OMG Sigma 120-300 2.8

lensview wrote in post #2016490
Here, here...photographic threads are worthless w/o pictures.

Aye, especially for those that hate to read. LOL!

Travis F wrote in post #2014828
Yeah, don't be scared off by the recent threads. I have one and I am one having issues right now too. But when this lens is on, it is definitely on.

I am chalking alot of my problems up to user error. I think that I just need to relearn how to use AI servo because I have about an even percentage of IF and OOF shots when shooting sports.

I actually tried to run mine through a focus test tonight but I am pretty sure I flubbed that up . See here - http://www.photography​-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=213860 for details.

Good luck,
Travis

I thought mine was soft also but i now know its user error. According to a real smart member on this forum who looked at my "controlled" test image, reports I HAVE A VERY SHARP COPY! Yahoo! So i blame user error on my last images....

troy

Here's a photo I just posted on another thread:

Byte size: ZERO | Content warning: NOT AN IMAGE

looks nice..that one little bird is standing on a Mimosa tree I just planted 2 of those in my yard

AHHHHH just day dreaming about that lens...Just looking through the viewfinder of that thing was amazing. God I need to pull together that 2grand fast

Im a big fan of Sigma, have the following listed in my Signature......Unfortu​nately, my 120-300 is not very sharp, probably gonna have to send it in. I have tried 2 copies.....one was sent to me by mistake about a year ago, was extremely sharp......the one that I actually ordered recently is very soft. I keep telling myself that B+H would have tracked me down for the $2400 if I didnt send it back last year

WOW u had a 120-300 sent to u by accident...DAMN wish that would happen to me

05Xrunner wrote in post #2018216
WOW u had a 120-300 sent to u by accident...DAMN wish that would happen to me

What happened was, I requested a quote for several pricey items from 2 major photo vendors. I purchased most of the items on the quote from vendor "A", but the Sigma lens from vendor "B" who had the lens for a substancially lower price. Vendor "A" proceeded to send the lens anyway, so they would have hunted me down for the money, ultimately.....it didnt just misteriously show up on my doorstop (If that was the case, I hope that I would still have the strength to do the right thing and send it back ).

C.S.I. wrote in post #2018326
What happened was, I requested a quote for several pricey items from 2 major photo vendors. I purchased most of the items on the quote from vendor "A", but the Sigma lens from vendor "B" who had the lens for a substancially lower price. Vendor "A" proceeded to send the lens anyway, so they would have hunted me down for the money, ultimately.....it didnt just misteriously show up on my doorstop (If that was the case, I hope that I would still have the strength to do the right thing and send it back ).

you would have MUCH more strength then I would if it just SHOWED up at your door just sitting there one day when you got home...Dont think i woulda sent it back anywhere but my camera bag...LOL

Great shot jorj7.

Funny at 274mm, mine often records as that amount when it's just under 300mm

05Xrunner wrote in post #2016884
your dealer must have just been a canon L boy...cause I personally would take them over the canon's lately as getting most bang for my buck

No, quite the opposite. He told me that he doesn't push the canon lenses because they are unprofitable. Apparently canon doesn't have a pricing policy in place that helps the local camera shop stay in business against giants like BH. In fact, I was surprised he admitted that when a customer orders a lens that his distributor doesn't have in stock he orders the lens himself from BH at retail prices and resells it. No, his advice was based on experience. Look, I'm not targeting sigma lenses. Heck, I'm considering a bigma myself. However, one would have to be in a total state of denial not to admit that there are discussions all over the net about sigma QC problems. All you have to do is google it and you'll find posts in almost every photography forum on the net. I'm sure sigma makes good copies, but it's pretty well discussed that they also have an innordinately high amount of bad copies coming off the assembly line.

05Xrunner wrote in post #2018029
AHHHHH just day dreaming about that lens...Just looking through the viewfinder of that thing was amazing. God I need to pull together that 2grand fast

I'll give you a reason to save up then, shall i?

120-300 + 2x TC. 1/320th, F10 on monopod...

http://gsh-motorsports.fotopic.ne​t/p30639276.html

120-300 (No TC) @ 180mm. 1/800th, F5 Hand-held.

http://gsh-motorsports.fotopic.ne​t/p31393972.html


As many have said, a lot of the problems with this lens are user error. I've rarely heard a complaint until recently and it's good to see one of the recent posters has now discovered how good this lens is

Any item of equipment can have problems, the fact is that the overwhelming majority of users love this lens and produce excellent work with it.

your killing me man..I am trying to figure all over what do i have that I can unload to get the money for this...and you go show me pics like that

05Xrunner wrote in post #2018472
your killing me man..I am trying to figure all over what do i have that I can unload to get the money for this...and you go show me pics like that

Sorry

ok i did get my copy on friday afternoon. unfortunately due to the bush fires cancelling games i was scheduled to shoot *and* my wife not feeling well, i did not get a chance to give it a good workout

one thing that irritated me to no end: the place where i rented them in the past provided a 105mm lenscap. i guess i was thinking it came with the lens. instead, i get a ballistic nylon sock to put over the end - which doesn't stay on very well and won't stay on if the hood is mounted. it's not even leather like some that i've seen... what the heck is that? in any event, i've order a lenscap from ebay. i called the shop and the one they use is a snap on for a mamiya - so that's what i've ordered.

i have a night game on wednesday, so that'll be the first decent chance to give it a workout.