[slejhamer]

You know I hate Sigma. You know I dislike the idea of "digital" camera lenses designed for the smaller sensors.

But I like the idea of a constant f/2.8 aperture zoom ... and I "need" a wide lens to replace the 17-40 Canon "L" that's going back to the shop ...

I was all set to buy the Tamron 17-35, but came across THIS, a most curious lens indeed.

And I've seen reviews comparing it favorably to both the Canon 35mm f/1.4L and the Zeiss 50mm f/1.4, two of the greatest lenses ever made. Seriously!

So what did I do?

:o

[shuttertalk]

Hm... interesting...

I thought you already had the Tamron 28-70 f/2.8? I suppose this one is a bit wider...

Found 2 user opinions here:
http://photographyreview.com/Sigma/PRD_3...28crx.aspx

[slejhamer]

I sold that Tamron for the 50mm f/1.4, which is a real gem. I needed a super-fast lens for indoor shooting in available light.

Thanks for those reviews!

Here is the comparison to the Canon 35mm f/1.4:
http://www.pbase.com/joemama/sigma_1850__28

I think the Canon has the slight advantage at f/2.8 ... but at that aperture it is already stopped down two stops while the Sigma is wide open, and of course it costs more than twice as much! The Sigma really holds its own there.

And here ( http://people.freenet.de/stauber/sigma/ ) is someone comparing it to the Zeiss Planar 50mm f/1.4 ... again, the Sigma is a contender.

This one comes with a 4-year warranty in the US, so hopefully that's a sign of improved quality.

[adam]

You know I hate Sigma. You know I dislike the idea of "digital" camera lenses designed for the smaller sensors.

But I like the idea of a constant f/2.8 aperture zoom ... and I "need" a wide lens to replace the 17-40 Canon "L" that's going back to the shop ...

I was all set to buy the Tamron 17-35, but came across THIS, a most curious lens indeed.

And I've seen reviews comparing it favorably to both the Canon 35mm f/1.4L and the Zeiss 50mm f/1.4, two of the greatest lenses ever made. Seriously!

So what did I do?

:o

Why do you dislike the idea of "digital" camera lenses?
If you're waiting for full frame DSLRs to become a lot cheaper so that you can use the "digital" lens on it; seems a long way away, so buy buy buy!

[shuttertalk]

Oh wait... you bought it, did you, slej?

[adam]

I've read super goodies about 18-50
get!

[slejhamer]

Why do you dislike the idea of "digital" camera lenses?
If you're waiting for full frame DSLRs to become a lot cheaper so that you can use the "digital" lens on it; seems a long way away, so buy buy buy!

Doesn't have to be full frame ... next step up in Canon land is the 1DMkII with 1.3x crop. But you're right, I won't be getting one anytime soon.

[slejhamer]

Oh wait... you bought it, did you, slej?

Well, I ordered it. Hopefully will have it by the end of the week.

[shuttertalk]

Sweeet. In my books, anything with constant aperture (especially low ones) are yummy.

Where did you buy it from?

[slejhamer]

Arrived today from B&H in New York. ( I did not pay for expedited shipping, but that's two-day turnaround including Sunday! B&H rules! )

Initial thoughts:

BEATS THE PANTS OFF OF THE CANON 17-40L !!!

Alright, no scientific testing has yet been done. But I fired off a couple dozen test shots around the house, some with flash and some without. Achieved crisp focus even in low-light situations almost every time, whereas the Canon really struggled. I took a shot at f/2.8, 1/8s hand held, and it was as sharp as what I got with the Canon at f/4 on a tripod. Hmph!

Build quality is better than I expected. It's a compact lens and I expected it to feel lightweight and plasticy, but it really seems solid. Both the zoom and focus rings rotate smoothly and not too easily - the tension seems perfect. I like the sparkly black Sigma EX finish too; it's pretty classy IMHO.

What's not to like? Nothing really ... but there are a couple of quirks:

Autofocus is loud! I am used to Canon's USM, and Sigma's HSM is comparable, but this lens is not HSM ... there is quite a "ZZZIP!" as the motor spins. I think it sounds kinda cool, actually, but it's not a lens for clandestine operations.

The two Sigma lenses I've owned both seem to offer less contrast than Canon lenses. I've heard similar comments from other Sigma owners, so I think this is just a characteristic of their lenses. A little dash of "local contrast enhancement" (aka large-radius USM) really helps.

But those minor factors aside, I must say I'm pleased with what I've seen so far! I just hope I don't have to deal with their service center again ... that's what turned me off of Sigma last time.

Have some pineapple:



100% crop

[StudioJ]

100% crop but what the heck is it???

[byrt_001]

Hi

Too much of polarise sunglases? joke...is a pineapple.

I used to have a 20-35 mm sigma bought new (first generation) Well after a few year of used the all lens fell apart. I mean the all mechanism of motor and...gosh how is it call the little thing that open and closes the lens? (sorry forgot ( too much smoke in my brain) ) anyway the all thing just gave up! it was my favourite very nice angles but noisy and slow. And was cheeeapppp compare to the Nikon version

Well it cost me almost the price of a new one to repair it. That was my first and last.

That was my two zim cents.

Regards

Christian

[shuttertalk]

Wow, cool! Awesomely sharp photo, mitch!

Have fun with the lens! *jealous look*

[slejhamer]

Christian, I understand what you're saying! I had problems with a Sigma 17-35 EX lens falling apart and so did Rufus (though I believe he now has the new version of the same lens.) Interior coating would flake off and get all over the lens elements. And then dealing with their tech support in New York was a real hassle!

I swore never to buy Sigma again ... but then I saw this brand new lens with all the features that I want and I got sucked in! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that their quality control has improved over the past couple of years...

[slejhamer]

Awesomely sharp photo

I thought about using focal blade but didn't need to! "Soft look" sharpening upon conversion in Capture One, then a dash of USM for the web-sized version. Crisp! The only other thing I did was boost contrast using USM of amount 20 - radius 50 - threshold 2, the "local contrast enhancement" technique.