sigma 18-200mm OS or sigma 70-200mm 2.8

[Erad]

ive been looking at these 2 lens and having trouble deciding between the 2. i just need some advice and recommendations on which to choose.

[Rooz]

they are 2 very different lens' for very different purposes.

the 18-200 is a collapsable, compact, flexible mega zoom lens for use as a general walkaround. the 70-200 is probably 3x heavier, 4x longer, is a fixed length, (ie size of the lens is constant) and is a specialist low light/ sports lens.

[Erad]

yeah theres a huge weight difference between the 2, i was at calumet photographic and tried them both out, and i understand there both used for different purposes, but each one would work for me, i shoot sports for family members when they play, so the 70-200mm lens would work for me, but im also getting into portraits and planning on getting the sb600 flash hopefully next week. i will eventually have both lens' but not sure which to grab first.

[Erad]

only reason i hesitate on grabbing the 70-200mm 2.8 is because of a release of a 70-200mm with OS? that would be awesome.

[Rooz]

only reason i hesitate on grabbing the 70-200mm 2.8 is because of a release of a 70-200mm with OS? that would be awesome.

have you heard of one coming out ?
there is also the matter of a bit of a price difference. the 70-200 will take awesome portraits aswell as long as you have the room.

[Erad]

i havnt heard of one coming out yet, but with my luck ill get the 70-200 and sumtin better will come out, but seriously, i wouldnt doubt that sigma would come out with one with OS. as far as quality from both lens' they look almost identical, could the 18-200 be use as a portrait lens?

[K1W1]

because of a release of a 70-200mm with OS? that would be awesome.


It's on the market now and It's called the Nikkor 70-200 F2.8 VR and it's priced to suit it's quality. :)

Of the two lenses mentioned I personally would go for the 70-200 f2.8. I've never been a fan of the 18-200 do all wonder lenses and I don't recall every seeing anything about the Sigma that indicates it's very special. The 70-200 f2.8 does get very good owner and test reviews.

[Erad]

well ide rather wait til sigma releases one, i dont really wanna spend 1600 bux on a lens.

[Rooz]

i get the feeling you may be waiting a while and when/ if it does come out it will be a fair bit pricier.

[Erad]

what im saying is if i were to get a OS version of a 70-200 i would rather wait til sigma releases one, but i will most likely just grab this 70-200mm 2.8.

[fionndruinne]

Even a Sigma version would likely start out at a pretty penny.

[Erad]

i tried to make a comparison between the 2 lens'.

[e_dawg]

as far as quality from both lens' they look almost identical, could the 18-200 be use as a portrait lens?

Not if you're looking for great quality. Bokeh is not smooth at all. You can get a 50/1.8 as a cheap portrait option that would be way better than the 18-200 or an 85/1.8 if you want a dedicated portrait lens. There's always the 85/1.4 if you want to go all out and get the expensive but legendary king of portrait lenses.

[Stoller]

I had the Sigma 70-200 2.8, it's a good lens but is soft wide open. I replaced it with the Nikon 70-200 2.8 and will never go back. Look at some comparison photos I posted here http://www.dcresource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33086&page=7

[Erad]

anyone own the sigma 18-50mm f2.8? if so, what are the results and would u recommend it? im also looking into that lens for portrait use.

[Wowzer]

i tried to make a comparison between the 2 lens'.

Even from these low res images of a picture on the wall, you can see the difference between the 2 lenses. The 70-200 has clearly more detail. This is not much a big deal if you print only 4x6 pictures. If you print larger or tend to crop a lot, then you'll see a big difference in quality.

IMO, if you only print 4x6's get the 18-200 OS. It's supposed to be a rather decent superzoom at less than $200-$300 off the nikon version. Some photomags have rated the older 18-200 DC to be sharper than the nikon equivalent---of course that was on a tripod and not handheld. I believe handheld (the most likely use of this lens), the Nikon 18-200 beats the Sigma 18-200 DC. Only time will tell if the Sigma 18-200 OS will beat or be equal to the Nikon 18-200.

If you print larger than 4x6 or crop a bit, then you'll probably want both lenses. The 18-200 OS is good for everyday use--as well as parties and birthdays. For sports, you'll want the 70-200 or the older nikon 80-200. I don't worry too much about the VR on the longer lenses, as I bring a monopod (about $20). The monopod relieves the strain of me having to carry the heavy glass and camera about. It also relieves stresses on the camera/lens joint. Personally, I dont see the need of VR if you are shooting sports (unless you have to run around a lot). Even if you have to walk from one spot to another, the monopod is easy to move about. My 2¢ worth.

GL.

[Erad]

so i ended up getting the sigma 18-50mm 2.8 EX DC HSM. took a couple of test shots with flash of my sigma 70-300mm lens. what u guys think of the detail?

no PP to this shot.

[r3g]

Looks nice and sharp but whats that strange white line on the edge of the lens?

[Erad]

i believe thats the flash bouncing off the edge of the lens. im not a great flash user.

[fionndruinne]

Try some foliage shots. They tend to be good for judging bokeh and sharpness, and maybe better lighting conditions than your first example. And it is fall and all.;)