Introduction I was able to field test the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens (Sigma 100-400C) extensively for 25 days on a recent birding trip through South Africa. The lens was challenged by varied shooting conditions from the dry, dusty Northern Cape, the cold uplands of Lesotho and the moist savannahs and forests of KwaZulu-Natal. What appealed to me about this lens the most is the versatile focal range in a compact form. For most of my shooting (and being an avid birder), mobility is often key, and… read more →
Introduction There is no lens manufacturer that has done a better job than Sigma at combining incredibly build quality with an affordable price tag. With their introduction of the Art Series in 2013, Sigma has gained many new fans including myself! The spectacular Sigma 35mm Art and the Sigma 85mm Art are the lenses that open peoples eyes to the incredible quality of the sigma range. The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG OS HSM Art is Sigma’s new standard zoom lens, and I was very excited to get my hands on this… read more →
When I was asked to test the new Sigma AF 100-400mm F/5-6.3 DG OS HSM, I thought to myself why would someone buy this one from Sigma if major brands have their own lenses in this range? With Sigma’s good success on the 150-600mm lens, I was definitely curious about this one. The Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM is a relatively compact and lightweight telephoto zoom lens for full-frame DSLR cameras and APS-C sensor cameras with an effective increase in focal length. For bird, wildlife and sports photography, a… read more →
Over the past year or so I have had the privilege of being equipped with the 120-300mm F/2.8 DG OS HSM | SPORTS amongst some other fantastic sigma products. Over the past 13 months I have been faced with a number of different situations in the field and been able to really put this lens through its paces. I have decided to do a short write up on my general thoughts on the lens. First Impression: Taking this lens out of its case for the first time and attaching it… read more →
To say that my anticipation for this lens was fever pitch would be a mild understatement! I have been using the new generation of Sigma Lenses (Art & Sport) for the last four years, one of the greatest missing elements in the Sigma range was without doubt a fast and fancy prime, the bread and butter of Wildlife & Sport Photographers across the globe. Enter the 500mm F4… Overview So, looking at the release pictures of the 500mm had me salivating at the mouth and having the lens in my… read more →
There are a lot of macro lenses out there, what makes this one stand out from the crowd? Sharpness? Of course it’s sharp – tack sharp. But then again, pretty much all macro lenses are sharp, and my poor old 10 megapixel sensor won’t be able to distinguish between them. The focal length is a bit unusual – most macros are in one of three focal length ranges: 50-60mm (“normal lens” range), 90-105mm (short telephoto) and 180mm (telephoto). The longer lenses typically have the advantage of a longer working distance,… read more →
One of my first lenses that I received from Sigma South Africa was the Sigma 8-16mm DC HSM f4.5-5.6. I have been using it almost exclusively for interior and architectural work. Now many photographers out there do not like the ultra wide lenses for interior or architectural use due to extreme effects they tend to have on perspective. That however, is the beauty of these lenses in my opinion. They create space and have the ability to create a feeling of open space in what might otherwise be perceived as… read more →
Alan van Gysen has been a professional surf photographer for 16 years and is the Zigzag photo editor. Follow him on Instagram @alanvangysen Mastering the Namib mirage Google ‘Skeleton Bay’ and rows and rows of awe-inspiring photographs will appear on your screen of the worlds best wave. Stacked up in digital rows just like the real-life scene, rolling tubes appear seemingly out of nowhere through the fog of the Namibian desert. It’s the definition of perfect. A high school surfers textbook sketch brought to life. At 2.1km-long, this freakishly perfect… read more →
Today we look at the Sigma 10-20mm f3.5 EX DC HSM. This is one of the ultra wide angle lenses I have had the pleasure of using in the past and I must admit. It is highly underrated and in my opinion, one of the best UWA lenses out there for a crop sensor body. It is available for Canon, Nikon, four thirds users, Sony and Pentax. Sony and Pentax users however don’t have the focussing benefit that HSM gives. It is also one of only a few UWA lense… read more →
I had the good fortune of being able to borrow three wonderful Sigma lenses while I co-presented a photographic workshop at Klein-Aus Vista, Namibia, together with Wicus Leeuwner and JJ van Heerden in June 2016. All photos shown here were shot with my Canon 40D, which has a 1.6x crop sensor. Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM This is the widest rectilinear lens available for crop-frame sensors, and it can be used to produce wonderfully exaggerated perspectives: Cartoon Horse, Sigma 8-16mm @8mm, f/5.6, 1/320, ISO 400 I found the lens a… read more →