How good is this lens: Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DL Macro Super?

[hermanlee]

Anybody has opinion / experience with this lens?
This is the DL version, not the APO DG.
Is it worth it to get it used for less than USD100?

--
'I will treasure every moment in my life!'
Herman

 

[Kesha270057]

If you search this forum, there are a lot of threads about this.

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my multiply : http://kesha.multiply.com

 

[moxfyre]

Anybody has opinion / experience with this lens?
This is the DL version, not the APO DG.
Is it worth it to get it used for less than USD100?

Not sure about the non-APO version... It's likely to have more CA than the APO version, since that's what apochromatic design does

On the other hand,

Here's a recent thread comparing the Sigma APO version to the Tamron 70-300, which is only $130:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=27363441

As always, the debate is inconclusive, but could be summarized as "the Tamron has more CA at 300mm but is sharp" whereas "the Sigma has little CA but is not so sharp at 300mm". Personally, I have the Tamron and love it... build quality is excellent and the CA is (a) minor and (b) doesn't detract from my enjoyment of my photos.

Dan

 

[hermanlee]

Hi Kesha,

I did search on this forum first before I posted but mostly are comparing the APO version and Tamron.
Not too many info for this DL version.

Oh by the way, you're from Indonesia, right? I was looking at your website and saw your photos from Indo.
I'm from Indo too but currently live in LA. Salam kenal.

If you search this forum, there are a lot of threads about this.

--
------------------------------------------
my multiply : http://kesha.multiply.com

--
'I will treasure every moment in my life!'
Herman

 

[YankeeZephyr]

Hi

I have this lens and the APO DG version

To be honest, I don't think there's much wrong with the DL if you 'treat it right'

I was getting some soft images from it, so I posted a question here, and based on the responses I got, I started to play around with it, and found it's no good wide open, but close down to f8 to f16 and it holds it's own

I didn't observe any CA or PF, but then the types of photos I take don't lend themselves to this problem

It's OK for Macros, but not as good as a dedicated macro lens

here are a couple of pictures I have taken with it
(I looked to see if I had anything that wasn't aviation related, but...)
They were taken with my *ist-DS and K10D and Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DL Macro







You could do worse

YZ

 

[Matthew888]

I use this lens and find it is good for some things. The following may well apply to all three of the lenses in this class.
Pros
Light and easy to use hand held. Works well with SR.
Image quality quite satisfactory for close subjects and low contrast situations.
Good macro when you need to keep your distance.
Stops down well.

Cons
Poor mechanics.
High contrast situations always produce colour fringing and ugly bokeh.

Subjects shot at distance always seem to require PP (sometimes just gamma adjustment).
Rare to get a good shot with large aperture.

 

[jonathan68]

I've had this lens for years, since my old film days. When I bought the *istD I was unimpressed with its performance wide open and didn't use it for a while. However later I tried it again and from F8 or so it is really sharp with no CA, or other defects.

http://www.dublincameraclub.ie/largePicture.jsp?picture=4&name=jonathan

Here's a photo that has won a couple of amateur awards and been sold mounted and framed at a good price.

This and the other telephoto shots were all taken with the 70-300 DL.

As a macro it doesn't work so well as you need to zoom it out to 300mm. It is not particularly close focusing but gains its macro credentials from the 300mm magnification. The result though is an unfeasibly shallow DOF. But then again, the APO version is identical in this regard.

Anybody has opinion / experience with this lens?
This is the DL version, not the APO DG.
Is it worth it to get it used for less than USD100?

--
'I will treasure every moment in my life!'
Herman

--
http://www.pictasmagoria.com
http://pictasmagoria.blogspot.com

 

[RemcoR]

See this message:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1036&message=27376356
RemcoR

 

[Kesha270057]

Hi Herman, salam kenal juga.

I don't know the DL version, but for used one, the APO DG version will be around $100,--

I did search on this forum first before I posted but mostly are
comparing the APO version and Tamron.
Not too many info for this DL version.

Oh by the way, you're from Indonesia, right? I was looking at your
website and saw your photos from Indo.
I'm from Indo too but currently live in LA. Salam kenal.

If you search this forum, there are a lot of threads about this.

--
------------------------------------------
my multiply : http://kesha.multiply.com

--
'I will treasure every moment in my life!'
Herman

--
------------------------------------------
my multiply : http://kesha.multiply.com

 

[Chris Tasker]

Hi Jonathan,

I reviewed your gallery. Very nice. I lived in Ireland (Dublin/Waterford/Tramore) for 8 years and returned to my native Canada in 2005 - your gallery made me homesick for Ireland - I miss walking Tramore strand very much. Didn't expect the reaction to be honest.

Oh and the lens seems to have performed very well also

taskerc (formerly of Ard Na Greine, Ard Na Groi in Tramore)

 

[BrianKilpat]

I have this lens and like it very much. I could not find the APO version when I was looking for it and it cost quite a bit more at the time. The prices have dropped now.

I looked around at different sites and could not see too much benefit to the APO for the extra cost. I have been very happy with this lens and have found that as long as you have good light and can stop down a bit your shots will be good. Both of the shots below were taken with the non APO 70-300, second shot with the "macro" feature.





--
Brian Kilpatrick

 

[hermanlee]

Thanks Brian for the sample pictures.

I finally got the Tamron 70-300mm Macro 1:2 DL version not the newest one since I could get it for a very good price.

--
'I will treasure every moment in my life!'
Herman

 

[jonathan68]

Hi Jonathan,

I reviewed your gallery. Very nice. I lived in Ireland
(Dublin/Waterford/Tramore) for 8 years and returned to my native
Canada in 2005 - your gallery made me homesick for Ireland - I miss
walking Tramore strand very much. Didn't expect the reaction to be
honest.

Oh and the lens seems to have performed very well also

taskerc (formerly of Ard Na Greine, Ard Na Groi in Tramore)

Cheers Chris

I find the stand (especially at the estuary of the Back Strand) very photogenic, especially when the sun is low.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=tramore+back+strand&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=46.677964,62.929687&ie=UTF8&ll=52.152872,-7.103004&spn=0.142187,0.245819&t=h&z=12

Regards

--
http://www.pictasmagoria.com
http://pictasmagoria.blogspot.com

 

[Joseph Tainter]

MIne was so weak at 300 mm that images appeared as if they were out of focus. I sold it.

Joe

 

[Joseph Tainter]

MIne was so weak at 300 mm that images appeared as if they were out
of focus. I sold it.

Joe

I should clarify that I had the APO version. The DL should be avoided.

Joe

 

[RemcoR]

This is not my experience with the DL at all. Perhaps you had a bad copy (Sigma's trademark...): http://shutterbug.com/equipmentreviews/lenses/0199sb_sigma/
RemcoR