The Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 is a perfect portrait lens for all amateur photographers and for those pros who aren’t shooting several times per week. You can save yourself about $1,000 compared to the Canon and Nikon alternatives, and that $1,000 will probably be better spent on lights and other studio equipment. So, is the Sigma right for you? Watch our video above to find out for sure. It’s very plasticky compared to the Canon and Nikon lenses, and indeed, we’ve known several pro photographers who relied on it only to have it malfunction. Sigma repair and warranty services are generally excellent, so if you can live without your gear for a week or two while it’s getting fixed, this might not be a problem for you. It certainly won’t stand up to abuse like the name-brand lenses. Here’s a casual conversation we had after the review for this lens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE7ewk0qN-U It’s a fairly minor point for most, but it’s also significantly noisier than the Canon or Nikon lenses. If you’re photographing a quiet wedding ceremony, it could definitely be distracting. For Canon users, it’s important to note that it suffers from pretty severe focus breathing, meaning at headshot range it’s not a true 200mm, but more like 140-160mm. That means you’ll need to stand significantly closer to your model, and you won’t get the same compression of facial features or background blur. The Tamron and Nikon varieties have the same problem, but in the Canon world, we also have the option fo the Amazing Canon 70-200 f/2.8… it’s more expensive, and it’s worth it, if you have the budget. In the Nikon world, we also chose the Nikon 70-200 for our personal use over the Sigma. Though the Nikon also has severe focus breathing, it’s more solidly built than the Sigma, and we tend to beat up our gear.
