Sigma makes lenses that constantly garner great reviews. Then there's the 200mm to 500mm f/2.8 green 35 pound, $25,999.00 behemoth affectionately nicknamed the "Bigma." Check out these reviews from Amazon.com. Amazon Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 starsHelps put snooty photographers in their place. ByObi WanTOP 100 REVIEWER on March 7, 2016 Style: Canon DSLR Cameras A co-worker has one of those camera lens coffee mugs and is always yammering on about how it shows how much he's into photography. So I got this, removed the … [Read more...] about Sunday Comics: Reviewing the “Bigma”
Sigma
Everything You Need To Know About Micro 4/3 Lenses
Mirrorless cameras are wonderful tools, and I'm going to be writing regularly about their attributes. Quick intro to Micro Four Thirds, a.k.a. MFT, M43, Micro 4/3. The key characteristics are that they have interchangeable lenses, they are almost always smaller than DSLR's, they generally cost less than DSLR's for similar features, and they have a sensor that is smaller than DSLR's. The sensor is shaped in a 4x3 ratio, not a 2x3 ratio like DSLR's, which makes a picture that is less wide. One thing that makes Micro 4/3 cameras significantly … [Read more...] about Everything You Need To Know About Micro 4/3 Lenses
Photofocus Products Of The Year – Kevin Ames
Editor’s Note: It’s time for something new. In the past, Photofocus has made it a practice of acknowledging a specific camera and/or lens as the “camera/lens” of the year. This year several of us are putting together a list including camera and lens choices along with a few other pieces of gear that we think you’ll like. While it’s not designed specifically as a holiday gift guide, this list does happen to be a resource for photographers (and their friends/family) who want to get the ball rolling on their holiday shopping. A few things … [Read more...] about Photofocus Products Of The Year – Kevin Ames
Two New Sigma Art Lenses
At Photokina 2016, Sigma announced two new additions to their globally renowned ART series of DSLR lenses. 12-24mm f/4.0 DG HSM | A ultra1wide angle zoom lens for Canon, Nikon & Sigma full frame DSLR 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A short telephoto portrait lens for Canon, Nikon & Sigma full frame DSLR 12-24mm f/4.0 DG HSM | Art Architectural, interior, landscape and nature photographers will love this Art version of Sigmas venerable 12-24mm ultra-wide zoom lens. This beauty promises a significant update to the previous … [Read more...] about Two New Sigma Art Lenses
Looking for a Hiking Tripod? Platypod Max is It
I hike every week with my family, and I travel by air and shoot in other cities every month. You and I both know that using a tripod unlocks picture opportunities that just can't be made without one. I can use it for super long exposures to blur the sea and clouds, or reduce traffic to trails of light down the road, and make waterfalls that pour smoothly into eternity. However, carrying a tripod can be wearisome. Just thinking about carrying it on a seven-mile hike makes my shoulders and legs hurt. I know I need a tripod, and I know my … [Read more...] about Looking for a Hiking Tripod? Platypod Max is It
Photofocus Podcast March 28, 2016 — Mirrorless with Scott Bourne & Marco Larousse
https://soundcloud.com/photofocus/the-mirrorless-show-photofocus-podcast-march-28-2016 On this episode of the Photofocus #Mirrorless Show Scott and Marco will discuss these new products and mirrorless topics: Marco takes a closer look at the partially overlooked Fujifilm X70 compact camera. Does it offer more camera than you may think? Scott shares his first hand experiences from WPPI camera show in Las Vegas. He played with the new Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm f4-6.3 lens, the new Sigma sd Quattro H, the Leica SL with the … [Read more...] about Photofocus Podcast March 28, 2016 — Mirrorless with Scott Bourne & Marco Larousse
Testing The Sigma 150-600 Sports Lens
(Please note - my gear reviews aren't based on pixel peeping or measurebeating. I simply use a piece of gear in real-world shooting situations the way I would use any piece of gear and then write down my impressions. There are plenty of places to do all the side-by-side image comparisons. This post will simply be a mini-review based on my tests. All the photos in this post were made with the Sigma 150-600 Sports Lens.) Shooting Environment I took my annual bird photo trip to New Mexico recently and thanks to the kind folks at lensrentals.com I … [Read more...] about Testing The Sigma 150-600 Sports Lens
Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM S Field Test
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a special guest post by Robert O'Toole A new Sigma 150-600 S Nikon mount lens arrived on my doorstep in early December from Sigma USA, just in time for a couple of big trips. This would be my tenth annual trip to Bosque del Apache in New Mexico and the first time I did not bring a prime long lens. I first tested the lens at Bosque. Then I traveled to the north shore of Oahu and was lucky to be able to catch some perfect conditions to burn a few gigabytes with this new lens and here are my first impressions. Weight of the … [Read more...] about Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM S Field Test
Why I’m Shooting With A Canon 7D MK II
Yep you read that title right. I am going to be using the new Canon 7D MK II as my primary camera. For most of the last three years, Ive mainly relied on Micro Four Thirds cameras from Olympus and Panasonic. They are inexpensive, super easy to carry and offer amazing image quality. In the case of the Panasonic, these cameras offer some of the best and most affordable ways to capture professional video. DSLR or MFT? I have occasionally used DSLRs for big shoots like Coastal Brown Bears or American Bald Eagles. While I often use DSLRs for birds … [Read more...] about Why I’m Shooting With A Canon 7D MK II
Simply Stunning: Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8
I gotta say, I loved using this lens. Sigma has really out done themselves. I know some people say they've owned Sigma lenses and the photos were poorthose lenses were the low end stuff; I could say the same about cheap Nikon and Canon lenses I've used. Sigma's newest professional lenses, however, are the amongst the best glass I've ever used. I'm talking here about the latest version, not the older one with the gold trim. I borrowed this one from LensRentals.com to photograph a golf tournament, and it was the best thing I could have done. I … [Read more...] about Simply Stunning: Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8
Comparing the Sigma and Canon 50mm to the Zeiss 55mm
Editor's Note: This is a guest post from Roger Cicala of LensRentals.com I suspect Ill never be on any manufacturers early review copy list for new lenses. There are already plenty of good early lab reviews on the eagerly awaited Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art lens our there. So when we received our first Sigma 50 f/1.4 Art lenses for rental stock I really didn't plan on posting about it. But I always think its worthwhile to review multiple copies of a lens bought off-the-shelf from retailers. Plus, well have our new MTF bench installed in another … [Read more...] about Comparing the Sigma and Canon 50mm to the Zeiss 55mm
Hot Gear: Sigma 50mm 1.4 and Panasonic GH4
In a recent conversation with Chase Reynolds over at LensRentals, we couldn't wait to talk about all the new "hot gear". They see quite a bit of inventory come and go from their warehouse so it's always interesting to hear about the different products that are being moved on a daily basis. The two products he chose? The Sigma 50mm 1.4 and the Panasonic GH4. Listen to the conversation here. (Starting around 17:15) Get the show here or get it on iTunes Don't forget to post a review on iTunes. Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM … [Read more...] about Hot Gear: Sigma 50mm 1.4 and Panasonic GH4
A Mini-Review of the Sigma 100-300mm f/4 EX DG IF HSM
I was looking for a mid-range telephoto zoom to use as a flight lens or a medium landscape lens. Nikon* offers the 80-400 VR, but that lens doesn't focus quickly enough for me. They also offer the 300 F/2.8 - but it's too heavy for handholding. This led me to research other options. Several people suggested the Sigma 100-300. Since I enjoy the Sigma 300-800 f/5.6 so much, I figured it was worth a shot. The first thing that attracted me to this lens was its internal focusing. That means the lens doesn't get longer as it extends to 300 mm. I … [Read more...] about A Mini-Review of the Sigma 100-300mm f/4 EX DG IF HSM
Sigma 100-300 Unboxing
If you want to see the full-res version watch it on my Vimeo page. As a bonus, I add a LensCoat lens cover to this lens. … [Read more...] about Sigma 100-300 Unboxing
Sigma 300-800 F/5.6 Zoom Lens Mini-Review
This is the second copy of the famed "Sigmonster" that I have owned and reviewed. I have had the first version since its launch in 2002. The new version (APO 300-800 F5.6 EX DG HSM) has been optimized for digital camera bodies. The only difference that I can see between this and the original lens is a new optical coating designed to reduce ghosts and flare. I do notice a slight improvement in color balance between the two lenses, but I am willing to bet that most amateurs wouldn't see it. The lens is huge. Without the lens hood in place, it's … [Read more...] about Sigma 300-800 F/5.6 Zoom Lens Mini-Review
Sigma 300-800 EX DG Unboxing
_______________ … [Read more...] about Sigma 300-800 EX DG Unboxing
The Sigma 30mm F1.4 HSM Mini Review
A while back - before my latest trip to Europe - I bought a new lens: The Sigma 30mm F1.4 HSM. I twittered about it at the time and several people asked me for a review of the thing and so here, finally, is me getting around to doing that. As with Scott's lens reviews I'm not going to give you any measurebatory MTF charts or anything - you can find those online if you look around a little bit - I just wanted to give a few general impressions about the thing from the perspective of using it in real-world conditions. … [Read more...] about The Sigma 30mm F1.4 HSM Mini Review
