EOSDigitaal.nl

Conventionally, large aperture lenses for 300mm F2.8 have been loved by professional users due to their brilliant capability of depiction and bright aperture value. It has established a solid standpoint in the world of photography. Based on the concept that turning a 300mm F2.8 lens into zoom lens would enable photographers to expand the scope of shooting, we have developed 120-300mm F2.8 lenses and released them into the market. It is not simple to decide on a composition with a 300mm lens. Especially for sports and theatrical shows, shooting positions are almost always fixed and changing lenses could lead to missed photographs. By adding a zoom function with the large aperture 300mm F2.8 lens, it no longer requires other interchangeable lenses and rotation of the zoom ring will offer excellent framing. In other words, when conditions are difficult, this high-performance lens gives you more scope to express yourself in the shots you take.

I asked Sigma about these update.. this was the response i got
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The rep you spoke to is 100% correct. The USB dock is for tweaking performance to a shooters needs and won’t be a cheap option. The re-introduction of the new design/classification is not changing ANYTHING internally on the 120-300mm lens. The only change is a smoother shape cosmetically. The new classes of lenses are aimed to make picking the appropriate lens for the right shooter, that is all. The focus limiter switch has not changed and won’t change anytime soon. OS motor failures can happen when hot swapping a lens on any brand, if you read the instructions for any lens with OS/VR/ stabilization you are supposed to turn it off and shut the camera body down before changing lenses. Not that anyone does what they are supposed to but when you have to pay for a repair out of pocket it can get expensive. Digital bodies are no way as near forgiving as film bodies were. Digital bodies are mini computers with a ton of stuff going on inside. I have been shooting for 30+ years and have shot and worked with almost every brand out there along with brands that are no longer around with 35mm, medium and large format film and digital. The new lens is not hitting the market till maybe late 2013 at best. You need to also be careful what you read on the internet, 98% of the people that post things don’t tell the whole story and are sorely misinformed by sales people who are getting a spiff check on a competing item or say things just to make a sale.

Regards,

Marc Farb
mfarb@sigmaphoto.com
Technical Representative/Customer Service

This lens also has a pretty high electrical failure rate – 5 of our 17 copies are in repair for electrical issues as I write this. That failure may occur after shipping so you need to get this one a day early to test it out if it’s a critical shoot. And you might not want to take this on African safari as your only telephoto lens.

If you noticed, Sigma released a new version of the 120-300 f/2.8 OS just over a year after the original version. The optical diagram is exactly the same but I suspect we’ll see some more robust internal components in the new version. They’ve also announced new quality control measures at their manufacturing plant. Given the improvements Sigma has made in their repair service, I suspect they’re serious about improving quality.