MINI TESTS
SPECIFICATIONS Focal length: 70-200mm Mount: Sony E Image coverage: Full-frame Aperture: F/2.8-22 Aperture blades: 11, rounded Accessory mount: Bowens S Construction: 20 elements in 15 groups Image stabilisation: None Minimum focusing: 65cm/25.6in
Filter size: 77mm Dimensions (wxl): 90.6x207mm/3.6x8.1in Weight: 1335g/2.9lb
“The Sigma has its zoom ring at the front and focus ring at the back nearer to the lens mount” The focus ring is fly-by-wire, the same as most lenses of this type. It’s decent for focus pulls, but with no option to set a linear pull, it’s never going to be perfect. For that, you need a real manual focus lens, but that’s just a minor gripe. After all, the Sigma does offer fantastic AF performance, sublime images, excellent stabilisation, great build quality and all the controls you need. The Sony is lighter, focuses a tad closer and unlocks all the in-camera options of the latest Sony cameras. But, of course, it does cost around £1100/$1200 more. Unless those factors are crucial to you, it makes the Sigma a real bargain – the lens Alpha camera users have been waiting for. PRO MOVIEMAKER RATING: 9/10 An affordable and strong fast telezoom Pros: Great image quality, price Cons: Heavier than the Sony version
you would be hard pushed to detect differences between the two in shoots. The only major drawback from the Sigma is that its minimum focus of 65cm/25.6in is worse than that of the Sony at 40cm/15.7in. These are both at the 70mm end, while at 200mm there is less of a discernible difference. This does make the Sony more useful close up, though. Controls on both lenses are also incredibly similar. The Sigma has an aperture ring that can be de-clicked with a switch located on the side, an AF/MF switch, three AF lock buttons, a focus limiter and a switch to set the optical stabilisation. While the Sony has three settings, the Sigma has two which provide a 7.5-stop advantage at 70mm and a 5.5-stop advantage at 200mm. Mode 1 can be used for all types of shooting, while Mode 2 uses Sigma’s intelligent algorithm for smoother panning shots.
Each of them work very well at taking out the shakes. Both lenses have pro-level sealing against water and dust, a 77mm front filter thread and come with a decent lens hood and collar with a tripod foot. Instead of clicking on in bayonet style, the carbon-fibre-composite Sigma hood slides on and is tightened with a thumb screw. The tripod foot has an Arca-Swiss mount, but also standard 1/4in-20 thread to attach tripod plates. The collar has clickable detents every 90°, but removing the tripod foot requires a tiny hex key to unfasten four small bolts. That’s not as convenient as the locking QR version of other lenses. The biggest difference in handling is that the Sigma has its zoom ring at the front and the focus ring at the back, nearer the lens mount. This contrasts Sony’s lenses which many filmmakers prefer, but of course it is personal taste.
CLONE WARS The new Sigma zoom is almost the same size as the Sony but weighs more
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