Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Motorized Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras

by Sigma

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3 x 4.8 x 3 inches ; 1.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0012X61U2
• Item model number: 5A8306
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2003

Product Description

Telephoto zoom lenses with tele-macro function, optimized for digital cameras. The high performance telephoto zoom lens is ideal for digital SLR cameras. This lens has two SLD glass elements in the front lens group and one in the rear lens group It is able to shoot with maximum magnification 1:2 at the focal length of 300 mm. It’s the ideal lens for portraits, sports photography, nature photography, and other types of photography that frequently use the telephoto range. New coating reduces Ghost and Flare. The new multi layer lens coating and lens design reduce flare and ghost, which is a common problem with digital cameras and also creates an optimum color balance through the entire zoom range. It is equipped with three pieces of SLD glass for high image quality. This lens has two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements in the front lens group and one in the rear lens group, the lens has excellent correction of chromatic aberration through the entire zoom range. Macro shooting with maximum magnification 1:2 High optical performance is demonstrated throughout the entire zoom range. It also has a switch that converts the lens to macro photography at focal lengths between 200mm and 300mm with a minimum focusing distance of 95cm (37.4 inches). In normal mode the minimum focusing distance is 150cm (59.1 inches) at all zoom settings. Maximum magnification between 200mm and 300mm is 1:2.9 to 1:2

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great lens for the price, July 5, 2009

By 

dotm8rix "arrrrgh!" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Motorized Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras (Electronics)

i use this lens in the 70-200 range for portraiture or general telephoto photography, in the 200-300 range for near macro photography, and at 300 with a 50mm lens reversed onto it for extreme (6x's lifesize) macro shots. in all instances i've been generally pleased with the quality. it's a little soft at 200-300mm for telephoto work.

bottom line is if you're on a budget, you can't go wrong with this lens.

fyi: sigma has a couple versions of the 70-300 in circulation. this APO version is reputed to be sharper than the newer, non-APO version.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Given the price Excellent!!!, August 27, 2009

By 

C. Hall (Kailua, HI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Motorized Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras (Electronics)

There are a lot of differing views on this lens. Thats great. Everybody's thoughts were very helpful to me in deciding to buy this. I'm glad I did.

For the Price it is hard to get a better deal. A lot of reviews complain about it not being faster or this or that. The fact is all the things it lacks only come in a far more expensive price range. If you have more money to spend and want something better then certainly it exists and you should buy that. If you only want to spend a couple hundred dollars and get a very sharp, versatile, multi-use lens then there is not much that can compete.

In the last month I've shot a lot with this lens and continually been impressed and happy with it considering how much I paid for it. I've used the macro mode and shot beautiful shots of insects, moss and water droplets. I've used the long end of the zoom to shoot surfers, sunsets, fisherman, ships, kids playing on the beach and a wedding. Whether in bright sunlight or dim twilight, all of it is quite sharp and exceeds my expectations for any lens at this price range.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 300mm on the cheap, April 10, 2009

By 

Wing Lau - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Motorized Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I was looking for a 300mm lens that would allow me to take pictures of my family when they were on a field or long distance sporting events. I'm not a great photographer by any stretch, but I've received my praises here or there. I'm a very good amateur picture taker without knowing all the terminology. I read all the reviews from others and was a bit worried about the speed and noise of this lens but I wasn't going to get anything else at this price range so I made the order. Was I glad I did. This lens may be noisier and slower than a genuine Nikor lens, but it does a great job and clear as a bell at half the price. Locks in for a shot and works perfectly with my Nikon D40. Those with more experience may want more, but I don't think at my level, I could get any better at this price. Now if only I could find a bag to fit all these lenses. :)