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Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II
Hello.
I'm about to buy Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II AF for Minolta. What do you think about this lens? Is it sharpen and quick enough? Or, maybe, I can buy something better in $140 with 200-300 mm? - I plan to use this lens for outdoor photography: some animals, birds, remote scenes... Thanks for advices, V. |
#2
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Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II
If you are taking photographs of birds then it is highly suggested to
obtain a larger focal length. I originally started out with the lens you were looking at ... then added a teleconverter ... but the image quality was poor and magnification was not sufficient that the photographs were becoming a waste of time. I looked into a 75-300mm zoom but it also suffered (to a lesser degree) from the same problems. I currently use a 400mm f4.5 lens for all my wildlife shots (my wife uses a 400mm f5.6 lens). In the long run the cost of the lens has been paid off in the number of quality images I now have. Vov@ Sadovyy wrote: Hello. I'm about to buy Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II AF for Minolta. What do you think about this lens? Is it sharpen and quick enough? Or, maybe, I can buy something better in $140 with 200-300 mm? - I plan to use this lens for outdoor photography: some animals, birds, remote scenes... Thanks for advices, V. |
#3
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Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II
Mister K wrote:
Vov@ Sadovyy wrote: Hello. I'm about to buy Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II AF for Minolta. What do you think about this lens? Is it sharpen and quick enough? If you are taking photographs of birds then it is highly suggested to obtain a larger focal length. I currently use a 400mm f4.5 lens for all my wildlife shots (my wife uses a 400mm f5.6 lens). In the long run the cost of the lens has been paid off in the number of quality images I now have. Hmmm. I find 400 isn't quite enough for frame filling photos. At that focal length wild birds are either looking very suspicious or leaving in a hurry. Adding a 2x TC helps but on my camera that means manual focus and the equivalent of an F11 lens at 800mm. :-( Are there any solutions (that cost less than a small car) ? |
#4
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Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II
"Rob Davison" Mister K wrote:
Vov@ Sadovyy wrote: Hello. I'm about to buy Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II AF for Minolta. What do you think about this lens? Is it sharpen and quick enough? Don't waste your money. Buy a MF 200m f4 Rokkor, used. Or, buy the longest Rokkor lens you can afford (again: used, MF). No AF system will track a bird in flight - don't bother trying. Hmmm. I find 400 isn't quite enough for frame filling photos. At that focal length wild birds are either looking very suspicious or leaving in a hurry. Are there any solutions (that cost less than a small car) ? 1) A bird blind. Any old tent will do. A partially open window in your house with the lens sticking through and the curtains drawn around the lens works fine. 2) Bird seed or animal feed hidden out of view of the camera. A seed & suet ball from the grocery store pet counter hung on a branch serves as a great attractant -- photograph the bird as it sits to the side of the feed. Cost: Bird blind -- Zilch. Bird seed -- A dollar or two. -- Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics. |
#5
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Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II
"Rob Davison" wrote in message
... Mister K wrote: Vov@ Sadovyy wrote: Hello. I'm about to buy Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II AF for Minolta. What do you think about this lens? Is it sharpen and quick enough? If you are taking photographs of birds then it is highly suggested to obtain a larger focal length. I currently use a 400mm f4.5 lens for all my wildlife shots (my wife uses a 400mm f5.6 lens). In the long run the cost of the lens has been paid off in the number of quality images I now have. Hmmm. I find 400 isn't quite enough for frame filling photos. At that focal length wild birds are either looking very suspicious or leaving in a hurry. Adding a 2x TC helps but on my camera that means manual focus and the equivalent of an F11 lens at 800mm. :-( Are there any solutions (that cost less than a small car) ? I have a suggestion that is less than the cost of a small car, but much more than the cost of the Sigma 70-210 f/4-5.6. That is a Sigma 50-500 f/4-6.3 EX on a Canon digital camera with a multiplication factor of 1.6x. That would be either the digital Rebel or 10D. The 50-500 lens will frame the picture the same as an 80-800 mm lens on a 35 mm camera. If that isn't long enough, add a 1.4x teleconverter and get the effect of a 128-1280 mm manual focus f/5.6-8 lens. Better add the cost of a solid tripod and remote release if you want sharp pictures, but the optical quality if very good. Scott |
#6
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Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II
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#7
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Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II
400mm is sufficient.
After this point it is all about technique. If you understand your subject then you can approach fairly closely to get a good shot. My wife and I have some very closeup shots of smaller birds, loons, foxes, wolves, and herons. We have been photographing Algonquin Park for over 5 years and we have understood the habits of most of the animals in the park. Rob Davison wrote: Mister K wrote: Vov@ Sadovyy wrote: Hello. I'm about to buy Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II AF for Minolta. What do you think about this lens? Is it sharpen and quick enough? If you are taking photographs of birds then it is highly suggested to obtain a larger focal length. I currently use a 400mm f4.5 lens for all my wildlife shots (my wife uses a 400mm f5.6 lens). In the long run the cost of the lens has been paid off in the number of quality images I now have. Hmmm. I find 400 isn't quite enough for frame filling photos. At that focal length wild birds are either looking very suspicious or leaving in a hurry. Adding a 2x TC helps but on my camera that means manual focus and the equivalent of an F11 lens at 800mm. :-( Are there any solutions (that cost less than a small car) ? |
#8
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Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II
I used it for this photo
http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/d...&photoID=43411 It's sharp enough, especially at F11. JP "Vov@ Sadovyy" wrote in message ... Hello. I'm about to buy Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II AF for Minolta. What do you think about this lens? Is it sharpen and quick enough? Or, maybe, I can buy something better in $140 with 200-300 mm? - I plan to use this lens for outdoor photography: some animals, birds, remote scenes... Thanks for advices, V. |
#9
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Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II
Don't waste your money. Buy a MF 200m f4 Rokkor, used. Or, buy the longest
Rokkor lens you can afford (again: used, MF). No AF system will track a bird in flight - don't bother trying. I have Maxxum Minolta, so I need the lens for this camera.. I saw this lens used for $75 - is it a high price? Are there any solutions (that cost less than a small car) ? 1) A bird blind. Any old tent will do. A partially open window in your house with the lens sticking through and the curtains drawn around the lens works fine. 2) Bird seed or animal feed hidden out of view of the camera. A seed & suet ball from the grocery store pet counter hung on a branch serves as a great attractant -- photograph the bird as it sits to the side of the feed. I think, it is right approach.. 200 mm - from which distance is possible to create suitable shot of small bird, like a sparrow, with this focus length? |
#10
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Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II
Scott Elliot wrote:
"Rob Davison" wrote in message ... Mister K wrote: Vov@ Sadovyy wrote: Hello. I'm about to buy Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II AF for Minolta. What do you think about this lens? Is it sharpen and quick enough? If you are taking photographs of birds then it is highly suggested to obtain a larger focal length. I currently use a 400mm f4.5 lens for all my wildlife shots (my wife uses a 400mm f5.6 lens). In the long run the cost of the lens has been paid off in the number of quality images I now have. Hmmm. I find 400 isn't quite enough for frame filling photos. At that focal length wild birds are either looking very suspicious or leaving in a hurry. Adding a 2x TC helps but on my camera that means manual focus and the equivalent of an F11 lens at 800mm. :-( Are there any solutions (that cost less than a small car) ? I have a suggestion that is less than the cost of a small car, but much more than the cost of the Sigma 70-210 f/4-5.6. That is a Sigma 50-500 f/4-6.3 EX on a Canon digital camera with a multiplication factor of 1.6x. That would be either the digital Rebel or 10D. I have the 10D and considered that lens but went for the 100-400L instead (for what has proven to be the very useful IS). Thanks also to the other guy who suggested seed and a hide. Its good advice, just not all that useful in my particular circumstances... I should perhaps have qualified my remarks a little. I'd been trying to get a reasonable closeup of a pair of spurwing plovers that have hatched a chick out on our farm. They always seem to be in the middle of a fairly large paddock and they're very wide awake to your approach. The chick can't yet fly but I don't like hassling him and besides, getting a bird relaxed and 'doing its thing' leads to much more interesting photos. I've an idea the hide would almost always be in the wrong place and can't see seed being much of a temptation to them. ;-) Best of the worst Spurwing chick looks like: http://www.pbase.com/image/23976811/large Different (not so cautious) species doing the sorts of things I enjoy catching: http://www.pbase.com/image/23342814/medium http://www.pbase.com/image/23976988/medium http://www.pbase.com/image/23976944/large (Do ducks usually stand on one foot on top of a fence post?) Rob. |
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