Sigma 120-300 f/2.8 EX OS

RobDickinson wrote in post #12342174
'Bad copies' are often just copis with tolerances that dont play well with your other gear.

As lensrental.com articles say , manufacturing tolerances for SLR gear needs to be tighter than laboritory optical equipment, and in reality it just isnt.

I think the bad thing about that is higher manufacturing tolerances would make things more expensive...

woos wrote in post #12341852
No offense but that seems to be the usual response when someone posts something about a sigma product being as good or better than a canon product...it's kind of a broken record at this point... it might be true in some cases, but i really don't think so here. People were saying the same thing when lightrules posted his thoughts on the 17-50 OS as well "that 17-55mm IS isn't a good copy", but now it's accepted that the 17-50 OS does match up....it took quite a long time to sink in, though. The newer Sigma products are really very very solid.

No offence but I own the 300 2.8 and TCs and have some amazing shots wide open with all combos. His copy does not look sharp.
I did not say the Sigma sucked nor did I say the Canon was better. I said "Looking good" and it does look good.
No offence but people sticking up for Sigma when someone says Canon lenses are great is kind of a broken record too.

KenjiS wrote in post #12341942
I think its true about a lot of products in general that its either a bad copy or "you just cant use it"

Got a problem with your 7D? you're an idiot obviously

Think your 100-400 is better than the Sigma 150-500? Then the Sigma is a bad copy...

The 7D is an exception to that rule. It's AF is fundamentally different to any other Canon camera and if the shooter is used to a certain way that it works, then that technique probably doesn't carry over. Take a 1D user, they are used to activating all of the AF sensors and using AI servo mode and it pretty much nails the AF in most situations, if the camera chooses the wrong point, re-apply 2nd pressure on the AF button and it will choose a different point...it works great once mastered.
Take this technique to a 7D and it all goes a bit wrong. What seems to work best is to chose Ai servo, but choose a single point with the expanded 9 points option. Get an early lock on the subject and let the camera track...it's amazingly accurate and it works a treat. But it's fundamentally different to any other Canon camera...don't even try to pre focus (trap focus) with it. So i can understand those that can't work a 7D and those that can.

GMCPhotographics wrote in post #12344365
The 7D is an exception to that rule. It's AF is fundamentally different to any other Canon camera and if the shooter is used to a certain way that it works, then that technique probably doesn't carry over. Take a 1D user, they are used to activating all of the AF sensors and using AI servo mode and it pretty much nails the AF in most situations, if the camera chooses the wrong point, re-apply 2nd pressure on the AF button and it will choose a different point...it works great once mastered.
Take this technique to a 7D and it all goes a bit wrong. What seems to work best is to chose Ai servo, but choose a single point with the expanded 9 points option. Get an early lock on the subject and let the camera track...it's amazingly accurate and it works a treat. But it's fundamentally different to any other Canon camera...don't even try to pre focus (trap focus) with it. So i can understand those that can't work a 7D and those that can.

My problem is more related to Spot AF choosing to focus on the background/foreground as opposed to what i want it to focus on, Despite going for subjects that are definately large enough and taking up most of the blood spot AF point...

Then people tell me im "expecting too much" from it, ignoring the fact my mother's D3100 works fine on the same subjects and my 30D and EOS-3 had no issues either...I DO feel that the 7D should work just fine...

Its not even trying to track anything lol, this is all in one-shot, and yes, with multiple lenses, Some worse than others...and its not a MFA problem because its in varying amounts and i dont -always- have problems

Focus charts havnt shown the issue either, neither have battery tests...

My 7D also refuses to focus on my dog's eyes for some reason...And I had a bunch of problems with human subjects at Fort Niagara on top of it...

I'm currently working on some setup to show it better in a predictable environment...

The only thing i hate is someone who DOES know what they're doing goes for help or tries to get advice and all everyone wants to do is **** that you're not shooting in absolutely perfect conditions in every sample, ignoring the fact you point out you've noticed it in possibly thousands of shots and just sat here in denial until recently....

Apologies for the rant...

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Regardless...I quite want this lens..

Off topic but just curious...do you have similar results when using regular single point AF? Or just spot? I've not had any issues like that, but I never use spot AF (i use single point, point+assist points, or zone).

woos wrote in post #12348753
Off topic but just curious...do you have similar results when using regular single point AF? Or just spot? I've not had any issues like that, but I never use spot AF (i use single point, point+assist points, or zone).

I've tried the single point af (IE the larger one) and noticed the same problems

Hell for kicks i tried 19-point AF too...no difference...

Tried AI Servo AND One-Shot, No difference

Far subjects and fine details my 7D refuses to see

I'm kinda thinking my option is to just get lenses that make far subjects larger and thus easier for the camera to lock onto

So getting back to the Sigma lens of the topic, do we know if Sigma were effected by the recent events in Japan?

This lens seems to be taking an awful long time to arrive over here.
As far as the test images go, yes it looks sharp, but not very scientific as we don't know how they were processed against each other, and all the settings used etc.

Will be good to see a pro test on this lens. But I guess as he's got one they are starting to appear somewhere.

What about the OS functions compared to the IS functions of the 300 2.8 L?

Does it have different modes or just on off?

Does it have focus limiter functions as well?

What is the MFD?

While not deal breakers, those are very big features to some people.

More sample pics posted today!

http://www.rytterfalk.​com/2011/05/04/120-300-os-part-2/

No focus limiter, but has dual mode IS. One for panning, just like the Canon. It is supposed to be weather proof though.

MFD Changes with focal length. 120mm it is 1.5m and at 300mm it is 2.5m.


I wish they had put a limiter on the lens, but they didn't.

http://www.sigmaphoto.​com …8-ex-dg-os-apo-hsm-sigma1

I need to see some pics with the 1.4 Sigma TC at f5.6 before i make a final judgment. Either with a FF or crop body would be fine. Plus 100 % crops

Neilyb wrote in post #12344251
No offence but people sticking up for Sigma when someone says Canon lenses are great is kind of a broken record too.

Haha touche :P

The color and whatnot on the samples looks great but it's difficult to judge sharpness very well because of the extremely low resolution of the current sigma bodies (well, difficult to judge how it'll look on a 5dmk2 or a 7d is what i mean, not that ther is anything wrong with the sd15 its a cool cam, but u know what i mean).

woos wrote in post #12352985
The color and whatnot on the samples looks great but it's difficult to judge sharpness very well because of the extremely low resolution of the current sigma bodies (well, difficult to judge how it'll look on a 5dmk2 or a 7d is what i mean, not that ther is anything wrong with the sd15 its a cool cam, but u know what i mean).

Functionality wise, the Sigma cams are poorly designed. I don't really get why people have such a hard-on for those cameras. They claim the colors are superior, but I don't see it.

I am objective about gear. Every company has crap and gold, even Canon.

My special order copy has supposedly arrived at the CameraStore in Calgary.

Unfortunately due to several issues I probably won't have the lens in hand until Friday or Saturday (and yes it's killing me!).