Hi
I am about to buy one of these lenses and I need some advice or
confirmation on some of the info I have heard. I am talking about
the 80-400 OS/VR from Sigma and Nikon.
I wish to use this on a Nik D70 SLR and my main purpose
is wildlife photo- big birds and other zoo animals.
So I have scoured the web for over a week and came up
with some info...
A) Major Difference between Sigma and Nikon
-SIgma has no auto panning detection - must be turned on
with Mode 2 switch
- Mode 2 on Nikon turns on VR only when shutter is pressed
- Mode 1 on Sigma turns on VR all the time
the con of the sigma is that you may ruin some shots if panning
is suddenly required - ie Lizard starts to run away across the FOV while
the nikon will save the day.
B) Sharpness:
Some say Nikon is 'soft' at 400 mm and sharp at 80 mm
Some say Sigma is very sharp at 400 mm and has some vignetting
at 80mm
Some say there is no problem at all
C) Slow AF:
I went to the store and tried the sigma, the focus was
a little tad slower than AF-S in a brightly lit sim lim square.
This does not seem to be a problem for me with the D-70.
Some say that with a D70 , the focus is very fast and
this translates to maximum focus speed on the Nik or Sigma lense.
Some say the Nikon lense is bad for taking photos of
birds in flight, some say there is no problem at all.
D) With a D70 the focus seems to be quite fast for the sigma, with
other analog camera bodies, the focus seems to be slower.
E) Not sure of fast focus speed with a D70 for the NIK 80-400VR
as I noticed with the sigma 80-400 OS.
Other issues
F) Sigma does not work properly with some other Nikon Bodies
G) Nikon branding will allow better resale value
Rumours
H)Sigma makes the Nikon 80-400vr under contract for Nikon.
Can some experienced people comment on the information
I have found and maybe help me on the decision?
I think I would need auto-panning as it is a very important
feature to shoot spotaneous wildlife without remembering
to switch quickly..
I found the following prices for the lenses
Sigma 80-400OS - $300 inc gst - warranty model
Nik 80-40VR - $2300 inc GSt - Grey market
So I read in the forums here that the sigma is also available
for $2100 - Parissilk or MS color? Warranty or Grey market?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Allan
I am about to buy one of these lenses and I need some advice or
confirmation on some of the info I have heard. I am talking about
the 80-400 OS/VR from Sigma and Nikon.
I wish to use this on a Nik D70 SLR and my main purpose
is wildlife photo- big birds and other zoo animals.
So I have scoured the web for over a week and came up
with some info...
A) Major Difference between Sigma and Nikon
-SIgma has no auto panning detection - must be turned on
with Mode 2 switch
- Mode 2 on Nikon turns on VR only when shutter is pressed
- Mode 1 on Sigma turns on VR all the time
the con of the sigma is that you may ruin some shots if panning
is suddenly required - ie Lizard starts to run away across the FOV while
the nikon will save the day.
B) Sharpness:
Some say Nikon is 'soft' at 400 mm and sharp at 80 mm
Some say Sigma is very sharp at 400 mm and has some vignetting
at 80mm
Some say there is no problem at all
C) Slow AF:
I went to the store and tried the sigma, the focus was
a little tad slower than AF-S in a brightly lit sim lim square.
This does not seem to be a problem for me with the D-70.
Some say that with a D70 , the focus is very fast and
this translates to maximum focus speed on the Nik or Sigma lense.
Some say the Nikon lense is bad for taking photos of
birds in flight, some say there is no problem at all.
D) With a D70 the focus seems to be quite fast for the sigma, with
other analog camera bodies, the focus seems to be slower.
E) Not sure of fast focus speed with a D70 for the NIK 80-400VR
as I noticed with the sigma 80-400 OS.
Other issues
F) Sigma does not work properly with some other Nikon Bodies
G) Nikon branding will allow better resale value
Rumours
H)Sigma makes the Nikon 80-400vr under contract for Nikon.
Can some experienced people comment on the information
I have found and maybe help me on the decision?
I think I would need auto-panning as it is a very important
feature to shoot spotaneous wildlife without remembering
to switch quickly..
I found the following prices for the lenses
Sigma 80-400OS - $300 inc gst - warranty model
Nik 80-40VR - $2300 inc GSt - Grey market
So I read in the forums here that the sigma is also available
for $2100 - Parissilk or MS color? Warranty or Grey market?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Allan