Sigma 100-300mm f4 canon – The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens for Canon, a versatile telephoto lens, opens a world of possibilities for photographers seeking to capture distant subjects with stunning clarity. This lens, designed with both professionals and enthusiasts in mind, offers a remarkable balance of image quality, autofocus speed, and build quality, making it an ideal choice for a wide range of photographic pursuits.
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens boasts a powerful optical design, incorporating 16 elements in 12 groups, including low-dispersion (SLD) and special low-dispersion (SLD) glass elements. This sophisticated design effectively minimizes chromatic aberration, distortion, and vignetting, contributing to exceptional image sharpness and clarity across the entire zoom range.
Overview
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens for Canon is a versatile telephoto zoom lens designed for photographers seeking a balance between performance and portability. It is a popular choice for a range of subjects, including wildlife, sports, and travel photography.This lens boasts a combination of features that make it a compelling option for various photographic endeavors.
It features a constant f/4 maximum aperture throughout the zoom range, providing consistent light gathering capabilities across all focal lengths. This is particularly beneficial in low-light conditions and for achieving shallow depth of field effects.
Optical Design and Performance
The lens incorporates a sophisticated optical design featuring 21 elements in 15 groups, including two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements and one FLD (F Low Dispersion) glass element. This construction effectively minimizes chromatic aberrations, ensuring high image quality with sharp detail and accurate color rendition.The lens’s optical design also contributes to its ability to deliver pleasing bokeh (out-of-focus areas) for a more artistic and aesthetically pleasing rendering of the subject.
This effect is often sought after in portraiture and wildlife photography to create a softer and more visually appealing background.
Autofocus and Image Stabilization
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens incorporates a Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) for fast, silent, and precise autofocus performance. The HSM system enables quick and responsive subject tracking, crucial for capturing fleeting moments in sports and wildlife photography.The lens also features Optical Stabilization (OS), which effectively reduces camera shake, allowing for sharper images, especially when shooting handheld at longer focal lengths or in low-light conditions.
The OS system helps to minimize blur and maintain image clarity, even in challenging shooting scenarios.
Construction and Design
The lens is constructed with a durable, weather-sealed design that offers protection against dust and moisture, making it suitable for use in various weather conditions. The lens barrel features a robust build with a textured grip, ensuring a comfortable and secure hold during extended shooting sessions.The lens incorporates a zoom lock switch that allows the photographer to lock the zoom ring at a specific focal length, preventing accidental zoom adjustments.
This feature is particularly helpful when shooting wildlife or sports, where maintaining a consistent focal length is crucial.
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens for Canon is a versatile telephoto zoom, known for its sharp optics and reliable autofocus. While it’s a great choice for wildlife and sports photography, its fixed aperture limits its ability to capture close-up details.
For those seeking true macro capabilities, a dedicated macro lens like the Sony SAL100M28 100mm f/2.8 macro camera lens, available for A-mount cameras here , offers superior magnification and close focusing distances, allowing for stunningly detailed images of insects, flowers, and other small subjects.
This difference in specialization highlights the diverse range of lenses available to photographers, each catering to specific photographic needs.
Intended Use Cases
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens is well-suited for a variety of photographic genres, including:
- Wildlife Photography: The lens’s reach and fast aperture enable photographers to capture distant wildlife subjects with impressive detail and clarity. The optical stabilization feature helps to ensure sharp images, even when shooting handheld in challenging lighting conditions.
- Sports Photography: The lens’s fast autofocus and optical stabilization capabilities are essential for capturing fast-paced sporting events. The lens’s reach allows photographers to capture the action from a distance, while the consistent aperture ensures optimal exposure control.
- Travel Photography: The lens’s versatility and portability make it an ideal choice for travel photography. Its wide zoom range allows photographers to capture a variety of subjects, from expansive landscapes to intimate portraits, while its lightweight design makes it easy to carry around.
Image Quality
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary lens is designed to deliver high image quality across its entire zoom range. Its optical construction and advanced technologies work together to minimize aberrations and produce sharp, detailed images.
Sharpness and Resolution
The lens exhibits excellent sharpness and resolution, particularly at its wider focal lengths. The performance remains impressive even at longer focal lengths, though a slight drop in sharpness may be noticeable at the telephoto end, especially when shooting wide open.
This is typical for telephoto zoom lenses, and it can be mitigated by stopping down the aperture slightly.
The lens’s sharpness is consistently high throughout the frame, with excellent detail rendition in both the center and corners.
Chromatic Aberration
Chromatic aberration, a phenomenon where different colors of light focus at different points, is well-controlled in the Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary. The lens employs special glass elements and coatings to minimize this aberration, resulting in images with accurate color rendition and minimal fringing.
Distortion, Sigma 100-300mm f4 canon
Distortion, which can cause straight lines to appear curved, is also well-controlled in this lens. Sigma has implemented optical corrections to minimize distortion, resulting in images with minimal geometric distortion. This makes it suitable for architectural photography and other applications where straight lines are crucial.
Vignetting
Vignetting, a darkening of the image corners, is a common phenomenon in telephoto lenses, and the Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary exhibits a moderate amount of vignetting at its widest aperture. However, this is easily corrected in post-processing or by stopping down the aperture slightly.
The lens’s vignetting is minimal and easily corrected, making it suitable for a wide range of shooting scenarios.
Optical Design
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens boasts a sophisticated optical design that contributes significantly to its impressive image quality and compact size. This design incorporates a carefully chosen combination of lens elements, including special glass types, to achieve exceptional performance.
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens is a versatile telephoto zoom designed for Canon EF-mount cameras, offering a range of focal lengths suitable for capturing a variety of subjects, from wildlife to sports. Its compact and lightweight design makes it a great choice for photographers who want a portable lens without sacrificing performance.
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 pairs well with cameras like the Canon Rebel T7, a popular entry-level DSLR known for its ease of use and image quality, as seen in canon rebel t7 photos. The combination of the Sigma 100-300mm f/4 and the Canon Rebel T7 creates a powerful duo for capturing stunning images, especially when photographing distant subjects.
Lens Construction
The lens comprises 17 elements arranged in 12 groups. This complex structure allows for effective control of light rays and minimization of aberrations. The lens design includes a variety of specialized glass types, such as SLD (Special Low Dispersion) and FLD (F Low Dispersion) elements.
These elements help to minimize chromatic aberration, a common optical distortion that can cause color fringing around high-contrast edges.
Role of Optical Elements
The different lens elements work together to achieve optimal image quality. The SLD and FLD elements play a crucial role in minimizing chromatic aberration. The precise curvature and placement of each element are carefully calculated to minimize distortion and other optical imperfections.
This meticulous design ensures sharp, detailed images across the entire zoom range.
Benefits of the Optical Design
The optical design of the Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens offers several advantages:
- Excellent image quality:The lens delivers sharp, detailed images with minimal distortion and chromatic aberration, thanks to the use of special glass types and precise element placement.
- Compact size and weight:Despite its complex optical design, the lens remains relatively compact and lightweight, making it convenient for travel and handheld shooting.
- Cost-effectiveness:The lens offers a balance of performance and affordability, making it an attractive option for photographers seeking high-quality results without breaking the bank.
Autofocus and Stabilization: Sigma 100-300mm F4 Canon
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG OS Contemporary lens is equipped with a sophisticated autofocus system and an effective optical stabilization system, making it a reliable choice for capturing sharp images, even in challenging conditions.
Autofocus System
The lens features a HSM (Hypersonic Motor) autofocus system, known for its quiet and fast performance. This system uses a linear motor to drive the focusing elements, ensuring precise and rapid focusing. The autofocus speed of the Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG OS Contemporary lens is impressive, allowing for quick and accurate focusing on subjects, even in low-light conditions.
The lens’s autofocus accuracy is further enhanced by its internal focusing mechanism, which helps maintain a constant lens length, minimizing focus breathing and ensuring consistent image quality.
Optical Stabilization System
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG OS Contemporary lens incorporates an effective optical stabilization system, known as OS (Optical Stabilizer), which helps compensate for camera shake, enabling photographers to capture sharp images at slower shutter speeds. The OS system provides up to 4 stops of stabilization, which translates to a 4x reduction in camera shake.
This means that you can handhold the lens at shutter speeds that would normally result in blurry images, making it ideal for shooting in low light or capturing moving subjects.
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens for Canon is a versatile telephoto zoom lens that offers excellent image quality and performance. Its optical design incorporates 19 elements in 14 groups, including three SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements and one ELD (Extra-low Dispersion) glass element, to minimize chromatic aberrations.
This lens also features a built-in optical stabilizer that effectively reduces camera shake, allowing you to capture sharp images even in low-light conditions. If you’re looking for a compact and lightweight telephoto zoom lens, you might also want to consider the Canon G7X, a popular compact camera known for its impressive image quality.
You can find some canon g7x sample photos online to see the results for yourself. While the Canon G7X is a great choice for everyday photography, the Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens offers the flexibility and reach needed for wildlife, sports, and other demanding photographic situations.
Examples of Images Captured in Challenging Lighting Conditions
The effectiveness of the optical stabilization system is evident in images captured in low light or when shooting moving subjects. For example, capturing a bird in flight against a sunset backdrop would be challenging without a good stabilization system. The OS system in the Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG OS Contemporary lens helps compensate for camera shake, allowing photographers to capture sharp images of moving subjects even in low-light conditions.
Build and Handling
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary lens is built with a focus on practicality and performance, offering a robust construction that balances durability with a relatively lightweight design. Its construction and handling characteristics make it a versatile option for photographers seeking a telephoto lens for a variety of subjects.
Materials and Weather Sealing
The lens is constructed primarily from polycarbonate and thermoplastic materials, which contribute to its relatively lightweight nature while maintaining a level of durability. The lens barrel features a textured rubberized grip that provides a secure hold, even with larger camera bodies.
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary lens incorporates weather sealing, providing protection against dust and moisture. This feature is essential for photographers who work in challenging environments, ensuring that the lens can withstand the elements and continue to function reliably.
The weather sealing is designed to protect the lens’s internal components from dust, rain, and other environmental hazards.
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Weight and Balance
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary lens weighs approximately 1,060 grams (2.34 pounds). This weight is relatively manageable, especially when considering the lens’s reach. It balances well on most full-frame mirrorless camera bodies, making it comfortable to use for extended periods.
The lens’s weight distribution is designed to minimize strain on the camera body, particularly when shooting handheld. This balance enhances stability and control, contributing to sharper images. The lens features a tripod mount on its base, allowing for secure attachment to a tripod for stable long exposures and other demanding photography scenarios.
Ergonomics and Ease of Use
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary lens is designed with a user-friendly interface. The zoom ring is smooth and responsive, providing precise control over the focal length. The focus ring is also well-designed, offering a tactile feel that allows for accurate manual focusing.
The lens features a dedicated switch for activating the optical stabilization system, providing a convenient way to compensate for camera shake and capture sharper images. The switch is strategically placed for easy access, allowing for quick adjustments without having to take your eyes off the viewfinder.
Performance and Use Cases
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary lens excels in various photographic scenarios, showcasing its strengths and limitations depending on the subject and shooting conditions. This versatile lens proves its worth in capturing wildlife, sports, landscapes, and other genres.
Wildlife Photography
The 100-300mm focal range is particularly well-suited for wildlife photography, allowing photographers to capture distant subjects with detail and clarity. The lens’s f/4 maximum aperture provides sufficient light gathering for shooting in challenging lighting conditions, such as early mornings and late evenings.
The lens’s optical stabilization (OS) is crucial for capturing sharp images, especially when shooting handheld at longer focal lengths.
The OS system effectively minimizes camera shake, enabling photographers to handhold the lens and capture sharp images even at slow shutter speeds.
Sports Photography
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary lens is a valuable tool for sports photographers, allowing them to capture fast-paced action with clarity and precision. The lens’s autofocus system is quick and accurate, ensuring that photographers can keep up with the action and capture decisive moments.
The lens’s relatively fast autofocus speed and tracking capabilities make it suitable for capturing moving subjects, such as athletes in action.
However, the lens’s f/4 maximum aperture might limit the ability to capture shallow depth of field for isolating subjects from the background in certain sports photography scenarios.
Landscape Photography
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary lens is a versatile option for landscape photography, offering a wide range of focal lengths for capturing expansive vistas and intimate details. The lens’s sharp image quality and excellent color rendition ensure that landscapes are captured with stunning detail and vibrancy.
The lens’s wide zoom range allows photographers to capture different perspectives and compositions, from wide-angle shots to telephoto close-ups.
However, the lens’s f/4 maximum aperture might not be ideal for creating a shallow depth of field to isolate foreground elements from the background, which is often desired in landscape photography.
Other Use Cases
Beyond wildlife, sports, and landscape photography, the Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary lens is suitable for a wide range of other photographic genres. The lens’s versatility makes it a valuable tool for capturing events, portraits, and even architecture.
The lens’s compact size and lightweight design make it easy to carry and use for travel photography.
The lens’s sharp image quality and excellent performance in various lighting conditions ensure that photographers can capture high-quality images in diverse shooting scenarios.
Comparison
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary lens stands out as a versatile telephoto zoom lens for full-frame mirrorless cameras. To better understand its position in the market, it’s essential to compare it with other similar lenses, taking into account their features, performance, and price.
This comparison will shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of each lens, helping you make an informed decision based on your specific needs and budget.
Comparison with Other Lenses
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary faces competition from other telephoto zoom lenses, including those from Canon, Tamron, and Sony. Here’s a comparison of the Sigma lens with some of its key rivals:
- Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM: This Canon lens offers a longer reach at 400mm, making it suitable for wildlife and sports photography. However, it has a slightly slower aperture range and is heavier and more expensive than the Sigma. While the Canon lens provides better image stabilization and autofocus performance, the Sigma lens offers a more compact and lightweight design.
- Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD G2: Tamron’s lens is another popular option, known for its excellent value for money. It boasts a longer reach and a more affordable price than the Sigma. However, the Sigma lens has a faster maximum aperture, better image quality, and a more compact design.
- Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS: This Sony lens is the most expensive of the bunch, offering exceptional image quality and performance. It has a longer reach and a faster maximum aperture than the Sigma. However, the Sigma lens is significantly more affordable and provides a more compact and lightweight design.
Key Differences
The key differences between the Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary and its competitors lie in their features, performance, and price.
- Focal Length and Aperture: The Sigma lens offers a shorter reach than the Canon and Tamron lenses but has a faster maximum aperture than all of them. The Sony lens, while offering the longest reach, has a slower maximum aperture.
- Image Quality: The Sigma lens delivers excellent image quality, with sharp details and minimal distortion. The Canon lens also produces good image quality, but the Tamron lens can exhibit some softness at the edges. The Sony lens offers the best image quality, but it comes at a premium price.
- Autofocus and Stabilization: The Sigma lens features fast and accurate autofocus, along with effective image stabilization. The Canon lens has excellent autofocus and stabilization, while the Tamron lens also provides good performance in these areas. The Sony lens offers the most advanced autofocus and stabilization systems.
- Build and Handling: The Sigma lens is well-built and comfortable to handle. It’s also relatively compact and lightweight, making it easier to carry around. The Canon lens is heavier and bulkier, while the Tamron lens is more affordable but may feel less robust.
The Sony lens is a well-built and premium option, but it’s also the most expensive.
- Price: The Sigma lens offers a good balance of performance and price. It’s more affordable than the Canon and Sony lenses but provides comparable image quality and features. The Tamron lens is the most budget-friendly option, but it may compromise on performance.
Pros and Cons
Each lens has its strengths and weaknesses, making it crucial to consider your specific needs and budget when making a choice.
Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary
- Pros:
- Fast maximum aperture of f/4 throughout the zoom range.
- Excellent image quality with sharp details and minimal distortion.
- Fast and accurate autofocus.
- Effective image stabilization.
- Compact and lightweight design.
- Affordable price.
- Cons:
- Shorter reach compared to other lenses in the same category.
- May not be as suitable for extreme wildlife photography due to the shorter reach.
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
- Pros:
- Longer reach at 400mm, ideal for wildlife and sports photography.
- Excellent image stabilization and autofocus performance.
- Durable and weather-sealed construction.
- Cons:
- Slower maximum aperture range.
- Heavier and bulkier than the Sigma lens.
- More expensive than the Sigma lens.
Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD G2
- Pros:
- Longer reach at 400mm.
- Affordable price.
- Good image quality and performance.
- Cons:
- Slower maximum aperture range.
- May exhibit some softness at the edges.
- Less robust build quality compared to the Sigma lens.
Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS
- Pros:
- Longest reach at 400mm.
- Exceptional image quality and performance.
- Advanced autofocus and stabilization systems.
- Durable and weather-sealed construction.
- Cons:
- Most expensive lens in the comparison.
- Heavier and bulkier than the Sigma lens.
Conclusion
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary lens for Canon RF mount offers a compelling blend of performance and affordability. It excels in delivering sharp images, particularly at the longer focal lengths, and its compact size and lightweight design make it highly portable.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The lens’s strengths lie in its impressive image quality, particularly at the longer focal lengths, and its lightweight and compact design. The optical stabilization system is effective in reducing camera shake, and the autofocus performance is generally accurate and fast.
However, the lens exhibits some softness at wider apertures and suffers from chromatic aberration in certain situations.
Value and Recommendation
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary lens provides excellent value for photographers seeking a versatile and affordable telephoto zoom lens. Its strengths in image quality, portability, and optical stabilization make it a compelling choice for wildlife, sports, and event photography.
For photographers on a budget who prioritize image quality and portability, the Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG DN OS Contemporary lens is a highly recommended option.
However, those who require exceptional sharpness at wider apertures or minimal chromatic aberration might consider exploring alternative options, such as the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports lens.
Ultimate Conclusion
The Sigma 100-300mm f/4 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens for Canon stands as a testament to the company’s commitment to producing high-quality optics that deliver exceptional image quality and versatility. Its robust build, impressive performance, and affordability make it a compelling choice for photographers of all levels, from enthusiasts to professionals.
Whether capturing wildlife, sports, landscapes, or travel moments, this lens empowers photographers to capture the world with clarity and precision.