sigma 70-200 f/2.8 vs. sigma 120-300 f/2.8

[rya794]

i was interested in shooting little league baseball this summer and i was wondering what you sports shooters would suggest between these two lenses. I was also planing on buying the 1.4x tc regardless. However, do you think if i got the 120-300 i could go with out the tc and save the f2.8. Money is a major concern for me as i am a poor college student but if you guys think the 120-300 is worth it i am willing to save for it.

thanks
ryan

[timmyquest]

It's a great lens...huge, but a great lens.

The 70-200 could be handheld, the 120-300 from what i'm told cant really be handheld

[Cadwell]

The Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX is the finest 300mm zoom lens in the world. That's just my opinion, but I love the thing to bits. If I had to give up every lens I own but one, I'd keep the 120-300mm.

Oh yes... and it's big and heavy... but hey, it's a 300mm f/2.8 so that's no surprise. Actually it weighs pretty much the same as the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L prime so it's about smack on for weight.

[timmyquest]

The Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX is the finest 300mm zoom lens in the world. That's just my opinion, but I love the thing to bits. If I had to give up every lens I own but one, I'd keep the 120-300mm.

Oh yes... and it's big and heavy... but hey, it's a 300mm f/2.8 so that's no surprise. Actually it weighs pretty much the same as the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L prime so it's about smack on for weight.

I hope my tone wasnt implying that i dont recomend it. I think i'm gonna get it before football season next year.

[DocFrankenstein]

http://andrew4137.fotopic.net/p6244663.html

Click full size to view it. don't mind the captions. The worse quality is the sigma.

Stopped down to f/8 it's the same. At 2.8 it's much softer than canon.

[rya794]

am i missing something doc the sigma looks noticbly shapter to me, or did this guy just screw up the names at the top.

[OviV]

My wife and I shoot little league baseball. She mostly shoots our Sigma 170-500 on a tripod for the homeplate shots. I on the other hand mostly hand hold the Sigma 70-200 2.8 EX for the action shots. When I don't need the extra stop, I mount the 1.4 TC on it. I have not noticed any degradation in quality with the TC and the extra reach is nice. I would love the 120-300 but I love the ability to hand hold. The 70-200 is not totally light weight though.

Ovi

[Cadwell]

I hope my tone wasnt implying that i dont recomend it. I think i'm gonna get it before football season next year.

Nope, I never took that from your post. :)

Actually although I don't hand hold it (I nearly always use a monopod) I have seen it being used hand held. I watched Canuck (who posts here) hand hold his 120-300mm f/2.8 all day at the Farnborough Air Show. I was kinda impressed.