Sigma’s 200mm f/2 Sports Lens Brings Back a Classic Look

It’s been years since a 200mm f/2 prime lens hit the market, and Sigma has finally brought one back. For portrait work, the lens opens doors to a unique look you won’t get from the usual 85mm or 70–200mm zooms.

Coming to you from Manny Ortiz, this detailed video shows the Sigma 200mm f/2 DG OS Sports lens in action. Ortiz walks through a portrait shoot, demonstrating how perspective shifts dramatically with such a long focal length. Small movements, like just a step to the right or a change in shooting height, alter the entire image. The lens’ perspective flattens backgrounds and creates a powerful subject presence, but you need a lot of working distance. In some cases, Ortiz was standing nearly 40 feet away to frame a full-body portrait, which makes communication with the subject tricky.

In addition to portraits, Ortiz also tested the lens for baseball at Wrigley Field. The extra compression allowed him to isolate players from the crowd in a way that shorter zooms like a 70–200mm f/2.8 can’t quite match. He notes that while the lens is heavier than a typical portrait lens, it’s still lighter than Canon’s 200mm f/2, shaving off about a pound and a half. That weight reduction matters when you’re handholding for long stretches. It also makes the Sigma easier to fit in a standard camera bag, which increases the odds you’ll actually bring it along.

Key Specs

• Focal Length: 200mm

• Aperture: Maximum f/2, Minimum f/22

• Lens Mount: Sony E, Leica L

• Format Coverage: Full frame

• Minimum Focus Distance: 5.6' / 1.7 m

• Magnification: 0.13x (1:7.6)

• Optical Design: 19 elements in 14 groups

• Aperture Blades: 11, rounded

• Focus: Autofocus

• Image Stabilization: Yes, up to 6.5 stops

• Tripod Mount: Removable, rotating collar with 1/4"-20 thread

• Filter Size: 105 mm

• Dimensions: 4.7 x 7.9" / 118.9 x 201 mm

• Weight: 4 lb / 1,820 g

What stands out is how the Sigma’s f/2 aperture compares to a 135mm f/1.8 or a 70–200mm f/2.8. Ortiz points out that the 135mm can give you about 70% of the same look, but the 200mm f/2 still has a special character. The extra compression combined with that wide aperture creates a three-dimensional pop that simply doesn’t appear with f/2.8. For sports, the blurred-out crowds and isolated players show why this lens has appeal beyond portraiture.

Ortiz also breaks down the physical features. The lens includes a focus limiter, custom switch, aperture lock, aperture click on/off, and three customizable AFL buttons. Image stabilization has two modes: standard and panning, making it versatile for both static and moving subjects. Compared to Canon’s version, which costs $5,700, Sigma priced this at $3,299. It’s still expensive, but the price gap is large enough to matter if you’ve been considering this type of lens. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Ortiz.