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Sigma 70-200 f/2.8, 100-300 f/4 or Canon 70-200 f/4? Anonymous
I'm looking at buying one of these 3 lenses, price being similar on all:

* Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 EX APO IF HSM
* Sigma 100-300 F4 EX-IF HSM
* Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 USM L

If it were you, which of these (or others?) would you pick, and for what reason?
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
I would go with the Canon because I have a deep mistrust of third-party lenses.
>> Anonymous
Get the Canon 70-200m L IS still f4 but it has the new version of canons IS system so they reckon it gives you around 4 stops extra. It dosnt stop subject movement though what you going to be using it for?
>> Anonymous
>>77744
Sport, wildlife & such.

There is a possibility of indoor sport too, hence the interest in the f/2.8

The Canon 70-200 IS is much more expensive, and out of my price bracket for now. Also, I don't believe the IS makes as big a difference as the marketing hype claims.
>> Anonymous
>>77745
>I don't believe the IS makes as big a difference as the marketing hype claims.

The advertised 4-stop difference is bullshit, in reality it's closer to 2 stops. But for wildlife that doesn't fly around too quick, this still means a f/4 IS lens is almost as good as a similar f/2 non-IS one while weighing much less and having more DoF.
>> eku !8cibvLQ11s
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>>77745
>Also, I don't believe the IS makes as big a difference as the marketing hype claims.

Notice the exif. 200mm on a cropped sensor means 320mm, exposure time only 1/30s. Now, witouth IS the exposure time would have to be something like 1/350s. That's three and a half stop difference.
Now, it might have been a lucky shot, but sharp anyway.
(And the lens I used was Canon 70-300mm IS USM F/4-5.6 Good lens, I would recommend.)

Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeCanonCamera ModelCanon EOS 30DCamera SoftwareAdobe Photoshop CS3 WindowsImage-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution72 dpiVertical Resolution72 dpiImage Created2007:09:19 17:02:46Exposure Time1/30 secF-Numberf/4.5Exposure ProgramAperture PriorityISO Speed Rating1600Lens Aperturef/4.5Exposure Bias-1 EVMetering ModePatternFlashNo Flash, CompulsoryFocal Length200.00 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width427Image Height640RenderingNormalExposure ModeAutoWhite BalanceAutoScene Capture TypeStandard
>> Anonymous
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Photo with Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 USM L

Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeCanonCamera ModelCanon EOS 5DCamera SoftwareAdobe Photoshop CS2 WindowsImage-Specific Properties:Pixel CompositionRGBImage OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution0 dpcmVertical Resolution0 dpcmImage Created2007:01:27 14:57:56Exposure Time1/250 secF-Numberf/5.6Exposure ProgramAperture PriorityISO Speed Rating320Lens Aperturef/5.7Exposure Bias0 EVFlashNo Flash, CompulsoryFocal Length280.00 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width600Image Height400RenderingNormalExposure ModeAutoWhite BalanceAutoScene Capture TypeStandard
>> Anonymous
>>77777
Duckroll GET! :D
>> Anonymous
If you're going to be doing indoor sports, you need f/2.8 unless you're shooting in some incredibly well-lit building, and even then f/4 is too slow. The Sigma is an excellent lens, it's very sharp and focuses quickly. If you want to shoot wildlife, get a 1.4 TC to get a 98-280mm f/4.
>> ac !!VPzQAxYPAMA
>>77785
Or invest more money in flashes. The Strobist blog has a few articles about lighting dark indoor sports with just a couple of off-camera strobes.
>> Anonymous
Depends on the sport. If you're shooting hockey or lacrosse indoors, flashes don't work because you're shooting through plexiglass and all you get is a huge reflection off the glass. I find that on-camera flashes work fine for things like basketball or volleyball, though.
>> Anonymous
>>77789

In addendum, using the flashes off-camera is nice, but again that depends on the sport. You can only light so much area at a given time with off-camera strobes, so you limit your photographic opportunities drastically when relying on off-camera lights. Great for, say, indoor volleyball, but not overly effective for indoor soccer or lacrosse.

As usual, it's situation-dependent.