Sigma APO 300mm f/2.8

Versatile Conert Lens But Not For The Frail When I read other's reviews about this lens (before committing to buy one myself), everyone kept emphasizing it's weight/size. Look, I expect an f/2.8 300mm to be large ... so I ignored these recurring comments. What made me finally pull-the-trigger on this lens was two factors: (i) Value amd (ii) Versatility I'd been looking awhile for a decent f/2.8 300mm with VR/OS. The used lenses I found were either too pricey or too beat up. Seems like they all claimed "minor dust which shouldn't affect the image". But If I'm shelling out north of $2k, I don't want *any* dust -- right ? This lens, to me, was a great alternative. Sample images I'd seen online looked very comparable to 300mm primes, but it also had the versatility of variable zoom from 120-300mm. I enjoy shooting concerts, so I figured this zoom range would offer me more versatility when I can't shoot right in front of the stage. After getting the lens, I too was surprised by it's size/weight. This is not a lens you'll handhold for long. You'll definitely want at least a monopod if you're shooting with it for any time. But once you get past the beastliness of this Humvee, there's a lot to love about it. My very first snap was a spur-of-the-moment headshot outdoors. The Bokeh was silky smooth and the sharpness was pleasing. I also own several other Nikon lenses (85 f/1.4, 105 f/2.8, 24-70 f/2.8. 70-200 f/2.8, etc) and I can say this first headshot snap was similar in quality to my best other lenses. Since then, I've had a chance to do a little shooting with it, and have been pleasantly surprised by it's performance. It takes a little getting used to it's size/weight, but the results do not disappoint. I've mounted this on multiple bodies including a Nikon D800, D3s, and D610. The focus is consistently smooth and accurate. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best, I'd rate my satisfaction with this lens a solid 9. It's well built, smooth and fast focusing, and it's versatility in zoom range makes up for it's imposing weight/size. I'm pleased with my purchase and can't foresee ever wanting to give this lens up.Read full review

Great lens for photographing sports on a budget I had done a lot of YouTube research on this lens before I decided to jump in and get it. It seemed to be a good fit for the high school sports that I take pictures of. I have only had a chance to use it at a little league baseball game so far. The real test will be next month when Friday night football starts up. I will update this review then. It took a bit to get used to the weight of the lens, but by the end of the game, I was fine with it. This is definitely not a lens to handhold for any length of time. Since I'm using it for sports, a monopod is needed. I am using it with a Nikon D600. Both of those products are about the same age; 10 years or so and they work well together. The first of the three pictures below was shot behind the backstop fence and the fence can't be seen at all. I just rested to hood against the fence.Read full review

I love my Sigma 120-300mm 2.8 lens. It is a great lens! It is heavy but is built like a tank. I purchased this Sigma 120-300mm 2.8 to photograph my grandsons HS football games. I plan to use it for other sport and action photography.