Sigma 70300mm f/45.6 DG Macro Telephoto Zoom Lens

A great Starter Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am a Nikon D40X owner and a starter photographer. Bought Nikon with the Kit lens and decided to purchase a 200 or 300 mm telephoto lens to get more from the camera. I decided to buy Sigma 70-300 f/4-5.6 DL-M Lens, which was one of the few options at that moment for my camera, without knowing a lot about the lenses. The main drivers were the length that the lens offering (and it suits to my expectation), suitibility to my camera, macro feature that it offered and of course the price.

First, it is needed to mention that this is not a professional lens, to me a starter and useful lens offering many features together. The length it offers is not suited for daily photos, however, a very good opportunity to get great pictures with its zoom, macro and portrait capabilities. When the lightening is good, you may get wonderful pictures at all lengths. The most you’ll be surprised is how great portrait photos you may get at 70mm. The built-in motor works without any problem. Macro feature works, however, if it is your the one and main driver to buy this lens, be careful about how close it allows you to approach the item (it is not a great distance that you may approach for a macro photo).

I bought this lens 2.5 months ago, and in the meanwhile I had chance to learn more about taking photos, the lenses and get more familiar with my camera. I recently decided to change my kit lens with a better lens and decided again on Sigma (they got my confidence) for a 18-50 f2.8 lens. This 70-300 lens will be a part of my lenses inventory as it offers many great opportunities to take great pictures.

Summary : Including the supplier (47st Photo via Amazon), it was a satifactory and happy purchase at all steps.

Excellent Bargain Lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This lens was all the previous reviews said it was. Inexpensive, quick to adjust, well made, and not too heavy. While I haven’t blown up any photos past 8X10 those that I have enlarged are excellent.

Awesome Lens, Superfast Delivery
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you’re on a budget or just getting started, this lens does the job. Buy this lens and get used to it before you try and upgrade. You’ll be happy you did since it may take a while before you enter the pro division. Spend your money on other needed gear.

Excellent equipment
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My daughter was excited to get this lens for her birthday. It was very good quality and very reliable service. I would recommend this company to all.

Just buy it!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have looked and reviewed all kinds of camera lenses. I am a college student on a tight budget. I wanted a new zoom lens for my d40x. Found this, read all the reviews, checked the price, bought it! I’ve taken about 15 shots already and I love the results so far. With some practice this will be a great asset! Can’t find a better price for this type of lens.

Nice Lens but not the best
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I recently bought this lens for my Canon XTi. It does lock on focus quickly. I have used it a handful of times in overcast weather. I must say that the focus is not sharp at 300mm. I got some improvement by stopping down the aperture a bit. Still, I wish that I was getting better sharpness at 300 mm. I have not had adequate time to try out the macro feature on this lens, but I will try and leave another review after I have had more time to play with this lens. The focus is better in the middle ZOOM ranges. And lastly, the contrast is not as nice as the stock 18-55mm lens that came with my Canon.

Great for amatuers
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have a Nikon D50 and this lens. I mostly shoot dragonflies, flowers, nature scenes. I am a total amateur-I don’t even know how to manually set any of the settings on my camera. The fact that I am able to take shots that have blown me away is a testament to how awesome my camera is and how good this lens is. I am auto focus, auto everything, run curves in Photoshop-and I generally wind up with beautiful pics. This lens in the hands of someone more experienced would produce greatness. And the price? Awesome.

Sigma lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The lens worked great for what I paid, which is way less than what a Nikon lens would have cost.

I love this lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Pros: Very well built; Comes with a hood; Has a metal lens mount; Is as big as a baseball bat when fully extended making most non-DSLR users drool(DSLR users shrug it off as just another 70-300), Takes a GREAT Macro at the 200-300mm range with a VERY shallow DOF if you like; Very decently sharp images throughout the range. Great price.

Pro/Con: That GREAT Macro in the 200-300 is from no closer than 4 feet away. I asked a friend why anyone would want to be so far away to take a macro and she said “to take photos of bees and stuff” OH! I had been using a little point and shoot, clicking the photo, then running away screaming like a little girl. So make the previous Con a Pro.

Con: It lacks that fake ‘Canon L’ little red band that the next model up has. Some people might think it’s a little too heavy. (Wimps).

I’d buy it again. (Ok, maybe I’d buy the slightly more expensive one, but only for the red band, I’m VERY happy with the performance of this one)

Sigma 70-300mm Lens is great!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this because of the reviews I read online so I am adding my two cents worth. The price really allowed me to get the lens I wanted now. I am using at my son’s soccer games and love it.

Chris

field test
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens to use on the Sony-A100 and after field testing it over the last two weeks I give it four stars. The only “glitch” the I found is the stiffness of the zoom control, which may loosen up with use. I would recommend this lens to anyone.

Great lens, incredible price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
You really can’t go wrong with this lens. Its bigger, buts not so big that it weighs down teh camera. The pictures come out beautifully. And, again, the price is crazy cheap.

Great for the price.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’ve had this lens for almost a year and use it with my Nikon D70s. Overall I’m pleased with the results. The macro mode is a nice addition. This is a good starter telephoto lens.

It does have some graininess issues in the 300mm range, but I’m able to fix that in post production so it’s not a big deal for me.

One major problem I’ve encountered is that the auto-focus sometimes has a hard time figuring out what to focus on. I correct this by turning the lens slightly away and then bringing it back to the subject.

Sigma 70-300mm
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
For the money you can’t beat this lens. Pictures are clear and it is easy to use.

Great for the money!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Have used the lens several times now taking pictures of Cross Country raises. It is easy to use and works very well on my Sony Camera. The pictures are excellent also.

nice
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The lens is very nice, I bought it for my brother who was coming to visit and had never been to the Nat’l Park so I thought this lens was perfect for him. One thing bad about this lens it doesn’t have that anti movement built in that the Nikon lens of his has. It came quickly also.

AWESOME LENS!!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The lens is EXCELLENT for the price. Takes wonderful photos. The only drawback is that is does not have ‘image stabilizer’ but other than that this is the perfect lens for anyone. I would highly suggest it to anyone.

Holy picture taking batman!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Love this lens! I have a Sony DSLR and a Minolta SLR and I love that I can use the lens on both. Picture Quality is great. The lens is heavy, but what do you expect, it’s huge.

Excellent Lrns!!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Product was in excellent shape when I received it.

Focusing length of lens is incredible, and have had no problems with clarity etc.

Would reccomend this to any photographer wanting a mid-to longer range DSLR lens.

Good Utility lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens based on reviews here and my budget. I was just stepping up to a DSLR and wanted a long reach lens but I didnt have the budget for much. I went back and forth between the Sigma and the Tamron and ended up with the Sigma, again based on reviews here.

The Good:

This is a great starter lens or budget lens. With a 1.5 crop factor it is a 105mm-450mm lens with true macro from 200-300mm (250-450 converted). Thats a lot of lens for $150. The macro is good but takes some getting used to. First you have to go past 200mm, then flip a switch to go to macro focusing. When you are done, you have to do all of that in reverse or it wont retract. The macro focusing is good but most of the time you will want to switch to manual. The zoom ring has a nice positive feel that lets you stop when you want to and go when you want to. Some zooms are a little too “lose” for my taste. Because of its size, hand held shooting needs daylight and even then if you can use a tripod, do. With a tripod, the sharpness is excellent. This lens has a definite sweet spot between 135mm and 200mm, f/8. Shoot in this range and you will get amazing results.

The Bad

This thing is BIG and HEAVY. At 300mm and the full macro focusing, this lens is HUGE!! Do not try using it on a cheep tripod. I did, its frustrating. Because of the size and weight, it flops around more than some lenses. BE CAREFUL! Focus at either end is not a strong point. There is softness and CA at 300mm and at the low end of the f-stops. IF you can shoot f/8 or better, you will get better results.

This is not a “digital” lens. It is a full frame, 35mm film lens that works great on new Pentax digitals. AS long as you understand and accept its limitations, you will get a lot of value from it.

Sigma 70 – 300mm/macro lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I really like this lens. Using it on my Nikon D60 works perfectly.

It is heavy but I kinda like that. The weight gives it a good feel and makes panning smoother. I played some with the macro feature and it works.

I do have a preference to MACRO with a shorter focal length lens and this lens Macro’s between 200 and 300mm. Good when you need distance but pretty much limits you to available light photography unless you have robot flash system. Over all it a great bang for the buck.

I wish it was better than advertised.
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
For all you consumers out there, I bought a Pentax FAJ 70-300, to see if it was as good as some of the reviews. This lens got a sort of mixed rap, but, it takes much better pictures with my k10d than the Sigma. The Sigma manual focus was tight in spots as it articulated, but it seemed to function properly.

I set up my tripod, mounted the camera and took pictures with just changing lenses, than going to my computer to ’see’ if the Pentax was indeed just a cheap film lens, not digital dedicated, with no redeeming money advantage. Wrong. Although, the Sigma lens arrived in a box that was big enough to let the lens box bounce around with absolutely nothing for packing, it may have been damaged in shipment. So maybe the lens is OK, and it was damaged in shipment or???? The FA turned out much clearer and sharper than the Sigma in a fair test, but maybe the Sigma was damaged. If it was not damaged, it sure was not worth the money. I did not want to spend the money to check this inexpensive lens for optics and the electrics of the motor. I took manually focused, and automatic. I found the Sigma wanting. I try to spend my money where it goes the furthest.

great zoom lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a really nice zoom lens. It is quick and focuses quickly. It is a little louder than my other Nikkor zoom lens, but for the money, it is certainly worth it!

Great Value Perfect for hobbyist/beginner
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Brings distant subjects in nicely in good light. Easy to blur background. Not a pro lens by any means but good enough to get started with.

Great lens for the money.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This isn’t a pro lens but is very capable. I couldn’t pass the price up. Very affordable. I got some great shots with this lens.

GOOD LENS FOR THE PRICE
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
did everthing stated. focus motor is a little loud but what do you want for the price. I would reccomend it to a friend

The other reviews sold me
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have a Nikon and wanted a stronger lens. I began my search on Amazon based on the reviews I ordered the Sigma. It has allowed me to get excellent close up shots of birds. I am glad I looked on Amazon before going to a camera store and paying too much for a brand name lens.

Good lens for casual photographer…
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This lens is decent for beginners and and casual photographers. It is a bit slow and loud when using auto focus but suits my needs. This is a very large lens and you can really feel the weight it adds to the camera…which I like because it feels solid. I use this with my Canon Digital Rebel XT 8mp. With only a small amount of shuffling, it fit attached to the camera body, into my sling pro 200 for easy access. Can’t wait to take it to the Indy 500 this year!

very pleased
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased this lens for my pentax k100d. I was very pleased with the build quality and overall feel of the lens. Good contrast. Good fit and finish. I will be using this lens in harsh environments like camping fishing hiking settings. The price is right, and I won’t be overly concerned with using it in those environments. I’ve been impressed with the images I’ve taken in normal outdoor dalylight. Probably not the best choice for inside / questionable light.

Great value
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
So far this lens has proved to be a great value. While I am new at photography and haven’t figured out all of it’s capabilities, this lens has been great for my purpose. Shooting photos of my kids’ football games has been great. The zoom gets you very close action shots on the field that my (great) little point and shoot digital can’t get.

Great lens at the right price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’m not a photographic expert, but this lens meets my needs and was at a good price. Well built not cheap feeling or looking. Works well with the Canon Rebel Digital that I have. Is a good addition to the standard lens that came with the camera.

Great lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great lens for what I needed it for, long distance shots at an outdoor concert with a 2x tele-converter, works best on a tri-pod

Just short of 5 stars
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This lens comes with a superb feature set for a very affordable price. I paid $139 (shipping extra) for this lens, and boy was it worth it. Excellent zoom range, acceptable crispness of image, decent build quality and a useful macro focusing mode. The only disadvantage is f/4 maximum aperture, but otherwise a worthy buy!

Great for the money!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens to pair with a Pentax K200D. My experience with it over the past month has been fantastic. It’s worth the “long distance macro” alone. My first use in macro was on bees. Handheld shots were nothing difficult.

The 300mm telephoto….isn’t. I limit my zoom to just short of 300mm, usually in the 260mm range. Otherwise, nasty distortion comes into play. No matter. I’m not a pro, and this thing delivers far more than I expected.

The finish is like a powder coat flat black, and all markings are sharp.

I bought a second one. At this price it’s too good to pass up. Nice to have an identical back up in case a bad thing happens.

When I researched a lens for the Pentax I was looking for value. This is it. If you’ve been poking around reviews for an XXmm – 300mm, this’ll do.

Works great with my Nikon D40
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I absolutely love this lens! What a terrific deal over the $450+ cost of the Nikkor lens! I have had no problem with using any of the features on my camera with this lens, including auto focus as it states.My only problem with it (and the reason for 4 stars instead of 5) is that when using autofocus, the motor is a bit noisy and can be disruptive when doing nature photography as I do. So when photographing a wild animal that I do not want to startle, I just manually focus instead.

A great value for a good lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this to use on an upcoming trip to Alaska. I have used it in shooting around California including the Sierra’s. The Lens focuses well but the use of a monopod is a great help or a tripod. The macro feature is an added bonus as well as the motorized feature. If you want to practice before buying a more expensive lens and camera this is the way to go. I have a Nikon D60 and am moving from my 35mm film camera to digital. I have to admit the auto focus is nice but the ability to still go all manual is wonderful.

good telephoto lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a really nice a lens, with a solid grip, and powerful zoom. It takes some really great pictures with my Rebel XT.

It is a little noisy, and somewhat slow in focusing, but once you understand this, you can adjust. I used it the day after I got it to shoot some great pictures of a basketball game.

As with any telephoto lens, I’m sure, at full extension, having something to firmly rest it on is a must, otherwise you get significant shake. IS would be a nice feature if you have the money for it, but you can make this work.

Overall, a very nice lens!

Sigma 70-300mm lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I ordered this for my wife. The ordering process was easy and the company was a breeze to deal with. Good communication and fast shipping. Now on to the lens. It produces crystal clear photos and runs smoothly with her Nikon D40x camera in either manual or auto mode. She’s very happy which means I’m very happy. Thanks.

Great Lens, A must have for any DSLR Kit.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This lens is amazing. I bought this lens because I needed something longer than my 200mm, and the price was alluring. I was skeptical at first, but after doing my research on sigma, decided to go with it.

First of all I love the 58mm objective on this lens. It isn’t too large, but allows for crisper photos in low light situations. The Macro feature is absolutely amazing, and comes in very handy when outdoors.

My only misgiving with this lens is that the focus motor is a bit on the loud side, not annoying, just obvious in a quiet room, and distracting in the middle of a service or ceremony. A nikkor lens has a faster and quieter motor, but for the price, this is an amazing deal.

Bottom Line – BUY IT!!!

Great
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Lens is perfect. During a recent trip to NASA, I was able to get great photos of the launch pads even though it was cloudy and rained a few times. The blur in a few of frames was definitely my fault.

Sigma Zoom Lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I was happy with the pictures taken with this lens although I should have paid more attention to the other reviews. I thought that the reported noise of the zoom wouldn’t bother me but it did. The motion of the zoom seemed a little forced…just not as smooth as the Nikkon lens I wound up purchasing instead after retuning this lens. I had also wanted it for the macro mode…which worked very well! Instead I went with a separate macro lens.

Simply Awesome!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am so happy I bought this lens for my Canon D400, and if you go for it, you will be too. I’ll admit I was a bit skeptic because of its low price, but after playing with it for a couple of hours, I’m convinced it’s simply an awesome lens for the price I paid… ’nuff said.

Very good lens!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have taken quite a few shots with this lens. I particularly like the macro setting. I would give it a five if it were image stabalized. I knew this when I bought it and I am planning to get the sigma os lens next.

Not Happy
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I only had the lense for a week and had to send it back for repair because it stopped working. The auto focus would not work. That was 3 weeks ago.

Andrea

Wow!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I wasn’t expecting too much, given the price, but the first shot I took, at the farthest zoom on a cloudy day- handheld- was perfect. The focus is a little soft, which I like, and the zoom ring is a little sticky, but-

Bargain.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The lens is really a bargain for $140. I bought it primarily as a macro lens, but I have started using it as a telephoto lens as well instead of my Nikon 55-200 VR lens. The lens is surprisingly sharp in good light, even though it does not have a VR/OS/VC feature. Highly recommended for the price.

So far, so good
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’m a beginner amateur photographer and just bought this lens. I has done very well with some of the test shots I have taken so far. I will be going to the beach in the near future and look forward to seeing what I can do with it.

I like it
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’m not a pro or anything, but I got some really cool shots of the lunar eclipse the other night using this lens. The real test will be in Cabo this spring, but I’m thinking it’ll do just fine. Not a lot of bread to put out for somebody like me that’s just learning, but still gets some really awesome results.

Still a Great Lense for the Price!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
So I was the first review for this lense and I have read over a few of the reviews. Please disregard any of the bad comments about this lense. I have owned this lense for quite some time now and it still is a great lense for the buy! You can’t beat the price for the quality. I work in Studio and we use Canon 70-200mm f 2.8 lenses that are around $1300 and to me it’s a waste if your not shooting indoors when you can spend $140 on a 70-300mm f/4-5.6. I have shot many jobs with this lense and have printed many pictures out. Optics in this lense is amazing. You do not have to use this lense on a tripod at all. I use it hand held in most everything I shoot except long exposures. The only thing that could be slightly difficult is indoor shooting. Overall this lense is good. Not worth the money to invest in a VR lense…Can’t even tell the difference.

More to come
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Bought this lens to go with my new Samsung GX-10. Haven’t used it much, but have used it enough to know it’s a great lens for the money. Images are clear at all focal lengths, very little vignetting that can be easily corrected. Good build quality. You can’t go wrong with this one.

good entry-level zoom
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a nice lens for someone who wants a zoom but can’t afford something fancier. It is a bit slow to focus at times, but it is awesome in manual mode. I almost always put it in manual mode for macro shots. Over all, I love the lens, and I have recommended it to friends. I’ve been able to take some sweet bird shots, and it works nicely for sports IF you’re quick on the shutter button.

amazing
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This lens is fantastic and very affordable for a telephoto. it takes very sharp photos and gets in really close with its macro mode. its build quality is excellent. it completely blows nikons 70-300mm non vr out of the water. especially since it has the added macro mode. its a fantastic lens. it is my favorite over my nikon 18-55mm and nikon 50mm f1.8 . the auto focus tends to hunt sometimes though. it can be a light hog but even then it still takes a great photo. if your out side mid morning to sorta late after noon its fantastic. if you plan to use this lens for weddings indoors make sure your camera can shoot well at higher iso’s because it will eat light. i cant think of reason you should not have one as a regular consumer photographer. if your a pro you should look at faster lenses unless you want this as a back up or something. even if all your going to do is macro this a is great. oh i used this on my older nikon D100 body and performed fantastic

My new Sigma Telephoto Zoom Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
When I received my new Lens in the mail I was very excited. I could not wait until I could try it out on my D40 Camera. It was very easy to use and adjust. I took over 100 pictures the first time of birds, insects, flowers and closeup shots of my grandkids. When downloaded on my computer to view the pictures I was amazed at the clarity of the shots. I love the way it handles. It was lighter than I thought it was going to be but I was having a little trouble holding the camera steady at first. I will be getting a tripod to use with it for still pictures. Thank you so much for making this item available to us.

Great Telephoto Zoom for the price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Yes, a Canon lens with IS would be better than this Sigma, but it’s a great start to give you more options with your D-SLR. I used this lens throughout San Francisco and was very pleased with the quality. There is some contrast degradation but I typically fix my best shots in Photoshop anyways. Also, only use this lens if you are going to stick with zoom shots as the 70mm setting is too high for anything within 6 feet.

EXCELLENT ITEM
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
An excellent item, it function really good and fits pretty well to my canon eos 350D.

i hate this product
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
its one of worst proudct very bad quality

its like put your money on garbage and dont waste your money i had only one month to return it and that moment i didnt have time otherwise i really wanted to return it

Good but there are some issues
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Its a good lens for the price. Also works great for the amount of range it has. However, if you are taking pictures of subjects that are close, then the image will not be sharp (very frequently). Also the lack of image stabilizer feature is a down side. You may not get sharp pictures quite occasionally.

Good inexpensive lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I recently purchased a Nikon DSLR and wanted a longer focal length lens to compliment the lens that came with it. After some searching on the web I discovered this lens. It has a good range of focal lengths, works seamlessly with all my cameras auto features, takes good pictures, comes with it own lens shade, and even has a macro feature. For a 300mm lens, it is a nice size and weight, which makes it easy to handle and to store. You can reverse the shade and place it back on the lens to store. I would definitely recommend this lens to anyone looking for a good lens at a bargain price.

A great deal for the money
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I picked this up because I wanted to do a little experimenting with my D40. I figured the price was right and it had to do something I could use it for.

Bizarrely, I’ve found that this is a great lens for outdoor portraits, and a weekend spent a Vegas pool with some friends completely verified that (see shots in the sample section). I have some trouble with long-distance scenery due to no stabilization and noticed that a circular polarized filter threw off focus at long distances as well (I could also just be cheap!).

I’d purchase it again, but just make sure you try it in a variety of situations before you right a review. It’s definitely got some high points if you keep trying something new.

Excellent lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It took some getting used to but once you know what it will do, this a very good lens. Takes fantastic sunset pictures!!

just —ok—-
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
i sent the lens back…. didn’t do what i wanted it to do…. macro keep getting stuck…. and when zoomed all the way out pic too soft. i wanted it for my sons sports and it just didn’t do the job. even though i sent it back the company was quick on the return.

Best price on the web
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased this lense as a Christmas present for my husband who is an amateur photographer. He hasn’t put it down since the day he got it. He keeps showing me pictures of how far he can shoot certain things, like people in cars. He knows more about lenses than I do and this was one that he really wanted. I searched the web for this particular make and model and the price here was the best. It is built of a strong plastic, so the quality might be a little less than a metal lense, but for the price and for just a hobby, this was perfect for us.

Amazing pictures
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
It is only 4 days that I received the lens kit from the seller. I am not an expert photographer, and I own a D40.

Out door pictures are simply excellent & autofocus works very well. Additional flash lights are a must for low lit areas, but we can do without it in well lit indoors. Handling is smooth, a tripod would be of an added advantage, but with some experience, you can avoid shaky pictures.I will recommend this lens for this price you spend. Just enjoy taking new pictures!!

Unbelievable bargain!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I wanted a cheap telephoto lens for those times I need the reach. Since I don’t use it that often, I felt no need for a large or expensive lens. I debated between this lens, the Tamron 70-300 Di, and the Sigma APO of the same type. This was the cheapest so I went with it. Frankly, I can’t believe how good this lens is for its price. At 70mm, it’s tack sharp corner to corner. Even 200-300 it’s quite good. And the Macro mode is just icing on the cake–1:2 magnification means you can get quite close.

It’s true, you need a fair amount of light for this lens to shine–no argument there. But for the individual who only does this sort of stuff for fun, this lens is hard to beat. I can’t imagine the APO variant is worth $70 more–I cannot detect any difference from sample pictures posted online. So if you only need a lens of this focal length occasionally, this is the one to get.

JUNK!!!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Save yourself the trouble. I purchased this lens to use for some basic shots around the house during the Holidays. First, every photo is very soft in the corners. You need to crop the edges away or darken the outer portions of the photo to be usable. More troubling, the AF motor stopped working after aprox 75 shots. Just stopped working and has only a faint clicking noise. Junk!! Going back after 2 days and 75 shots…

Bought the Nikon 55-200mm AF-S VR today for $50 more and it’s sharper, has better contrast and colors, and since it’s a Nikkor lens, it should make it past 75 photos.

You get what you pay for, get the Nikon…

Nice lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just got this, and so far I am very satisfied. I wish the aperture was a little better, but I can’t complain for the price. Overall, it is very good deal, and I would recommend it to anyone who can’t afford a faster lens.

Great lens for the price!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I do mostly wildlife and close up pics of flowers; this lens works great for that. Also takes great pics of my child playing tennis.

Great lens!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is the first lens I bought for my camera (a Samsung GX-10) and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!

It fit the camera perfectly, had easy instructions on how to adjust it, and it takes fantastic pictures!

I would definitely recommend this lens for anyone wanting to have both a telephoto and macro lens without spending a lot of money.

Awesome!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens is very good for its price. I’ve been using it for portrait with good results. It has just one problem, it’s noising. Also, it is $50 less compared with APO version –which is very similar–. If the noise is not problem for you and you want to get a fairly good and cheap lens, it is for you.

So far good for the price
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera for my trip to upper pennisula of Michigan. Read other comments online about how good a lense this is for the purpose of catching a shot of wildlife. It’s loud when it tries to focus. Requires some strength to stablize it. I still haven’t figured out why sometimes in Macro mode, the lense will be stuck and can’t retract.

But for the price of it, it’s a good buy. I uploaded my pics here as well.

Good lense
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Too good to be true?!? I thought so, as all the other lenses I priced were in the $400-500 range, but I am really glad that I read some of the reviews. I don’t know that I would use this for sports, etc, cause it does not seem fast enough for that; but scenery and still shots look great.

Pentax Zoom Lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Purchased for my wife’s camera and she has been very satisfied with it. Prompt delivery with no damage. Thanks

Excellent quality – Excellent value
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’m just adding my 2 cents in case anyone is hesitating because of the lack of built in vibration reduction. I just got back from a 2 week vacation, during which I had many opportunities to put my new lens to the test. As long as you can achieve a shutter speed appropriate for the focal length you’ve chosen you’ll have no problems whatsoever. Times when your shutter speed has to be slow just use a tripod (or monopod). The optional remote control (D60) is a good idea too.

Great Lens for a Great Price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
If you are familiar with Telephoto lens this will be a great lens for all sorts of use. The Zoom is fantastic and the 70mm is excellent. The motor for the focus is extremely fast throughout the zoom ranges and the 200-300mm Macro is great! I do a huge amount of landscape, Still and HDR and this lens fits the need very well.

I’ve mounted it on my Nikon D40 Back up Camera and I also own the 18-200mm Sigma OS mounted on my D300 so where my D300 cannot reach the 300mm telephoto will. It fits the need and fits the budget too.

Get ready however, the motor is slightly on the loud side but because of the photography I do, It doesn’t bother me! If your doing a lot of portrait and studio you might get distracted by the focusing noise. On the other hand it is very fast to focus so you need to ask yourself…

What’s more important…?!?! The quick focus or the random noises…!

Like with all telephoto lens beyond 200mm you should be on a tripod especially in lower lighting and no OS but on good lit days even at 250mm handheld it shoots beautifully. The color contrast on the lens is near exact to my Nikkor 18-135mm and the 58mm hood works great on bright days.

Do I recommend this item… OFCOURSE! For anyone who shoots anything its good to have a Great Lens for this price! Back Up Lens or Priority… It suits my daily needs for that shot that’s all worth while!!!

Cheers…!

Love it
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Love this lens ive only had a d40 for about 3 months. takes great pictures comes out very clear i like the fact that the base is metal instead of plastic like the kit lens.

my only dislike it the motor for the auto focus it very loud.

Can’t beat it for the money.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is an excellent lens for those of us who cant afford the more pricey ones.

Excellent quality throughout.

not a bad lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased the Sigma 70-300mm with some reservations but hoping for the best. I carefully read all the reviews I could find and finally decided that, for the price, it would be worth the risk. I am quite pleased with the performance of this lightweight lens! I took it to a soccer game hoping to get a few good shots. While I was not completely pleased with the close-ups (this can be fixed with a 2x), the clarity and sharpness of the pictures are remarkable. This lens can compete with other professional lenses easily. It is quick, easy to use, and definitely an excellent buy. Nice job, Sigma – I’ll be looking at other products from this company!

Sigma lens for Nikon DLSR
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this Sigma lens after much consideration. I have used a friend’s Nikon lens and it took beautiful pictures. However, being that I am a recreational picture taker and I shoot mainly my boys sports teams, I opted for a more economical lens. I must say that for my needs and for the money difference, so far, this lens has not disapointed me yet. I have shot amazing football pictures and I am very happy with it’s performance.

For the price – nothing can beat this lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Got this lens from Amazon about 3 months ago. Nothing can beat this lens in this price range. Very good macro, photos up to 200mm look great, reaching 300mm get softer. Great construction, very solid feel, a bit heavy, but I like it.

need some help
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
i bought this lense and i love it but i cannot get it to do auto focus… i dunno if i amdoing something wrong or what but i would love some help.

Great Lens to start out with! Amazing result to end with!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Recently got it in the mail and once I start using it, it seems to very sturdy, and it can stand up to harsh condition. This lens is great for macro because of the built in macro switch. Very easy to use. Portrait turned out amazing with this too. Overall, great deal and great lens, and Sigma lens are well made.

D60
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I did my research to find a lens that I wanted for a price that I could afford. I own a D60. I’m not a professional by any means, but I do enjoy taking good photographs.

I love the macro setting in the long focal range. I’ve only just tested this, and not done anything serious yet, but I’m really excited to try it out. (In one test shot, I could see individual snowflakes on a bench 10 feet away. That was in full light, focal length 300mm, handheld, full auto setting. And I was shooting through a window.)

My only complaints so far are: 1) There is no VR in the lens (With a tripod or even bracing against a solid object this is a non issue. Its really only at the biggest focal lengths that there are any problems at all. Even then handheld images are still very clear, but the tripod would eliminate that extra movement.). 2) The AF motor is relatively loud. (So I just use manual focus in quiet places–weddings, etc. Once again, a non issue.)

This explains the four star rating. I’m sure if I had spent $300 dollars more, I could have avoided these “problems”, but I’m very happy with this lens.

And my friends say I’m like a child at Christmastime. I can’t put it down!

Super Telephoto and Macro Lens for Nikon D40..D40X..D60
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG macro lens for my Nikon D40..the lens has a Built in Motor Drive and does Auto Focus very nicely with the Nikon D40..D40X and D60..

I shoot mostly landscapes, animals, birds, and flowers and have taken some very nice photos with this 70-300mm Telephoto and Macro Lens. This lens does not have Image Stabilization however using the lens without a tripod does not seem to be much of a problem because I have not had many blurred photos..The lens is very reasonably priced for the amateur photographer..

I have shared some of my recent photos that I took using this lens which are posted on this Amazon listing with my review.

The lens shipped immediately by 47th Street Photo and was received in two days.

I highly recommend the Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG Macro Lens.

Great lens and not just for the price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I recieved my lens about a month ago and have been nothing but pleased. It focuses fast, takes great pictures, and was very affordable. I have absolutely no complaints. My dad has a simliar Nikon lens for his D90 but admited after taking some pictures with my D40 that he did not see a difference other than the price which my lens was about $250 less. He is now considering buying one for my mom’s D40. Excellent lens. I highly recommend it.

Love it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is the second Sigma lens I’ve bought. They’re extremely sturdy and well built. I can’t believe how great they are for the price. I probably won’t buy any other brand now.

not too bad
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Its loud, it feels nasty, and its clunky. Get past all that and its a great buy! If you have used the Nikon version you’ll notice the difference. The color is good and there is not much distortion at all. It would be nice if it had some kind of vibration reduction but if you have a tripod you’ll be ok. I’m just trying to get past how loud it is, after that I’ll be totally fine with it.

wonderful lens for the price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
this is a great lens for the price. so far i love its ability’s and performance. this is truly a nice lens to have if your into nature photography and or sports photography.

great lens with great price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens is in great condtion I recommand to buy it for pro and beggainer.

works great
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I wasn’t sure about getting a lens without the stabilizer in it. But the cost differnce convinced me to give it a try. Am I glad I did. I used it the first time for my sons football game and didn’t want to carry a tripod and was able to take incredible pictures with it.

More than what you pay for
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I recently purchased this lens from Amazon for use on my Pentax K100D Super. The optical quality and sharpness of the images taken with this lens far excedes its cost. While the build quality is a bit “plasticy” feeling, and the zoom ring is not that smooth, it produces very good results overall. Be careful to first read the instructions on use of the macro switch. It will not disengage unless you set the camera to manual focus and turn the focus ring. For nature photography in daylight this is a very good choice for those artists on a budget.

Good for the price!
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I think it is better if you can save your money and buy a better lens. This lens is OK, but it’s takes a long time to focus. If you want to take a picture of an animal, by the time that this lens focuses the animal is already gone. The macro is not what I had expected!! You can do a better macro photography by buying a +10 magnifying filter which costs $30 and use it on an 18-55 lens that comes with Nikon D40x and D40.

Great job
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
You can see out of it and press a button and make a picture of a happy time.

Doesnt autofocus with D40 or D40X
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Before you buy this, be ware that this lens does not autofocus with the D40 or D40X. Internal motors only work with specific models. We bought this for my mom only to find out that she had to manually focus. Fortunately she didnt mind and to be honest, for the price it is still a decent deal. But it was a let down. After testing out the autofocus, I did some research and found out that only certain Sigma lenses will autofocus with the D40 and D40X. No matter what camera you have, do some research to make sure you know what you are buying.

Excellent lens… even better price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens for my Nikon D40x. I was a little leery about buying it because its price is so much less than comparable Nikon lenses. I assumed it would be of lesser quality than a Nikon lens, but it did not disappoint in any way. The image quality is excellent, the focus is super fast and most importantly, the pictures come out great, even displayed on a 24 inch monitor. You’ll need to buy a bigger camera bag… it’s a very large lens. Highly recommend.

Dont get this
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
This lens is no good. Please, save up and buy a better one. I have taken so many different photos with this and not one is print worthy. The focus is so soft that there is no detail at all. The only reason I give it 2 stars is that I didnt waste too much money on it and it does work. You might get away with printing a 4×6 photo and not see the softness but, if you catch a great shot and want to enlarge it, forget about it with this lens. Dont buy this lens unless you dont care at all about getting a sharp photo.

WOW
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After using NIKON FM-2’s, for years, purchased the D40. In the past, when I couldn’t afford NIKOR, Sigma was the lens of choice. Again, they haven’t failed me. This 70-300 Zoom is fantastic! Have only had it a week, but am sure it will more than do the job!

nice lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased the lens to take sports pics of my kids. The lens does well for this, but there are times when I would like it to be a little quicker.

Sigma DG 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 motorize for Nikon D40
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Great lens! Good Deal! Just little noise when focusing, but it didn’t bother me much. Great for beginner like me. Easy to use. For less than $150, it is well worth it.

Super value for great lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens for my wife’s D40 and am quite impressed. I had already bought the Nikon 55-200mm with VR and was very happy but wanted the increased magnification and Macro feature since she does nature photography. Over the weekend, she shot over a hundred photos at a local park on the Hillsborough River here in Tampa including a nesting and flying Osprey pair across the river. Even the shots of birds in flight came out beautifully without VR which had been a concern. She hasn’t used the Macro feature yet but is ecstatic over the quality of the pictures so far. At $139.99, this is a great value that is worth every penny spent.

best lens for the price.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
wow great lens these lens are amazing [...]. great quality. but one thing… the motor inside is bound to brake. and i dont know if in the long run is gonna be a waste or not. i guess i will just not use auto focus with it so much. but that is my only concern. these lens have brough happyness in my life

Sigma 70-300mm telephoto lens for Pentax
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
For the money, this is a great lens. Sharp, reasonably fast and easy to use. I love the 300mm aspect, although at that length, you’d better use a tripod or a fast shutter speed. My Pentax body has antishake technology, which helps, but don’t try to get great images hand holding the camera at 300mm in low light conditions.

Affordable solution for macro and telephoto photography
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Takes care of telephoto and macro photography. In addition to the 18-70mm kit lens, you will be able to take your normal, wide-angle, and slight telephoto images too. With a macro capability of 1:2, by reducing the focal length of the lens, you will be able to take pictures of tiny objects from a distance. Auto focus mechanism is slow at times and not silent, but it is not too much of an issue since Sony alpha’s have an eye-start focus sensor that reduces the time to take a picture. Bottom line good second lens until you can save up for a Zeiss.

Not for me!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I had read many ‘glowing’ reviews re: this lens…so I ordered it. I even ck’d out some photos people had sent in, esp the sports photos. I couldn’t believe the clarity! HOWEVER THIS WAS NOT MY EXPERIENCE. Firstly, no one person mention they ever used a tripod for the longer length. Some even mentioned the camera was ‘handheld’. Well I found I could not take NOT ONE decent shot over 200 mm and not have it out of focus. Certainly setting up a tripod each time is not practical unless you’re into nature photography. Thats why the pictures of sports interested me. So I sent it back and determined to stick w/ a max of 200 focal length. Seriously considering Sigma 18-200 but would like to come down in price. I applaud those that took shots at 250-300 mm but apparently thats not for me.

Well constructed. Sorry it didn’t work out for my Canon 350D. Nice macro.

Nice image quality, Autofocus stops working
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Let me start by saying this is a great lens for the money as far as image quality and macro features and most reviews here are accurate. But apparently they didn’t have the disapointing problem I ran into. After only about 3 days of normal use the autofocus failed and would only turn in one direction. I sent it back for an exchange (Amazon did the exchange with no hassle) and the replacement worked fine for a few days of shooting high school football and wildlife. But then lo and behold, the exact same thing happened again! I don’t think it’s the camera (Nikon D40) as my 3 other autofocus lenses work fine, and I checked/ cleaned the contacts. The lens was used gently with no rough impact or banging, it just stopped working while shooting pictures. The lens seems to be clicking and struggling to turn in the other direction and appears to be draining the battery doing it, as the lo battery indicator comes on while trying to focus. Then I read a review on the web that said the motor on the Sigma might be too torquey for the plastic gearing, stripping it. I really like the lens’s image performance and thought about keeping it anyway, but unfortunatley am going to have to just return it, as 160 bucks is a little too much for a manual focus only lens.

Worked fine for a while then quit
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this for my Nikon D40x and it is supposed to autofocus. It worked fine for about 2 weeks, then stopped autofocusing. Called Sigma and they were unhelpful. I initially gave this five stars, now it’s zero. DON’T BUY THIS LENS; the motor doesn’t work with the D40, D40x and D60 as advertised and Sigma doesn’t stand behind product.

You get what you pay for!
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
You definitely get what you pay for when it comes to SLR lenses. Spend the money and get one with AF and VR. I like this lense for the zoom, but you must use a tripod with it or else you will have blurry pix. Good luck!

Sigma 70-300 lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
For the price, it is a very good lens, in the hands of someone who knows how to use a lens of this focal length. In the 150-300 mm range, a solid tripod is a must, as is the case with ALL lenses of a longer focal length. While the auto focus is a bit clunky, I normally use it in the manual mode, as any auto focus lens can get confused when there is a large variation in the depth of field. I use the lens normally for flora and avian, though I have used it in landscape shooting to zoom in on a section of a cascade, and have obtained sharp results, especially in the f/8 setting. In short, it is a good addition to my arsenal, and would recommend it to anyone not looking to spend hundreds.

great for local bird watching
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I have enjoyed the new lens and I do not have to disturb the birds

Works pretty well!!!!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens to go along with me nikon nikkor 18-55 lens because I wanted more of a zoom!

It was pretty cheap but works well, If you are looking for a macro lens, don’t buy this for Macro, because it doesn’t work well for it!! Anyway it works for those FAR AWAY shots and you may need a tripod for when you go up to 300mm!! I think it is worth the money, BUY THIS LENS!!!!!

Best for the money so far.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I had other brand lenses before, with same zoom and macro capabilities, Sigma tops it all. It is faster than I though, nice clear pictures, and very strong body. Some says it’s heavier than usual but I like it. So far so good

Great value
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have just gotten my rebel xt and this is my second lens. I really do think that image stabilization is all marketing. Maybe it works fine for some things but for the most part if you are going to be shooting this far away under and conditions that require a slow shutter speed you are going to want a tripod. I mention this because the more expensive versions of this lens offer this but not worth the $$$. Plus I don’t want to worry about my lens or my camera. If I spend too much on either then I will tend to protect rather than use it. The refurb Canon along with this lens look impressive (versus point and shoot) and I do take great care of both but I could buy a couple of each of these before touching the regular price. If your reading this keep in mind I am just starting out with digital slr’s but if you are getting this lens you are probably on a budget but still want a decent lens. You won’t be able to use this in a low light but that is not what it is intended for anyway. This is well worth the price, fun to use the macro feature, just fun all around.

Sigma 70-300
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Great lens for a newbie SLR user.Very Happy with the lens , the pictures are sharp and the autofocus is fast.

Solid inexpensive telephoto
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This lens does what it’s supposed to, delivers crisp images with no fuss on my D90. I’m sure that for a lot more money, I could have done better, but for the money, this one is hard to beat. I don’t think the lens is unusually noisy, like some other reviewers.

Decent Zoom Lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This lens is fairly good for it’s low price tag. It has quite a bit of zoom range, which is the main reason I bought it. It is rather slow, but can generally get the job done. I used this lens to shoot a high school soccer game and football game for the school newspaper and yearbook. I got some great soccer results, and got some decent football shots from the students section at night. If you are looking for a low priced zoom lens, try this one out.

One of the best entry-level lenses out there
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Got this lens a couple weeks ago, and have not been disappointed yet.

Pros: Works great with a tripod, shots are clear and sharp across the entire focal range. The zoom and focus rings move very smoothly, and I had no problem getting great macro shots after only a little practice switching between modes. Another example of expected Sigma quality at a great price.

Cons: Don’t expect clear shots if using it hand-held unless you’re shooting faster than 1/1000 shutter speed, hand shake is very noticeable even in the 70-100mm range. Mounted on my Canon 350D, auto-focus only works 50% of the time, often it could not find the subject in the 200-300mm range. Luckily manual focus is fairly smooth compared to other lenses in this price range.

Does the job
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is the first non-kit lens that I have used on my D-40. The price was great for my budget. The macro works well for what I need, although I can’t compare it to one of the 800.00 macro lens.

Sweet buy
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Its my first Lens buy, where I bought one that didn’t come with the body of my D40X camera. I was really nervous about the buy and it not fitting, but when I got it, it fit!! So I’m really happy about it. I think the turnings a bit tough with this one but I’ll get used to it. And the Motor is really loud! Not really what I expected! But I’ll get over it too. Another thing is that it is kind of heavy! It’ll kinda suck cause after carrying it around my neck the whole time it’ll be tiring and the shots can be less steady. Other then that, the lens is wonderful! It was a steal deal!I was disappointed the bag didn’t come with it. But I’ll just get a new one

Decent for the price
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Well, I knew what I was looking for, and based on the reviews, I was willing to try and get a lens with decent zoom for a low price. After receiving the lens rather quickly I may say, I started playing with the lens and testing it’s quality. Yes, the motor is noisy, doesn’t bother me though; it’s not the best lens by any means, but for the money it does a good job. If you plan on using this lens at it’s max zoom (300 mm) you better be outside where you can have a quick shutter speed or have a tripod or something to help you keep it still. If you don’t have a lot of light and you zoom out to 300 mm, you will be almost guaranteed to have signs of camera shake in your pictures.

With that said, this makes a good outdoor camera if you’re wanting to take pictures of your children at their soccer game.

The macro feature works pretty good, just remember you’ll have to be at least 3 feet or so away from your subject before it will allow you to focus properly.

Enjoy, I know I do.

Great lens for a great price!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Feeling limited by my 18-135 lens I began looking into zoom lenses. A friend of mine has the Nikon 70-300 VR which is an amazing lens but substantially out of my price range as well. I debated saving up for the Nikon lens but after much consideration I decided to give this one a shot since it was within my budget and would get me that extra distance. I am using this lens with my D40x and the pictures I have taken have been crystal clear. I am extremely satisfied with this lens and it has performed well above my expectations.

Couldn’t Be Happier
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens at the end of January ‘09 and it has become my lens of choice for most shootings. My camera is the Pentax k100d. I have been very please with the macro results. It can be a bit slow in low light, but nothing more than I would expect from a low-end lens, but the results have more than made up for that complaint. All my other lenses are Pentax (18-55mm, 50-200mm, f1.4 prime) and this one is a great complement to this assortment.

i love this lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
i love this lens. if you want a zoom lens for a great price and good quality this is the lens for you. i do portrait and wedding photography and this baby comes every were with me. it is amazing. the only down fall on this lens is the macro setting i wish it was a bit better but its a good start.

Great, Great, Great!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am so happy with this product, that people might think that I am the owner of Sigma!

The quality of this lens is wonderful. Its price very accessible, and it is very useful!

Auto Focus is fast and accurate and the lens is sturdy and comfortable.

With it you can take pictures and middle and long distances!

Along with the 18mm-55mm lens that I already have, is an ideal complement for almost any occasion.

I’m very very very happy!

It is a purchase that, not only I do not regret, but I would recommend to anyone!

Pleased
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
We recently purchased this item. I was very pleased in the timely manner in which we received it. It has been a great lens so far. We have been using it to shoot photos of our grandson playing baseball.

Nice for the Price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I shopped for a lens that would let me take macro. I found this one and it works great on my D60. I have an add on lens to increase the macro even more. For me this lens delivers.

Very good product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Definately worth the money! I purchased this lens just before going on an Alaska trip. I’m very happy I did! The photos taken with this lens are fantastic! I couldnt’ see paying the $400+ for the Nikon equivilant. I’d definately consider buying another Sigma lens in the future.

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG for Pentax K10d
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Purchased this zoom lens to accompany what I was getting in Pentax K10D “kit”. For the price is a really good lens though I’ve had some issues with autofocus in “low” light (i.e. twilight). I haven’t tried the macro function yet. When fully extended this lens is very long.

As noted in other reviews, the zoom action is stiff. Hopefully this will resolve over time. One big pet peeve is the lens screw-on shade/hood. It’s just too big and makes packing the lens, in a camera bag, a pain since you either (1) don’t use the shade/hood ever (2) get a huge camera bag so you can leave it on or (3) take if off everytime. I’ve found you can attach it “upside down” with the shade/hood facing inwards for storage. This save space somewhat.

Excellent for the price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
From the perspective of a serious amateur photographer, I have to say that this lens is a great value for the money. In good light, it cranks out sharp image after sharp image with great contrast and color, even handheld. As expected, though, things can get a pretty blurry at the long end in dim light, so take a tripod along with you when you expect to have to use this lens.

Construction feels pretty sturdy to me. This thing is heavy and seems to have metal in the places where it does the most good. I like how the zoom ring feels, probably even better than those of most of my Nikon lenses.

I find the Macro mode a little cumbersome to use since it only works within the 200-300mm range. Maybe I’m just a great big whiner, but in my opinion, this requires a little too much fiddling with the lens when I’m out shooting and want to switch to Macro mode or back to normal. It has to be focused at 200mm or more to get into Macro mode, and it has to be focused at a non-macro distance to get back to where you can zoom out again. It doesn’t sound too bad, but these are things I’d rather not have to think about when I’m concentrating on composition. However, I must say that the lens performs wonderfully for the rare macro shots that I take.

Autofocus is where I see the most compromise in keeping the price low. It will often hunt for focus when I use it indoors. It’s also pretty loud. Definitely look elsewhere if you need to be discrete. When using it on my D40, it seems to be about as fast to focus as my other lenses. On my D700, however, it’s noticeably slower than my Nikons.

Overall, I think it is more than worth what you will pay for it. In fact, if you have the money for the Nikkor 70-300mm, I would even go as far as to recommend buying this instead. The biggest difference that I can see between the two is the VR (Vibration Reduction) on the Nikkor, but at 300mm, you should have your camera on a tripod with or without VR. Save yourself $300 and go with the Sigma.

I like it
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This lens rocks. Granted i have to shoot on tripod when i use it. its pretty sharp. the focus is a little on the slow side and not very accurate to what you want in focus, but M focus works just fine. shooting macro is awesome i dig it. and its nice to be able to shoot animals with out scaring them away.

racehorse lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I really liked this lens. I used it for the 1st time at the horseraces. I used a multiplyer and it captured the races from the grandstand to

the backstretch. It did a great job . It’s light to handle.

Great Lens for the $$’s
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a very good lens for the money. If you are beginning with a DLSR and want a lens that can produce good images without the expense, this is definetley the lens for you. I took this lens out and shot the Blue Angels during an air show hand holding every shot using it with a Sony A100 DSLR. Pictures were awesome with the lens, I used a UV Filter Lens as I do on all my lenses. I recommend this lens to anyone that wants a 70-300mm Telephoto Zoom with Macro for a low cost.

Excellent lens and an incredible value!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I hesitated purchasing this lens for my Nikon D40X–probably looked at this listing six or seven times before making the purchase. Truthfully I was worried about how inexpensive it is. Now, I’m probably a pretty average amateur photographer in that the majority of my pictures are family stuff: kids’ sporting events, vacations, birthdays, and the like. But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to compromise on quality just to save some money, and I know that the Nikon 55-200 is a quality lens.

But, I purchased based on Michael Del Priore’s review (his was the only review at the time)–I figured, at this price (especially when compared to the Nikon 55-200), why not give it a shot, and I’m glad I did.

This is an excellent lens. The auto focus motor is fast and doesn’t chew up the battery (I was concerned about that, but I shot almost 170 pictures at my son’s games two Saturdays ago and didn’t use any more battery than the Nikon 35-70 lens that came with the camera). Like “cinderoo” I haven’t had any stabilization issues to speak of either, even snapping away while following 12 year old boys run the length of a field. That may be more of an issue with macro photography, but I’d imagine most of the (admittedly limited) macro photography I’d do would probably be with a tripod anyway.

Now, no one would mistake me for a professional photographer, but I can tell you that when I pull up photos shot with my D40X and this Sigma lens on my 24″ iMac and view them full screen they are *everything* I was looking for when I decided to move to an SLR camera.

Great lense
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Purchased the Sigma 70-300mm and I have to admit that I am very pleased with it but I thought it would be a good idea to give the pros and cons that I see with this lense The “cons” of this lense include:

.very noisy auto focus

.macro feature is small ( have to be in the 200-300mm range)

.slight chromatic distortion (color loss) in low light, very low light

.not real fast f/4 – 5.6

.tripod needed in low light

Now on to the positives

Pros:

.very very sharp lense

.well made (not cheap)

.true macro feature

.metal lens mount (not plastic)

.auto focus works great in good light

.full depth prited on lens

.will work with nikon D40,40x,50,60,70,70s,80,90,200…..

.ED glass

.many lens elements (helps with lense distortion)

.= to a 465mm with 1.5x factor (Nikon)

. wonderful balance throughout its lense range

.slight pincussion but not bad

.GREAT LENSE FOR THE PRICE

I usually shoot with nikon glass and was reluctant to purchase this lense but after having it almost two weeks now and with well over 200 pictures on it, I think this lens is great!

It has produced pictures of the same if not better quality than some of my Nikon glass, even the 2.8! If you are a budget minded photographer or just do not want to pay the outrageous price of the name brands, this thrid party will suit you fine.

Simply put, I would highly recomend this lens to anyone wishing to upgrade from a “kit lens”

Well worth the money.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens as a birthday gift for my wife. We use it with our Canon Digital Rebel XT and it works perfectly. The lens has a very good picture quality and is very easy to attach/remove from the camera. Of course, it comes with lens covers for both ends of the lens and they are very good quality covers; actually, IMO, better than the lens covers that our Canon lens came with. They stay on well and provide great protection for traveling.

The lens has a switch on it to go from normal photography to macro shots. Overall, I was impressed with the quality and ease of use with macro photos with this lens. It is easy to take good quality macro shots with this lens (and trust me, I’m a beginner!).

Overall, I am very well pleased with this lens and think you will be too!

love it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am loving this lens, it works very well for what I am doing with it. Great nature, flower and even kid shots. On occasion the AF can be too slow for high action shots, but most of the time it’s just fine. Highly recommended for any amateur getting into photography.

Fantastic Lens for the Money
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Don’t concern yourself about the price of this lens. It is an excellent value and it is a very high quality lens.

I picked this up for my Nikon D40 as it has an built-in motor allowing for auto-focus on this model of camera. I have been using the included 55mm lens, and I needed a telephoto for it. Having the Macro built-in was another bonus, and it does a wonderful job at capturing those “close up” images.

Go ahead and grab this lens, you won’t be disappointed.

Sigma 70-300mm GREAT
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am in love with this lens. It is the first Telephoto Zoom lens I have used and the results are Super Great. I do however wish to let future buyers to rememver to get a UV Filter to protect your lens from scratches and other mishaps.

Nice Lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Most of us can’t afford the L series type lenses. This lens is not bad for the price and it comes with a hood. The Macro mode is great and so far I can’t complain about the photos I have taken with it. I really haven’t pushed this lens but I will in the next month or so as I build up my portfolio. Nice bang for the buck try it and see.

Amazing value!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
You’ll love this lens! The results are amazing. The AF works very well and the macro function rivals with that of lenses worth ten times more.

I do recommend a tripod for macro photography, unless you have very steady hands. You cannot go wrong with this purchase.

Great Lens!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens for my Nikon D60. I wanted up to 300mm zoom and the motorized focus since my camera body doesn’t have this feature. I tested it thoroughly at a state park and was VERY impressed. The pictures were clear and sharp even at 300mm. I absolutely loved using it for portraits of my kids as they sat next to flowers and waterfalls. It was perfect for close-up shots of flowers too. The waterfall shots were amazing!

The lens is heavy and substanial feeling, not cheapy feeling at ALL. This has quickly become one of my favorite lenses and I am glad I saved money by not having to buy the comparable zoom AF-S from Nikon. I saved a bunch of money!

Holy cow, how did this one sneak past me for so long?
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love good lenses.

And I never thought something this cheap could be this good.

Was looking for a cheap tele zoom to use for a trip overseas, and found this one for next to nothing. I figured, hey, it’s 70-300, it’ll complement the 16-45 I have and probably be good enough for 4×6 prints. Boy, was I surprised. Even wide open at 300mm this thing puts out some excellent shots (I wouldn’t think twice about doing an 8×10 or even 11×14 from the results), and it handles macro on top of that. Did a bunch of macro shots at 300mm around f/8 and I couldn’t ask for anything better — the colors, contrast, everything is just… really damn good.

Kudos to Sigma for putting out something this nice at such an affordable price. I hope a lot of people discover this lens and put it to good use, because as long as you don’t need the speed of more expensive glass this is it.

Nice Lens For The Money
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
For the price I have been very happy with this lens so far, although I have not had the opportunity to use the Macro feature yet. Clarity seems to be well maintained up to about 40 yards. I am looking forward to trying the Macro feature on insects this Summer, as that is the main reason I purchased the lens.

Awesome Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great lens! I’m a novice photographer and have had great success with this lens! It’s awesome! Great photos!

very satisfied customer
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens to use with my Nikon D60. I needed a lens that I could use to take close up action shots of my son playing football. The lens has turned out to be a great buy for the money. It takes great, sharp, clear pictures. I recommend the lens to anyone that needs to keep their purchase price down, and wants quality pictures.

This lens has taken great shoots until the motor stop working
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I have had this lens for less than a year. I have used it for son ball games and outdoor shoot. I have not used for an ever day lens. Yesterday the lens would not focus. It looks like the motor only turns one way and stops. I have not contacted sigma yet I will keep you posted. Would of been a great lens for the price, but you get what you pay for.

dufuss6
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Being a novice camera owner, I needed a better zoom lens for my nikon D40 slr. The sigma af 70-300 lens is a good lens for what we need. It’s a little heavy, but it performs very well. The pictures we’ve taken since receiving the lens are all clear and with a little getting used to, this lens is exactly what we wanted.

Excellent Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ll admit that in lower light, this is a bit slow focusing, but the images are great and I am very pleased. I have used the Canon lens (borrowed from a friend of mine) and this did the same job for 5/8 the cost.

70-300 lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Wow! What a great lens for the price, I have use it a couple of times and the photo’s come out great, I didn’t really have the money for the Nikon lens but this Sigma is the one for me. I can almost see our little downtown from my house. It is just what I thought it would be, very happy.

Superb Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
When i purchased this lens I was worried about the quality. I purchased this lens for my Sony A300. I also have a Canon lens for my canon 40d but to my surprise this lens i amazing. Every one says that Canon and Nikon are the best when it comes to cameras but my Sony A300 and this Sigma lens have created miracles for me. I cannot attach the pictures that i have taken but believe me there is nothing best than this one……….The delivery by amazon was so fast that i have no words for that………….I am extremely happy with my investment

I like this alot
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I really like this lens, and the price was awesome. The vendor sent it relatively quickly. With all the scamming going on in the electronics websites, it’s nice to see someone do it right

Good lense for the price
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This lense is a good range. The first time i had this range it was the Nikon 70-300 non VR lense. This Sigma lense offers pictures of the same quality. The macro setting is only between 200-300mm, and im guessing that is because the macro mode only extends the focal range, it doesn’t magnify anything. Dont get me wrong, you can still controll the depth of field alot more than i thought i would be able to.

My only two drawbacks are the fact that there is a little slop in the feel of the lense, and the motor inside is quite loud. but I then consider the price as compaired to other “zoom macros” or true macros and am then satisfied.

this lense works fine with my D200 and will be keeping it unless i try to sell any photos. i do not recommend this lense for anyone with a small side buisness and obviously not to the person who makes a living taking pics.

Sigma 70-300 mm lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Love this lens. This is the lens I keep on my Sony Alpha 350 DSLR. Product arrived as stated and in new condition from Amazon. Very satisfied.

Sigma 70-300 review
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was turned on to this product by another hobbiest and it has turned out to be an excellent buy.

Good for ten days
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Very pleased with the lens until the auto focus quit on the ninth day. motor drives it to full infinity. You don’t get what you didn’t pay for. You get a $160 lens for $159.95! The MACRO work just fine, Over about 250mm it gets fuzzy. I Sure can’t use it hand held w/o hi iso and fast shutter. A good value lens that broke within return time limit. I would buy another one but maybe I will go for a Nikon with VR.

Best price 70-300mm. Lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have the Nikon D60 I think it’s the best lens for this price ,but the bad thing is that is not VD, if your are not a professional photographer this lens can be a little difficult for taking pictures because of this. I’m telling you again its a really good lens.

Great buy!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Bought this after reading the reviews. Works as advertised and the shipping was on time. Used it at my friend’s graduation and got some great long range shots.

Amazing Lens!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Absolutely fantastic lens! I am a professional photographer and I can’t find a single thing I would change about this lens. Versatile and takes amazing portraits. A MUST HAVE!!!!!

This lens is worth the money.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I enjoy taking pictures, and this lens definitely made it even more enjoyable. I do recommend using a tripod when using this lens, because it is sensitive to any movements, but the outcome of the pictures will prove to be well worth what you spend on the lens.

Enjoying my Lens
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I am a beginner and trying to take pictures with Macro. I got some amazing pictures. Have not tried everything trick but so far liking it.

great lens at a great price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have been taking great nature shots with this lens. I can get close to birds, frogs, butterflies etc. Easy to use and works perfect with my Rebel EOS

Excellent lens at any price, but this one happens to be inexpensive!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens after hearing about the Sigma brand in Consumer Reports. When I bought my Canon SLR camera recently, I was really dissapointed that the macro and telefoto lenses each cost almost as much as I paid for the camera! Because I am a beginning photographer I really didn’t want to invest too much money on extra lenses. However, I did decide to go ahead and purchase this lens since I figured it wasn’t a huge investment compared to how much Canon brand lenses run. Boy am I glad I made this purchase! This lens takes absolutely gorgeous photographs. The lens itself also seems very sturdy and well made. The only drawback with this lens is the lack of image stabilization, but a tripod or other solid resting surface takes care of that easily. All in all, this product is definitely worth a try and I highly recommend it!