Thanks to everyone who tried to guess the lenses. I’m sure you will be surprised with the answers and outcome. Like I said some of you got some right. The assumption would be the best photos came out of the Canon but unfortunately they didn’t. Here’s the answers and my experience with them.

All photos were shot at iso 800, indoors at about the same shutter speed. All shots were taken inside a shopping mall. Please ignore the compositions ;p

I had gone to try out the Canon 70-200 F4 and the Sigma 70 -200 F2.8 after hearing such reviews on them. The goal was to see which one would suit my taste and requirements. I wanted a certain zoom distance and fairly useable in low light conditions.

Guess 1
Canon 70-200 F4/5.6 IS



Now this is a brilliant lens with the IS, though if you compare the shot on a much cheaper Sigma 70 -300 F4, there’s really nothing that great. The one advantage, its pretty silent and fastest in focusing among all the lenses I tried.

Guess 2
Sigma 70 -200 F2.8



I was sorely disappointed with this lens, I had heard such reviews on it and it was on my list of wants just for the F2.8. Unfortunately the huge monster was super heavy but didn’t meet my expectations. Perhaps my hands weren’t used to the weight but the quality of the images were pretty disappointing. It was also super noisy.

Guess 3
Canon 70-200 F4/5.6



Without the IS this lens was a real disappointment. The price and performance do not match in my honest opinion. The one advantage, its less noisy and focuses faster compared to the Tamron and Sigma lenses. But it is still slower in focus compared to the IS version.

Guess 4
Tamron 70 -300 Di LD F4/5.6



I tried this lens just for the fun of it after getting sorely disappointed with my initial choices and I was surprised with its performance! With good light it works indoors. There was bokeh and there was the kind of details I was looking for. You can clearly see the guys sweater thread details on this photo. Focusing is quite noisy and slow (think 50 mm F 1.8). Needs getting used to.

Guess 5
Sigma APO 70 -300 F4/5.6



This image was shot indoors at 300m on F5.6. With good light it works indoors. I fell in love with this lens. It had the things that I wanted in a lens, good distance zoom, good blurred background, the ability to focus on more than 1 person, clear focus details and the kind of colours that I like. Less noisier than the Tamron but noisier than the Canon, again focusing is slow (think 50 mm F 1.8). Needs getting used to.

Guess 6
Tamron 17- 50 F2.8



I had tried this earlier and decided to try it again just for this little Guess the lens game. This is a brilliant little lens that was as good as all the reviews on it. Take a look at the creaminess of the background and the focused details. Less noisier and focuses faster than the Sigma APO 70 -300 F4/5.6

Conclusion

If you really wanted a Canon zoom lens then make sure it comes with the IS. But at that price, you might as well save a few more thousands and get the F2.8 IS lens. Don’t bother with the Canon 70-200 F4/5.6 unless you have super steady hands and you’re super sure you’ll be able to focus each time you try.

While I’m gearing more towards the Sigma APO 70 -300 F4/5.6 for the colours and focus, the Tamron 70 -300 F4/5.6 is nearly as good a choice, though I suspect it may perform better on a Nikon body. Try both out and see which one you prefer.

Since I had a budget for the Sigma 70 -200 F2.8 and a second hand 30d. With the change in plans I’ll be getting the Sigma APO 70 -300 F4/5.6, Tamron 17- 50 F2.8 and if I can find one the Canon 40d.

To me the name of a brand or the price of an object never defines its quality, always try out other brands and variety of things and pick the one’s that best suit your needs.

Note : Tamron lenses may not be compatible to certain models on Canon and Nikon – so check before you purchase.


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Labels: notes, photography