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Sigma 70-210mm f/4-5.6 UC II



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 7th 03, 06:08 PM
Vov@ Sadovyy
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Default 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  
Old December 7th 03, 11:00 PM
Mister K
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Default 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  
Old December 8th 03, 12:20 AM
Rob Davison
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Default 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  
Old December 8th 03, 02:25 AM
Nicholas O. Lindan
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Default 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  
Old December 8th 03, 02:31 AM
Scott Elliot
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Default 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


  #7  
Old December 8th 03, 03:42 AM
Mister K
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Posts: n/a
Default 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  
Old December 8th 03, 04:25 AM
Captain Popov
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Posts: n/a
Default 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  
Old December 8th 03, 04:33 AM
Vov@ Sadovyy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default 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  
Old December 8th 03, 11:02 AM
Rob Davison
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Posts: n/a
Default 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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