broombank's reviews

Sigma 300-800mm f/5.6 EX DG HSM

I saw this lens demonstrated and thought I could never justify spending so much on such a vast product - strange how view change. The important thing to say is that without a gimbal head like a Wimberley it is totally impractical - with one it becomes a dream. The zoom range is wonderful and the action smooth and well engineered . It weighs 13 lbs so humping it about requires a degree of fitness. I took it out to the Bass rock ( Eastern Scotland ) to photograph the Gannet colony in July . The results were absolutely stunning. Sharpness is excellent even at full aperture . Because of the enormous focal length minimum focussing distance is around 20 feet . This can be a problem if the wildlife is tame .
The lens comes in a heavy duty and very practical case like a holdall which is easy to use and big enough to keep the camera ( a Nikon D2X) in place during transport . This makes management apart from the weight very simple. Overall I cannot sing its praises too highly.