Long Sigma Primes...

[Cadwell]

Bit of a rumour thread this one...

Sigma UK has re-done their web site and there is no mention of their telephoto primes on there that I can see... Sigma UK (http://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lenses/index.htm)

Also, my favourite lens supplier in the UK (Warehouse Express) has "discontinued" against the 300mm f/2.8 and 500mm f/4.5 Sigma primes and is discounting the price of their remaining stock heavily...

So... have Sigma pulled out of the big prime market or are they clearing the decks for some new models :confused:

[dewmuw]

I love conspiracy theories! :D

[Jon]

Their US site still shows them. Maybe you're just lucky . . .

[RichardtheSane]

Also, my favourite lens supplier in the UK (Warehouse Express) has "discontinued" against the 300mm f/2.8 and 500mm f/4.5 Sigma primes and is discounting the price of their remaining stock heavily...

Looks like the warehouse express sigma page is unchanged since the last time I looked. Discont on everything except the canon models.

[karusel]

On the German Sigma website there are only the following tele lens:
105mm F2,8 EX DG MAKRO
150mm F2,8 EX DG
180mm F3,5 EX MAKRO
600mm F8,0 Spiegeltele

I think they've discontinued the 300 and 500mm.

[CyberDyneSystems]

My bet is that the new US site is complete.. and the UK site still needs work ;)

Sigma lost what little 300mm f/2.8 sales it had to it's own Zoom... I actually would not be too surprised if they stopped making the prime.

If Sigma stops,. this is sad.. thay are the ONLY 3rd party manufacturere offering lenses like these.

If Sigma is finding vastly larger profits on the crappy little super zooms (and I am sure thay are) then this may be a sad thing for photographers. No alternative to the double the price Canon offerings would leave many amateurs completely out of the Big Prime market. :(

[KennyG]

This has been on the cards for some time I believe. I was told that they had stopped manufacture on some models and when inventory was low enough they would remove them from their marketing. Seems my info was pretty much right.

I think Sigma will pull out of big primes altogether at some point and leave it to Canon and N**on who have the market pretty much stitched up for their respective brands. They were not cheap anyway and it is still a lot of money to risk on a third party product that may have support problems in the future. In the too many years I have been in this game, I have only seen one Sigma 300 in use and if that equates to their percentage of the market, no wonder they are dropping it, plus it isn't that good anyway.

[Cadwell]

Yup, the Sigma 300mm prime doesn't seem to get rave reviews. The 500mm has a decent reputation though.

The only other largish third party prime I can think of is the Tokina AT-X 300mm PRO f2.8 - supposedly pretty good.

[scottbergerphoto]

I have the Sigma 500 f/4.5 EX APO HSM. It's tack sharp and autofocuses very fast. I saved close to $2000 over the price of the Canon. I'm glad I bought it when I did.
Scott

[ron chappel]

Like CDS says-i'm betting that they lost 300/2.8 sales to their awsome 120-300/2.8 zoom

[Cadwell]

Well I gotta agree with CDS ('cos if not I'll be terminated)...

It would be pretty ironic if Sigma have "done an IBM" and killed off their own telephoto prime market share with one of their zooms...

IF Sigma are pulling out of the big prime market then Canon and Nik*n are left with a monopoly of supply for their respective lens mounts. This can't be good for us, the consumers.