Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM is a Fixed aperture Auto Focus (AF)
Super Telephoto Zoom lens with 35mm FF max sensor coverage, and it is designed to be used with
SA Mount cameras.
What type of photography is the Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM lens good for?
The type of photography that you are planning to use the Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM is an important decision factor. Here we have evaluated its suitability to various photography scenarios:
| Photography Type |
Suitability |
| Bird/Wildlife | Excellent |
| Sports | Excellent |
| Portrait | Poor |
| Travel | Poor |
| Street | Poor |
| Wedding | Poor |
| Walk Around | Fair |
| Vlogging | Poor |
| Landscape | Fair |
| Macro | Poor |
Reasons to Buy Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM Lens
Here we've included a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM lens in a list form to help you determine whether it offers the features you need.
| Autofocus |
| Distance Scale |
| Hood supplied |
| Tripod Collar |
| Full-time Manual Focusing |
| Internal Focusing |
| Constant f5.6 aperture throughout the range |
| Covers Full-Frame Sensor |
| 9 Diaphragm Blades |
| 800mm reach great for Wildlife Photography |
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| Slow Aperture at Wide end |
| Slow Aperture at Tele end |
| Heavy |
| Pricey |
Lens Mount
Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM is compatible with cameras that have a Sigma SA lens mount. Some of the latest released cameras that are compatible with the Sigma SA lenses are Sigma Quattro, Sigma Quattro H and Sigma SD1 Merrill.
Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM is also available in Canon EF and Nikon F (FX) mounts.
Size, Weight and Filter Thread
Size and weight is a very important decision factor when searching for your next lens. Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM has a maximum diameter of 157mm and total length of 544mm. It weighs 5880g / 207.4 oz.
Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM has a filter thread of 46mm. Below are links to the filters that we recommend you to consider for your Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM:
Focal Range
Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM has a focal range of 300-800mm and 2.7X zoom ratio.
Tripod Collar
With a total length of 544mm and a weight of 5880g, the Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM is a large lens. Fortunately, it comes with a tripod collar which you can use to attach the lens directly to a tripod or monopod instead of attaching the camera. This connection helps to better balance the lens/kit combination.
Optical Image Stabilization
Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM doesn't have an optical image stabilization system so the only option to stabilize the image taken with this lens is to mount on a camera body with IBIS (sensor based In-body image stabilization).
Zoom Method
Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM features Rotary (internal) zoom method where the length of the lens doesn't change while you are zooming in or out. Even though this design has a size disadvantage in general compare to extending designs, it has the benefits of better sealing against dust and moisture, no zoom creep and no weight balance shift while zooming.
Maximum Magnification Ratio
Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM has a Max Magnification Ratio of 0.14x and has a minimum focusing distance of 6m. 0.14x means that the max magnification ratio is very low and not suitable even for modest close-up shots.
Aperture
Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM is a fixed aperture lens with a constant max aperture of f5.6 from 300mm all the way to the 800mm .
| Focal Length |
Max Aperture |
Min Aperture |
|
300mm
|
F5.6 |
F32 |
|
800mm
|
F5.6 |
F32 |
Optical Formula
Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM's optical formula consists of 18 elements in 16 groups . Special elements used in this design is 2 ELD glass elements.
Lens Hood
Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM comes with a removable lens hood which is handy to reduce lens flare and glare in your photos.
Popular Comparisons of Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM
Here are the eight most popular comparisons of the Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM amongst Camera Decision readers.
Top Alternatives of Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM Lens
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