Camera Labs

Sigma EX DG 70-200mm f2.8 II version
Nikon Fit

Okay, so after much delay, the lens finally arrived! Basically, there was a mess up somewhere along the delivery process, but nevermind! The end result is that the lens is here now, and ive had some time to get a good first impression of it, and im by no means disappointed!
Here ive got some pics of the lens in comparison to other lenses that I own, and it is to them which I will base my comparisons on.

Firstly, size and weight wise, this is the biggest and heaviest of the Nikon 70-300 VR, and the 105mm. Hardly surprising, but still a point worth noting! I was expecting it to be big, but I was a little larger than I had expected. (And I think that this is the smallest of the 70-200/f2.8 offerings from Nikon, Canon and Sigma? I dread to think how hefty the Nikon version would be!)
Something that you can’t get from pics online, is an impression of the build quality of the lens. Rest assured, this does seem bulletproof… Not quite in the same league as the Nikon 105mm, but pretty damn good! The main casing is metal, with the Sigma EX coating, which is quite nice in my opinion! The Zoom and focusing rings are rubberized, allowing easy grip. The lens hood is again covered in the EX coating, and is a standard plastic, reversible type. A lot of people seem to comment on the front and rear lens caps supplied by Sigma…. The rear one seems fine, but the front one does seem a little flimsy. Nothing to get excited over though…..

Here we have images comparing it to the 70-300mm VR and 105mm f2.8


DSC_0170_090310_1792 by robodentjp, on Flickr


DSC_0171_090310_1793 by robodentjp, on Flickr


DSC_0172_090310_1794 by robodentjp, on Flickr


DSC_0173_090310_1795 by robodentjp, on Flickr


Right then! Down to general use!
Im still getting used to carrying around such a substantial piece of kit, but it doesn’t seem to be too much of a problem. Image wise, all are very crisp and sharp, probably noticeably better than the 70-300mm in terms of sharpness.
There is softness noticeable at f2.8, but not too marked, and not really important, as when the lens is stopped down to f3.5/f4, it is tack sharp. No real complaints there! The bokeh produced is attractive, not distracting at all, and has produced some brilliant portraits of family members who have been visiting this week… Unfortunately I can’t really put them up at the moment….

All images taken with Nikon D80, NO post processing other than RAW-JPEG conversion, resize.


DSC_0070_090210_1698 by robodentjp, on Flickr
Lens: Sigma 70-200 f2.8 II @200mm
Mode: Aperture priority
Shutter: 1/250
Aperture: f5.6
ISO: 400


[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos
Lens: Sigma 70-200 f2.8 II @200mm
Mode: Aperture priority
Shutter: 1/2500
Aperture: f5
ISO: 400


DSC_0104_090310_1727 by robodentjp, on Flickr
Lens: Sigma 70-200 f2.8 II 200mm
Mode: Aperture priority
Shutter: 1/640
Aperture: f4
ISO: 200


DSC_0082_090310_1705 by robodentjp, on Flickr
Lens: Sigma 70-200 f2.8 II @200mm
Mode: Aperture priority
Shutter: 1/160
Aperture: f5
ISO: 800



DSC_0098_090310_1721 by robodentjp, on Flickr
Lens: Sigma 70-200 f2.8 II @130mm
Mode: Aperture priority
Shutter: 1/250
Aperture: f4
ISO: 200



DSC_0099_090310_1722 by robodentjp, on Flickr

Lens: Sigma 70-200 f2.8 II @ 200mm
Mode: Aperture priority
Shutter: 1/200
Aperture: f7.1
ISO: 200


All images available at larger sizes on my Flickr! Enjoy!
Ill try to get some more images up soon!

Either way, this is a very impressive piece of kit, well worth the £600 ive paid out for it. Primaily, this is a very good alternative to the Nikon brand alternative, at around 2.5x the price of this lens! I would highly recommend this lens to anyone considering a lens of excellent build quality, and brilliant image quality in an “affordable” package!
The price makes this lens a very attractive and competitive option!

Any questions, just ask!

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Nikon D80
AF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 Nikon {} AF 50mm f1.8 Nikon {} AF-S 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 VR ED Nikon {} Nikon AF-S 105mm VRII f2.8 Micro ED N
MB-D80 battery grip {} 4GB Sandisk extreme SDHC {} Manfrotto 109xb & 804rc2head {} Lowepro Primus AW {} SB800
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27747651@N04/

Thanks for the comprehensive review of this lens. It certainly seems a bargain at the price and is a lens I will probably add to my wish list. I am surprised you have not had more feedback as I guess a few members of this site have this lens in their armoury. Still you have one comment now!

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Nikon D300 D80 D40 18-55mm 18-70mm 18-135mm 55-200mm 18-200mm 28mm 2.8f 50mm 1.8f 85mm 1.8f
Panasonic DMCFZ28 Slik Pro 700DX

I know a little about a lot, a lot about little and everything about nothing.

I've also reviewed the lens, run a search in this subforum for my take on it (also the nikon variant)

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I take pictures so quickly, my highschool was "Continuous High".