SIGMA 70-200MM F/2.8 DG OS HSM | S
Sigma’s Sports lens came up trumps in our last group test of 70-200mm zooms and holds up very well against newer mirrorless competition
SIGMA’S LONG-RUNNING 70-200MM F/2.8 OS LENS WAS A POPULAR, BUDGET-FRIENDLY OPTION, DELIVERING GOOD OVERALL PERFORMANCE, WITH AN EFFECTIVE OPTICAL STABILISER. THE REPLACEMENT ‘SPORTS’ LENS IS LARGER AND HEAVIER AT 1,805G, DESPITE
HAVING A MAGNESIUM ALLOY BARREL. THE MORE ROBUST BUILD ALSO ADDS
A FULL SET OF WEATHER-SEALS, WHEREAS THE PRECEDING LENS HAD NONE.
MORE THAN JUST AN UPDATE, THE NEW LENS IS COMPLETELY
REDESIGNED FROM THE GROUND UP. THE NEW OPTICAL PATH FEATURES
24 ELEMENTS IN 22 GROUPS, INCORPORATING NINE TOP-GRADE FLD
(‘FLUORITE’ LOW DISPERSION) ELEMENTS AND ONE SLD (SPECIAL LOW
DISPERSION) ELEMENT. THERE’S ALSO A WELL-ROUNDED APERTURE, BASED
ON 11 DIAPHRAGM BLADES. THE AUTOFOCUS SYSTEM CAN BE SWITCHED
TO AUTO-PRIORITY OR MANUAL-PRIORITY MODES, THE LATTER ENABLING
MANUAL OVERRIDE EVEN IN CONTINUOUS AUTOFOCUS MODE. THE DESIGN
ALSO FEATURES THREE CUSTOMISABLE AF-HOLD BUTTONS.
THE NEW OPTICAL STABILISER HAS SWITCHABLE STATIC AND PANNING
MODES, THE LATTER WORKING IN LANDSCAPE, PORTRAIT AND EVEN
DIAGONAL ORIENTATION. DUAL ‘CUSTOM’ MODES CAN BE SWITCHED IN.
YOU CAN SET THESE UP WITH THE OPTIONAL USB DOCK, FOR EXAMPLE TO
INCREASE OR DECREASE THE EFFECT OF STABILISATION IN THE VIEWFINDER
IMAGE, OR TO ALTER THE AUTOFOCUS RANGE LIMITER DISTANCE.
SHARPNESS AND CONTRAST ARE SUPERB THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE
ZOOM RANGE, EVEN WHEN SHOOTING WIDE-OPEN AT F/2.8. AUTOFOCUS
IS RAPID AND CONSISTENTLY ACCURATE, AND WHILE STABILISATION ISN’T
QUITE AS EFFECTIVE AS IN THE TAMRON G2 LENS FOR STATIC SHOTS, IT
PROVED BETTER FOR PANNING DURING OUR TESTS. ULTIMATELY, IT’S A BIG
LENS THAT GOES EXTRA-LARGE ON PERFORMANCE.