Lens ? Sigma vs Nikkon

[Sweetsomedays]

I want a shallower DOF when photographing horses from a distance. My lil 55-200 VR only gets me down to f/4. The guy in ritz suggested the Sigma 55-200 f/2.8. Anyone used this lens? Like it?
Is it worth the it to fork over the extra cash and get the Nikkon 85-200 f/2.8D?

 

[Garbz]

Have you got your numbers right? Nikon doesn't make an 85-200. Is it an AF 80-200 f/2.8D, ? , which has been discontinued but is still a very fine professional grade lens. It was superseded by the expensive 70-200 f/2.8 VR AF-S.

Sigma also doesn't make a 55-200 f/2.8 to my knowledge, the closest I can think of is the 70-200 f/2.8.

In this case the extra money is worth it. Not just the build quality on the Nikon is better but everything about it; distortion, vignetting, CA, glare, and sharpness across the entire range.

 

[Don Simon]

I am also going to assume you're referring to the 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses, since the ones you mentioned don't exist

The Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 HSM is a great lens.
The Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 is even better.

Is the Nikkor worth the extra cash? Erm, that kind of depends on how much cash you have and what else you need to spend it on

 

[Sweetsomedays]

Yeah, my numbers were way off. I shouldn't post when I am so tired.

I am going to wait for the nikkor lens. I called Ritz last night cuz they were having a clearance on the Sigma but turns out...doesn't work on my camera.
Thanks though!

 

[sabbath999]

I am also going to assume you're referring to the 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses, since the ones you mentioned don't exist

The Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 HSM is a great lens.
The Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 is even better.

Is the Nikkor worth the extra cash? Erm, that kind of depends on how much cash you have and what else you need to spend it on

I couldn't have said it better than that.

 

[Don Simon]

Eh... the Sigma definitely works fine on the D80. Maybe you are thinking of the D40; it won't autofocus on that.

 

[Sweetsomedays]

It works fine on the D80? The guy on the phone said it didnt....oh well. I will have the cash for the Nikkor lens soon so I will wait.

 

[sabbath999]

Sigma HSM lenses work fine on both the D80 and D40.

I have shot my Bigma (Sigma 50-500 HSM) on both the D80 and the D40... the HSM is a focusing motor in the lens (you have to have an in-lens focus motor for the D40 since it doesn't have that little focus thingy in the mount).

 

[Garbz]

Maybe the one he had in stock had an EF mount. Sigma make lenses for multiple cameras as you know. The D80 can take any F mount lens made after about 1970s when AutoIndexing came out.