I love using the Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S to shoot things other than sports.

My daughter is in the high school theater, and I am getting many opportunities to capture her and her friends on stage. In a few years, she will be off to college, and these photos of her performing will be even more valuable to our family.

She is in the center in the photo above, playing a blind girl.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 12800, ƒ/5.6, 1/640

Why is the lens what I like so much? It is a zoom. I never know if I need a tight or wide shot of the stage. By being an undersized back shooting over the audience, I can get those closeups and not miss wider shots.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 5000, ƒ/2.8, 1/1000

In theater, you may have just a few actors or many in a scene. Sometimes I need a little more depth of field, and other times I need a shallow depth of field. The lens lets me open up to ƒ/2.8 and close down as required.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, ISO 5000, ƒ/2.8, 1/1000

The audience was smaller for the first four photos, and I was much closer to the stage. But another play, I was in the very back of the room. I used a Sigma 2X converter to change the lens to 240-600mm.

Nikon D4, Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S, Sigma 2X, ISO 4000, ƒ/5.6, 1/250

Had I been shooting with my Nikkor 28-300mm, I would have to use ƒ/11 if I put a 2X converter on it, but I was shooting at ƒ/5.6 with the Sigma.

There are many times when I need this specialty lens. Maybe you only need it once in a while. If that is the case, then rent the lens. I decided I used it enough to justify buying the lens.

The key to getting the photo is sometimes has the right gear for the situation. Consider the Sigma 120-300mm ƒ/2.8 DG OS HSM | S for more than just sports.