canon 70-200 or sigma 70-200

aaron_morris3 · November 17, 2009

i am about to buy either the canon 70-200 f2.8 or the sigma 70-200 f2.8. the difference in price is around £300 for me so what im trying to find out is weather the image quality is worth the extra £300 in the canon lens? your thoughts would be much appreciated.

Aaron

anov · November 17, 2009

No personal experience with the Sigma, but here's a pretty detailed review:

<a href="http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/sigma_70-200_2p8_n15/">http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/sigma_70-200_2p8_n15/</a>

compared to the 70-200mm IS, not exactly the lens you're shopping but pretty close:

<a href="http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon_70-200_2p8_is_usm_c16/">http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon_70-200_2p8_is_usm_c16/</a>

tdigi · November 17, 2009

Keep in mind is not all about the image quality. I never used the Sigma but the Canon is built very well and focuses fast and accurate.

gertle · November 17, 2009

My experience seems to echo the comparisons on web sites. Having used the Sigma lens and now owning the Canon lens I can say that the Sigma trails the Canon a bit in optical quality but there is a bigger gap in focus speed and noise. I wanted the faster/quiter AF so it was worth it to me.

anthony_zipple · November 17, 2009

IQ will not be that different under most conditions. Resale value will. The Canon will hold its value better. In addition, when Canon puts out new bodies there can be compatibility issues with Sigma lenses. You may need to send it back to be re-chipped... at your expense. And once the lens goes out of production, Sigma may not re-chip at all.

mathew_gardella · November 17, 2009

i have the mark I version of the sigma and i love it. of course, i don't make my living with it... for me, i use it when shooting the kids at play or for other casual outdoor shots. i think you have to examine carefully what you will need to do with it and then make your choice. i do admit i use canon lenses for my portrait work though, and you just can't beat the red ring! ;^)

sgagic · November 18, 2009

I used almost every sigma lens there is, with canon SLR, both the crop sensor and Full Frame, because i didn't want to give extra cash on lens. My conclusion is that sigma lenses are not that sharp as the canon lenses. I would say that you buy canon 70-200 f2.8 definitively, you will not be sorry.

Saša Gagić

scrivyscriv · November 18, 2009

I admit upfront that I'm biased towards Canon, but have not extensively shot any 3rd party pro quality glass.

All of my 3rd party experience with Canon autofocus glass has been mediocre at best, with the Tokina 12-24 f/4 being a very significant exception. You might want to consider other non-IQ factors too, especially with teles like you're looking at. AF speed is usually slower and slow to respond as quickly; AF performance goes down with the EV. To some extent, all lenses will hunt for focus when you shoot in the dark, but some lenses are better than others, and Canon usually wins.

Backwards compatibility with future bodies is a factor. I know the factories will rechip some lenses as known performance problems come up, but you'll still have to pay to ship the lens to them and be without it for at least a week.

Anyways, take all of that with a grain of salt and draw your own conclusions. It's not fair to compare pro-quality 3rd party glass to entry or mid-level 3rd party glass, nor can one fairly compare lens performance of a wide to a tele. I've just seen a trend of lesser abilities in 3rd party glass, and shooting as a paid photographer, I can't afford to take that chance with inventory I have to buy out of pocket.

I don't see your country location listed on your Pnet page, but since you're talking in pounds, I assume you're in the UK. I don't know any of the rental houses outside of the US, but if you can get your hands on a rental of either or both lenses, I think you'd really be able to make a more informed choice.

benjamindbloom · November 18, 2009

I shoot the Sigma version. It gives me good quality photos and has been a solid performer in a lot of conditions including sub-zero(F) temperatures, snow, sand, and a drop onto carpeted cement.

That said - I've used the Canon 2.8IS and it definitely focuses faster. I have to imagine the non IS version would as well.

I don't regret my purchase, but I can see upgrading to the Canon IS version at some point.

aaron_morris3 · November 18, 2009

thaks for the comments everyone. im going for the canon.

ken_max__parks · December 27, 2009

Re: Sigma 70-200mm, f/2.8, ADO DG EX II --- The reviews concerning chromatic aberration are wrong. I recently experimented with the lens in question, shot at the worst possible condition, f/2.8 at the 200mm far end. The results were surprisingly good.