Time for a new lens, some advice please.

[Prof Higgins]

Ok am looking at getting a new lens to replace my current (slow) telezoom which is a measley f5.6 at 300 end.

Have pretty much narrowed it down to:

Sigma 70-200 f2.8
or
Sigma 100-300 f4

I think I often do need to be around the 300mm mark or thereabouts so would probably also get a 1.4 convertor with the former, however if I end up with the convertor on most of the time I would probably have been better off getting the latter lens in the first place. Conversley I also hate using flash so I am thinking that having the extra stop of the 2.8 to fall back on (when convertorless) in low light etc may be a godsend.
I have a fixed f2.8 28-70 and love it.

Has anyone actually had experience of both lenses? I know that the 2.8 is popular choice on here, however do people actually have much use of it at 2.8 or is the depth of field reduced so far that it is rarely used. Finally at around the £500 mark am I missing out on any stonking lenses that I have not thought of?


Thanks

S.


Edited to add: Title should be "Advice"..... how annoying.

>> Edited by Prof Higgins on Monday 21st November 15:31

[simpo two]

I guess it comes down to what's most important to you, range or speed.

I have a Nikkor 70-300 f3.5-5.6 and Sigma 70-200 f2.8 - each has distinct applications for me.

[Ballistic Banana]

Prof Higgins said:

Edited to add: Title should be "Advice"..... how annoying. >> Edited by Prof Higgins on Monday 21st November 15:31

Your local Spellcheck moderator has corrected it

[monkeyhanger]

Both are excellent lenses.

I have no idea what camera body you have, but i went with the sigma 70-200 f2.8 for low-light, and the Canon 100-400L IS for range.

You won't be disappointed with either of the Sigmas once you decide what your main use will be.

[ssray]

What body do you use? if i was a canon user i`d get a s/h 70-200 2.8L lens failing that the 2.8 sigma would suit you better, but judging by you photos you should be telling us, love the boy in blue welly`s

[Prof Higgins]

Thanks chaps. Camera is a D2H (Nikon). Slept on this and think it is going to have to be the 2.8 for the extra stop it offers, extra range can be engineered in with a convertor but an extra stop can't be reverse engineered into the slower lens (well only by increasing the iso but thats not really like for like).

S.