Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 HSM Lens

[dhlashley]

Just got my Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 lens from Sammy's camera in California. While I would love to have all Nikon glass in my collection, I couldn't resist the price and I have been really happy with my Sigma 70-200mm HSM lens for some time. Also, I love the fact that I can zoom with this lens as you can't really move around at the venues I go to. It may not be a Nikkor but it takes beautiful pictures.

I use it to photograph my daughter at gymnastics competitions where flash is not allowed. It works like a charm with my D70 and I push the ISO to 800 or 1600. Neat Image noise reduction software and Photoshop Elements covers a lot of high ISO sins.

I encourage you to check out Sammy's as I saved $300 over the price that B&H wanted. At the same time, I love B&H as I just got my Nikkor 85mm f1.4 from them that I will be using when I can get closer to the action at the meets. A word of caution - in my research for reliable vendors to spend $2K with you really have to be careful. I spent 3 weeks researching shops to buy from. At one point I looked online at some pictures of different store fronts - I wouldn't throw my garbage into some of the "stores" that advertise online or come up in search engines. You have to be able to sleep at night after you place your order!

Best of luck to all you new kiddie sports photographers out there. I plan to have lots of pictures of my daughter to show her daughter some day!

[NHL]

I agree with you - the 120-300 f/2.8 EX is an excellent fast zoom:






... and equally impressive @ 600mm even with a 2x teleconverter:

[dhlashley]

I love your photos. I too use the 2X teleconverter successfully with this lens. Right now I'm watching some hummngbirds with it and occasionally getting a lucky shot. How did you get the pelican picture?

[Boily]

And how do you get good colours like these !?!?!

Wich filter do you use ???

[NHL]

Boily wrote:

And how do you get good colours like these !?!?!

Wich filter do you use ???

No filter - That was just the Carribean 'blue' water taken from a high cliff looking downward (ie no tripod possible) :-)



... and against the North Carolina blue sky - again @ 600mm with a 2x teleconverter: