How to Evaluate the Sigma 70-200mm F28 DG DN OS Sports Mirrorless Lens?

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG DN OS Sport - Image Quality Comparison and Handling

Finally, the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG DN OS Sport, a highly anticipated telephoto zoom lens, has arrived! As a versatile telephoto lens, the 70-200mm range has always been a focus for manufacturers. Looking back, Sony has already released two generations of the 70-200GM lens for the E-mount, while Tamron has also updated its 70-180 lens to the second generation this year. Although Sigma has been early in developing its lineup of mirrorless lenses, the 70-200mm has been long overdue, and the “difficult birth” of this lens has been a recurring topic of discussion. At the end of 2023, the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG DN OS Sport lens was finally released. Whether it lives up to expectations or falls short, as a user of the 70-200GM2 and Tamron 70-180G2, I will share my thoughts.

Let’s start by comparing the specifications of these three lenses:

	Sigma 70-200mm	Sony 70-200GM2	Tamron 70-180G2
Weight	Heavier	Lighter	Lightest
Focusing	Internal	Internal	External
Others	-	Excellent sharpness on 61MP cameras	-

Now, let’s move on to the image quality, the aspect that concerns everyone the most.

SonyAlphaBlog has published the sharpness test results of these lenses based on a 61MP camera. According to their findings, the overall performance of the Sony 70-200GM2 on a 61MP camera is the best, followed by the Tamron 70-180G2, and then the Sigma lens. However, the Sigma lens performs slightly better than the Tamron at the 200mm end.

In a hands-on video by Hugh Brownstone on PetaPixel, he mentions that the image quality of the Sigma 70-200 is very close to that of the Tamron 70-180G2, but the wide-open image quality at 70mm and 200mm is slightly inferior to the Tamron lens.

The Sigma 70-200mm lens is equipped with six FLD elements, two SLD elements, and three aspherical elements. The out-of-focus rendering is smooth and the bokeh at the 200mm focal length is clean, with hardly any onion rings or bright edges.

When stopped down to f/5.6, the edge bokeh still exhibits irregular shapes.

In terms of resistance to flare, both contrast and ghosting control are good.

There is some distortion at both ends, but this can be perfectly corrected in-camera.

The control and handling of the lens are excellent, surpassing the Tamron 70-180G2 and on par with the original manufacturer. The internal focus design provides excellent outdoor protection. The dual HLA linear motor floating focus group achieves fast and precise autofocus performance comparable to that of the original manufacturer, as well as excellent close-up image quality. However, the minimum focusing distance and magnification of the Sigma lens cannot match that of the Tamron lens, so it may not be as suitable for close-up shots.

It’s worth noting that the design of the lens hood seems to have been compromised to reduce its length when attached. As a result, the zoom ring can only accommodate one finger for operation, which is not ideal and has been criticized by some users.

The lens is equipped with a new OS2 optical stabilizer, which according to the official specifications, achieves 7.5 stops of stabilization at 70mm and 5.5 stops at 200mm. Initial reviews suggest that the stabilization performance is indeed very good.

In terms of continuous autofocus, Tony & Chelsea Northrup tested the A1’s continuous shooting speed. As we know, Sony restricts the high-speed continuous shooting performance of third-party lenses. Therefore, the maximum continuous shooting speed of the Sigma 70-200 is 15fps. In terms of focusing accuracy, the Sony 70-200GM2 had 12 out-of-focus shots out of 331, while the Sigma lens had 63 out-of-focus shots out of 130. In fact, the performance of the Tamron 70-180G2 in high-speed continuous shooting is also not as good as the Sony 70-200GM2 (comparable to the Sigma lens in my opinion), which demonstrates the strong “moat” of original manufacturer lenses.

In terms of video performance, the Sigma 70-200 exhibits minimal breathing at both ends, making it a great lens for video shooting.

The control buttons on the lens are similar to those on the Sony 70-200GM2, including a standard aperture ring, a switch for stepless or stepped adjustment, and a lock button for the aperture ring (consistent with the design philosophy of Sony’s new GM lenses). The lens barrel also features a comprehensive set of control buttons, including three customizable AFL buttons, focus mode switch, focus limiter, optical stabilizer switch, custom switch, and more.

The tripod collar features an Arca-Swiss compatible structure, making it compatible with most tripods and friendlier than the original manufacturer’s tripod collar. However, the base of the tripod collar is not a quick-release structure (it uses screws to secure it), which may be less convenient.

To summarize the pros and cons of the Sigma 70-200:

Pros:

• Internal zoom and excellent outdoor protection
• Excellent image quality, fully capable of handling 61MP resolution
• Smooth bokeh and pleasing bokeh balls (although not comparable to prime lenses)
• Excellent chromatic aberration control
• Outstanding autofocus performance and top-notch image stabilization
• Excellent control and handling, with all the necessary buttons for a telephoto lens

Cons:

• Less accurate autofocus in high-speed continuous shooting compared to the original manufacturer
• Visible vignetting and distortion
• Not as good for close-up shots compared to the original manufacturer and Tamron lenses
• Not compatible with teleconverters for E-mount
• Inconvenient to remove the tripod collar
• Heavier than the original manufacturer and Tamron lenses without clear advantages

Currently, there are three different options for telephoto zoom lenses for E-mount, each at different price points. I believe many people may find it difficult to choose between the Sigma 70-200, the Sony 70-200GM2, and the Tamron 70-180G2.

In my opinion, if budget permits, the Sony 70-200GM2 is definitely the best choice. It offers the highest sharpness, fast and precise autofocus, and compatibility with the original manufacturer’s 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters, making it a true super-telephoto lens. The overall performance of the lens is also top-notch, rightly earning it the title of “lens of the future.”

The advantage of the Tamron 70-180G2 lies in its extreme portability and light weight. It has also shown significant improvement in image quality compared to its predecessor. According to current reviews, its sharpness is slightly better than the Sigma lens (although the difference is small). For those who value portability, it is indeed a tempting option. The price of the lens is also the lowest, and during the Singles' Day sale, I purchased one myself for just 8,100 RMB. However, the downside of the Tamron lens is the external zoom design, which compromises its protection against weather. It cannot compete with the original manufacturer or Sigma in sports photography, but for the majority of users, the autofocus performance of the VXD motor is still more than sufficient.

What are your thoughts on the Sigma 70-200 lens? Feel free to share your opinions in the comments.