What happened to the Sigma 18-300? (Page 3): There are a few lenses still on the NikonUSA site with prices that are continually shown as backordered. I suspect this indicates a...

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

PHRubin wrote:

I was going to recommend this lens to an OP but in checking I find it is no longer available from most stores. I love mine and hadn't heard of it being discontinued. In fact, the Sigma site still shows it.

There are a few lenses still on the NikonUSA site with prices that are continually shown as backordered. I suspect this indicates a slow-selling product for which manufacturing batches are run only occasionally or rarely, or products that, while not yet officially retired are, in fact, not going to be produced again.

gwilliams6

PHRubin wrote:

Stores often list product they don't stock and order them as needed. Not In Stock was seen in days before the supply chain problem.

True, but my guess is that there really aren't many of these 18-300mm Sigma lenses still around, and not much of a demand for B&H to sell them.

B&H actually does NOT sell everything in photo gear. In my own personal experience, there has been photo gear that I could not find or order at B&H and Adorama, that I COULD find and order at Amazon. Amazon does a better job of selling more gear from more suppliers.

Has anyone even confirmed that Sigma is still making new copies of this lens? Sigma's website still lists it, but according to Sigma's support page, the latest firmware update for it in Nikon mount was in 2016; in Sigma SA mount was in 2017; in Canon EF-mount was in 2020.

Cheers and best to you.

Verryl

Maybe I need to get up to date. I was taught by a Jr college photography instructor that the limits of a zoom lens are about 3 to 1, that is about 18 to 3x18 or about 18 - 55mm, or 100 to 300. Now 18 to 300 is a range of 16.7 times, and that is way more than 3x. Have optical designers learned to stretch this range out?

Verryl
Call me dumb. I'm used to it.

gwilliams6

Verryl wrote:

Maybe I need to get up to date. I was taught by a Jr college photography instructor that the limits of a zoom lens are about 3 to 1, that is about 18 to 3x18 or about 18 - 55mm, or 100 to 300. Now 18 to 300 is a range of 16.7 times, and that is way more than 3x. Have optical designers learned to stretch this range out?

Verryl
Call me dumb. I'm used to it.

There are 20X and more zooms on more compact cameras. Optical designs of zoom lenses have gotten much better, but a 16.7X zoom on a APS-C or fullframe zoom lens is still tough to design with equal optical performance for the entire zoom focal range.

Cheers

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Verryl wrote:

Maybe I need to get up to date. I was taught by a Jr college photography instructor that the limits of a zoom lens are about 3 to 1, that is about 18 to 3x18 or about 18 - 55mm, or 100 to 300. Now 18 to 300 is a range of 16.7 times, and that is way more than 3x. Have optical designers learned to stretch this range out?

Verryl
Call me dumb. I'm used to it.

Some purists only call lenses with fixed aperture and focus through its range as zooms.

Verryl

I think we should leave out 20 X on compact cameras, and stick to discussing only the best of lens that generally detach from both mirrorless and DSLR cameras. I am not aware of anyone who says the compact cameras are as good as the mirrorless and DSLR cameras.

gwilliams6

Verryl wrote:

I think we should leave out 20 X on compact cameras, and stick to discussing only the best of lens that generally detach from both mirrorless and DSLR cameras. I am not aware of anyone who says the compact cameras are as good as the mirrorless and DSLR cameras.

Not compact as such, but a Bridge camera that does have a 1" mirrorless 20.1mp fast-reading stacked sensor and a 25X optical Zeiss zoom lens and takes excellent shots.

Sony RX10 IV w/ ZEISS® Vario-Sonnar T* 24-600mm F2.4-4 high-magnification zoom lens.
https://www.sony.com/ke/electronics/cyber-shot-compact-cameras/dsc-rx10m4

Cheers

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

PHRubin wrote:

I was going to recommend this lens to an OP but in checking I find it is no longer available from most stores. I love mine and hadn't heard of it being discontinued. In fact, the Sigma site still shows it.

Dear Mr. Rubin: I have seen it available as used at other websites. I am not sure if it was discontinued. Perhaps the focal length may have been split by the manufacturer. That is one 24-70mm and a 70-300mm. This may be a marketing/economic decision.

Incidentally, my Canon 70-300mm is a nice addition as is my Rokinon 24mm TS and my Sigma 150-600mm. While finding a brand new lens may be a pristine find, I’ll buy what would suit the photo. As much as I am loyal and faithful to B&H I have gone to KEH because they too are a quality dealer.