[jon mullen]

i have an canon 350D and am thinking of buying a sigma 28-300mm F3.5-6.3 DG Macro .to use mainly for sport and country veiws. has anyone got any thoughts or alternatives ?

[shuttertalk]

There's also the Tamron 18-200 XR and the Sigma 18-200, I suppose. The 18 gives you much more flexibility in the wide end, at the expense of reach. I think it would be useful especially if you are into landscapes. Both give an equivalent of 28-300 in 35mm terms, although from trawling the user reviews, they say that the Sigma is more like a 18-170 when compared to other 200mm lenses.

Mind you I haven't tried any of the lenses above, so do your research...

If you were in the Nikon camp I'd recommend the 18-200 VR...