Coming from Sigma's DG range, this 70-300mm optic is suitable for film and digital sensors up to 35mm in size...

Product Overview

Overall rating:

85%

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG

Overall score:85%
Value:85%
Performance:85%
Image Quality:85%
Design:90%
Features:85%

Pros:

  • Reasonable performance throughout the range

Cons:

  • Some sharpness fall off in the corners

Product:

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Review

Manufacturer:

Price as reviewed:

£199.00

Coming from Sigma’s DG range, this 70-300mm optic is suitable for film and digital sensors up to 35mm in size.

The lens also contains an apochromatic element using Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass, supposedly more effective in the controlling of chromatic aberration. The optic has a nice feel, thanks to the matt-velvet paint Sigma uses to coat its lens barrels. The zoom action is swift but could do with a bit of damping at the ends of the rotation, which can stop with a bit of a bump.

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. At 300mm, the central control is as good as that of comparable Nikon and Olympus models, but it falls short a little in the corners. Resolution is acceptable, if average, with some dropping off at 300mm.

Verdict

A good general purpose lens, with good fringing control

Details

Filter Thread:58mm
Minimum Focus:95cm
Lens Construction:14/10, APO, SLD
Maximum Aperture:f/4-5.6
Diagonal Angle of View:27-6
Weight:550g
Dimensions:77x122mm
Maximum Format Size:35mm
Lens Mount:Son/Nik/Can/Pen/Sig
Minimum Aperture:f/32