The Sigma 200mm F2 is impractical. I love it!
Let me put it a different way: all these camera and lens companies have made all of the standard lenses at this point. We have all seen a 24-70 or 70-200, and most of these lenses are on their 5th or 6th generation. But me? I love a weird lens. Give me a zoom with only 18mm of focal range. Give me a prime with a crazy aperture.
Give me this lens. The Sigma 200mm F2.
The marriage of an ultra-tight focal length with a crazy shallow depth of field. This lens has one purpose: to give you a stupid amount of bokeh. And I am here for it.
I’m reviewing this lens from the perspective of a freelance, commercial, and wedding filmmaker. I’ll tell you what situations I think it works really well for, because while a lens like this is typically associated with sports photography, I think there are plenty of other uses, especially in the world of filmmaking.
Quick note on transparency: this video is not paid or sponsored by Sigma, but they did loan me the lens so I could make this review, and I’ll be sending it back to them soon.
Build Quality and Features
Take the Sigma 200mm F2 out of the box, and the first thing you’ll notice is that for such a tight lens, this thing is pretty wide. It has quite the circumference at the front, and that isn’t super surprising. For a lens to hit this focal length while letting in this much light, it is going to need a lot of glass, and Sigma has definitely delivered.
What Sigma has also given it is incredible build quality. I’ve used a decent amount of Sigma lenses over the past few years, and this one feels like one of the best lenses they’ve ever made. Everything about it screams premium.
It’s definitely large, but none of that size has gone to waste. You get a ton of functionality packed in: three programmable buttons spaced around the lens, a very smooth focus ring, an aperture ring that can be made clickless, and honestly, a lot of switches. Here’s what they all do:
- AF/MF switch for autofocus and manual focus. And let me just say, the autofocus is fast and responsive, even considering how much glass it’s moving. It had no problem locking onto anything I pointed it at.
- Focus distance switch to set whether the lens can focus closer or only on objects in the distance.
- Optical stabilization switch, because yes, this lens has built-in stabilization that works with your camera’s in-body image stabilization. A lot of companies have gotten away from including stabilization in their lenses lately, and I’m glad to see it here.
- Stabilization mode switch with mode 1 for stationary shots (like on a monopod) and mode 2 for panning shots. If you’re using this lens for video, I recommend leaving it on mode 2.
The bottom of the lens also has a larger tripod mount that makes it easier to hold, and it’s compatible with Arca-Swiss plates, which is a nice touch.
One thing to keep in mind on the front of the lens: because of the large diameter, any filters you use will need to be 105mm, so keep that in mind if you’re shopping for an ND filter for this lens. It also comes with a very large hood, which helps cut back on reflections from all that glass up front. In my testing though, reflections weren’t an issue in any of the footage I filmed.
Teleconverter Compatibility
Since this is a fixed 200mm prime with no zoom, you might be wondering about teleconverter compatibility. Good news: if you buy the L-mount version, Sigma says it will work with their 1.4x and 2x teleconverters, turning it into either a 280mm F2.8 or a 400mm F4. Essentially, you could get three lenses in one.
Focus Breathing
Focus breathing on this lens is interesting. It’s noticeable if you look for it, and there’s more of it than on many newer lenses. But here’s the thing: the depth of field is so shallow that the bokeh actually covers up a lot of the focus breathing, making it a non-issue in practice. And honestly, how often are you doing a full rack focus on a 200mm lens compared to, say, a 35mm? Not very often.
Image Quality
Like pretty much every modern Sigma lens I’ve used, this lens is incredibly sharp. The bokeh is pleasing even stopped down, and once you open it all the way to F2, the separation from the background is just ridiculous. Whatever you want in focus will be ultra sharp, and everything else will melt away into nothingness.
And that is exactly the reason you would buy a lens like this. Is it specialized? Yes. Is it large? Yes. Does it have the versatility to get a wide variety of shots in different scenarios? No. And that’s OK. Buy a 70-200mm if you want versatility. That’s not what the Sigma 200mm F2 is about.
This lens is about giving you the most ridiculous, bokeh-filled shots you’ve ever taken. It won’t be the only lens in your bag, but when you need it, you’re going to be really glad you have it.
While you’re here, take a look at ULTIMATE Wedding Ceremony Lens – Sigma 60-600 Lens Review.
Who Is This Lens For?
Obviously this lens is going to be right at home for sports and wildlife photography. If you’re filming football games, basketball courts, or you’re out in the woods trying to get the perfect shot of a Roseate Spoonbill (yes, that’s a real bird, look it up), you already know you’re going to love this lens.
But what about filmmakers outside of those categories? Here’s where it gets interesting:
Wedding filmmakers: imagine you’re filming a ceremony and need a long focal length to reach the front, but the venue has an incredibly distracting background. Why did they put the ceremony in front of the parking lot? I don’t know, but what I do know is this lens can blur anything behind your subject into oblivion, giving you a much cleaner and more beautiful image. If you’re looking for tips on filming ceremonies and receptions, check out my post on how to film a wedding reception.
Concert filmmakers: you’ve got an extra stop of light with an F2 lens over an F2.8, meaning your subject is properly exposed in challenging lighting situations.
Portrait and couple filmmakers: portraits, head-and-shoulders shots, a couple staring into each other’s eyes, the background is going to look like butter. Film a person on a street or in a crowd and everything else will disappear around them.
Now, I hear you: “Matt, I have an 85mm, I can do the same thing!” But can you? An 85mm is still a specialized lens, but it’s dramatically more versatile than a 200mm, and the compression and background rendering between these two focal lengths look very different. If you want to learn more about what makes a great filmmaking lens, I also reviewed the Sony 50mm F1.2 GM and the Sony 100mm F2.8 GM Macro, both of which are worth checking out.
Should You Buy It?
Here’s my recommendation: rent it first.
If you already have the basics covered, a 24-70, a 70-200, etc., and you want something more specialized, spend $100 or $200 to rent this lens for a week and see how the photos and videos you take with it make you feel. It may be too niche for you, or you may absolutely fall in love with it and bring it to every job you have from here on out.
If you’re looking to improve all aspects of your filmmaking and editing, check out my Edit Videos Like a Pro guide for everything you need to take your work to the next level.