Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM

A GREAT BUDGET BUY AS A NEW LENS WHEN IN PRODUCTION, IT’S EVEN BETTER SECONDHAND

RELEASED: 2010 PRICE NEW: £900/$1300 SECONDHAND PRICE: ‘Excellent’ £584/$749 ‘Good’ £611/$783

Discontinued a few years ago when Sigma launched its ‘Sports’ edition in the Global Vision line-up, this lens was first introduced back in 2010. It’s long been a favourite value option and actually won our Big Test of ‘budget telephoto zooms’ in issue 83. Build quality is very good and handling is refined. Performance benefits from super-fast, ring-type ultrasonic autofocus, which is well suited to tracking moving objects. The optical stabilizer also works well, with switchable static and panning modes. Sharpness and contrast are ace, distortions are minimal and colour fringing is negligible. Overall, it’s a top buy.

Key points 1. Good glass

The optical path includes two top-grade FLD (‘Fluorite’ Low Dispersion) and three SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements to minimize colour fringing.

2. Hood with DX adapter

The included petal shaped hood comes with an additional adaptor.

3. Tripod mounting ring

The supplied tripod mounting ring helps to balance the weight.

Full-frame compatible: Yes Effective focal length (DX): 105-300mm Min focus distance: 1.4m Max magnification: 0.13x AF: Ultrasonic (ring-type) Diaphragm blades: 9 Filter size: 77mm Dimensions (dia x length): 86x198mm Weight: 1430g