New Lens Zoo Shots - CC

AverageJoe · Mar 12, 2011

All shots were taken with a Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 on a full frame body:

1:

2:

3:

4:

5:

6:

7:

8:

9:

All were shot in Aperture Priority mode at F4 ISO was typically 800 shutter speeds ranged and I zoomed all the way into 300mm for most. This is a new lens to me and the Cincinnati Zoo really put it to the test. Feel free to drop the CC bomb on any of them.

rehab · Mar 12, 2011

nice photos, i think when it warms up a bit i may make a trip to the cincy zoo. first one of the lion is my favorite.

Snakeguy101 · Mar 13, 2011

wow! all of these shots are very good. The only one that I do not like is number 8 because I cannot find a focus point of that image and i am not sure what I should look at. I especially like #1,2, and 6. That seems like a great lens.

Robin Usagani · Mar 13, 2011

I like the sea lion the best. Most of these photos need some more saturation or something and warm it up a bit.

AverageJoe · Mar 13, 2011

Thanks for the feedback. Image 8 is the tail of a peacock, they roam the zoo like they own it. Anyway, the shots I have of the peacock are mostly roaming around the garbage cans and what not the zoo has, so I shot the tail to go for a small plane of selective focus.

Schwetty, I bumped vibrance on all images except the lion shots. The lion is actually a white lion as opposed to your normal goldish/yellow lion. When I slid the vibrance/saturation on the lions they started to look like the African lion. With that said, a little more saturation couldn't hurt, I just start to run into the wall of "is this too much saturation? does it look fake?".

The jury is still out on this lens. It's minimum focusing distance feels like a mile away, I was actually walking away from animals in order to get an in focus shot. Also, if I point the lens up the focus will die and give up, I have to point it at the ground, move the manual focus ring towards infinity to get it to come back to life. I'm debating on sending it into Sigma for a tune-up. The weight of this lens is insane, I think it comes up to about 7-8 pounds with a body. On the other side the range it offers with f2.8 throughout is incredible.

12sndsgood · Mar 13, 2011

some nice shots. got back out to cincy's zoo last year so it makes it nice kinda knowing the distance range your working with.

Robin Usagani · Mar 13, 2011

Ahh.. that explains it. The one that needed the most saturation were the lions LOL. Now I understand why. Nevermind then!

shadylady · Mar 13, 2011

GREAT pictures! Pictures 6 and 8 are my favorites. Wonderful job.

Travis F · Mar 14, 2011

AverageJoe said:
The jury is still out on this lens. It's minimum focusing distance feels like a mile away, I was actually walking away from animals in order to get an in focus shot. Also, if I point the lens up the focus will die and give up, I have to point it at the ground, move the manual focus ring towards infinity to get it to come back to life. I'm debating on sending it into Sigma for a tune-up. The weight of this lens is insane, I think it comes up to about 7-8 pounds with a body. On the other side the range it offers with f2.8 throughout is incredible.

Out of curiousity, have you tried cleaning the contacts on both the lens and the body? May be a connection issues?. Also, check to make sure the mount is tight on the lens. I had to tighten mine down a couple times. As you stated it is a heavy lens and, possibly, if not handled/held properly it could loosen a mount.

Just a couple ideas to throw out there....

Good Luck!

Travis