Soon To Buy Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 Opinions Wanted

Onrey · October 2, 2005

Good morning foks,
I am about to buy the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 lense For my Canon 20D ( I know its a staple with most Sports Photogs and I cant afford Canon L Yet) My question isnt so much about the Lense but more about the Telephoto Converters for it.

I was planning on getting the Sigma 1.4 converter and have heard some nice things about it, however the Sigma 2.0 converter would give me alot more reach for football/softball/baseball providing I have enough light however I have heard a few negativesabout the 2.0 . Are the rumors true the 2.0 is alot slower on focus and images alot softer and would it be worth the 100mm it would give me over the 1.4?

Im already sold on the 1.4 but need to hear more about the 2.0

Any and all comments/opinions will be appreciated and surely needed

Thanks

ziggy53 · October 3, 2005

Brad,

I just purchased the Sigma 70-210, f2.8, 82mm threads, or the predecessor to the lens you are considering. It's about a 10 year old lens, and it isn't fully compatible with modern digital Canon cameras, but first tests are encouraging, so I think I'll be keeping it. (I didn't pay very much for it.)

It is supposed to be optically similar to the modern Sigma 70-200, f2.8.

Color and contrast are good to excellant, and sharpness is very good, even wide open. I shot a night HS football game a week ago, and the lens performed very well indeed. The only problem I had was tracking a subject moving very fast towards me at 200mm. The newer lens is supposed to be much better at this.

I shot around 85-90% in focus, which is good considering the older motor technology my lens has. The newer version should be better yet. Some of the out-of-focus shots could be because the lens was sensing an area other than subject, so it may not be a true focus problem.

The newer version is supposed to have some vignetting on full-frame cameras, but should not be a problem on the 20D.

I'll post some examples later tonight.

ziggy53

ziggy53 · October 3, 2005

Sigma 70-210mm, f2.8 samples
EXIF
Model - Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT
ExposureTime - 1/400 seconds
FNumber - 2.80
ExposureProgram - Aperture priority
ISOSpeedRatings - 1600
ExifVersion - 220
DateTimeOriginal - 2005:09:26 20:04:28
MeteringMode - Multi-segment
Flash - Not fired, compulsory flash mode
FocalLength - 210 mm

ziggy53 · October 3, 2005

Model - Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT
ExposureTime - 1/320 seconds
FNumber - 2.80
ExposureProgram - Aperture priority
ISOSpeedRatings - 1600
DateTimeOriginal - 2005:09:26 20:04:28
MeteringMode - Multi-segment
Flash - Not fired, compulsory flash mode
FocalLength - 210 mm

ziggy53 · October 3, 2005

Model - Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT
ExposureTime - 1/125 seconds
FNumber - 2.80
ExposureProgram - Aperture priority
ISOSpeedRatings - 1600
MeteringMode - Multi-segment
Flash - Not fired, compulsory flash mode
FocalLength - 210 mm

ziggy53 · October 3, 2005

Model - Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XT
ExposureTime - 1/250 seconds
FNumber - 2.80
ExposureProgram - Aperture priority
ISOSpeedRatings - 1600
MeteringMode - Multi-segment
Flash - Not fired, compulsory flash mode
FocalLength - 210 mm

ziggy53 · October 3, 2005

ExposureTime - 1/160 seconds
FNumber - 2.80
ExposureProgram - Aperture priority
ISOSpeedRatings - 1600
ExifVersion - 220
DateTimeOriginal - 2005:09:26 21:39:20
MeteringMode - Multi-segment
Flash - Not fired, compulsory flash mode
FocalLength - 210 mm

ziggy53 · October 3, 2005

Brad,

Now that I have a little more time, to reread and digest your original post, I realize you were interested in opinions on the teleconverters, not the lens itself.

I am looking for teleconverters myself, so I'd be likewise interested in opinion and tests.

Sorry for the cross-post. I can remove this stuff, if you wish.

ziggy53

Onrey · October 3, 2005

Hey Ziggy,
No leave them up , your the only one to respond in several days, appreciate your photos and effort. I hope someone can help us both out here ! Seems this thread is neglected. I have searched for this topic but cant seem to find the info Im looking for. Maybe I should change the title if thats possible.

CalfeeRider · October 5, 2005

Onrey wrote:

Hey Ziggy,
No leave them up , your the only one to respond in several days, appreciate your photos and effort. I hope someone can help us both out here ! Seems this thread is neglected. I have searched for this topic but cant seem to find the info Im looking for. Maybe I should change the title if thats possible.

Hi Onrey,

I have this lens and 2x teleconverter for my Nikon D70. The downside at least with the 2x (prob the 1.4x too) is you loose AF. You may want to look at my Salinas Air Show pictures from last weekend. Virtually all of the non-static display shots were taken with my 80-400 and the 2x teleconverter. In all fairness, with the fast-moving jets/planes and in manual focus, they aren't as sharp as they would be for more stationary subjects. I also have some detailed shots from Notre Dame in Paris where I used the same setup that will show better the level of clarity that combo will do for you.

On a side note, I'm going to sell both my Sigmas and 2x. They're fine for landscape, but the AF of both are slow and "hunt" pretty badly shooting birds/planes where there's a lot of blue sky. Just something to think about depending on what you plan on using them for.

I hope this helps, and if you can't find the photos email me and I'll send you back a couple of links.

Take care,
Jack

Soon To Buy Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 Opinions Wanted

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