Sigma 120-300 f/2.8 DG OS HSM Delayed (1 Viewer)

Sigma has delayed the release of the new 120-300 f/2.8 DG OS HSM lens - see here

Roy C said:

Sigma has delayed the release of the new 120-300 f/2.8 DG OS HSM lens - see here

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Sigma suggests that the delay is due to sourcing parts for the new lens. |:S|
SOURCING PARTS????? How can someone run a company--promise release February-then March-THEN say you can't get the parts? Amazing.

I have heard that they are now planning to release it in May, hopefully it will make it out this time. I was reading that it has the same optical design as the current version and that it is just a cosmetic redesign with the addition of the USB interface and a focu limiter switch. Does anyone know if this is true?

postcardcv said:

I have heard that they are now planning to release it in May, hopefully it will make it out this time. I was reading that it has the same optical design as the current version and that it is just a cosmetic redesign with the addition of the USB interface and a focu limiter switch. Does anyone know if this is true?

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I know someone who has it on order and tells me he spoke directly with Sigma.......who told him 'NONE of the parts are sourced in China' which is one big difference to quality control.
Another big difference is that (via the USB) you can change the focus limiter to whatever distance you want.....to suit the type of photography you want to do. Not sure of the benefit as the Canon was sooooo quick to focus it's hard to think it could be improved on.

postcardcv said:

I have heard that they are now planning to release it in May, hopefully it will make it out this time. I was reading that it has the same optical design as the current version and that it is just a cosmetic redesign with the addition of the USB interface and a focu limiter switch. Does anyone know if this is true?

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Hi Peter,

The optical design is the same. The cosmetics have changed and the weather sealing improved. A USB interface and focus limiter switch have been added. I have asked Sigma if it can be said that the electronics have been redesigned sufficient that it should eliminate previous focusing problems such as when the lens was pointed upward the focusing slowed. The answer was emphatically 'yes'.

I have attached below a link to Sigma's MTF chart for the 120-300 f2.8 DG OS HSM. Click the box which says 'Data'
http://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lens/telephoto-lens/apo-120-300mm-f2-8-ex-dg-os-hsm.

The literature indicates that the lenses (as a quality control measure) will be individually tested with a very high resolution sensor before they go out.

The MTF charts suggest that the lens is not as sharp as the new Canon prime 300 but it is still very sharp indeed. The contrast it would seem is slightly better than the current Sigma 500 f4.5 Sadly I am not technically knowledgable enough to determine at what point a lens out resolves a sensor or vice versa.

Given that you have the Canon prime 500 and 300 as well as 100-400, I cannot see much point in adding the new Sigma to your lens collection unless of course you were to rid yourself of the 100-400 and 300. However it seems that with the new 120-300 you will get a lot of bang for your buck in the 120-420mm range and at 600mm (with the use of a 2X converter) you should make some very acceptable images.

It goes without saying that there are those who will say 'stick to primes' and of course there is good reason for that; but when faced with the flexibility of a zoom facility and up to 4 stop equiv't stabilisation I dare say that the 120-300 will have a lot to offer. I have not done much photography in the last year or so and should I decide to go back to it I will give the 120-300 very serious consideration.

Adrian

Thanks for the info Adrian, some interesting stuff in there. I suspect that you are right that I don't need one, but I failed to follow your advice and have bought one of the current OS ones! So far I am very impressed with it. Without tcs it is on a par with the Canon 300 f2.8 mkI, though is doesn't have quite as much reach. AF seems plenty fast enough (though the limiter would have been nice). When I first put a 1.4x on it I was very disappointed but after micro adjusting (first time I have ever tried that) I am very happy with the results. It even seems to perform admirably well with a 2x tc, the AF slows a bit but the results are still good. I am not sure that the OS is as good as Canon's IS system, it seems to take a bit longer to settle down so I have missed some shots because of it. I have been out with it today and have just put my photos on the PC and they are looking good (all with a 1.4x today), I shall post some later.

I will be interested to see how it handles it's job tomorrow when I am shooting a football match under floodlights. I think the zoom range coupled with the constant f2.8 will make it ideal for this but it is still tempting to take the reliable Canon 300 and accept missing shots when the action is too close (or shoot with two bodies). However as the main reason for buying the Sigma was for sports I will take a chance on it tomorrow. I was planning to run it as my sports lens (rather than shooting with the 300 f2.8 and a shorter lens) and keep the Canon 300 f2.8 for birds but if the quality of the Sigma is as good as my first impressions suggest the Canon might be on it's way to a new home soon!

I have posted shots in the thread about the original OS lens rather than sending this thread even further off topic! http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=199481&page=4

Noticed this evening that the announcement on the Sigma UK website stating that the new 120-300 would be available early May has now been removed!

Edit: just had another look and the announcement is back - maybe I wasn't focusing too well last night

Interesting to see that the press release for this lens is not available and there is no mention of a release date on the website. Looking on a couple of American retailers they have an expected date of the 20th May, however Sigma UK do not have an expected date for it. I wonder if it will actually emerge this month or if there will be another delay. I suspect Sigma are regretting announcing it so long before it is going to be available as it must have dented the sales of the current version.

I keep looking too but it looks like they might have to announce another delay - past the middle of May already with no noises good or bad. Not that I am gonna rush out and get one after seeing the increase in weight from the current model, but want to know how it performs

It has been available for a while in Japan.

HokkaidoStu said:

It has been available for a while in Japan.

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Is that the MkII version ? according to the Sigma website the new version has an 'S' identifier in its name.

Roy C said:

Is that the MkII version ? according to the Sigma website the new version has an 'S' identifier in its name.

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The photo is of a mkII - does seem strange for it to be available over there but to have no expected date in the UK.

Roy C said:

Is that the MkII version ? according to the Sigma website the new version has an 'S' identifier in its name.

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Yes it is the MK2. The MK1 was removed from that website months ago.

This lens looks to be the new model to me. From Amazon but supplied by Carmarthen Cameras; zoom in on the image and there is a clear "S" logo towards the front of the barrel. £3600 is the opening price

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=358549767&pf_rd_i=468294

Just found that a company in Watford are now selling the new Sports 120-300 for 2.8k, but I have yet to find a real world hands-on review. Temptation is there but holding fire - just

An interesting article on focus shift with the new 120-300 as one of the test lenses. The difference in sharpness at f5 when manually focused compared with the AF shot is astonishing:
http://www.reikan.co.uk/focalweb/index.php/2013/06/lens-focus-shift-reikan-focal/

Interesting stuff - thanks for digging that up Bhoggy. Just when we thought that stopping down from WO to find the sweet spot on the MTF curves was all there was to it, along comes another gremlin in the works. I'd sure like to know the relative orders of magnitude of the two effects on sharpness.

Look forward to their tests at 300mm. Also gives pause for thought when using with 1.4x, and 2x TC's.



Chosun :gh: