Awesome little lens...

[ukaskew]

Anyone who has experience of a 70-200 2.8 will know they aren't exactly small or light, but offer incredible quality. I absolutely loved mine, but only used it for Motorsport or Zoo trips as it was too big to carry around on holiday etc.

Today, however, I got the ultimate replacement (second-hand and cheap, obviously). It's about the same size as a 70-300 f4-5.6 but offers 100mm of zoom with a constant f2.8 aperture....and it gets better, it doesn't rotate and it doesn't extend, what you see is what you get. With the crop factor it actually pretty much offers the focal length that the 70-200 was originally intended to.

Won loads of awards, 'lens of the year' etc in various publications but nobody seems to actually own one. Even on Flickr it's only got a small but very loyal following.

Love it, going to be a perfect walkaround to get something a bit different in New York (probably just take this and a Sigma 10-20) and will still fit in a smallish camera bag with no problems. No samples worth showing yet, but AF is incredibly quick and the zoom/focus is really well damped, will give it a try at Castle Combe next Saturday and post the results, should compliment the 120-300 2.8 really well when I want some wider motorsport shots.

 

[dk]

ugly looking fecker

guess the proof is in the pictures so get them up asap!

 

[Billy]

Nice, I looked at these but no funds at the moment what with Christmas on the way.

 

[BenWall]

Looks wicked. Can't wait for some samples.

How much Chris if you don't mind me asking. Wouldn't mind one myself.

 

[ukaskew]

Looks wicked. Can't wait for some samples.

How much Chris if you don't mind me asking. Wouldn't mind one myself.

£299, don't think there is cheaper way of getting 100mm of f2.8. They come up occasionally second hand on www.mpbphotographic.co.uk, I missed out on the one they had about a month ago, but my one cropped up the other evening (fully boxed, cased etc, as good as new) so I got in quick.

This album pretty much sold it to me...http://www.flickr.com/photos/markgibson/sets/72157606518841162/

 

[tonk_172]

Just bought a similar lens a pentax da* 50-135 f2.8 looks almost identical to the sigma internal focus and zoom and the size of the lens at 50 is the same at 135 but it cost a little more than your 299.99 looked at the sigma but read about back focus problems on the pentax.Just need to find some more funds for 16-50 da* f2.8.If people dont know pentax da* are suppose to be the pentax version of the canon l glass lenses.

 

[unofficialPete]

Nice, picture of is next to the 120-300 for a giggle?

 

[ukaskew]

Nice, picture of is next to the 120-300 for a giggle?

Of course...(taken the hood off the 120-300 to even things up a little!)

 

[BenWall]

haha monster of a lens. must weigh a good amount!

 

[ukaskew]

haha monster of a lens. must weigh a good amount!

2.6kg, beast!

Very few people shoot with it handheld, but after a year with the 80-200 AF-S (1.6kg, hand held 6hrs a weekend solidly for about 6 months) I haven't even noticed it to be honest. It is heavy, but it's well balanced so if anything it makes panning etc much easier...and it's less effected by our windy climate.

 

[BenWall]

Do you use a monopod with it?

 

[ukaskew]

Do you use a monopod with it?

Nope, find them a bit too restrictive. I do have one, but it only comes out to play if it's stupidly windy (once this year, iirc)

 

[BenWall]

I've just bought one of these. Pad just over £462 for it new, which isn't bad considering the price on Jessops.

Isn't in stock, and the sales guy said it's going to be 2/3 weeks and offered me refund - but I said I want to wait for it.

Had a look on http://www.mpbphotographic.co.uk/ but they have pretty much no Nikon lenses in, and haven't for ages .

 

[Gaz.]

That looks a great lens from the photos on flickr. Makes me wonder if I should have saved my pennies and got that instead of the sigma 55-200mm f5.6