..will try to hide away the tri pod next time and hold camera still

[argyle]

How is this lens with flare? I see a few shots posted in this thread where flare is very evident and wondering how it performs. Also, as far as "no PP" goes, how much sharpening is being applied in-camera (assuming these are being shot in jpeg)? Just curious...for the money, it seems like a good performer so far.

[Nick_C]

How is this lens with flare? I see a few shots posted in this thread where flare is very evident and wondering how it performs. Also, as far as "no PP" goes, how much sharpening is being applied in-camera (assuming these are being shot in jpeg)? Just curious...for the money, it seems like a good performer so far.

I never had any flare issues with mine, the only lens ive ever had major issues with has been the Sigma 50mm f/2.8 macro, damn sharp lens but flares up at the slightest thing, tried 2 copies over a 6 month period & wont be buying another, the 55-200 on the other hand was fine.

As for PP, I never use jpeg so somebody else will have to help you with that one, I found I had to process the raw's a little more than what I do now with my 70-300IS, a slight bit of contrast boost perhaps, but nothing major, it was overall a very nice lens.

[Nick_C]

as always incredible advice and thanks, much appreciated.

only concern is at ISO 800 outside shooting in bright snow conditions the sleds were VERY VERY dark and the snow looked grey/

last week when we were out using 100 ISO the now was BRIGHT WHITE yet the sleds were still too dark.

trying to find a happy medium in bright, sunny snow background conditions

panning advice taken also..will try to hide away the tri pod next time and hold camera still

It sounds to me as if you need to take control of your cameras metering, you see when you shoot a snowy scene the camera will actually underexpose by 1-2 stops, this is perfectly normal but you have to compensate for this otherwise your snow will not be white, but more of a grey colour.

Regardless of what ISO you use, next time try dialling in +1 as a starting point in "Exposure Compensation" you dont want to blow any highlights so keep a lookout on the LCD for this, take 1 shot & check for blown highlights (blinking areas) if it all looks ok then try a little more exposure compensation, you really want to get the snow to look nice & white, but not overexposed!

The other problem that I can see are the sleds you mention being very dark, I have never had the chance to do anything like this myself but it sounds very much like the scene is exceeding the dynamic range of the camera, to make things simple, the snow is too white & the sleds are too dark, this again is normal & is the challenge I face everyday taking landscapes, the sky is always too darn bright, I wish god would turn it down a little :D its easier to cure on landscape scenes but with your subject I would try & get a nice even balance on the exposure, so the snow is as white as possible without blowing highlights & then this will ensure your sleds are also exposed as well as can be.

This difference can also be corrected more so in post processing, but for now I would concentrate on what I just said about the camera underexposing the scene, try the exposure compensation & see how you get on.

[edit] : here is a link which might be of some help:

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Tips-on-shooting-snow-and-ice



;)

[HighLife]

i use jpeg and i use the sharpest setting in my camera, also max saturation. I just like vivid colors that ive come to love with canon.

I will prob shoot raw later on...for now, im trying to learn and master WB.

[bauerman]

I do shoot JPEG and do have the parameters in camera on my 20D set to the max sharpness for the shots that I post. FYI.....

I prefer my shots to be as close to usable coming out of the camera as possible.

[HighLife]

I do shoot JPEG and do have the parameters in camera on my 20D set to the max sharpness for the shots that I post. FYI.....

I prefer my shots to be as close to usable coming out of the camera as possible.

ya, i hate having to spend time adjusting pics afterwards....

However, for the shots i posted...all i did was resize the pic...no added sharpening minus the camera.

[GoHokiesGo]

What do these usually go for in the used market?

I snagged one on ebay last night, paired with a Sigma 18-50 DC, for $107. I think I'm going to sell the 18-50 back on ebay, and I'll have the 55-200 for almost nothing! Seems like a pretty cool deal. Can't wait to get it in, the pictures make it look like an awesome budget telephoto!

[Nick_C]

What do these usually go for in the used market?

I snagged one on ebay last night, paired with a Sigma 18-50 DC, for $107. I think I'm going to sell the 18-50 back on ebay, and I'll have the 55-200 for almost nothing! Seems like a pretty cool deal. Can't wait to get it in, the pictures make it look like an awesome budget telephoto!

Over here its roughly £20 less than brand new retail price, of course if varies vastly with the condition of the lens.

[DStanic]

What do these usually go for in the used market?

I snagged one on ebay last night, paired with a Sigma 18-50 DC, for $107. I think I'm going to sell the 18-50 back on ebay, and I'll have the 55-200 for almost nothing! Seems like a pretty cool deal. Can't wait to get it in, the pictures make it look like an awesome budget telephoto!


Nice!! I think I have to start looking on ebay myself...

[SLED-WERX Racing]

For those that have been helping me along the way thanks alot! really appreciate it, I think we're making progress and the new FREE ( from AirMiles ) Sigma Lens has taken our pics to a new level with your tips and advice

please see thread link below and critique at will on shots taken yesterday.

http://2koolperformance.ca/forum/index.php?act=ST&f=27&t=2415&st=0#entry29764

Please keep in mind a number of these sled shots were at 130+ mph

again thanks
Spenc

[Nick_C]

For those that have been helping me along the way thanks alot! really appreciate it, I think we're making progress and the new FREE ( from AirMiles ) Sigma Lens has taken our pics to a new level with your tips and advice

please see thread link below and critique at will on shots taken yesterday.

http://2koolperformance.ca/forum/index.php?act=ST&f=27&t=2415&st=0#entry29764

Please keep in mind a number of these sled shots were at 130+ mph

again thanks
Spenc

Just had a look at your photos Spenc, I am sure most people will agree with me that you did VERY well indeed! ok there was the odd couple that were out of focus but you get that even with the best of lenses.

Well done! they look punchy & sharp, very nice indeed :D

[SLED-WERX Racing]

Thanks Nick, I took some advice and left the tripod at home which is why some are out of focus, it's not always easy standing still with these missiles coming directly at you

can't put any pics here for you to critique because they would be too small so feel free to upload any that you can talk about , you'll notice the snow is bright , took advice in the awb, increasing the white balance .

regardless i was VERY pleased with the ability of this lens for hundreds less than an L lens

[HighLife]

i know we lose AF, but has anyone tried a TC with this lens?

[SLED-WERX Racing]

some try to post that one pick where you can see the guys eyes ( from the link 3 and 4 posts above? http://2koolperformance.ca/forum/ind...t=0#entry29764 ) would like to here everyone's thoughts on that and how it could be improved.

#9 pic down and #18 from the top would be good pics to post here but I don't know how to host them on another web site

thanks

[GoHokiesGo]

Well, my 55-200 came in over the weekend. I brought my camera along to the NIT basketball game tonight at VT. I was pleasantly surprised that a number of shots came out pretty good.

These were all shot at ISO1600 so there's a little noise, but at 100% crop they looked fairly good still.

f/5.6, 1/200s @ 200mm - shot from the opposite end of the court
http://lh4.google.com/JPeacott/R-sK9kYOI0I/AAAAAAAAEfQ/pZJ_GR2y0jM/s800/IMG_1987.jpg

f/5.6, 1/250s @ 200mm - shot from my end of the court
http://lh3.google.com/JPeacott/R-sK-UYOI1I/AAAAAAAAEfY/VLNzoxICgjk/s800/IMG_1974.jpg

f/5.0, 1/200s @ 112mm - shot from opposite end of the court
http://lh4.google.com/JPeacott/R-sK_kYOI2I/AAAAAAAAEfg/hKvOjMa2pzI/s800/IMG_2012.jpg

[SeanDinner]

Awesome examples everyone! Just bought one off eBay, hopefully it works good! :)

[HoosierJoe]

ISO 200, 1/250, f8, EC+1/3, 55mm. PP on contrast and eyes.

[flyboy89]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lethalenforcer1/040508_1340.jpg

1/2000 F6.3 ISO ISO 200 200mm

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lethalenforcer1/IMG_0557.jpg

1/250 F5.6 ISO 400 200mm

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lethalenforcer1/KentStateBasketBallvsOhioState_2008.jpg

1/320 F5.6 ISO 1600 200mm

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lethalenforcer1/KentStateBasketBallvsOhioState_2-2.jpg

1/320 F4.0 ISO 1600 55mm

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/lethalenforcer1/KentStateBasketBallvsOhioState_2-1.jpg

1/320 F 5.0 ISO 1600 134mm

I seem to have been too quick to think badly of my Sigma 55 - 200 mm :) especially after seeing some of the other pictures on here.

I had wanted to get the 70 - 200 mm F4 L for the low light performance (and the awesome IQ), then I saw that one of these pictures at F4 required lots of ISO boosting anyway. Even if it won't make that much difference for low light, I'm still going to get it. Maybe a 85 mm f1.8 would be something to save up for as well.....

[DStanic]

Does anyone have shots at 200mm f/5.6 and f/8 for comparision? My Sigma 70-200 @200mm is soft at f/2.8, acceptable at f/4, and quite sharp at f/8.

[Nick_C]

Does anyone have shots at 200mm f/5.6 and f/8 for comparision? My Sigma 70-200 @200mm is soft at f/2.8, acceptable at f/4, and quite sharp at f/8.

With the 55-200 I used to own, even under close inspection I couldnt tell any difference between images taken at f/5.6 - f/8.0 or f/11.

It was one of the things I loved about that lens, it was just as sharp at 200mm f/5.6 as it was at f/8.0, it was quite a suprise considering the price, I was expecting to have to stop down a tad but I used mine at f/5.6 all the time.

[Nick_C]

^ looks like you may want to double check your focus there HossierJoe, it should be much better than that, it might just have been the focus thrown off for some reason or another.

[HoosierJoe]

The last comment lost me, but OK.

Here are some done with this lens last weekend. All shot at 200mm. Not L quality for sure but not bad either. Best of all Cubs won!

[HoosierJoe]

2 more

[crosseyed]

not a bad lens
some random shots
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h72/artsew/Flower.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h72/artsew/FallLeaves.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h72/artsew/bloem3.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h72/artsew/IMG_2143c.jpg

[HoosierJoe]

Great color on the last post.

[ArthurH]

Don't use this lens anymore (replaced it for 200 2.8L for better low-light capacities), but with enough light it's a very nice lens; sharp & very good color. My favourites:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/3054027414_72453ebc80.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3235/3053228819_c8140f3914.jpg?v=0

Imagine the middle one is celebrating his birthday:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3103/2832810077_e190a3444f.jpg?v=0

[locky]

I love this lens. Here's one shot with it shot at:
F/5.6
ISO-1600
Shutter speed 200
Focal length 112mm

[choudhrysaab]

thank you everyone for showing your awesome pictures ... the thread helped me a lot :)