Using a Nikon 3200. Is this lens definately auto focus and does it have vibration reduction? How does it perform for soccor and baseball games? What about low light, possible night games? Also, How exactly can I deterimne the model number of this lens...
905956
Lisa - this lens has a selection switch for auto focus and it also has a selection switch for vibration control. I haven't used it for sports yet, and haven't used it for night shots either. I have used it in low light and it has performed very well. I have used it for nature, wild life and landscapes. I get clear, sharp images when using this lens. I believe the model is called AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300 f/4.5-5.6G ED VR. I would recommend this lens.
1593367
I had just purchased the SB800 when the 900 came out. Always happens that way. I have used the SB800 and it works somewhat well but understand that a lens with this focal length will require a flash that really brings it! I use this lens for landscape and sports photography, daylight shooting, because that 2.8 glass really lets the light in. I might suggest going directly to Nikon and asking them to show their hand on this one. I am going to try it as well. Are you shooting in Aperature and Manual modes? this will also let you control the amount of light you will need for your pix to really come out nice.
372352
The lens is absolutely sharp. I think the question you mean is, "Can you use it as a handheld lens without getting a lot of camera shake?" The answer to that depends of whether you have image stabilization turned on and what shutter speed you're using. For sports, IS is kind of useless. It chews up battery life and you need shutter speeds of at least 1/1000 to freeze the action, anyway. At that point, IS isn't a lot of help, but unless you're just swinging the camera around wildly, camera shake isn't much of an issue, either.
2016581
I have used the lens with my Nikon D200, as well as my D300. Both cameras take great pictures with this lens. It is a great utility lens. It is slightly heavy weight wise, but clearly in the top of its class for a lens of this type.
1199009
I bought one for the same reason except for soccer games, I will say that it does get you in a little closer on some shots, and on a clear sunny day probably not an issue. However, if the lighting isn't good it will slow your auto focus way down. You'll end up getting many more unfocused pictures than it's worth. Your better off with the speed of your lens then cropping later for closeness. I have a D300 so maybe the D7100 helps with that problem, not sure. To be honest I ended up purchasing a used nikkon lens to replace the sigma, the focus is much quicker.
91517
I bought the lens for shooting night time soccer matches. It is awesome at that. I have moved on to high school basketball and it performs flawlessly there as well. I have used it for one wedding (outside), worked well there too. I think you would be happy, but have not tried in that low of a light situation. Now if you wish to support the lens with a flash of some sort, then there would be no question. My gut tells me you would be fine, but I have nothing to back that up. The lens is great, fast and extremely clear. I am very happy.
1119150
I have this lens mounted on my D5100 and it works fine. I'm an amateur photographer (for what it's worth) but this lens is the sharpest I've used! Nice lens!
284748
Its interesting that you should ask. I have a friend who owns a D800 and has both DX and Full Frame lenses. He says his DX lenses work just fine on the camera automatically (no adjustment). I would think that the D600 does the same. The only thing I'm not sure of is the effective pixel reduction (if any) because a smaller amount of the sensor is being exposed. NIKON must have some literature on this and I've found that Thom Hogan ("ByThom") is really good at responding to questions like this. I have used this lens for a couple of years now and it produces spectacular images on my D300. The question is whether you are willing to sacrifice the effective range with the crop factor that would still happen regardless of whether the camera you are using is full frame or DX -- that is the effective DX range is 16.5-24. You could just buy one of the other excellent 12-24 lenses out there and have the full frame wide field. But those are a lot more expensive and as Rockwell has pointed out, this is the sharpest lens in its class and having used it for some time, I think he's right.
2243387
Not a lens for action. Manual focus and an extremelybwidr angle are detrimental factors for action for this lens. More of a niche lens in your bag. Can be used on the sidelines of sports or action but not my first choice to get action.
812301
Its an excellent lens which works very well in low light. I have not used it for indoor sports shooting though. The IS is great for things that don't move much but won't help freeze the action at all. An f2.8 zoom would be much better than a kit lens.You might also want to consider a fast prime lens like the 50mm f1.8 or 50mm f1.4 or perhaps a 30mm fast prime. These will buy you an extra two stops at a much lower price.
416864
Like others who have answered, yes its awesome for night shots and its not ridiculously expensive like the Nikon and Canon options. This is a manual focus lens vs. the Nikon/Canon but you will have to focus manually anyways since your AF won't work at night. That said, the full benefit of this lens requires a full frame sensor but I have used it on the crop sensors and its great there too, just not as wide a field of view but wide enough in IMO.
553849
This particular lens does not have vibration reduction. Sigma lenses use the letters "OS" (optical stabilizer). I've attached a link for a Sigma 70-300mm with OS, but it doesn't have macro. http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-70-300mm-Multi-Layer-Nikon-Mount/dp/B002M3SOQK/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1415668500&sr=1-2-fkmr0&keywords=Sigma+70-300mm+f%2F4-5.6+SLD+OS+DG+Macro+Lens+with+built+in+motor+for+Nikon+Digital+SLR+Cameras
1015519
Hello Brian, in the years I have used this lens all the time and I can report to you that I have never had any problems with this excellent lens. It is sharp and the contrast and color are beautiful. Focusing has always been crystal clear. Also focus speed would be a function of the camera body which has the drive engine for autofocusing. Hope this helps, Paul
1117321
I have one. For the price... it is a great lens. Make sure it is well mounted and set camera to high contrast and max sharp. Don't run it more than 12-1500mm. Hard to focus but does a great job "for the price." On a side note: the lens mount is high maintenance and will loosen after a few uses. Make sure your camera body is supported somehow. Take the lens off when not in use.
1015518
Hello Brian. I've had this lens for four years now, and while my copy has been beset with build quality issues, I can't complain about autofocus. It's not as fast as some of the newest SSM lenses, but it tends to be quick and accurate. You can always check other reviews here: http://www.dyxum.com/reviews/lenses/Carl-Zeiss-Vario-Sonnar-T*--DT-16-80-F3.5-4.5_review318.html
1276660
I own the Nikkor 14-24mm and I've been pleased with it. I wouldn't be concerned about the lack of vibration reduction because the lens is so wide it's not needed. Even at 24mm, you'd have to be shooting from a boat to see any difference VR would make. No lens creep that I've noticed and at f/2.8 this is a very fast lens. Not being able to use a screw on protective filter may be a concern for some, but I'm very careful with it and always cap it when I'm not shooting. So far, so good.
796877
In terms of optical quality the lens is soberb, period. Focus maybe an issue becouse of a internal noise that it makes sometimes, direct sound could be a problem. I sugest to you do a test in a store or rent one. I did not make any test myself, in the moment it arrive I make some shooting around the house and start use it. A classic lens for portraits.