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Hi George,

I like the second image on the close up, it seems to smooth out the edges etc. I try to adjust my images so that they appeal to my customers and they always seem to like what I do to them. A lot of photographers are always trying to get the sharpest image possible on the overall frame, but I like to make sure that the area important to me is in focus and everything else can become obscure.

I have been using an older nikon 400mm 5.6 with my D200, but would like to upgrade to a better lens. How do you like the Sigma 100-300? I have read good reports on that lens.

Thanks,
Dale



Dale,

Thanks for the feedback. I have to admit that I really go back and forth on the NR. Sometimes I like the "smoother" look of the image with NR (more of a Canon look) and other times I find myself liking the noiser image with more detail. I guess in a way this post is rhetorical, but I am interested to see what others think. I agree about having the area of interest in focus while letting other parts of the image blur. I've found that for animal action shots, it is critical that the head and eyes are in focus. In this image I had the AF sensor on the head. The wings were flapping and even at 1/640" it didn't freeze them totally.

I love the Sigma lens. It is very sharp in its sweetspot, f5.6-8 and the HSM is very fast and accurate. The GBH in this shot was actually moving pretty fast right towards me and the AF locked on nicely and stayed with him (using AFC). I also like that the lens has internal focus so it doesn't change it's length. The only down side is that it is a bit of a beast but it can be handheld as this image attests. I really like having the zoom capability over a fixed focal length. Action shots really require focal length flexibility.

George

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