Help with Lens Selection

I'm looking at getting either the Sigma 120mm-300mm or the Sigma 300mm.

Any of you sports photographers that have either of these lenses please give me some feedback as to what you like or don't like it would really help me out.

Thanks....Dave

Personally since you shoot alot of sports, you will always be shooting from one position. While ive never had any experience shooting with either of these lenses I'm going to take a good guess that the auto focus on the canon is alot faster than the sigma and image quality is alot better.

Just opinion though.

120-300 is more versatlie... with the 300 ya will prob need extra body with a 70-200 on. quality is preumably better with a 300L but most can hardly tell.

KIPAX wrote in post #2476957
120-300 is more versatlie... with the 300 ya will prob need extra body with a 70-200 on. quality is preumably better with a 300L but most can hardly tell.

The 120-300 is a fantastic lens, the quality is superb and the versatility of the zoom makes life much easier than juggling with 2 cameras!

I haven't used the Sigma prime (speak to Bristolpete since he uses one of these I think), however I know a number of people who say that the 120-300 is optically superior.

Personally out of these 2 lenses, I'd go with the 120-300 since its a more versatile lens, however I would also suggest looking to see what the price difference would be to pick up a used Canon non-IS 300mm lens (which is what I currently use).

haa.. I missed he was loking at sigma 300.. I was comparing sigma 120-300 and a canon L 300

Thanks all for the replies. I do have a second body with a 70-200 on it and some times I rent a 400L 2.8 but if I had my own lens it would always be available and I know how it is treated. Right now both the Sigma 300 and 120-300 are priced about the same but still less than L glass which is out of my range at the moment.

Those that use the 120-300, is it hard to get use to zooming and re-focusing?

Thanks....Dave

I never had too much of a problem with it, just zoom and lift and half press the shutter again. I guess you'd get used to it pretty quickly.

pyterps wrote in post #2478262
Thanks all for the replies. I do have a second body with a 70-200 on it and some times I rent a 400L 2.8 but if I had my own lens it would always be available and I know how it is treated. Right now both the Sigma 300 and 120-300 are priced about the same but still less than L glass which is out of my range at the moment.

Those that use the 120-300, is it hard to get use to zooming and re-focusing?

Thanks....Dave

Dave - No, it's not hard to get used to this. With the focus moved to the back * button, it's a very natural thing to refocus after zooming. Once you've gotten used to this, the lens performs superbly.

Dennis
http://www.pbase.com/d​mwierz45/sports_shots

Thanks for letting me know how easy it is to use the lens and it would make thinks more versitle and for day games I can always use the 1.4TC also.

I will be heading off to Kenya for 5 weeks and with the money I will make from the trip I will be able to purchase the 120-300. I will post images when I get a chance.

Dave

Dave I suggest asking on sport shooter (if you have an account there) because I don't think a 120-300 is suitable. Most pros use primes for a reason.

Faithless wrote in post #2481895
Dave I suggest asking on sport shooter (if you have an account there) because I don't think a 120-300 is suitable. Most pros use primes for a reason.

I'm hurt

Faithless wrote in post #2481895
Dave I suggest asking on sport shooter (if you have an account there) because I don't think a 120-300 is suitable. Most pros use primes for a reason.

I'd argue that quite strongly - I've used both the Canon and the Sigma 120-300 and yes, there is a difference between the two but the sigma is not "unsuitable". Have a look at pics posted by some of the motorsports shooters as well as by Kipax and Musicmate in the sports section, you'll see that the lens image quality is strong and obviously the AF is too.

As for me, no, I wouldn't go back, but had I not had the opportunity to upgrade to the Canon when I did (for not a huge amount of money), I'd have been more than happy to continue shooting with the Sigma over anything else available (and that includes a 300 f4 Canon prime which I also used for a very short while). After all, the portfolio that the paper viewed before using my images were all shot with the Sigma, so it can't be that bad!

Its also widely reported that the IQ of the 120-300 is on a par, if not better than the Sigma prime. Admittedly its a more recent piece of kit, but nevertheless an impressive engineering feat if that is the case.

Have a look at this thread on Sportsshooter:

http://www.sportsshoot​er.com/message_display​.html?tid=9129

Hope this helps.

Tony: Don't be hurt....it will be ok!!

For the 120-300 users.

It might sound a silly question but how often do you zoom in an out? Do you use the fully range of the lens?

I need a 300mm 2.8 and the 120-300 looks tempting but I'd be happy with a prime so I had consider taping the zoom ring.

Darren

Once I got used to the action of physically zooming whilst keeping the lens steady on the monopod and also refocussing after you zoom, I used it a lot.

Its the one thing I miss now with the prime - with the sigma when the action got too close for 300 you just pulled the zoom back. Now I "fling" 2 cameras around instead!

I meant to suggest this lens to you the other day actually when you were mentioning about a faster lens for low light/night games.

If you want to do the whole 2 camera thing then you can tape the lens at 300mm (someone has been reading Gmen's Sports Q&A!), however if you had the 120-300 it would be a shame not to use its full versatility/range in my opinon!

Paul,

The Q and A thread kept me busy at work over christmas and new year. Between playing the xbox360 and tring to put together a portfolio I love work at christmas time!!

The ultimate goal is to have 2 bodies and 2 suitable lenses (for backup more than anything) so this is why I was thinking of the 70-200 2.8 and a 300mm 2.8. At the moment I've got 1 camera and 1 prime lens. If one was to break, I'm snookered.

Darren