Zoom, Zoom, Zoom (Sigma 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Zoom Lens)

Name: LegendaryMrDude

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Product:	Sigma 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Zoom Lens
Date:	18/08/02 (5028 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Price, Handling

Disadvantages: Compatibility, Maximum aperture

No, it's not a Mazda, it's a camera lens...

Finished in matte-black and measuring a whopping 11" at maximum zoon with lens-hood attached, it certainly looks the part. I actually bought this lens quite some time ago, as the first 'upgrade' for my Minolta Dynax 505. It has served me well on that body ever since. Handling is good, the zoom ring is wide and has a ribbed, rubberised surface which provides good grip. The focus ring is similar, but with slightly different markings to help differentiate between it and the zoon ring, both turn easily without being so loose as to move when you don't want them to. Markings on the lens barrel are clear and simply laid out, providing distance readings in feet and metres along with a hyperfocal scale to aid in calculating depth of field for those of you without a depth-of-field preview button. The lens also comes with a macro feature, activated by sliding a button from 'normal' to 'macro' (unsurprisingly). Only useable at the maximum zoon, this allows the lens to focus on even closer objects, achieving a reproduction ratio of 1:2. Zoom range is from 70 to 300mm giving an effective zoom level of 4x, with the minimum aperture changing through the zoom range from f4 at 70mm to f4.5 at 135mm and f5.6 at 300mm.

In use on my Dynax 505 the lens has provided some excellent pictures. Not having a similar lens to compare against I can't make precise statements, but I have had a number of pictures enlarged and have been pleased with the detail. The long zoom means subjects that were previoulsy out of reach or just lost in the frame are now attainable. It has proved an excellent companion at airshows, when taking nature shots and at isolating details in a crowd without being noticed. The relatively restricted minimum aperture is a bit of a bind at sporting events though, meaning that unless the lighting is excellent, a very fast film is needed to freeze the action. The supplied l
ens hood has, so far, done it's job and protected me from any noticeable lens-flare. It clips neatly onto the front of the lens in a backwards-facing position when you're not using it. If I were to grumble about anything, it would be the hunt time when focusing. The lens cane sometimes take a second or two tbefore the auto-focus locks, which for action shots is far from ideal. Because of this, I have tended to use it in manual focus mode far more than I expected, pre-focusing on a certain spot to be sure of capturing the picture I want rather than loosing the moment waiting for the auto-focus to stop whirring. This brings me to the last 'gripe, where 'stealth' is required as the gearing inside the lens is fairly noisy whils focus is being sought, thus blowing your cover.

Unfortunately I have not had the same joy when using it on my Dynax7. For whatever reason (and I expect it's somthing to do with the new auto-focus system in the Dynax7), the lens simply refuses to work. The camera cannot set the lens aperture once the zoom reaches 135mm, regardless of which mode (fully manual or shutter/aperture priority) it is in. As there is no facility on the lens itself for manually dialling in an aperture, this leaves me with next to no control over the picture I want so, alas, I can't compare focus times on the newer body with the old, nor the quality of pictures although the optics haven't changed so I don't expect there to be any difference.

In summary then, this is a decent telephot-zoom lens at an incredibly low price compared to the 'main-dealer' alternatives. It produces excellent results for the vast majority of subjects, with low-light sports/action subjects being it's principal weakness. It's chunky but not too heavy, sturdily constructed (it even has a steel mounting ring) and thoughtfully laid out. Available in fittings for all the major manufacturers, mine is for Minolta AF but in truth the only
one that is likely to be any different is the Canon fitting as it will have focus motors inside the lens barrel. If I were to give you one piece of advice, it would be to take your camera body with you when buying, and to test out that it's fully compatible (across the whole zoom range and at all apertures!) before parting with your hard-earned.

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