Camera Labs

Hello,

I've just had a CANON EOS Rebel Xti/400D.
I'm considering to buy another lens beside the kit lense.
After did some researches and read reviews from internet, I would to buy a sigma zoom telephoto 70-300mm f/4-5.6 which is fit with my budget. :p
There are two types for this lens :
- Sigma Zoom Telephoto 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro
- Sigma Zoom Telephoto 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG Macro

My question is "which lens is better that the other?"
Is the "APO" lense better than without "APO" code ?

I checked already from sigma
website, but still confusing for me. I need a simple explanation though.
Considering that I'm a beginner and trying to learn about photography, probably someone can share the information about these lens.


Thanks

Hello hubery, and welcome to the friendly Camera Labs forum!
The answer is simple: The APO lens is the better lens optically.
APO is short for apochromatic and designates a greater effort from the manufacturer to correct chromatic aberrations. Unfortunately I have found no test that pits the non-APO version against the APO version, but you can read a review about the APO-version here.

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Thomas (beware: Nikon-fanboy and moderator!) My Lens Reviews, My Pictures, My Photography Blog
D800+assorted lenses

Hi Thomas,
Thanks for your response.

I check sigma website they also have Sigma 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 DG MACRO



What do you think about this lens ?
Is this decent lens for beginner ?
I saw from another website, this lens could produce decent images even tough Sigma 70-300mm APO DG MACRO is better especially for telephoto, I think.

So if you were me, which sigma lens is enough for beginner like me?
Because I'm still looking for the lens that can fit with my budget and can take everything (portrait, landscape, macro, etc)
My friend told me that I should have at least two different lens to cover that things.

Well hubery, I don't have a review of the Sigma 28-300mm that I would trust, but I would assume the following:
- 11x zooms are very hard to make with great image quality (IQ). Even the Nikon showing weaknesses at certain focal lengths
- from 50mm onward it is very hard to hold the camera stable enough to not lose your pics due to shake
- if your budget is limited and you want some decent IQ go for a two lens solution, e.g. 18-55 plus 55-200VR.
The latter is a very nice combo giving you image stabilization in the critical tele-zoom range from 55mm upwards and it doesn't cost you an arm and a leg...

_________________
Thomas (beware: Nikon-fanboy and moderator!) My Lens Reviews, My Pictures, My Photography Blog
D800+assorted lenses

Thanks Thomas for your solutions.
So, If I choose Sigma 70-300mm APO DG MACRO, that's enough for my EOS 400D if I wanna take telephoto based on my limited budget.
I'm also considering about Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM for another lens beside this Sigma 70-300mm.

Do you think that's a good combination for me?

Thanks.

I'd go it slow, Hubery! Just get the 70-300 first and play around a while with that and your kit lens. The 28-105 would be overlapping the other lenses.
You should get a feeling what you like most (photography-wise and lens-wise) and then decide about further steps.

_________________
Thomas (beware: Nikon-fanboy and moderator!) My Lens Reviews, My Pictures, My Photography Blog
D800+assorted lenses

well i see that this discussion already is a bit old..
but i have the similar problem..
i already bought the sigma 70-300 APO DG Macro, and i really like how it's behaving in its focal lengths, but. since it's the only lens that i have, i miss, smaller focal lenght, since sigma starts from 70mm and it's quite far already..

i updated with my shots the review of Melvin's full amateur review of the lens performance in this thread:
http://www.cameralabs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6666

after I bought this lens and after a few days of extazy, of using it, i started looking, how to get wider angle.. and noticed, that sigma has that.. 28-300mm DG macro.. well then I started to go mad..
should i sell my current? will the new one, will be as good as the current in telephoto, macro, and overall image quality..?
did not find any reviews or comparisons..
finally, decided to keep, this 70-300mm, since i have good overall quality of images, good telephoto, quality, better macro, than 28-300mm would give. so with 70-300 i solve telephoto and macro desires satisfactory
however Landscapes, and portraits are not satisfied.. and i will not likely would want to change lenses every minute.. so i need something versatile.. with wide angle and portraits capability and some telephoto abilities..
So now, i'm looking at tamron 18-250mm
because, changing lenses.. is so annoying.. unless you decide, i'll be shooting mainly telephoto; macro. otherwise you want some landscaping, some portraits, some moderate telephoto..

anyone else is solving similar issues?
what are your solutions?
by the way I also have a small budget.. so, all becomes even trickier..

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sincerely,
Mystic-grapher
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14258831@N00/
Pentax K20D;
AF-540GZ flash;
Pentax DA 12-24mm f/4 AL ED [if]
Pentax DA* 50-135mm ED [if] SDM 1/2.8
Pentax FA 28-105mm f/3.2-4.5 AL [if]
Sigma 70-300mm APO DG Macro;

old thread i know but this shot taken with the sigma 70/300 non APO

OOH by the way, the moon shot was taken Hand HELD