Review of the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro HSM

www.sigma-imaging-uk.com The last version of these lens was a cracker, and now Sigma has revamped it and added a macro function too, making a it a very attractive proposition indeed. First of all lets break down the name. Notice first of all the f/2.8 aperture. That’s the maximum throughout the whole of the focal length, from 70mm up to 200mm. That’s a lot of light gathering power, so understandably the lens is bigger than your average f/3.5-5.6 type zoom. In fact it is constructed from 18 elements arranged in 15 groups, and the overall weight of those optics amounts to 1345g, so it’s no lightweight. Externally it’s also well made, with a metal mount, a tough shell and deep and secure rubberised zoom and focus rings. There’s also a detachable tripod mount-ring to alleviate strain on the camera mount if using a tripod. Amongst that glass are Apochramtic elements, Extra Low Dispersion and Special Low Dispersion elements. All of these combine to correct distortion and colour and reduce chromatic aberrations. The EX moniker this as being in Sigma’s premier line up., hence the build quality and price, though it’s somewhat cheaper than similar lenses from Nikon or Canon et al. As a DG lens, Sigma is telling us this is digitally optimised, not just for APS-C sensors, but also full frame cameras, so it could be easily used for those Canon 1DS MkIIs that I know all of our readers own! Of course, it would also work on 35mm film cameras, if you still use them. The lens also has a Hyper Sonic Motor fitted (HSM), which is fast and quiet, making the lens useful for high speed photography, sports, wildlife and more. Focusing is internal too, so the physical dimensions of the lens don’t change, while the AF servo also allows manual focus in AF mode for quick corrections, especially useful in macro mode or when at maximum aperture. Finally it’s had that Macro function fitted allowing focusing as close as 100cm throughout the entire zoom range.