Quantaray 70-200 2.8

I picked up the lens last nite and realized its not a 70-200 but a 70-210. I shot some college basketball with it and here are a couple of pictures. The drive in it is rather slow but I guess I could sacrifice that for the 2 extra stops I will gain. Tell me what you think.

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couple more shots of the lens

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sorry the one pic is upside down

If the lens works fine on your DSLR, it appears to be a rebranded Sigma and not all the early ones work properly on Canon DSLRs, then I'm sure it's worth taking the plunge -$300 is £180 and at that sort of price I'd be tempted too,
Your images look fine - how do you feel about them?

This one made me really curious so I did some looking on the web.

I came across a Japanese website with this picture:

http://homepage3.nifty​.com …tylens-om/sigma70-210.htm

which leads me to believe that this is a sigma built lens, relabelled Quatanary.

If you do a search for the "sigma 70-210 f21.8" you will find lots of hits. It appears that this is a lens that was built in the mid '90s (95,96)or so pre "EX" "HSM". Some people complained about some CA and there were others that claimed that it would not work with the latest EOS cameras. As it is an old lens it is doubtful that it could be re-chipped if it stopped working with your canon. The drive is pre HSM so of course it is slow but that can be compensated for if it is the extra f stops that you need.

I did see one picture taken with the this lens and a 10D at this url

http://www.webphotofor​um.com/artist_pic.asp?​pID=37856

that shows a very nice sports picture.

I would that the bottom line is:

if this works with your camera and you are satisfied with the lens, that for the price tit should be a "reasonable" buy. Can you talk him down a bit more??

Perhaps you could contact Sigma and ask them if they would service it if it had to be repaired.

I lust after any f2.8 70-2xx lens and would do almost anything to get one.

Good luck

seems like a great find for only $300 bucks...
found this on the net..

tao fu , sep 26, 2003; 01:01 p.m.
Actually the 82mm is newer.
The first version is a 70-210/2.8 APO with 77mm filter. Popuplar Photography did a test of almost all fast 2.8, 70/80-200/210 lens at that time (around 95-96?), including Nikon (one touch), Canon (old), Pentax, Tamron, Tokina and found Sigma to be the best overall, especially at the long end wide open, which is a weak spot for all the other lenses, thanks to the APO glass used. I believe the original version has 3 APO glasses.

Sigma came out a 70-210/2.8 APO with 82mm due to reported vignette problem of the 77mm version when you use a filter. I believe the optical formula is the same.

The current one is a 70-200/2.8 APO with HSM. It is a new design and has 4 APO glasses and is back to more popular 77mm filter. I am not sure how it compared to the older ones optically.

Overall,all the 3 versions are great lens

http://www.photozone.d​e …s/reviews/sigma​70210a.htm

I think if you are happy with the photo results and find them sharp and clear, go for the lens at the price.

I just think it's a lens that has little/no resale value long term so only if you're intending keeping it for ever and it works on your camera and does nice shots would I even think to make an offer, but if you're not sure then forget it. I wouldn't touch it unless I got it for $100-150 max. If you want a fast indoor lens get a 85mm 1.8 instead.

I think the lens would have as much resale value as any other Sigma lens. But who really cares an f2.8 constant aperture zoom for $300 bucks? Sounds great to me, and he already has the Canon f4, so he has a fast lens for daylight sport and an f2.8 for all those other times you need a wide open lens.

Unless he would be willing to sell the f4 and buy a new f2.8 Canon or Sigma I don't see the downside.

Fair enough ... the only way to know would be try and sell the two side by side. It's just opinion. If it's built and takes pictures like the Sigma it could be a bargain, but as the Canon Fodder crowd here are always saying you get what you pay for. Who's to say this isn't 'basically' a Sigma 70-200 but with inferior components, mechanical parts, glass, and so on, i.e. built to meet a very specific price point? If these where Sigma 70-200 2.8 (and we still don't know for sure) then wouldn't they be flying out the shops instead of the actual Sigma's and Canon's that people are actually buying in large numbers? The way news travels online I think we'd all be forming long lines outside the shops Fact is, we're not! As they say ... let the buyer beware.

So who buys lenses to make a profit on them?
I buy lenses to USE - don't you?

Who said anything about profit?

Would you prefer to take substantial losses every time you sell something? I don't prefer to do that and I doubt most other people do either. I would prefer to break even overall if I can. Wouldn't you prefer to do that?

Or maybe you're the one person here who buys perfectly every single time and so never needs to sell. If you are, maybe you need to offer your wisdom to us all on a regular basis.

Or maybe you just have so much money to burn you don't care. If so, then don't assume others are in the same situation.

At the end of the day the guy will make his own mind up. I'm just offering him a perspective to consider, same as everyone else here, and he can take it or leave it. It's his money and I don't mind what he does as long as he's happy with his choice. What are you offering with that kind of comment?

Why is everyone so worried about resale? Besides how often do we trade
our equiptment......

Dan

Amen

Even if comes off the same assembly line?

then I have a solution: You can download the sigma logo, print it out and stick it on the lens.

Question is: How good is the original sigma 70-210 and will it work with your DSLR?

After shooting four basketball games and one hockey game I am sold! I know for a fact that my F4 wont be fast enough to shoot hockey hence you cant really use a flash shooting through 1/2 an inch of glass and my d60 maxs out at 1000 iso. I am going to tell the guy i am going to take it. The optics aren't bad at all and I know I will be happy. As for resale value I could really care less right now because I will probably keep this lens for quite a while unless I win some money and can afford the Canon IS version. I will more then likely be selling my F4 so if anyone wants to make an offer the market is open! Thanks for all the help !