Nikkor vs Sigma (70-300 f4-5.6)

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Ken Tough - 27 Feb 2005 17:17 GMT

Okay, I realise it's hardly clash of the titans, but which of these
is the better? I refer to the Nikkor G (not the ED), and I'm not 100%
sure if it's the Sigma Macro APO or the Sigma Macro Super DL (or
whatever). Opinions on either would be good. Here in S.Africa
they hardly differ in price. The Nikkor G is around $280 equivalent
(ouch); aren't world markets wonderful.

[To answer the obvious, I'm looking for a cheap light zoom to around
200mm for "knocking about with"--taking to places I wouldn't want to
carry a $1500 lens or hiking. I'd be a bit keener for an old 70-210
but they're thin on the ground used, and I worry about mildew etc.
One day, I'll get a 70-200 f2.8 VR when my ship is spotted on the
horizon].

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Ken Tough

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Sander Vesik - 28 Feb 2005 22:06 GMT

In rec.photo.equipment.35mm Ken Tough <ken@objectech.co.uk> wrote:

> Okay, I realise it's hardly clash of the titans, but which of these
> is the better? I refer to the Nikkor G (not the ED), and I'm not 100%

The Nikkor ED is an odd one anyways.

> sure if it's the Sigma Macro APO or the Sigma Macro Super DL (or
> whatever). Opinions on either would be good. Here in S.Africa
> they hardly differ in price. The Nikkor G is around $280 equivalent
> (ouch); aren't world markets wonderful.

Overall, they are approximately the same just having weaknesses in
different places. You sort of get the pick between middling at best
overall vs. okay to good at 1/3 of centar but worser in edges as a
tradeoff and so on. I don't think just always taking a center crop
would be of particular help either.

Just try them and take the one you have least problems with.

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Sander

+++ Out of cheese error +++

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Ken Tough - 01 Mar 2005 07:59 GMT

>Overall, they are approximately the same just having weaknesses in
>different places. You sort of get the pick between middling at best
>overall

Sigma?

>vs. okay to good at 1/3 of centar but worser in edges as a
>tradeoff

Nikkor?

>Just try them and take the one you have least problems with.

Problem is, I can't find a camera place anywhere around that
would let me do that. It's hard enough convincing them to let
you stick it on a body in the shop.

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Roxy d'Urban - 03 Mar 2005 12:12 GMT

>>Overall, they are approximately the same just having weaknesses in
>>different places. You sort of get the pick between middling at best
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> would let me do that. It's hard enough convincing them to let
> you stick it on a body in the shop.

Geez, where is this? JHB? PTA? If it wasn't for my good relationship with
Whysalls here in DBN I wouldn't have been able to test about half of the
equipment I have used over the years.

I had an interesting thought the other day - of all the cameras I have
owned, only three of them were bought brand new (F80, D30/D60 and D70).
The rest were all pre-owned.

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George - 28 Feb 2005 22:14 GMT

> Okay, I realise it's hardly clash of the titans, but which of these
> is the better? I refer to the Nikkor G (not the ED), and I'm not 100%
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> One day, I'll get a 70-200 f2.8 VR when my ship is spotted on the
> horizon].

If they cost the same, it is a no-brainer. Check out the USED price of
each lens and THEN decide which one will cost you more. I've never
heard of anyone buying a Sigma/Tokina/Tamron because it was better
than a Nikon/Canon/Pentax/Minolta/Olympus lens.

George

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Ken Tough - 01 Mar 2005 08:01 GMT

>If they cost the same, it is a no-brainer. Check out the USED price of
>each lens and THEN decide which one will cost you more. I've never
>heard of anyone buying a Sigma/Tokina/Tamron because it was better
>than a Nikon/Canon/Pentax/Minolta/Olympus lens.

Neither have I, it's just the guy in a local shop said that for ~$20
more it was worth going for the Sigma because it was significantly
better. That surprised me, but not overly much because I know the
70-300G is no Nikon flagship. I find it difficult to find reviews
on the Sigma lens.. have seen plenty on the Nikkor one.

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George - 03 Mar 2005 02:26 GMT

> >If they cost the same, it is a no-brainer. Check out the USED price of
> >each lens and THEN decide which one will cost you more. I've never
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> 70-300G is no Nikon flagship. I find it difficult to find reviews
> on the Sigma lens.. have seen plenty on the Nikkor one.

Have you thought about picking up a used AF Zoom-Nikkor 75-300mm
f/4.5-5.6? I have one and while it isn't on par with Nikon's 80-200mm ED
f/2.8
lenses, it does have pretty decent build quality and is only a little
soft...probably
better than either of the lenses you are looking at and you get an aperture
ring, too, if you want to use it on an older body.

George

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Roxy d'Urban - 03 Mar 2005 12:12 GMT

Hey Ken, somebody approached me here in Durban with a bunch of Nikon
equipment they were selling recently. Amongst the lenses was a Nikkor
75-300mm f/4.5 - I think this is the one with the tripod mount. He was
looking for about R2,500 for it, but I think you might be able to knock
him down to around R2k (if he still has it).

Another acquaintance of mine has a Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 ED (which used to
be my own lens - I sold it to him when I went dilly and bought into the
Canon system), F100, Nikkor 20mm and an SB-28 for sale. I think you would
be able to get all this stuff from him for under R10k. He inherited it and
it's just sitting around in his cupboard now.

Let me know if you would like me to email you their details.

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Ken Tough - 03 Mar 2005 22:27 GMT

>Hey Ken, somebody approached me here in Durban with a bunch of Nikon
>equipment they were selling recently. Amongst the lenses was a Nikkor
>75-300mm f/4.5 - I think this is the one with the tripod mount. He was

...

>Let me know if you would like me to email you their details.

Yeah, I was looking mostly Pretoria, some in JHB. None of the shops
I went to were helpful at all, some wouldn't even sell the 70-300 4-5.6
saying it was only part of their "D70 bundle", and would grudgingly
let me "see" it from a distance.

As an update I passed a used shop today, stopped in, and they had
the AF 70-210 f4-5.6 that I was looking for. Seemed good, the guy
had no probs letting me try it on a D70 body and check the pics on
his computer with Photoshop. No fungus, seemed fine, nice and sharp,
so I picked it up and he threw in a hard case. [Radio Lens on Duncan]
I'd highly recommend them. I paid R1200.. sure, it's probably too much
but it's also probably the only one in a 500 km radius and I was tired
of waiting and wanted to just shoot. I'm happy! AF is slow, but it's
sharp and does the job, and it seems rugged and yet not too heavy, so
just what I wanted.

One day I might go for the f2.8, but if I'm going to go that far I'm
afraid I'll take the 70-200 AF-S VR ED and not the 80-200. Hopefully
not at the RSA list price of R20,000. The AF-S would be one thing
I'd be keen on, as well as the VR for hand-held shooting since with
f2.8 I could easily work with shutter speeds of around 1/125. But
that's one day. If you see one of those going spare, let me know!

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Roxy d'Urban - 04 Mar 2005 10:06 GMT

>>Hey Ken, somebody approached me here in Durban with a bunch of Nikon
>>equipment they were selling recently. Amongst the lenses was a Nikkor
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> sharp and does the job, and it seems rugged and yet not too heavy, so
> just what I wanted.

It's a fairly good price. I sold one a few years ago for R1,500 and it was
in mint condition, but didn't have the case.

I can't believe that those shops were so negative about helping you out. I
haven't had any experience with the shops in Pretoria, but I did go to a
few in Sandton City a while ago. There was one that was helpful, but the
others were kinda snobbish.

I tried looking for Kameraz in Rosebank, but us Durbanites get lost easily
in places where there is no sea to use as a directional aid, so that visit
never panned out!

> One day I might go for the f2.8, but if I'm going to go that far I'm
> afraid I'll take the 70-200 AF-S VR ED and not the 80-200. Hopefully
> not at the RSA list price of R20,000. The AF-S would be one thing
> I'd be keen on, as well as the VR for hand-held shooting since with
> f2.8 I could easily work with shutter speeds of around 1/125. But
> that's one day. If you see one of those going spare, let me know!

That would be hard to find! I got mine from PhotoWorld last year when they
were on special from Nikon SA. I think I paid R15,000 for it and then I
put it through my business so I got the VAT back.

Absolutely the finest Nikkor I have ever used. It is considerably better
than the older 80-200mm. The picture of Brent Russell on my website was
taken with it (see www.dallasdahms.com). The VR is a big help, but after
using AF-S I now turn my nose up at anything that isn't AF-S!

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Ken Tough - 05 Mar 2005 10:30 GMT

>> As an update I passed a used shop today, stopped in, and they had
>> the AF 70-210 f4-5.6 that I was looking for.

...

>> I'd highly recommend them. I paid R1200.. sure, it's probably too much

>It's a fairly good price. I sold one a few years ago for R1,500 and it was
>in mint condition, but didn't have the case.

Great, thanks for the good news.

>I can't believe that those shops were so negative about helping you out. I
>haven't had any experience with the shops in Pretoria, but I did go to a
>few in Sandton City a while ago.

Yeah, I looked in Sandton around October, but I seem to remember
them quoting something like R14,000 for the D70 kit. [I got it
for R7500 tax-free overseas]. Sandton generally has a 30% price
premium on everything, so I pretty much forget about them. It's
true, you can get a look at some stuff in some of the shops though.

>I tried looking for Kameraz in Rosebank, but us Durbanites get lost easily
>in places where there is no sea to use as a directional aid, so that visit
>never panned out!

I should have a look for it next time I'm down there. Rosebank is
much better in general than Sandton, being mostly outside and all.

>That would be hard to find! I got mine from PhotoWorld last year when they
>were on special from Nikon SA. I think I paid R15,000 for it and then I
>put it through my business so I got the VAT back.

Sounds like a good buy.

Do you happen to know anywhere around which rents high-end gear?
A colleague told me his friend in the film industry sometimes
rents lenses and other stuff for pro shoots, but didn't have any
idea where he would rent it. None of the shops can suggest anything
other than trying Nikon head office. I would love to try the
AF-S 70-200 VR with a TC, but I suppose it would be a few thousand
for rental.

cheers

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Roxy d'Urban - 07 Mar 2005 09:41 GMT

> Do you happen to know anywhere around which rents high-end gear?
> A colleague told me his friend in the film industry sometimes
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> cheers

Unfortunately no, Ken. In Durban none of the shops even stock pro level
equipment. You have to get them to order it from the respective
distributors. JHB might be different, but no one I have been in touch with
has had any experience regarding renting gear here.

You got your D70 for an incredibly low price! Did you get it from Hong
Kong? That's about half of what I paid for mine.

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Ken Tough - 07 Mar 2005 09:52 GMT

>You got your D70 for an incredibly low price! Did you get it from Hong
>Kong? That's about half of what I paid for mine.

A good price, from a UK shop (online, but they have a physical shop),
but it seems to have been a grey import. (And a strange one at that,
with an apparent US serial number and an Aussie power cable). I was a
bit peeved at first, but crossing fingers it got through 'infancy'
without needing warranty work. We'll be moving hemispheres within
the year anyway, so Nikon's annoying policy wouldn't help even if it
was 100% above board. They processed my VAT refund before I needed
to pay the card bill, so in all I can't complain too much!

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