Sigma 120-300 Sports heavy lens

[Ashok Sorout]

Friends, looking for solutions other than tripod to handle the weight of Sigma 120-300 F2.8 S lens which is close to 4Kg in weight. Handheld gives you quick control but it is difficult to handle.

Please give your suggestions if you have over come on such problem, I have monopod and some times use it.

Regrds
Ashok Sorout

[Sabyasachi Patra]

This lens is 3.4 kgs. It is heavier than the Canon 500mm f4 L IS II USM which is around 3.2kgs but lighter than the Canon 600mm f4 L II USM lens (3.9kgs). Do you directly mount it on the monopod or are you using a ball head? A decent ball head +monopod might be better than handholding if you are indeed shooting throughout the day.

These days I don't shoot stills much with my Canon 400mm f2.8 L IS USM lens. While handholding I normally wait till I expect the desired action is taking place and then quickly lift, aim, fire and then lower it. You can't keep on holding the lens. Just look at the way shooters lift the gun, aim and fire at the clay disk thrown in the double trap shooting event.

If you are primarily using this lens with a 1.4x TC, then I don't see this lens instead of a Canon 100-400.

[Rajan Kanagasabai]

Got to test this lens last week (a friend owns this). As Sabyasachi says, it is a heavy lens and compared to the Canon 100-400 looked really huge.

I found the lens a bit slow to Auto Focus in good light (compared to the 100-400) but in low light, this lens really got going - probably the F 2.8 becomes apparent. The added 1 stop is surely a plus.

A good bean bag actually helped me with some of the test shots. The trick is to find a good mount for the bean bag and it was quite good.

regards
Rajan