Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO DG Macro
Last updated (18 May’10):
- Review by SLRGear
Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro is a telephoto zoom lens. The lens features 70-300mm at focal length with maximum aperture of F/4.0-5.6. The lens construction has 14 Elements in 10 Groups and has diagonal angle of view at 34.3 – 8.2 degrees. Minimum Focusing Distance at 150cm / (95cm Macro mode) 59.1 in. / (37.4 in. Macro mode) and has a filter size of 58mm. The Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro lens weighs 1.21 pounds and it measures 3 inches in diameter and 3.0 inches long.
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| Latest Price Info
Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Reviews
Photoanswers reviews the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro and writes;
“Though there’s an in-lens AF motor (for operation with Nikon D40/D40x/D60 cameras), the AF can still be relatively loud as Sigma’s quiet HSM system is not employed to reduce noise. The AF performance is pretty solid, however, with minimal hunting.”
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Electronicsme.com reviews the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro and writes;
“With decent specs and built in macro functionality this lens can help you capture the perfect shot when you are physically out of range of your subject. So if you are looking for a lightweight, budget friendly, go anywhere lens, then the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO DG MACRO may just be the one for you..”
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SLRGear.com reviews the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro and writes;
” If you’re looking for excellent corner-to-corner sharpness across a wide range of focal lengths and apertures you won’t find it in the Sigma, but when stopped down to ƒ/8 and ƒ/11 the lens performs decently well. It offers an excellent macro mode between 200mm and 300mm and some of the best resistance to chromatic aberration that we’ve seen in lenses of this category, all for a very reasonable price.”
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WhatDigitalCamera.com reviews the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro and writes;
“The lens doesn’t have Sigma’s Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) found on some of its other lenses, but the AF is still reasonably and comparatively quiet. The lens charts show good performance at the 70mm end, with excellent control over fringing, particularly in corners where this lens is the clear leader. “
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Photozone.de reviews the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro and writes;
“The Sigma AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG macro came close to a surprise but it still hasn´t won the cigar. It delivered pretty decent results in most aspects, specifically at 70mm and 200mm, but at 300mm the border resolution is nothing short of dismal – certainly not apochromatic as claimed by Sigma “
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Ephotozine.com reviews the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro and writes;
“In summary the main positive points of the Sigma 70-300mm F/4-5.6 APO DG Macro are: Excellent optical performance for price, Good close focus ability (1:2), Light enough to carry all day. Negative points are: Long extension when close focussed and zoomed, Front element and extension rotates during focussing “
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Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro User Reviews
Sigma 70-300 for Nikon | Rating:
“I really like this lens. Like a lot of people, I was torn between this and the Nikon 70-300 VR. I’m not very frequent with telephoto imagery, so even though the Nikon isn’t blindingly expensive, I needed to be practical about how much I was going to use this focal length range, irrespective of the cost. I read a fair number of reviews and comparisons online before deciding to plonk some money for this one… I’d definitely recommend this lens to anyone looking for a relatively cheap way out of the telephoto lens choice dilemma, and would encourage you to identify how much your tele-usage will be. If it’s similar to mine, which isn’t very often, then there’s no better option available. If money is no concern, or if you use telephoto focal lengths a lot, then by all means the Nikon might be a much better option. “ – by Mukul Dudeja
Excellent Lens | Rating:
“This lens is excellent for close up photography and distance shooting. I love animal photography and am often far away from the subject.. not with this lens. Am able to get wonderful closeup shots. This lens also allows for Macro shooting as well. So having both options in 1 lens is perfect. It also comes with a lens hood which was not expected. Very nice touch Would highly recommend the Sigma products “ – by Audiodoc
Sigma 70-300mm, Great buy for the money! | Rating:
“I took a chance on this lens and am so happy that I did. The macro function works very well. I bought a used Nikon 105mm macro for $600 and the Sigma lens is sharper in many instances. It’s very lightweight and small which is good for all day shoots. I don’t like carrying around a tripod so I usually hand hold my camera with a mini tripod attached that I place against my chest for support. The results with this cheap $200 Sigma 70-300 lens on my Nikon D90 have been fantastic in bright light. In dim light however, there the images are too soft and the lens hunts a lot. I’m so pleased with this lens that I’m going to invest in the Sigma 50-500mm when I have an extra thousand to spend.” – by Jeri Lynn “Jeri Lynn”
Great for the price…. | Rating:
“I looks very cheap, but… It’s a great lens!!! Well, this lens looks very cheap because the exterior coating its like a black glittery velvet and makes it look like a toy, but thats it. The colors are vivid, the pictures are amazingly sharp! The lens is a little heavy but does not creep so that’s a good thing and the macro is helpful but you need a tripod for that, it lets you get so much closer to your subject (about 3.5 ft) and since it works only in the range of 200-300mm it lets you get very good close ups. I am very happy with this lens and specially with what I payed for it, definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good telezoom at a low price. “ – by Mara Fernandez “Mara Edlyn”
Very Pleased! | Rating:
“I would say I am very pleased so far with the performance and durability of the lens. It feels well made, though the primarily Japanese manual was a bit of a set back. There’s English on it, just hard to find it. I also had a bit of difficulty getting it to snap on to my D40, compared to my traditional slr, in which switching lenses is a breeze. There was a lot of fidgeting to get it to fin correctly. However, the image quality was outstanding for the price. A must for a starving college student. Literally-I skipped buying food this week so I could get the lens. This lens will pay for itself with one shot though in my opinion. “ – by B. Heath “Starving College Student”
Sigma 70-300mm DG APO lens | Rating:
“I bought this lens about 2 months ago and I use it on a Nikon D60. I’ve taken several thousand photos with it and I am extremely happy with the results. The bokeh on this lens at times is superb and other times a bit rough but very pleasing. The focus motor is not as loud as some of the other reviews make it out to be and I’ve found it to be plenty acceptable and pretty much a non issue…. This lens does hunt around a bit in low light but again this really hasn’t been an issue for me and I shoot this lens indoors in some terrible light. I’ve found that my cameras autofocus assist light can help in these circumstances. I’d recommend this lens if you are looking for a 70-300 range on a budget. I would definitely buy this lens again! “ – by Frank Hale
Good for the Price | Rating:
“A pretty good lens if your budget is kind of low or you are a beginner. Good focal length and decent aperture minimum and maximum. Sigma is definitely a good brand for beginners or people who have a low to mid-ranged budget. The only thing bad is the heaviness/bulkiness of the lens and the AutoFocus is louder than most.” – by A Kid’s Review
pretty sharp | Rating:
“decided to purchase this lens as an all rounder. im pretty impressed. auto focus can be off and somewhat slow at times but overall im pleased. seems to hunt around a bit but 90% of the time it focuses and its accurate and can produce very sharp images. i have gotten use to manual focusing this lens with ease. i am glad i purchased this lens. macro option between 200-300 is a bonus.. “ – by jb
Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Sample Photos
- Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Sample Photos @ Pbase.com
- Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Sample Photos @ Flickr.com
- Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Sample Photos @ Photographyreview.com
- Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Sample Photos @ Pixel-peeper.com
- Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Sample Photos @ Amazon.com
Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Specifications
The Sigma APO 70-300mm f4-5.6 DG Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras is a telephoto zoom lens with tele-macro functionality. Optimized for digital cameras, this high-performance lens has two Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass elements in the front lens group and one in the rear lens group. It is able to shoot with maximum magnification 1:2 at the focal length of 300 millimeters. It’s the ideal lens for portraits, sports photography, nature photography, and other types of photography that frequently use the telephoto range.
The multi-layer lens coating and lens design reduce flare and ghosting, which is a common problem with digital cameras, and it also creates an optimum color balance through the entire zoom range. High optical performance is demonstrated throughout the entire zoom range. The lens features a switch that converts the lens to macro photography at focal lengths between 200 millimeters and 300 millimeters, with a minimum focusing distance of 37.4 inches. In normal mode the minimum focusing distance is 59.1 inches at all zoom settings.
Popularity: 4%
See also: Lens Reviews | Sigma Lenses
What do I have to do to get a Sigma lens that doesn’t have optical flaws? My current 70-300mm APO is the 2nd within 12 years (updated to be compatible with my APS-C DSLR)& guess what, this b—ers as soft as sh–t on the lhs of the frame from approx. 150mm (equiv.)upwards as well!!! Stopping down appears to make very little difference. On the plus side, performance is flawless at the shorter focal lengths, but that’s hardly the point. I am now of the opinion that it’s a case of “you get what you pay for,” & the only way to be sure of consistent quality is to pay a lot more & invest in, say, a Canon L-Series lens. SIGMA, PLEASE NOTE!!!!!!