Sigma 50 - 150 f/2.8 EX DC APO

And the winner is....

In my August 7Th Blog Post " Canon Zoom or Sigma? " I asked my friends and readers to help me decide which one of 7 very different zoom lenses would, should or could give me the most bang for my buck! The contenders were as listed:

• Sigma Zoom Telephoto 70-200mm f /2.8 EX DG APO Macro HSM ( that's a mouth full!)
• Sigma Zoom Normal -Telephoto 50-150mm f /2.8 EX DC APO HSM
• Sigma Zoom Telephoto 100 - 300mm f /4.0 EX DG IF HSM
• Sigma Zoom Telephoto 80 - 400mm f /4.5 -5.6 EX DG APO OS ( More letters mean more money and more fun! )
• Sigma Telephoto 105mm f /2.8 EX DG Macro
• Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 70 -200mm f /2.8L ( No image Stabilization )
  
• Canon Zoom Telephoto EF 70 -200mm f /2.8L IS ( Image Stabilization )

Each of these lenses is an exceptional, highly rated and worthwhile piece of glass and none of them would be a bad lens to have in your camera bag, but not all of them would get used frequently enough to warrant me spending the big bucks. My work style is down and dirty and my inclination is to have no more than two lenses in my camera bag at any one time, preferably two zooms, one covering Wide Angle to Medium Telephoto and one Zoom covering Medium Telephoto to Super Telephoto. The long range always getting much less use than the Wide and Medium. I don't make my living shooting Sports or Wildlife, so the Wide to Medium Telephotos get the job done for me quite well. Still, having one super sweet long lens will give you the opportunity to mix it up a little! You never know when you're gonna be asked to shoot some Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Models , so you better be prepared with some big, wide Aperture glass!

My current All - in - one Zoomage is cursed with a Varying Aperture ( F / 3.5 at it's widest ) and loud autofocus, but its sharp and I'll have to say, useful as hell! I haven't used another lens since I bought it, having removed it only a few times in the last two years. I can't even imagine going back to a camera bag filled with prime lenses, switching lenses every time a set- up changes or a subject moves just a little closer to the camera. It has definitely changed my whole way of thinking about Zooms Vs. Primes, especially for the type of shooting that I do. Image quality and Zoom Creep, which used to be a big concern for older Zoom Lenses is hardly an issue with the modern lenses being manufactured today.

Having decided that an f /2.8 fixed Aperture zoom was the way to go, Budget being a big factor but not the main concern, I decided to go with the lens that best covers my daily needs for the long haul.

And the winner is ......

The Sigma Zoom Normal-Telephoto 50-150mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens for Canon Digital EOS Mfr# 690101 • B&H# SI5015028CAF - $679.00@BHPhoto

I think this one will pretty much cover the range I like for portraiture and product shots. With a wide f / 2.8 fixed Aperture and Internal Focusing it should be a compact and useful lens to have in the bag. According to the reviews I have read, it seems to be a sharp and well put together lens that should give many years of use. My next purchase will be a second lens to cover the 16 - 50mm range!

Hmmmmm?

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