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[ash5584]

Hoping for some comparative reviews of these two lenses... I have chosen these two as they are in my price bracket...

Sigma Lens 70-200mm f/2.8II APO EX DG HSM Macro
Canon Lens 70-200mm EF f/4L USM

The Sigma is about $300 more expensive at the place I usually get my stuff from (though they retail about the same i think). I have read a lot of good reviews of the Canon's "L" glass... high contrast, sharp, etc.
How do the optics compare? and... Will the faster lens be worth the extra $300, or are the optics on the Canon superior despite the lower max aperture, and hence I should save myself $300?!

Type of shots... general purpose, wildlife, sports, etc.

Any help woul dbe greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Ash

[ricktas]

both offer very good optics and are well regarded. In the end, I think this choice is going to come down to personal preference.

[Kym]

The Sigma is a faster lens (f/2.8) and has a good rep.

[DAdeGroot]

Things to consider. The Sigma (1.3kg) is somewhat heavier than the Canon (705g), but it is a whole stop faster.

Some users report soft images on the Sigma, some also report quality control issues, and yellow colour casts.
However, I've found reports of Sigma quality control greatly exaggerated, so take that as you will.

Fred Miranda reviews give a rating of 9.5/10 for the Canon, and 7.8/10 for the Sigma. Interestingly, the non-Macro version (Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 EX APO IF HSM) gets 9.1/10.

I'd recommend you try both, either in the shop, or hire them for a week and shoot lots. Get a feel for weight, etc. Both of these lenses have no image stabilisation, so weight can play a part in how well you can hand hold it.

[I @ M]

Ash, a site I find fairly informative about lenses can help you out with reviews of both those lenses ( and more ) -----

http://photozone.de/canon-eos/195-canon-ef-70-200mm-f4-usm-l-test-report--review

http://photozone.de/canon-eos/324-sigma-af-70-200mm-f28-ex-apo-hsm-dg-lab-test-report--review

And to further confuse matters, have you looked at the Tamron 70-200 2.8?

http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/tamron_70-200_2p8_c16/

[R1titan]

If you need the 1 stop faster lens, then the Siggy is the one to pick.
However, the Canon is a very good lens at almost half the weight. It has a better build quality (no flaking off the coating), and most importantly focuses more accurately.
My mate has the Siggy 2.8 II and i borrowed it for a while to test. From experience, the Canon focuses quicker and more accurately (especially at minimum focusing distances). Also, another big difference that i found is that the Siggy's IQ was softer at the long end. Hope that helps :)
Both are great lenses, and well priced too so its a hard one...

[ash5584]

Thanks for the help guys.
Looks like the Canon seems to edge the Sigma out of the way in terms of IQ.
Cheers.
ASh.