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Archive 2013 · Sigma 100-300mm vs 120-300mm

  
 
hithesh123
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Sigma 100-300mm vs 120-300mm


I need help deciding between the Sigma 100-300mm and Sigma 120-300mm (non-OS).
I will be using the lens for wildlife and birding.

There are a lot of reviews with focus issues and not so good IQ with 1.4x/2x extender for the 120-300mm.
What's the difference between the non-DG and DG version?
How fast is the AF?
I don't have experience with either. But I have used 100-400mm extensively. If someone can compare the performance with 100-400mm it would really help.




May 26, 2013 at 10:56 PM
ggreene
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Sigma 100-300mm vs 120-300mm


Is the 100-400 out of budget? That would be your best option to me if you can get by the push/pull design. Light, 400 reach, pretty solid AF and IS. The other two will need extenders to match it and I doubt their IQ would be the same.


May 27, 2013 at 06:18 AM
jcolwell
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Sigma 100-300mm vs 120-300mm


+1

The 100-400/4-5.6L generally costs less than the EX 120-300/2.8 non-OS, and the 100-400L has better IQ. I've owned both. The only advantage for the EX is that it's faster.



May 27, 2013 at 06:30 AM
OwlsEyes
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Sigma 100-300mm vs 120-300mm


The quality difference between the 120-300 f2.8 and the 100-400L is debatable. At 400mm, the canon is sharper because you have to apply a converter and it has more depth of field. At f5.6, the 120-300 f2.8 w/ converter is as sharp as the 100-400L. The color, due to proprietary designs, is markedly different. The Sigma lens tends to be warmer than the canon. I find that canon's reds are "truer" when comparing the two lenses.

I have owned the 120-300 f2.8 non-DG lens. I used this on 1D mark ii and 30D bodies. This lens has been to Costa Rica and Tanzania with me. I sold the lens and purchased the 100-400L. I only sold the 120-300 f2.8 because I already owned a 300mm f2.8L IS. The zoom became my wife's lens once I got the canon 300 f2.8. My wife found the Sigma to be too heavy for her and so I sold it and purchased the Canon 100-400L to replace the Sigma. Had I not found a great deal on my 300 f2.8, it is likely that I would still be shooting with my former sigma lens.

Final point... while the sigma is not as sharp as the 100-400 @ 400mm, it is sharper at 300mm (actually 280mm). When shot at f2.8 or f3.2, you will get a bokeh and subject isolation that you will not be able to reproduce with the canon zoom... something else to think about.
regards,
bruce



May 27, 2013 at 12:28 PM
jimmy462
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Sigma 100-300mm vs 120-300mm


Hi hithesh123,

I can offer you no comparison between the Sigma 100-300mm (or the Canon 100-400mm) and the Sigma 120-300mm non-OS. What I do offer you is my take on my extensive experience with the 120-300mm non-OS EX DG, which I still own and use despite the fact that I went and purchased the newer OS version (not the latest Sport version which shares the same optical train).

The reason I've kept that earlier version is simple, it does the job I ask of it. The lens now finds service in my line-up for when I wish to go "beating trail" off my local bike path to shoot birds, wildlife and nature off of a monopod and with teleconverters. The OS version is for my hand-held jaunts when I'm preferring to travel with less gear.

Now the newer, OS version, is clearly superior optically to the non-OS...delivering crisper images, being slightly quicker of foot with its focusing motor and, well, the OS. But this is not to say that the non-OS version is a slouch, far from it. My copy has always delivered sharp, usable images for me both as a stand-alone lens and with teleconverters, focus is both swift and nearly silent, the bokeh is gorgeous and smooth, and it's taken a bit of banging around and has always been ready for more.

As for the criticisms I'm sure you've encountered about the non-OS lens my take is this...it may well be that Sigma has had a QC problem at the time when this lens was in production and delivered lenses that didn't perform to user expectation, I've certainly read enough complaints to get me thinking that maybe this was so. And it may also be true that a fair amount of these lenses also suffered from misaligned optics or some other form of optical train deviations that prevented the lenses from performing to their designed specifications, again, I've read enough complaints about soft images from users of this lens, as well. And that all of the above is true, it might also be possible then that I've just been one lucky sunuvagun when it came to my copy of this lens.

My proof is in my images, and I can offer you these samples, and in answer to your original concerns about TC performance, both taken with a Sigma 2x TC...

Sigma 120-300 OS - FM Forums:
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1005090/0?keyword=x#9547651

...you'll have to forgive me not posting something a bit more recent, but I took a break from the board for a couple of years and let my "image upload" subscription lapse. I'll recommend the entirety of that older thread, the good, bad and ugly.

Anyhoo, I've had a change of heart of late and I'm trying to avoid making gear recommendations for folks, all I can share is what's worked for me and what hasn't and hopefully that'll help you decide what will work best for you. So all I can say is that if you should happen upon a copy of this lens as good as mine methinks you'll be quite pleased for satisfying your stated needs! Best of luck in your search!




May 27, 2013 at 07:40 PM
hithesh123
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Sigma 100-300mm vs 120-300mm


jcolwell wrote:
+1

The 100-400/4-5.6L generally costs less than the EX 120-300/2.8 non-OS, and the 100-400L has better IQ. I've owned both. The only advantage for the EX is that it's faster.


I had assumed the Sigma 120-300mm would have better IQ.



May 28, 2013 at 01:51 PM
hithesh123
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Sigma 100-300mm vs 120-300mm


The sigma 120-300mm is attractive because of the big aperture. My experience with the 100-400mm at F5.6 is it keeps hunting at low light. It becomes worse with a 1.4x tele
And the sigma 100-300mm doesn't burn a hole in my pocket.

Bruce, I think all sigma lenses have warmer color compared to canon glass. Anyway my Sigma experience is limited.

Jimmy, thanks for the detailed post. But why have the non-OS and the OS lens. Can you not turn off the OS when you don't need it or when you use it with a monopod.



May 28, 2013 at 02:24 PM
Pixel Perfect
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Sigma 100-300mm vs 120-300mm


hithesh123 wrote:
And the sigma 100-300mm doesn't burn a hole in my pocket.

Bruce, I think all sigma lenses have warmer color compared to canon glass. Anyway my Sigma experience is limited.

Jimmy, thanks for the detailed post. But why have the non-OS and the OS lens. Can you not turn off the OS when you don't need it or when you use it with a monopod.



100-400L is lighter than Sigma 100-300, and will have better IQ than the 100-300 + 1.4 and has IS, the 100-400L + 1.4x will have much better IQ than the 100-300 + 2x.

Sigma's tend to be a bit warmer, which I like, but is corrected in a few seconds if you shoot RAW.



May 28, 2013 at 08:00 PM
jimmy462
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Sigma 100-300mm vs 120-300mm


hithesh123 wrote:
Jimmy, thanks for the detailed post. But why have the non-OS and the OS lens. Can you not turn off the OS when you don't need it or when you use it with a monopod.


I'm not ready to get my newer lens dirty, yet! Yes, silly. I know.



May 28, 2013 at 09:23 PM





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