Sigma 100-300 f4 Question. (1 Viewer)

Sleeper · Aug 30, 2007

Hi

My wife is branching out into DSLR and have aquired the lens mentioned. She hopes to use this with a D80 but the thing thats confusing is the diaphragm control f stop dial.

The instructions are not that clear and mention having to set the f stop manually on the lens in certain circumstances like shutter priority etc.

I just figured that the f stop inputted into the camera would overide this and I did not realise that this would not be done automatically.

Thanks.

Jaff · Aug 31, 2007

I think you're being lead up the garden path.
If the lens has a manual aperture ring then set it to its highest f-stop and flick the switch to lock it there and everything should be done from within the camera to set f-stops.

Hope I'm helping.
Jaff

Sleeper · Aug 31, 2007

Hi Jaff

Whom by my better half or the lens?

Understand but no lock for aperture ring. Thanks.

Jaff · Sep 1, 2007

Sleeper said:
Whom by my better half or the lens?

Oops!

Meant the instructions.

One of my current lenses hasn't got a lock either and I'm frequently getting error messages on the LCD display when I've accidentally moved the aperture ring off its maximum f-stop, especially when being transported in my rucksack (just an ordinary rucksack). Easy enough to sort out though, just reset the ring to its original position and it'll be fine. Tell your wife to take care though as this will stop the camera from taking a shot and you could miss that golden opportunity!

Best of luck.
Jaff

Sleeper · Sep 1, 2007

Thanks very much I hope this venture will be money well spent!!

Jaff · Sep 3, 2007

I'm sure it is, no-one can say anything really bad about the camera and the Sigma lens is probs an above average starter lens (fixed f4!) so I'm sure she'll get some good-uns.

Best of luck to you both. :t:
Jaff

Sleeper · Sep 6, 2007

Questions again if I can

My wife has now bought the D80 camera and I was asked that taking into account the info stated by Jaff I should set the ring at which end of the scale F32 or F4? I presumed F32, is this correct?

As Jaff says the camera shows "EE" if moved off this setting.

The other question is when I add the 1.4x telecoverter the camera will allow the aperture ring to be moved without the "EE" being shown.

If the lens is F4 throughout it's range, which it is, why would I set the aperure ring to F32. Does this have no bearing on the actual light gathering capabilities.

Please be as coarse as you like as long as you can help answer the questions!

Thanks again.

Jaff · Sep 10, 2007

Sleeper said:
Questions again if I can

My wife has now bought the D80 camera and I was asked that taking into account the info stated by Jaff I should set the ring at which end of the scale F32 or F4? I presumed F32, is this correct?

As Jaff says the camera shows "EE" if moved off this setting.

The other question is when I add the 1.4x telecoverter the camera will allow the aperture ring to be moved without the "EE" being shown.

If the lens is F4 throughout it's range, which it is, why would I set the aperure ring to F32. Does this have no bearing on the actual light gathering capabilities.

Please be as coarse as you like as long as you can help answer the questions!

Thanks again.

Was going to post on here funnily enough before I'd read this. First thing's first. I've discovered that my aperture ring has got a lock and suspect yours has too it might just be very well disguised like mine was. Look very closely at the ring for anything unusual or raised.

I'm not sure what the point in them is but I think these rings are relics from slr days. Bottom line is it should be locked at F32 and everything will be done in camera. The lens aperture will always be wide open at F4 even if you have set it to something else until you press the shutter and take the photo, that's when the aperture blades will close too. Doesn't make a difference if you have the TC on either, although a TC cuts down the light reaching the sensor equivalent to losing 1 Fstop, keep it locked at F32 anyway (it's all to do with the lens and camera communicating properly I believe).

Happy hunting both of you!:t:
Jaff

Sleeper · Sep 12, 2007

Cheers Jaff

I have to admit we are not finding the DSLR as easy ro use as I thought I would.

Getting sharp images is proving very hard work. I feel more at home with digiscoping.

The other thing is that I am dissapointed that I have to get within 10 foot to get a detailed shot.

Thanks again.

Jaff · Sep 13, 2007

That's funny, I thought your wife was meant to be using the camera.

Anyway's, such are the limitations on a 300mm zoom that a lot of things will be just that little bit too far away and require a little too much cropping to get good shots, especially true with smaller birds. Below is a full frame shot and a cropped and resized pic taken with my Nikkor 70-300mm ED at about 8/9m. Good enough but for really detailed shots you do need to be closer with 300mm reach.

I'm not up with the performance of your lens but most zoom lenses require stopping down (F8 usually with f5.6 lenses, I'm not sure about yours) to get the best out of it. Also a tripod or some other form of support can help, even with a 300mm zoom, to get the best shots.

Be careful about comparing digiscoping and DSLR photography, I think they are worlds apart.

If you need anymore help I'm here.

Sleeper · Sep 13, 2007

That's funny, I thought your wife was meant to be using the camera

I know I have to wait until shes out before the mouse can play!

Thanks for the continued help. May I ask the distance to subject, tripod used, lighting and iso used?

As regards the worlds apart, I agree, as I thought DSLR would be a doddle compared to digiscoping and this is not the case.

To be fair neither of us are getting the images we thought we might.

This is my attempt with "A" and about 18 foot away. The light was good and I used a CF tripod with a 128 manfrotto head. It was used with sigma TC and at full zoom.

Any observations? I think it pretty crap!

Jaff · Sep 14, 2007

I'm happy with my photos.
I put that one on as I could judge the distance (being taken from my window), it's not my best, the bird is too small in the frame. Thing is though, typically that's the kind of distance one can expect. If it's super detailed portraits your after you need to get much closer to small subjects with 300mm (even 400mm) or stick to digiscoping.

Your tripod is fine but I dislike TC's. They don't give a good enough image with my lenses. Do a little test, take a photo of a static subject with and without TC and crop them down to the same size and see which you think is the better.

Persevere, you'll soon learn the capabilities of your gear. You can't get this digiscoping.
Jaff

mav12 · Sep 14, 2007

try a few shots without the tc the tc will reduce the image quality a bit the sigma 100-300 is a really sharp lens try to keep your shutter speeds up its a double whammy trying to photograph birds camera shake and the bird moving is a problem

Sleeper · Sep 15, 2007

Thanks guys.

My wife is going to try the remote as it is the camera shake that is possibly causing the problem.

Just wonder how she will go on in a hide where a tripod and release may not be as easy to use. I guess technique is a big factor.

Thanks again.

Sleeper · Sep 15, 2007

Jaff you are quite right you would never get the image of the Godwits like you have captured.

My good lady seems to have grasped this better than I as on her way to picking me up she took a few pics at a large local pond.

And these are at 1000asa
"she beginner luck"

I know the poses and subjects are not exiting but the results have given us a bit more heart.

Jaff · Sep 17, 2007

The more the bird fills the frame the better your shots will be, that's all there is to it! Different ways to achieve that though, increase your mag or move closer if you can. The Mallard looks nice, kudos to your missus.
Typically I shoot at 200 ISO, to keep shutter speeds up, and when the light's good enough I stop down to F8. I mostly use a tripod, except when I'm in a hide or going after birds in flight.

Just play around untill you find what works for you. Alternatively, I think Johnrobinson has the same lens, you could ask him how he gets the best out of it.
Jaff

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