The lens introduced this time is Sigma's first 120-300mm f2.8 lens. APO 120-300mm EX DG HSM.
Based on the delusion of the manager, we will mainly talk about usability in video shooting.
I hope you can read it in half the story.
content
Presence of Sigma lens
Camera with Foveon sensor, Sigma SD15
Lens review
There should be no features you don't use
Another advantage is that there is no in-lens image stabilization.
Good point, the total length does not change with zoom and focus
Smoothness of zoom ring and focus ring
Aperture ring
Filter diameter 105mm
Depiction performance
summary
Presence of Sigma lens
Recently, Nikon has released a 120-300mm f2.8 lens with similar specifications.
However, this Sigma lens was released in July 2005, and was released by Nikon in February 2020. So, Sigma was released 15 years before Nikon released a lens with the same specifications.
The 120-300mm f2.8 spec was the one and only lens for 15 years.
I feel the advancedness, pioneer presence, and awesomeness of Mr. Sigma, who has released an innovative 120-300mm f2.8 high-speed spec zoom lens that has not been released by other companies for such a long time. Even now, only Sigma and Nikon have released lenses with this spec.
I'm surprised that Mr. Sigma, who has released a ton demo lens above, has a super-class lens of 200-500mm f2.8 on it.
Zoom in on 500mm f2.8, which does not exist even with a single focus.
It can be said that it is the strongest ton demo lens in the current camera market.
It's no longer a lens that is easy to use, and it's a lens with a super-class presence that makes you say nothing about it.
Speaking of telephoto zoom lenses of other companies except Nikon, f2.8 through lenses, it stops at 200mm.
Even if the brightness is set to f4, the focal length is 200-400mm.
Compared to such lenses, I think you can feel the metamorphosis.
Mr. Sigma, who continues to put out lenses, and the manager himself, who seems to be in the realm of metamorphosis, felt a sense of companionship and attachment.
Camera with Foveon sensor, Sigma SD15
Nikon 50mm f1.2 is attached to Sigma SD15 via mount adapter
From such Sigma, even with the camera body, we are releasing an innovative camera that other companies do not do.
It's a camera that uses a Foveon sensor. The caretaker is still using one of them, the old SD15. Since the release date is June 2010, it will be a camera 12 years ago.
This camera is also quite a musician, very sluggish, and high sensitivity cannot be used, but the color of the ton demo and the presence of the ton demo real in the photograph are always breathtaking.
The reason for such color development is the image sensor.
A typical digital camera uses a single-layer Bayer array sensor.
The arrangement is red, green, blue, green, and so on.
Since it is a single layer, it has excellent sensitivity, but it requires 4 pixels to include the three primary colors of red, blue, and green, and the color information contained in each pixel is 1/4.
Therefore, there is a feeling that the color reality of the output image is somewhat lacking.
A story of comparison.
The sensor that makes up for such a defect is the Foveon sensor, which contains red, blue, and green elements in layers in one pixel.
Each output pixel contains all undiluted RGB color information. You can enjoy the rich color of 100% colored juice.
Due to the high color density of the output image, the image displayed on the screen is very realistic.
In comparison, the color juice of a camera using a general Bayer sensor is a set of 4 pixels, which is 25%.
There is a lot of processing, such as blurring with a low-pass filter and sharpening again, which creates an unnatural feeling.
Is the Foveon sensor all-purpose? That is not the case.
On the downside, the sensor structure is layered, so it's easy to imagine that it's inferior in sensitivity.
ISO100 is the best sensitivity that can be used when actually using it.
It is also Mr. Sigma who makes such a sharp camera.
This time, all the photos of the 120-300mm f2.8 lens on here use Nikon Ai Nikkor 50mm f1.2 for SD15.
By the way, the above SD15 photo uses Nikon D200 (released in December 2005).
A camera already 17 years ago.
Even a camera that uses an old CCD and cannot take very good pictures with high sensitivity can produce beautiful colors that cannot be easily obtained with recent cameras by lowering the sensitivity.
If it is D200, ISO100 or 200 is the best.
Reference: What are the colors in the photo and the colors that leave an impression on you? Color changes seen on the Nikon D70, D200, D3, D800E, and D850
Doesn't the texture of the lens taken with the Foveon sensor look really real?
Lens review
The manager of Nikon users, reviews are of course Nikon mount.
This Sigma, APO 120-300mm EX DG HSM
Since its launch in 2005, it has been equipped with image stabilization and other features, and its exterior design has been refined to the present day.
However, is it as light as the original 2680 grams? The weight was 3390 grams, which is 710 grams heavier, and the total length, which was 271 mm (excluding hood), has increased by 20 mm to 291 mm.
This difference is quite large, and when you compare the two lenses, it feels like a completely different lens.
Isn't it too big even with image stabilization?
Regarding the image quality, it seems that it has improved considerably, but since I have not used this, I sell online information.
The appeal of this lens is the brightness of f2.8 throughout.
The focal length is also 300mm.
The image is that the sunnipper can be used with zoom.
Speaking of sunnippers, it's a dream lens, both now and in the past (sense of a caretaker).
The caretaker himself often uses this lens.
However, its main use is for wildlife photography with videos rather than photos.
The camera I often use in combination with this lens is Panasonic's Micro Four Thirds.
I often use it for wildlife photography.
Therefore, the focal length is doubled, and the full-frame equivalent focal length is 240-600mm f2.8.
It's a very attractive spec for shooting wild animals, which cannot be full size.
Furthermore, if you use the EX teleconverter of GH5, will it be about 1000 mm?
A little research revealed that it was 1.4 times. If so, it means that the spec is 336-840mm f2.8.
In terms of performance, it is depicted softly and softly at full aperture, but it is extremely sharp when narrowed down to f5.6.
High-performance resolution that makes it impossible to distinguish between shooting with GH5, normal shooting, and magnified EX teleconverter.
Of course, even in full size, the surroundings are very sharp, and even in photographs, the image quality is more than sufficient.
Or rather, it's a lens for photography.
The image quality will be discussed later.
Video shooting of wild animals using Micro Four Thirds, this is a pretty delicious lens.
The caretaker first learned about the appeal of this lens seven years ago, over a year from 2015, using it to shoot lions, cheetahs, etc. in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, and elsewhere. from.
He bought the lens immediately after returning to Japan because it had high image quality and was easy to use.
I bought a camera shop in Meguro. As good as new with a box and protective filter.
There should be no features you don't use
There was an EX / SIGMA tag on the right side of the lens, and I thought it was the only decoration on the left side.
simple is best!
When it comes to wildlife video recording, this focal length almost certainly uses a video head fixed to a tripod or the like.
Therefore, it is a substitute that does not require image stabilization.
For managers who often shoot in African savanna, its durability and reliability are very important. I wrote it before, but again.
In an environment that is constantly shaken by a car that vibrates violently along the way, it is still hard to break, and it is a simple is best. Shooting all at once for over a month, most of the roads run are unpaved roads.
It wouldn't be a story if the lens couldn't be used.
This lens is very simple and doesn't have any switches.
There are only three rings, a focus ring, a zoom ring, and an aperture ring, with a tripod mount.
The tripod mount is removable, but I never use it.
Even when taking a handheld photo, the manager puts his hand on the tripod mount to take the picture, because it is easier to perform delicate operations on the zoom ring and focus ring.
Another advantage is that there is no in-lens image stabilization.
It's a camera shake correction that is very useful for handheld shooting.
High-tech and precision mechanisms such as the in-lens image stabilization mechanism are fragile.
If you use it in the harsh environment as described above, the correction lens may not return to the center of the optical axis.
What if that happens?
If the screen is a standard, wide-angle lens, it will be out of focus, or even though the right half is in focus, the left part will be out of focus even though it is the same distance.
If it's a telephoto lens, the overall focus will be loose. (What the caretaker has experienced so far)
When such a symptom appears, turn the power supply and image stabilization switch on and off.
Most of the time, it returns, but if it still doesn't return, I take off the lens and shake it.
If I still haven't returned, I'll use another lens that doesn't have image stabilization.
If the lens becomes unusable due to the image stabilization function, I don't know what the image stabilization is for.
Even if it is a very useful function for handheld photo shooting, video shooting, etc., it is a function that is not necessary if you use a solid pan head.
If you don't use it, it's better than nothing.
It's convenient to have various functions, but it's not all good.
Tamron's 150-600mm, which I used before, was very sharp at the beginning, but the image quality deteriorated as I used it.
Probably, the image stabilization lens was slightly displaced from the center.
By all means, I would like to ask the manufacturer for improvement.
The advantage of a lens without in-lens image stabilization is that each lens is surely placed in the best position on the optical axis.
Also, depending on the manufacturer, if you use a tripod with the image stabilizer turned on, the image stabilizer lens may start to run wild.
A lens that is uncomfortable unless it is shaken.
I would like to ask you to improve these points, but have you already done so?
Good point, the total length does not change with zoom and focus
From top to bottom, zoom ring, focus ring, tripod mount, aperture ring
The total length of the lens does not change even if the zoom ring or the focus ring is turned.
This is also a great advantage, because the center of gravity of the lens does not change significantly even if you zoom in while shooting a movie, so once you balance the front and back, you do not need to move much after that.
For lenses such as 60-600 and 150-600 that extend significantly with zoom, it is necessary to adjust the balance of the pan head each time you zoom.
If you move this 120-300 zoom, the balance will move a little, but if you use the video head (Zachtra FSB4), you can balance it even if you let go of the entire zoom range.
Also, because the lens has a sealed structure, you can rest assured that almost no dust will get inside in a dusty place.
Smoothness of zoom ring and focus ring
As with still image shooting, the smoothness of the movement of the focus ring and zoom ring is so important in movie shooting that it is incomparable to still images.
The movement becomes an image as it is.
This lens, the smoothness of the ring movement may be the best among the lenses currently owned by the caretaker. The opponent is Nikon's manual lens 50mm f1.2.
It is not too hard, not too soft, and can be operated very smoothly.
It doesn't start to move and doesn't start to move at all, and you can freely make ultra-subtle movements.
With a single-lens autofocus lens, you can feel this smoothness and the maker's commitment to the limit.
I felt the soul of Mr. Sigma's technical camp, who perfectly finished the parts that could not be expressed numerically in such a catalog. Is it an overstatement?
The movement of the focus ring is so smooth.
Not only the focus ring but also the movement of the zoom ring is insanely smooth.
The torque feeling is also perfect.
The rubber knurling is non-slip, and it fits comfortably on your fingers, making it hard to slip and easy to use.
Both the zoom ring and the focus ring are called the width, and they are arranged in an exquisite balance.
The fact that the zoom ring is one size thicker than the focus ring also exquisitely improves operability.
Both rings are as smooth and operable as professional video lenses over the entire area.
It must be the soulful work precision of the ultra-high precision technical team who are extremely particular about it.
The commercial lens and operability are outstanding, but the price is also outstanding.
The rubber knurling material has been purchased for 6 years (used), but it does not become buyobuyo and maintains a solid texture.
The focus ring has a rotation angle of 120 degrees from infinity to the shortest. Is it smaller?
Although the stroke is small, it is very easy to chase after shooting wild animals, cheetahs, etc. due to its high precision.
I've been using this lens for a long time, so it seems that I've become accustomed to the stroke.
Since the focus scale is firmly attached, it is nice to be able to check the distance information of the lens.
By the way, both the focus ring and zoom ring rotate in the opposite direction to Nikon.
However, there is no problem at all because the rotation direction is the same as that of a general video lens including the aperture ring.
The position and rotation direction of the zoom and focus ring are all different from Nikon's 70-200mm f2.8 VR2. When using it for mixing, be careful not to make a mistake in the direction of rotation.
In addition, both zoom and focus are fully mechanically driven.
There is a great sense of security even when using it. Directly connected to the ring.
There is no need to worry about getting stuck due to poor contact! !! !!
Aperture ring
Aperture ring useful for movie shooting
The original Sigma 120-300mm f2.8, with an aperture ring for Nikon.
Unfortunately, this feature has been lost from new lenses.
Video shooting, with or without this ring, the shooting style will change dramatically.
During outdoor shooting, the shooting conditions change from moment to moment as the sun rises and becomes cloudy, and the subject changes from shade to sun or back to shade.
Shooting under such conditions is mostly manual exposure.
It has nothing to do with photos, but with videos, there is a big difference in operability with and without an aperture ring, how to respond to such changes in the situation.
With the aperture ring, you can move it quickly, slowly, or freely, whether it is 1/10 step adjustment or 2 step adjustment.
Furthermore, since it is an analog operation, the brightness can be changed smoothly without being jerky even during shooting.
The aperture ring is a shared part with the fisheye lens!
However, this 120-300mm f2.8 aperture ring seems to be shared with other Sigma lenses, and the width is a little too thin to use at 300mm.
The same aperture ring is used for the fisheye lens.
A point that makes me feel a little disappointed.
If there is more width, it will be easier to operate.
Since I often use a mount adapter with Micro Four Thirds, there is some room between it and the body.
Therefore, the operability with Micro Four Thirds is not so problematic.
However, when operating without using a mount adapter such as the D850, the width of the aperture ring is narrow and it is difficult to operate.
In the first place, with the D850, when you operate the aperture ring, you will hear a clicking sound, so you cannot use it in movies. That's why I use a power diaphragm.
Filter diameter 105mm
Marumi and protector filter that came with the product at the time of purchase
A 105mm filter sticks to the tip of this lens.
Therefore, if the relationship between f-numbers is known, a question arises.
If it is 300mm and f2.8, at least 107mm is required.
That? Not having 107mm means not having f2.8.
Actually, it will be smaller, but if 105mm is the aperture, f2.86, which is an acceptable range.
Actually, when I actually measured the diameter of the filter opening with a ruler, it was 101 mm.
When I calculate the brightness with that aperture, f2.97, is it within the permissible range?
Well, it's definitely darker than 300mm f2.8.
There is no rear plug filter attached to sun nippers.
When using a filter, a filter with a fairly large diameter of 105 mm is required.
However, since there is no hole like the rear insertion filter, the airtightness is high and it is difficult for dust to enter.
On the contrary, it can be said that it is a merit to use it in a harsh environment, and it is not necessary to increase the two reflective surfaces that are not necessary for the optical system.
The Nikon sunnipper I'm using, dust gets inside quite a bit, and it seems that the hole in the rear insertion filter is also the cause.
Even though the 120-300mm f2.8 used by the caretaker continues to be used in harsh dusty conditions, there is almost no dust inside.
The overall length does not change, the lens does not have a rear insertion filter, it is highly airtight, and it is sturdy, and in a sense it feels like a lens designed for wildlife photography in the savanna.
Hood
The shading ring is a solid metal hood.
The hood has a focal length of 120mm, so it's quite short and it feels unsatisfactory to use at 300mm.
It is a solid metal hood with a rubber cover at the tip so you can stand on the ground with confidence.
It can be fixed to the lens with a single screw, but it can be fixed firmly and securely.
If you squeeze it firmly, no rattling will occur.
When the caretaker uses this lens with Micro Four Thirds, remove the rubber cover at the tip and stack the hood for Nikon's sunnipper.
The contrast at the time of backlight is greatly improved.
Auto focus
In the video, the manager himself does not use autofocus, or the mount adapter used for the GH5 is a type without electrical contacts, so it can not be used.
Even with the D850, autofocus in movies can hardly be used in terms of performance, so
About the speed and accuracy of autofocus for SLR photography.
Nairobi, ordinary motocross race
The above pictures are all taken at a focal length of 220mm, f4, and full size.
The drive speed of the focus is unparalleled, extremely fast and quiet.
The comparison partner is Nikon's first Sannippa, released in 1996.
This is a lens 9 years before the release of Sigma's 120-300mm f2.8.
Is the focus speed of the first Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 slightly slower than that of Nikon's first Sunnipper?
I feel that Nikon's Sunnipper uses a much more powerful motor.
However, the Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 feels smoother when the focus is stopped, less back and forth, and more accurate.
It's just an impression that the manager tried using it, so it's not bad.
The speeds of all telephoto lenses that use ultrasonic motors from a long time ago, rather than recently, are fast enough, and I don't think it makes much sense to compare them.
In fact, I think the important thing is how accurately the focus is stopped rather than the speed.
I personally feel that the performance is sufficient.
You may not have seen the latest one, I'm sure.
Depiction performance
Open f2.8 is a soft depiction with a core
Speaking of whether the image quality is sharp from the open, it is not so, but it is a slightly foggy depiction.
Isn't it possible to use the opening so much under the scorching sun? Usually squeeze a little.
However, the chromatic aberration is corrected very well even at the f2.8 opening, so the f2.8 opening at dusk, cloudy sky, and rainy weather is quite tasty and brings out a unique beauty.
A soft and fluffy depiction that is not crunchy.
Impressive feeling that is not found in the crisp sharp lenses of today.
The messy undergrowth is blurred so that it melts both front and back.
Even casual scenes are projected as it is.
Zebra kid standing in the meadow 300mm, taken with f2.8 open
The photo below is enlarged.
Spherical aberration that occurs while the core remains in focus creates a beautiful foggy effect.
The beginning of the bokeh is very natural, and the bokeh naturally melts from around the subject while leaving the core. There is a big difference compared to the average blurring of the entire sunnipper.
The same photo, enlarged to 50% pixels
You can see it well when you zoom in, but it gives a pretty beautiful and impressive depiction.
In a sense, the beauty at the beginning of the blur, the front and back blur, may be softer and more impressive than the Nikon Sunnipper.
In the 120-300mm full focal range, there is almost no change in the depiction, so zooming in the video does not bother me at all.
However, the focus needs to be slightly modified each time you zoom.
Shooting with aperture f4, tightening at once
If you squeeze it one step to f4, it will be tight at once, but it feels a little soft.
If you narrow down to f4, you will be able to use it even under the scorching sun.
The bokeh is very soft and beautiful both front and back.
The photo above is the Keio Inokashira line with the headlights turned on, taken at f4. The omission is not too good, and moderate flare and ghost occur.
The brightness of the high-brightness part is also expressed moderately, the sunset light is soft and wraps around the whole, and the atmosphere of the whole photo is finished with a natural impression close to what you see.
If the omission is too good, it will be too clear depending on the subject, and it will be difficult to express the brightness of these things.
If you narrow it down to f5.6, it's probably very sharp, and it's crisp and sharp across the screen.
Still, the bokeh is very beautiful both before and after.
f8 and f11 are the most used apertures for wildlife video recording.
In both cases, the part that was in focus is crisp, yet the bokeh is natural.
If you stop down to f11, you don't have to fine-tune the focus even if you zoom.
When this lens zooms from 120mm to 300mm, the focus moves back and forth.
Especially, the focus moves a lot near 300mm, so it's good when shooting a movie, and I use it by stopping the zoom just before the focal length.
I'm sure it's the only drawback of this lens when using it in movies.
If you focus on f11, such out-of-focus will be minimized, and in a sense it will be within the permissible range.
If you focus on f16, you will start to feel the deterioration of image quality.
The f16 is still acceptable, but if you squeeze it down to f22, it will become quite sweet, so I wonder if I will rarely use it.
By the way, the minimum aperture is f32.
summary
A lens that has been on the market for 17 years (as of 2022), and although it is already in the category of a fairly old lens, it is a high-performance lens that can still be used sufficiently in terms of optical system.
What I like about this lens is the metal body of the whole body, and its high work precision.
I have been using it in a place with strong vibration for many years, but there is no rattling at all.
The aperture ring and zoom ring are surprisingly smooth, and you can freely operate them even when shooting movies.
Did you say that this first and next model had a ZEN finish? Painting like a thin rubber coating on the metal surface.
This coating is quite easy to peel off.
What's interesting is that the black-painted base that comes out of the paint is more beautiful than the ZEN finish, whether it's good or bad.
It seems that not only the model, which has been polished to the base, but also the contents are solid.
An ultra-practical lens with a well-thought-out simple design and a high-precision metal body.
The more you use it, the more you will become attached to it.
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