New Sigma Lens

[SkySearcher]

Here are some pictures I took on Saturday morning with my new 70 -300mm APO DG lens. All at 300mm. I took these at the thousand steps national park in the Dandenongs. Shooting birds is harder than I thought! They just don't sit still. :doh:

Thanks for looking!

Daniel

[h0ughy]

you must have nailed these ones down. I was lucky enough to be able to walk up to a kookaburra to about 2 metres from him and snap a few photos once. you will be able to get some awesome detail with that lens.

[joshman]

mmmmmmm, that is a tasty lens...if i had the budget, i would have got the APO version when i bought my Sigma 70-300mm...

however, Sigma certainly do make a damn fine lens regardless :D

[SkySearcher]

The light was pretty average when I took those shots. I really want to try stoping it down a little to around F8 when I get some good light. That should result in some sharp images.

I am pretty sure there is not a huge amount of difference between the APO and non APO when it comes to the crunch (although I have never actually looked through the later). I think calling it APO in the first place is a bit of a stretch.

[iceman]

Lovely shots. I'd like to get the 70-300 as a replacement to my stock Canon 75-300, but then I figure I might want to spend more money on a prime 200 or 300 or maybe the 100-400 :)

[StarLane]

That's right, the little buggers never keep still for half a second.
You have done very well.
Cheers.

[joshman]

i would love to grab a 400mm or 500mm prime lens. that would make tasty photos *droooooooool*

[ving]

anyone who wants to buy me a 200-400 nikon af-s i'll giv eya my details... but that looks like a damn fine lens. and pretty sharp at the long end too :)

[johnno]

Really nice Photos,

I think your images are pretty sharp,as they are,
Very nice to look at.

Regards.John

[joshman]

here's a sample pic i took with my sigma lens yesterday, full zoom, macro mode, hand held, resized and sharpened, and contrast messed with.
http://picasaweb.google.com/teh.JDogg/PhotoExpedition06102007/photo#5118202293039080546

not as sharp as it would've been had i been using a tripod, and the only other photo out of about 20 of this flighty creature that turned out any sharp.

stupid low light!

i do believe (form what i've seen in online tests and reviews) that the APO is somewhat sharper and has less CA at the extreme zoom end.

either way, i'd definitely buy a sigma lens again, fantastic quality for price.

[SkySearcher]

Thanks Guys

Nice shot Josh (It's pretty hard to catch those guys (I find anyway)). I agree, Sigma seems to be very good. When you consider the price difference between this lens and the more expensive ones, I think Sigma have treated the consumer very well. I would by from them again but probably a prime, as my lens sits at 300 most of the time anyway.

I took some 500 pics up at the Murray this weekend and played around with focal lengths and ratios, so it will be interesting to see how that effects the quality of the image.

I will post a couple when I have sorted through my 5G of RAWS!

[joshman]

yeah, i'd love to see your results!!!! i would love a prime, but more in the 400mm+ range...that is after i get all the other, more important, doodads that i need first (battery grip, extra batteries, 50mm prime... the list goes on...)