Sigma S 70-200 mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM
8. Vignetting
| Canon 50D, 70 mm, f/2.8 | Canon 50D, 70 mm, f/4.0 |
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| Canon 50D, 135 mm, f/2.8 | Canon 50D, 135 mm, f/4.0 |
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| Canon 50D, 200 mm, f/2.8 | Canon 50D, 200 mm, f/4.0 |
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| Canon 50D, 280 mm, (TC), f/4.0 | Canon 50D, 280 mm (TC), f/5.6 |
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At 70 mm the vignetting won't be even the smallest problem because by f/2.8 it amounts to just 12% (−0.37 EV), and on stopping down to f/4.0 it decreases to a value of 4% (−0.12 EV).
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A similar situation can be observed at 135 mm where, at the maximum relative aperture, the brightness loss in frame corners is 15%(−0.47 EV) and then it decreases to 4% (−0.12 EV) on stopping down the aperture by one stop.
The biggest chances to notice any vignetting on the smaller sensor you get at 200 mm where, by f/2.8, that aberration amounts to 23% (−0.76 EV). The problem disappears almost completely already by f/4.0, where you lose just 7% (−0.20 EV) of light in the frame corners.
After attaching the 1.4x teleconverter the whole set fares a bit better – by f/4.0 its vignetting is 16% (−0.51 EV), and by f/5.6 it gets to merely 4% (−0.13 EV). Now let's check how the situation changes after passing to full frame – respective thumbnails you can find below.
| Canon 5D III, 70 mm, f/2.8 | Canon 5D III, 70 mm, f/4.0 |
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| Canon 5D III, 135 mm, f/2.8 | Canon 5D III, 135 mm, f/4.0 |
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| Canon 5D III, 200 mm, f/2.8 | Canon 5D III, 200 mm, f/4.0 |
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| Canon 5D III, 280 mm, (TC), f/4.0 | Canon 5D III, 280 mm (TC), f/5.6 |
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If you employ the 70 mm focal length and the maximum relative aperture you face brightness loss of 43% (−1.60 EV) in frame corners, a result just by one percentage point better than the result of the predecessor. Fortunately, as soon as you stop down the aperture to f/4.0 you can reduce vignetting to a moderate level 19% (−0.62 EV), and after employing the f/5.6 aperture you can forget about this aberration as it amounts to just 10% (−0.29 EV).
In the middle of the focal range the situation worsens a bit and by f/2.8 the vignetting reaches 50% (−2.02 EV), a value by 5% higher than that of its predecessor. By f/4.0, f/5.6 and f/8.0 we obtained the following results: 26% (−0.87 EV), 16% (−0.50 EV) and 10% (−0.29 EV) respectively.
At the maximum focal length the vignetting performance is improved because by f/2.8 you lose just 45% (−1.74 EV) of light - it's 4% lower than in the case of the predecessor. As a result already by f/4.0 this aberration becomes moderate, with a value of 21% (−0.68 EV), and by f/5.6 it disappears completely, reaching just 10% (−0.31 EV).
The older Sigma joined with the older version of the 1.4x converter created a bottleneck in vignetting which level got to a monstruous level of 67%. The new Sigma S 70-200 mm f/2.8 OS and the new 1.4x teleconverter fare much better. By f/4.0 the brightness loss in frame corners is 35% (-1.23 EV) so over 30% lower than the result of the older set. Vignetting stops being bothersome already on stopping down the aperture to f/5.6, where it gets to 12%(−0.38 EV) and disappears completely by f/8.0, where it amounts to just 3% (−0.08 EV).
| Canon 5D Mk III, 70 mm, f/2.8 |
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| Canon 5D Mk III, 135 mm, f/2.8 |
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| Canon 5D Mk III, 200 mm, f/2.8 |
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| Canon 5D Mk III, 280 mm (TC), f/4.0 |
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