First time out with a Sigma 100-400mm

Well I've recently gotten to use the new Sigma 120-400 4.5-5.6 DG APO OS HSM at a night-time Christmas Parade in Waukesha, WI. 

The Sigma 120-400 4.5  is similar to Canon's EF 100-400 4.5-5.6L IS USM  (Adorama price $1460.00) at about half the price, (Adorama $759.00) which I have also used several times. I was also using Canon's new 50D camera with Digic 4 processors. I will not do a full blown review as there are plenty of technical reviews out there of both this camera and the lens. I will just write a few observations about the lens handling and something more about the 50D at a later date.

When I first took the Sigma lens out of the box I was pleased that it did not look or handle like a plastic toy. It had the weight, design and feel of a professional lens, a nice case, and a manual I promptly tossed in the trash. Does a professional look and feel really matter? Well yes, to me at least and I bet to you as well. I've noticed that even when a simple set-up will do in this age of consumers having advanced gear and hobbyists with little to no skill but lots of money tend to over simplify and equate skill with gear and vice versa. The more expensive the rig the more impressed they can be and trusting in you as a professional. If I show up to a commercial job with a point and shoot or even a pricy Leica Range Finder everyone will assume I have no idea what I'm doing and assume I can't tackle the job, or worse that they can do what I do because they're camera costs more than mine.  Lets not get started on this topic because it really makes a lot of professional in this and many other fields angry. It's our skills, that count not just the tools we use.

So I've learned to bring more than I need (for more reasons than this one) and to make a bit of a show for the crowd to establish a degree of trust with new clients or at weddings. "This guy must be a pro, look at all the expensive gear". Well life should not be this way but it is. It is the same in almost any industry. How impressed would you be if you hired a carpenter to rebuild your bathroom and he shows up with a clear plastic tool set that says 300 tools for $29.95 on the side? Would you take him seriously? I doubt it.

So it is important to me that my tools look professional as well as perform to the highest degree I can afford. The Sigma lens got this dead on.

Now how about performance?

Well I don't know if I'd use this lens at a wedding or other setting that requires minimal attention on me, the IS motors are surprising loud. Not a problem for street photography but in the wild doing bird shots, at a baptism, wedding, or any situation where you want to be as silent as possible this lens would not do it. When the IS is off it's perfectly fast and quite. To be fair the motors only make the noise while the shutter is depressed. But if you are like me and pre-focus anticipating shots the motor will stay active and noisy. Perhaps it's only mine, but my other Sigma lenses are also noisy to me.

However for everything else it rocks! I was pleasantly pleased with the sharpness and overall performance, speed of focus, and accuracy. It did have problems locking in on focus in very dark situations but I'm talking outside at night, no flash, and very little ambient light at all. Then it finally had problems. Compared to the Canon 100-400 model I've used several times I found no deference in performance though. I did feel like the Sigma lens was sharper than the Canon I've used in the past. This surprised me as I am a huge fan of Canon IS lenses.

Weighing in at a hefty 61.7 ounces, this lens like others in it's class or a 70-200 2.8 is heavy and you might find it hard to hold steady or for any length of time if your not strong, harder still to keep steady zoomed out to 400mm. I would suggest a monopod for most people. I'm fairly strong with a strong back (I often carry 3 camera bodies, external battery packs, two flashes, camera case, and at least two of the cameras have longer heavy lenses so I'm used to the weight) but for weekend warriors I'd stick with the mono pod.

Worth the price? No question about it YES! If your considering the Canon and I am very loyal to Canon, but can't afford a 70-200 L series lens and also need a longer lens this Sigma IS lens is worth a serious consideration. I look forward to using often. having spent several hours last night in the very cold night air, while wearing Lowepro Photo gloves I still found the lens fast, capable and a pleasure to use, I think you will to. It is available for Canon, Nikon, and Sigma cameras. It may come available in other mounts as well. Check with Sigma or your local Photography Pro shop.