A First Look at the Sigma DP1s 5 Great Gift Ideas For The Beginner Photographer

Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS Lens Review

3 comments

Posted by Patrick on Dec 14, 2009 in Cameras, Featured Content, Reviews

Interested in cameras, photographers, and tutorials? Then consider subscribing to our RSS feed to stay up to date on the latest in photography related news at Neutralday.com

Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS Review

The Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS offers a very affordable solution for budget minded consumers looking to add a telephoto zoom to their camera bag. For just $400, the 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS provides substantial reach and improves on its predecessor’s capabilities by providing optical stabilization in the lens. This makes for easier hand-holding, which can certainly be an issue at such focal lengths. The DG badge means this lens will work on full frame cameras as well as cropped sensor DSLRs. Our testing of the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS was done on a Canon EOS 5D Mark II and the Canon EOS 7D.

Availability

The Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS is available and in stock at B&H Photo and Amazon in Canon, Nikon, Sigma, Sony, and Pentax mounts. Support Neutralday by shopping the links below, and get great deals, service, and selection at the same time.

Specifications

Lens	Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS
Lens Construction	16 Elements in 11 Groups
Angle of View	34.3 degrees - 8.2 degrees
Number of Diaphragm Blades	9 Blades (rounded diaphragm)
Minimum Aperture	F22
Minimum Focusing Distance	150cm59.1 in
Maximum Magnification	01:03.9
Filter Size	Diameter 62mm
Lens Hood	Bayonet type
Dimensions	Diameter 76.5mm x Length 126.5mm3.0 in. x 5.0 in.
Weight	610g/21.5 oz.
Corresponding AF Mounts	SIGMA AF,CANON AF,NIKON AF,SONY AF,PENTAX AF

Details

Some product details from the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS.


Despite offering 300mm in length, the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS still is a relatively compact lens, roughly 5 inches long. Of course that's unextended, but it still packs small. The included lens hood can be reversed on the lens to save further space.	A close up of the lens. Markings are simply screened onto the lens.

Contrast at 70mm. Provided by Sigma.	Contrast at 300mm. Provided by Sigma.

Diagram of lens construction.

Build and Handling

The Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS is intended for budget minded consumers, so it’s important to stress that this is an inexpensive lens and should be judged accordingly. That said, the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 seems relatively well built, while at the same time having an entirely average finish. That is to say, it seems pretty sturdy, but the powdered black finish is thin, the focal length markings are simply screened on top, and the overall “feel” won’t be mistaken for pro caliber.

Fully extended, the lens reveals a long plastic barrel, but our copy was pretty good about not “creeping” when walking around in various lengths of extension. The Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS has a mounting indicator on the inside, rather than on the barrel where we prefer it, but still mounts up with no trouble on our two Canon models. In use the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS worked quite well with both the 5D Mark II and 7D. AF performance was largely in line with what one could expect from either model of camera, so troubles with low light performance with the 5D Mark II are likely more the 5D Mark II’s tendency to struggle in such situations than the lens, but in low contrast scenes there could be at times a tendency to “hunt” for focus. The Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS offers a nice sized ring for adjusting focal length, and it’s tight handling forms quite a contrast to the focusing ring.

This brings us to the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS one real handling weakness, manual focus. Flip the switch over to MF and the Sigma’s focus ring provides far too loose of an action to be satisfying. It’s manageable for stills, but when used for video duties, it becomes quite difficult to smoothly control focus, even on non-moving subjects. Outside of that, and especially when using AF, the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS was good at handling a variety of situations, even dynamic subjects. You could use the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS for some sports duties, but keep in mind that f/4 is at 70mm, so it’s quite likely you’ll be closer to f/5.6, which will likely mean boosting your ISO in order to freeze the action.

The “OS” in Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS stands for optical stabilization, and it comes in quite handy when extended out to some of the longer focal lengths. Compare the views in the viewfinder with the optical stabilizer on and off, and you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it. This feature adds quite a few more keepers to your collection and allows for shooting with slower than appropriate shutter speeds at long lengths. Even so, as with any lens this “long” a tripod or monopod can certainly help provide the stability needed for the sharpest shots possible.

Image Quality

At focal lengths between 70-200mm the Sigma 70-300mm offers above average sharpness especially when stopped down. Results from the middle of the frame are quite good, and even though things are noticeably softer at 300mm, there’s still some good detail to be had in the center. Best results are found in subjects closer to the foreground, while details in the background lack a degree of clarity and sharpness even at smaller apertures. For a low-cost lens the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS does a pretty good job at managing aberrations. The Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS uses a SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass element and “Super Multi-Layer Coating” so flare is pretty well controlled, and chromatic aberrations are quite manageable. All in all, pretty good results for a lens at this entry point.

Verdict

With a long reach, compact size, and above average image quality through a good portion of its focal range, the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS is a compelling choice for photographers on a tight budget. If you’re willing to accept average fit and finish, and don’t frequently use manual focus, the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS is a good solution, especially for the price and the added benefit of the include optical stabilization. There are other options to consider, cheaper alternatives without image stabilization, and more expensive offerings with image stabilization, and it should be pointed out that several competing models (including Sigma) have 70-300mm lenses with pseudo-macro abilities, which the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS does not. But for the price, effective image stabilization, and image quality, the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS easily gets “Recommended“.

Where to Buy

Sample Images

I’ve provided some sample images taken in a variety of situations for your examination. You can click each thumbnail for a larger view, or investigate the unedited originals via the “original size” links provided. Feel free to download the images you want for personal use only.


Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Exposure: 0.02 sec (1/50) Aperture: f/6.3 Focal Length: 300 mm ISO Speed: 400 Exposure Bias: 0 EV original size	Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200) Aperture: f/6.3 Focal Length: 200 mm ISO Speed: 400 Exposure Bias: -1/3 EV original size

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Exposure: 0.04 sec (1/25) Aperture: f/6.3 Focal Length: 300 mm ISO Speed: 400 Exposure Bias: -1/3 EV original size	Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200) Aperture: f/6.3 Focal Length: 200 mm ISO Speed: 400 Exposure Bias: +1 EV original size

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Exposure: 30 Aperture: f/9.0 Focal Length: 70 mm ISO Speed: 100 Exposure Bias: 0 EV original size	Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Exposure: 1 Aperture: f/11.0 Focal Length: 70 mm ISO Speed: 50 Exposure Bias: -1/3 EV original size

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1250) Aperture: f/5.6 Focal Length: 300 mm ISO Speed: 500 Exposure Bias: 0 EV original size	Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II Exposure: 0.04 sec (1/25) Aperture: f/10.0 Focal Length: 135 mm ISO Speed: 200 Exposure Bias: -1/3 EV original size

Camera: Canon EOS 7D Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200) Aperture: f/5.6 Focal Length: 225 mm ISO Speed: 640 Exposure Bias: +1/3 EV original size

elephoto zoom lens incorporates Sigma’s original OS (Optical Stabiliser) function and is housed in a compact construction.

The OS function offers the use of shutter speeds approximately 4 stops slower than would otherwise be possible. It makes telephoto shooting easy for many types of photography such as sport and nature. For Sony and Pentax mount, the built-in OS function of this lens can be used even if the camera body is equipped with an anti-shake function. As compensation for camera shake is visible in the view finder, the photographer can easily check for accurate focus and ensure there is no subject movement.

The SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass element provides excellent correction for all type of aberrations. The Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting and provides high contrast images throughout the focal range.

The lens has an overall length of 126.5mm (5.0”), maximum diameter of 76.5mm (3.0”) and weight of just 610g. Its compact construction makes it convenient for travel and hand held telephoto photography. This lens’ rounded 9 blade diaphragm creates an attractive blur to the out of focus areas of the photograph.

This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 150cm (59.1”) throughout the entire
zoom range and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:3.9, making it ideal for close-up photography.