3rd party 7/80-200 2.8

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need a 80-200 2.8 can't afford a canon L. exploring different options. please commnent on each of the following:

sigma 70-200 2.8 apo sigma 70-200 2.8 apo hsm tokina 80-200 2.8 atx tokina 80-200 2.8 atx pro tamron 70-210 2.8

thanks in advance...

-- howard shen (hshen@lsm.org), May 12, 2000

Answers

Canon's old 80-200 f/2.8L is around $700 used, Canon's new 70-200 f/4L is under $800. Seems competitive with the prices of the third party lenses.

-- Steven Fisher (srf@srf.com), May 13, 2000.

I'd agree with Steven about the older Canon 80-200L. I've seen them used in 9+ for as little as $650. If you're set on a new lens, the only one of the bunch that I would use is the Tokina 80-200 ATX PRO. I recently sold this lens after having it's ATX non-pro predecessor and I was quite pleased; sharp, publishable images if you avoid using a converter. I know that the build quality of Sigma has improved over the past few years, but their customer service ranks two notches below the IRS. They seem to belive that you, the customer, are an inconvenience and a bother!

-- Chuck Bettis (cbettis@triax.com), May 13, 2000.

Highly recommend the Canon 80-200 2.8L. You can find a used one for under $700. I have been using one of these for 2 years now and just love it. Sharpness, color and contrast produced by this lens are excellent. I especially like it over the newer version (70-200 2.8L) due to the black color. 3rd party lenses tend to have compatibility problems with futher Canon EOS bodies. Might also want to consider the Canon 70-200 4L.

-- nguyen thang (nguyentnt@hotmail.com), May 21, 2000.

Hi,

The sigma 70-200 HSM is very nice. Almost got it till i found the L for 950 new. sharp and fast focusing. just a thought.

-- daniel uhlig (gte226i@prism.gatech.edu), May 23, 2000.


I picked up a Sigma 75-300 APO and have been surprised by the sharpness of this lens. I got mine for less than $200 and its paid for itself several times over. I have played with the Tamron 80~200 f/2.8 and would recommend it over the Tokina. (Personal preference).

-- Marcus J. Wilson Sr. (marcus.wilson@dtra.mil), June 01, 2000.


thanks for all the advice... ended up with a canon 80-200 2.8L and a tamron 1.4tc for less than $600. very, very, very happy with it.

-- howard shen (hshen@lsm.org), June 02, 2000.

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