Info on a leens 100-300 mm F4

[Roosta]

Has any one used a Sigma 100-300mm F4 before. (100-300mm F4 DG EX IF / IF HSM)

It is recently discontinued lens through Sigma, but it fits my needs spot on.

I can still get it. I have looked at the Canon 300mm L F4, Canon 400mm L F5.6 and also the Sigma lenses in 50/120/150 - 400/500 ranges and feel that the 100-300 DG lens (DG for FF Body) would be just right on my APS-C (160 - 480mm equivilant FOV)

Looking for any feedback on this lens if you've used it.

Thanks in advance.

[Darey]

Roosta,
I have been using the Sigma 100 - 300 f4 for about a year and I love it.
I use the lens on Nikon Camera bodies but I am sure it works equally as well on Canan bodies.
The lens is a little heavy but that is the penalty you pay for having good f4 glass. Having said that I find the lens a joy to use in the field. If you get a good copy, like mine, you will find it provides excellent image quality with little to no distortion or chromatic adoration and the auto focus is very fast in most circumstances. I am continually surprised at how sharp the lens is, even when I use it with a Sigma 1.4x TC.
I cannot recommend this lens highly enough.

[I @ M]

Yes ( Nikon mount ) and it is a very capable lens. I haven't had it on the D700 body much but it gives very good results on the D200 apsc bodies. Sharp wide open, more so at the 100mm end than the other but still not shabby there and it works well with a Sigma 1.4x TC.
Both the lens and the TC we have are the early model and it had to be rechipped to focus properly ( $70.00 ) as the chip in the early jobs was not rewritable, the later ones are.
Well constructed, pretty fast focussing and HEAVY. Very fast shutter speeds recommended if hand holding it but other wise it balances very well on a tripod.

[Roosta]

Cheers Darey and Andrew, not sure how old the lens is, it's owner brought it second hand and has had the HSM recently replaced. He wants just under $500.00, has some slight paint lift, but he advised me it hasn't been dropped, will try it out next week when I get home. The write ups I've read on the net say it is a good alround lens, Can the chip be done locally if needed Andrew, and how do you recognise if needed? Is it just a slow or OOf DOF issue?

Thanks.

[I @ M]

Roosta, if you go to http://www.sigmaphoto.com/shop/100-300mm-f4-ex-dg-apo-hsm-sigma you will see "DG" in the lens name, if you go to http://www.sigmaphoto.com/discontinued-lens-chart and scroll down till you find it, the lens designation has not got the "DG" in it.
The lens can be measured by CR Kennedy and then the measurements are sent to Japan where they make a new chip to suit that lens. The local blokes then fit the chip to cure focus errors ( ours was front focussing quite a bit especially at infinity settings ) and when they did two lenses at the same time they only charged the labour to fit the chip as apparently the factory didn't charge them for the actual chip.

The later "DG" lenses can have the chip rewritten in situ to cure any discrepancy in focus.

[Roosta]

Thanks for the info Andrew, will look into it.