Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 DG OS

Sharpness is good at 300mm, even when using the largest aperture of f/5.6 ; Effective 4-stop optical stabiliser ; Robust build quality

Autofocus motor is quite noisy in operation ; Front element extends and rotates during focusing ; Lacks the 0.5x macro facility of Sigma's older 70-300mm APO lens

At a glance, it's easy to think that this is a newer version of Sigma's 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO DG Macro lens, but with an optical stabiliser fitted (OS). Sure enough, the Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG OS is still a 'DG' lens designed for full-frame DSLRs and...

Like all telephoto zooms, the Sigma loses a little definition at its maximum focal length, but the overall sharpness is above average, the contrast is good and there’s very little chromatic aberration or distortion, even at full zoom.

good build quality ; good image resolution in the frame centre ; chromatic aberration well-corrected ; slight distortion ; not bothersome coma ; low vignetting even on full frame ; good work against bright light

too low image quality at the edge of full frame ; noisy autofocus motor

Good resolution at shorter focal lengths; Optical Stabiliser; Low Distortion at 70mm

Slow focusing speed

You want an affordable and capable zoom lens to extend the reach of a standard kit lens., You'd like a versatile lens that can be used for subjects as diverse as portraits, landscapes and wildlife.

You require a fast, professional quality lens for low-light photography., You need close focusing and macro capabilities., You make frequent use of polarisers and graduated filters.

Good resolution at shorter focal lengths; Optical Stabiliser; Low Distortion at 70mm

Rotating AF ring; Drop off in resolution and contrast at 300mm; Slow focusing speed

dobra jakość wykonania ; dobra ostrość obrazu w centrum kadru ; prawidłowo korygowana aberracja chromatyczna ; niewielka dystorsja ; mało uciążliwa koma ; winietowanie niewielkie nawet na pełnej klatce ; dobra praca pod ostre światło

zbyt słaba jakość obrazu na brzegu pełnej klatki ; głośny napęd autofokusa

low cost, macro mode, wide range, mechanically well built

could be slightly more sharp between 200 and 300mm. slow auto focus