My Photography Gear 1 - Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG Macro HSM II

Another section in my blog, that I would like to introduce you to, is the gear that I use to capture my pictures.  I am a serious enthusiast and my gear has some limitations, the major one being budget.  On the other hand, on a very limited budget, one can get hold of superb third party brands equipment which does very good for the price being paid.


Today I would like to share my views on the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG Macro HSM II. Here are some technical data which one ought to know:

The Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 II EX APO Macro HSM telephoto zoom lens has a large maximum aperture of f/2.8 which remains constant throughout the zoom range, an improved optical performance, macro capabilities, and is optimized for digital SLR cameras. It also features super multi-layer coating, which reduces flare and ghosting.

This Macro lens has improved macro capability, with a minimum focusing distance of 39.4" (100 cm) and maximum magnification of 1:3.5. All zooming and focus movement is achieved internally, allowing for a constant length and great resistance to dust and moisture. It comes rendered in a hard coated, baked black EX crinkle finish. 

The Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) ensures a silent, high-speed AF function as well as full-time manual focusing capability for Sigma, Canon, and Nikon mount lenses.

Apart from all the technical data available in several written reviews posted on the web, I would like to share some pros and cons which I have personally experienced  when using this camera lens.

This lens is a major upgrade from a low budget telephoto zoom lens having as its minimum aperture of f/3.5.  It is a heavier lens, the mechanism is all laid in the interior of the barrel which will avoid infiltration of dust or matter. The tripod ring of the lens has some awesome mechanics which facilitates the handling of the lens and camera body, mostly when shooting sports and making use of a monopod. Being an f/2.8 lens, it focuses very fast and it does it very quietly. The performance of this lens is superb especially for wedding events as the photographer remains unnoticed when focusing and composing his shots. The focusing rings are very subtle and at reach. The rubber material added to the lens barrel does their job very well and they ensure a tight and approachable experience. Despite of its dimensions the lens fits nicely to a wide range of DSLR camera bodies, including beginners camera body types, such as my Nikon D3100 to more advanced camera bodies such as Nikon's D700.

In practise the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG Macro HSM II does a very good job.  Considering the limited budget which this lens costs (you can easily get a second-hand version of this lens for 550 Euro) it delivers very well.  Several complaints noted on the web specify that this lens is sweet at 200mm. I strongly agree with statement.  On the other hand, I still believe that Sigma has given the opportunity for beginners and enthusiasts to invest and get hold of a fast and affordable telephoto lens. For those who are not earning their bread out of photography and who simply enjoy the art of capturing a fleeting moment, this is the way to go.  Personally, I avail my self of post processing by adding some sharpening layers to counterbalance the lack of sharpness when focused at 200mm.  Regarding optics and colour rendition, I find this lens to be a decent third party item which honours merit.  When captured at a correct exposure colours kick.  This lens is capable of immortalizing some of the most beautiful chromatic representation which one could imagine to capture.

On a final note, I highly recommend this lens for those out there who are into photography and would like to get a decent, fast and silent telephoto zoom lens.  This is the ideal lens for enthusiasts hitting the streets on a budget, who are not after collecting expensive and phallic equipment, but who are after freezing passionately the fleeting moment.

Military Mtarfa - Re-enactment

1/1600 sec at f / 2.8. ISO 200

200 mm (70.0 - 200.0 mm f / 2.8)

Last Sunday, I paid a visit at the Military Mtarfa re-enactment event organised by the Mtarfa Local Council.  This was a very interesting event as it featured a collection of First and Second World War memorabilia including cars, motorcycles and all sorts of objects related to that period.

What I found really interesting about the event, were the members from the Battlefront group who were wearing authentic World War II costumes.  This was a very good occasion to smart out of my Tamrac backpack, my Nikon and Sigma 70-200 f2.8.  I have to say that the actors were very friendly and approachable.  This resulted to be a fruitful experience of which I have captured a couple of stunning shots.

The shot that I am presenting today is that of a female actress who was sitting in a typical World War II car.  What I really like of this image is its composition and the way I managed to freeze the moment.  I have chosen to place the subject on the left hand side of the image so as to balance the blurred horizontals on the right.  One may also notice that the image is very tightly framed by the visor of the car.  This adds more weight on the opposite side of the subject.   It is important to state that the image was not cropped during the post processing stage.  This is a very important personal issue as I pertain to the non-cropping school of thought.  My ideas about composition and the art of framing an image is that of capturing the shot and composing it primarily out of the box so as not to modify it at a later stage.  Cropping may result to effect the resolution of the image.  

I may also add that the black and white chromatic rendition to this image suits very much the subject and gives it a faithful adaptation towards the moment being re-enacted.

On a final note, it is vital to state that what makes this image a stunning capture is its composition.  Composition is a very important factor in photography which one has not to miss to the benefit of other elements.

HILARY SPITERI - art | design | photography

Dear all,

After quite a number of months away form blogging, finally, I have decide to start adding posts related to art, design and photography.  I consider this to be my new challenge for the coming months.  These posts will include my experiences mainly related to my photographic activity together with other posts related to the world of art.

Recently, I have also uploaded my new website www.hilaryspiteri.com which offers a very good in site of my activity as an artist, photographer and illustrator.

Feel free to subscribe to my blog, post comments and questions regarding my activity. 


Thanks for reading and cya around!