Sigma 300mm F/4 APO Tele Macro ZEN

Super telephoto prime lens • Film era • Discontinued

  • Announced:
  • · 1994
  • Production status:
  • ● Discontinued
  • Country of design:
  • · Japan
  • Original name:
  • · SIGMA APO TELE MACRO 300mm 1:4
  • Class:
  • · Slow full-frame super telephoto prime lens
  • · Professional model

Abbreviations

APO Apochromatic optical design.
MACRO A lens with better close-up focusing capabilities in comparison with traditional lenses. Not a macro lens though.

Model history (2)

■Sigma 300mm F/4 APO Tele Macro ZENA10 - 71.20m⌀77 1994 ●
■Sigma 300mm F/4 APO Tele Macro HSM ZENA10 - 71.20m⌀77 1997 ●

Specification

Optical design:
35mm full frame
300mm
F/4
10 elements in 7 groups
2 SLD
Internal focusing (IF)
Canon EF [44mm]
Minolta/Sony A [44.5mm]
Nikon F [46.5mm]
Pentax K [45.5mm]
Sigma SA [44mm]
8.2° (35mm full frame)
On Canon EOS APS-C [1.59x] cameras:
35mm equivalent focal length:
477mm (in terms of field of view)
35mm equivalent speed:
F/6.4 (in terms of depth of field)
Diagonal angle of view:
5.2°
On Sony DSLR-A/SLT-A APS-C [1.53x] cameras:
35mm equivalent focal length:
459mm (in terms of field of view)
35mm equivalent speed:
F/6.1 (in terms of depth of field)
Diagonal angle of view:
5.4°
On Nikon D APS-C [1.53x] cameras:
35mm equivalent focal length:
459mm (in terms of field of view)
35mm equivalent speed:
F/6.1 (in terms of depth of field)
Diagonal angle of view:
5.4°
On Pentax K APS-C [1.53x] cameras:
35mm equivalent focal length:
459mm (in terms of field of view)
35mm equivalent speed:
F/6.1 (in terms of depth of field)
Diagonal angle of view:
5.4°
On Sigma SD APS-C [1.74x] cameras:
35mm equivalent focal length:
522mm (in terms of field of view)
35mm equivalent speed:
F/7 (in terms of depth of field)
Diagonal angle of view:
4.7°
Diaphragm mechanism:
Diaphragm type:
Automatic
Aperture control:
None; the aperture is controlled from the camera (Canon EF, Minolta/Sony A, Sigma SA)
Aperture ring (Manual settings + Auto Exposure setting) (Nikon F, Pentax K)
9 (nine)
Focusing:
1.20m
1:3
Focusing modes:
Autofocus (AF), Manual focus (MF)
Autofocus motor:
Micromotor (Canon EF, Sigma SA)
In-camera motor (Pentax K, Nikon F, Minolta/Sony A)
Manual focus control:
Focusing ring
Focus mode selector:
AF - MF (Canon EF, Sigma SA)
None; focusing mode is set from the camera (Pentax K, Nikon F, Minolta/Sony A)
Manual focus override in autofocus mode:
-
Focusing distance range limiter:
FULL / 1.2m - 2m / 3m - INF
Optical Stabilizer (OS):
-
Physical characteristics:
1335g (Nikon F)
⌀90.5×194.2mm (Nikon F)
Accessories:
Screw-type 77mm
Built-in telescopic round
Sigma APO Tele Converter 1.4X EX → 420mm F/5.6
Sigma APO Tele Converter 1.4X EX DG → 420mm F/5.6
Sigma APO Tele Converter 2X EX → 600mm F/8
Sigma APO Tele Converter 2X EX DG → 600mm F/8

Source of data

  • Manufacturer's technical data.

Manufacturer description

Discover a new world of possibilities with this ultra telephoto macro. It lets you get as close to your subject as 120cm and its 1:3 macro capability enables you to shoot images so powerful, they'll take your breath away. Two SLD glass lens elements correct chromatic aberration and an inner focusing mechanism keep the 194.2cm length constant. A rotating tripod collar is included and the durable ZEN finish makes it the ideal lens for even the most rugged photographic applications.

From the editor

World's first apochromatic 300mm super telephoto lens with magnification ratio of 1:3 at the closest focusing distance.

Notes

  • The autofocus will not be available with Nikon D40, D40X, D60, D3000-D3500, D5000-D5600 digital SLR cameras.
  • Sigma had to reverse engineer the communication protocol of the Canon EF mount to produce a version of this lens for Canon EOS 35mm film SLR cameras. As a consequence, this lens may not work properly with Canon EOS cameras (both film and digital) due to compatibility issues.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Sigma lens designation "ZEN" mean?

It means that the lens has a ZEN finish. ZEN is an acronym for Zeitgeist ("the spirit of the times"), Enhancement, and Nonglare. This nonreflective urethane resin finish was introduced around 1989 and replaced the old-style, painted satin-black finish. Sigma claimed it to be hard, strong, antichemical, nonslip, antiglare, and scratch-resistant, however, it actually had a tendency to peel off and become sticky as it aged.

Lenses with similar focal length

■Canon EF mount (4)
Canon EF 300mm F/4L IS USM • ⌀77Pro 1997 ●compare31
Canon EF 300mm F/4L USM • ⌀77Pro 1991 ●compare21
Sigma 300mm F/4 APO Tele Macro HSM ZEN • ⌀77Pro 1997 ●compare20
Tokina AT-X AF 300mm F/4 • ⌀77Pro 1995 ●compare02
■Minolta/Sony A mount (2)
Minolta AF 300mm F/4 HS-APO G • ⌀82Pro 1994 ●compare21
Tokina AT-X AF 300mm F/4 • ⌀77Pro 1995 ●compare02
■Nikon F mount (4)
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm F/4D IF-ED • ⌀77Pro 2000 ●compare31
Nikon AF Nikkor 300mm F/4 IF-ED • ⌀82Pro 1987 ●compare01
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 300mm F/4E PF ED VR • ⌀77Pro 2015 ●compare91
Tokina AT-X AF 300mm F/4 • ⌀77Pro 1995 ●compare02
■Pentax K mount (2)
smc Pentax-FA* 300mm F/4.5 ED [IF]Pro 1991 ●compare23
smc Pentax-F* 300mm F/4.5 ED [IF] • ⌀67Pro 1987 ●compare22
■Pentax K mount (1) · APS-C
smc Pentax-DA* 300mm F/4 ED [IF] SDM • ⌀77Pro 2008 ●compare72
■Sigma SA mount (1)
Sigma 300mm F/4 APO Tele Macro HSM ZEN • ⌀77Pro 1997 ●compare20

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