70-200mm F/2.8 Telephoto Zoom Comparison - Photo Jottings

70-200mm F/2.8 Telephoto Zoom Comparison

I’ve worked up a direct comparison using various image crops from the four telephoto lenses listed below.  The crops used here are the same as the crops used in each corresponding lens review.  This comparison is just for fun as the real differences between each lens wouldn’t be noticeable (in most cases, but not all) unless displayed side-by-side as I’ve done here.  The distances from camera to subject are; at 70mm, 14′ (4.3m), at 200mm, 27′ (8.2m), which might be the same distances for bird and small animal shots.  The Sony A900 was used for this comparison, along with a tripod, remote shutter and 3200k hot lights.  Bracketed manual focusing was used, with the resulting absolute sharpest shot used as the base for the entire set, at each length.
Random observations:
  • Best bokeh; Sony and Sigma OS.
  • Best control of flare and ghosting; tough call, but maybe the Sony and Sigma HSM II by a hair.
  • Best focusing in speed, all are about the same except the Tamron, which is last.
  • Best value for image quality alone; Tamron.
  • Best value all around; Tamron, or Sigma HSM II, but Sigma quality is bad, so this may not be a bargain at all.
  • If money is not a factor, the Sony.

70mm centers

          Sony 70-200mm F/2.8 G
          Tamron 70-200mm F/2.8 Di LD macro
 Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 II APO EX DG macroHSM
 Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 APO EX DG OS HSM
F/2.8
MARCH2011/sy70ctr28.jpg
MARCH2011/tam70ctr28.jpg
APRIL2011/sgIIhsm7028ctr.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200osw28ctr.jpg
F/4
MARCH2011/sy70ctr40.jpg
MARCH2011/tam70ctr40.jpg
APRIL2011/sgIIhsm7040ctr.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200osw40ctr.jpg
F/5.6
MARCH2011/sy70ctr56.jpg
MARCH2011/tam70ctr56.jpg
APRIL2011/sgIIhsm7056ctr.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200osw56ctr.jpg
F/8
MARCH2011/sy70ctr80.jpg
MARCH2011/tam70ctr80.jpg
APRIL2011/sgIIhsm7080ctr.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200osw80ctr.jpg
F/11
MARCH2011/sy70ctr11.jpg
MARCH2011/tam70ctr11.jpg
APRIL2011/sgIIhsm7011ctr.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200osw11ctr.jpg

 

All the crops here look pretty much the same.  If you nit-pick, the Sony looks good wide open, and the other lenses look good stopped down a little.

 

70mm mid-sections

 

          Sony 70-200mm F/2.8 G
          Tamron 70-200mm F/2.8 Di LD macro
  Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 II APO EX DG macro HSM
  Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 APO EX DG OS HSM
F/2.8
MARCH2011/sy70mid28.jpg
MARCH2011/tam70mid28.jpg
APRIL2011/sgIIhsm7028mid.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200osw28mid.jpg
F/4
MARCH2011/sy70mid40.jpg
MARCH2011/tam70mid40.jpg
APRIL2011/sgIIhsm7040mid.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200osw40mid.jpg
F/5.6
MARCH2011/sy70mid56.jpg
MARCH2011/tam70mid56.jpg
APRIL2011/sgIIhsm7056mid.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200osw56mid.jpg
F/8
MARCH2011/sy70mid80.jpg
MARCH2011/tam70mid80.jpg
APRIL2011/sgIIhsm7080mid.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200osw80mid.jpg
F/11
MARCH2011/sy70mid11.jpg
MARCH2011/tam70mid11.jpg
APRIL2011/sgIIhsm7011mid.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200osw11mid.jpg

 

The 70mm mid-sections all look about the same.

 

70mm corners

          Sony 70-200mm F/2.8 G
          Tamron 70-200mm F/2.8 Di LD macro
  Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 II APO EX DG macro HSM
  Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 APO EX DG OS HSM
F/2.8
MARCH2011/sy70corn28.jpg
MARCH2011/tam70corn28.jpg
APRIL2011/sgIIhsm7028corn.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200osw28corn.jpg
F/4
MARCH2011/sy70corn40.jpg
MARCH2011/tam70corn40.jpg
APRIL2011/sgIIhsm7040corn.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200osw40corn.jpg
F/5.6
MARCH2011/sy70corn56.jpg
MARCH2011/tam70corn56.jpg
APRIL2011/sgIIhsm7056corn.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200osw56corn.jpg
F/8
MARCH2011/sy70corn80.jpg
MARCH2011/tam70corn80.jpg
APRIL2011/sgIIhsm7080corn.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200osw80corn.jpg
F/11
MARCH2011/sy70corn11.jpg
MARCH2011/tam70corn11.jpg
APRIL2011/sgIIhsm7011corn.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200osw11corn.jpg

 

The Sony corners are slightly soft from F/2.8-4, but catch up to the other lenses at smaller apertures.

 

200mm centers

          Sony 70-200mm F/2.8 G
          Tamron 70-200mm F/2.8 Di LD macro
  Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 II APO EX DG macro HSM
  Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 APO EX DG OS HSM
F/2.8
MARCH2011/sy200ctr28.jpg
MARCH2011/tam200ctr28.jpg
APRIL2011/sigII200f28ctr.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200ost28ctr.jpg
F/4
MARCH2011/sy200ctr40.jpg
MARCH2011/tam200ctr40.jpg
APRIL2011/sigII200f40ctr.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200ost40ctr.jpg
F/5.6
MARCH2011/sy200ctr56.jpg
MARCH2011/tam200ctr56.jpg
APRIL2011/sigII200f56ctr.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200ost56ctr.jpg
F/8
MARCH2011/sy200ctr80.jpg
MARCH2011/tam200ctr80.jpg
APRIL2011/sigII200f80ctr.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200ost80ctr.jpg
F/11
MARCH2011/sy200ctr11.jpg
MARCH2011/tam200ctr11.jpg
APRIL2011/sigII200f11ctr.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200ost11ctr.jpg

 

The two Sigmas are very sharp wide open at 200mm, and the Sony and Tamron need a stop down or more to look crisp.

 

200mm mid-sections

          Sony 70-200mm F/2.8 G
          Tamron 70-200mm F/2.8 Di LD macro
  Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 II APO EX DG macro HSM
  Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 APO EX DG OS HSM
F/2.8
MARCH2011/sy200mid28.jpg
MARCH2011/tam200mid28.jpg
APRIL2011/sigII200f28mid.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200ost28mid.jpg
F/4
MARCH2011/sy200mid40.jpg
MARCH2011/tam200mid40.jpg
APRIL2011/sigII200f40mid.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200ost40mid.jpg
F/5.6
MARCH2011/sy200mid56.jpg
MARCH2011/tam200mid56.jpg
APRIL2011/sigII200f56mid.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200ost56mid.jpg
F/8
MARCH2011/sy200mid80.jpg
MARCH2011/tam200mid80.jpg
APRIL2011/sigII200f80mid.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200ost80mid.jpg
F/11
MARCH2011/sy200mid11.jpg
MARCH2011/tam200mid11.jpg
APRIL2011/sigII200f11mid.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200ost11mid.jpg

 

The Sigma HSM II looks sharp wide open in the mid-sections, and the Sigma OS has some problems unless stopped down hard.

 

200mm corners

 

          Sony 70-200mm F/2.8 G
          Tamron 70-200mm F/2.8 Di LD macro
  Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 II APO EX DG macro HSM
  Sigma 70-200mm F/2.8 APO EX DG OS HSM
F/2.8
MARCH2011/sy200corn28.jpg
MARCH2011/tam200corn28.jpg
APRIL2011/sigII200f28corn.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200ost28corn.jpg
F/4
MARCH2011/sy200corn40.jpg
MARCH2011/tam200corn40.jpg
APRIL2011/sigII200f40corn.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200ost40corn.jpg
F/5.6
MARCH2011/sy200corn56.jpg
MARCH2011/tam200corn56.jpg
APRIL2011/sigII200f56corn.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200ost56corn.jpg
F/8
MARCH2011/sy200corn80.jpg
MARCH2011/tam200corn80.jpg
APRIL2011/sigII200f80corn.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200ost80corn.jpg
F/11
MARCH2011/sy200corn11.jpg
MARCH2011/tam200corn11.jpg
APRIL2011/sigII200f11corn.jpg
APRIL2011/sig70200ost11corn.jpg

 

The Sony and Tamron look very sharp in the far corners at all apertures, while the two Sigmas struggle for resolution at wider apertures, especially the Sigma OS, which looks awful compared to the rest.

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