Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

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Archive 2009 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

masimo
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p.1 #1 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

Nevertheless here is a full set of shots at about 25' at 24, 35, 50 and 70mm. Processed with Raw Developer. No noise reduction. Sharpened with Deconvolution .6mm 25 iterations. All manually focused using the Sony 2x eyepiece magnifier.

What do you think? How does it compare to the SAL2470 for Sony shooters? How about the contax zooms for those using them?

Mike

Apr 22, 2009 at 04:47 PM

Tariq Gibran
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p.1 #2 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

masimo wrote:
Nevertheless here is a full set of shots at about 25' at 24, 35, 50 and 70mm. Processed with Raw Developer. No noise reduction. Sharpened with Deconvolution .6mm 25 iterations. All manually focused using the Sony 2x eyepiece magnifier.

What do you think? How does it compare to the SAL2470 for Sony shooters? How about the contax zooms for those using them?

Mike

Where is the test? I'm curious to see it!

Apr 22, 2009 at 06:57 PM

Tariq Gibran
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p.1 #3 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

Found them here:

http://www.pbase.com/masimo/sigma_2470_hsm_on_sony_samples

Apr 22, 2009 at 07:02 PM

Tariq Gibran
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p.1 #4 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

Wow, I really expected this lens to be great given it's high price but that does not appear to be the case. Corners are terrible when looking at the F8 24, 28 and 35mm settings. I don't know how it compares with the ZA 24-70, but I can say that my primes are much better...and cheaper.

Apr 22, 2009 at 07:08 PM

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p.1 #5 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

The ZA 24-70 is light years better. My copy at least is sharper than the Contax 28/2.8 and 35-70.

Apr 22, 2009 at 07:22 PM

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p.1 #6 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

Btw, I still don't get why people still buy Sigma lenses. In my experience, if you buy 5 copies of the same lens, you will probably get 1 copy that works like advertized, 1 lemon, and 3 paper weights.

Apr 23, 2009 at 02:44 AM

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p.1 #7 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

edwardkaraa wrote:
Btw, I still don't get why people still buy Sigma lenses. In my experience, if you buy 5 copies of the same lens, you will probably get 1 copy that works like advertized, 1 lemon, and 3 paper weights.

Many haven't had that experience.

Of the 6 Sigma lenses I've owned over the last 6 years 1 was garbage (28-70 kit lens), 1 was mediocre (170-500 APO), 2 were very good (24/2.8 Super-Wide II, EX 50/2.8 Macro) and two were excellent (EX 10-20, 17-70). None of the lot had the supposedly common QC issues (although I've seen others have those issues).

Sigma offers lenses nobody else does and a fairly good price/performance ratio. Of course they do have some dogs in their lineup (and their f2.8 normal FF zooms have long fallen in that category with the exception of the 24-60).

Apr 23, 2009 at 02:49 AM

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p.1 #8 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

Well, I've had the 20, 24, 28, 12-24, 24-70, and 70-300. All were sold only a month later to be replaced by equally crappy Canon stuff, until I discovered I can actually adapt alternative glass.

Apr 23, 2009 at 02:34 PM

masimo
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p.1 #9 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

Tariq,

I hope to go out today and take a set where the bottom corners at least are in focus to eliminate the oof vs corner resoloution issue. The corners on these images are either far in front of the focus area in the wider images or far behind it in the closer images. I don't know that the corners are any better but this test doesn't really answer the question.

I too was hoping for better corners as that is the weak spot in the Zeiss. However in either case the corners can be cropped out and stitching is always an option.

Mike

Apr 23, 2009 at 07:10 PM

Tariq Gibran
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p.1 #10 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

That's a good point. This is a lens I have considered recently and I'm anxious to see your findings. It would really be great to see it compared with the ZA 24-70. I noticed it was back in stock at Amazon the other day.

masimo wrote:
Tariq,

I hope to go out today and take a set where the bottom corners at least are in focus to eliminate the oof vs corner resoloution issue. The corners on these images are either far in front of the focus area in the wider images or far behind it in the closer images. I don't know that the corners are any better but this test doesn't really answer the question.

I too was hoping for better corners as that is the weak spot in the Zeiss. However in either case the corners can be cropped out and stitching is always an option.

Mike

Apr 23, 2009 at 08:27 PM

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p.1 #11 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

PopPhoto must have had a decent copy. They liked it a lot.

Apr 24, 2009 at 07:33 PM

Tariq Gibran
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p.1 #12 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

That is what originally peeked my interest in this lens.

phelme wrote:
PopPhoto must have had a decent copy. They liked it a lot.

Apr 24, 2009 at 08:03 PM

phidong
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p.1 #13 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

I've had a lot of luck with Sigma lenses but the 24-70 is really a dog. Sigma have produced like 6 different versions of this lens; it is a surprise that they haven't managed to get it right.

Apr 24, 2009 at 08:42 PM

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p.1 #14 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

Not any better than i expected. Even the bokeh is horrible. Pop Photo never saw a lens with advertising dollars that it didn't like. I agree with Edward. Not sure why anyone who is serious about the craft bothers with Sigma -- and one of the main problems they have with their DSLR (the sensor debate aside) is that you are stuck with Sigma lenses, and this 24-70 is supposed to be one of the best they have to offer. Sigma's big strategic mistake was venturing out into DSLR's and not focusing on their core competency, lenses. As a result both products suffer.

Apr 24, 2009 at 10:54 PM

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p.1 #15 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

I did a google search and found THIS
It is a comparison between the new HSM and a Nikon 24-70. I didn't have time to read it yet, so I won't comment.
Jim

Apr 24, 2009 at 11:29 PM

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p.1 #16 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

Lotusm50 wrote:
Not any better than i expected. Even the bokeh is horrible. Pop Photo never saw a lens with advertising dollars that it didn't like. I agree with Edward. Not sure why anyone who is serious about the craft bothers with Sigma -- and one of the main problems they have with their DSLR (the sensor debate aside) is that you are stuck with Sigma lenses, and this 24-70 is supposed to be one of the best they have to offer. Sigma's big strategic mistake was venturing out into DSLR's and not focusing on their core competency, lenses. As a result both products suffer.

The 24-70's long been considered one of the worst of the EX series lenses, dunno where you got the idea that it was one of the best unless you're thinking of the 24-60, which is a FAR better performer than any of their other f2.8 normal zooms (the 28-70's are better than the 24-70's, but that ain't saying much).

Sigma makes some excellent kit. But they do have their dogs, and the new 24-70 HSM is clearly one of the more ridiculous examples given the asinine pricing attached to it.

Apr 25, 2009 at 01:09 AM

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p.1 #17 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

mawz wrote:
The 24-70's long been considered one of the worst of the EX series lenses, dunno where you got the idea that it was one of the best unless you're thinking of the 24-60, which is a FAR better performer than any of their other f2.8 normal zooms (the 28-70's are better than the 24-70's, but that ain't saying much).

Sigma makes some excellent kit. But they do have their dogs, and the new 24-70 HSM is clearly one of the more ridiculous examples given the asinine pricing attached to it.

According to the published reviews I've read, this was supposed to be the new 24-70, a premium HSM lens with a significant performance upgrade and price premium over their other lenses in that focal range. It was supposed to compete with the Canon and Nikon offerings. All the buzz that Sigma tried to generate with the introduction of this lens appears to be entirely unjustified

I wasn't expecting much (as I implied), but was prepared for the possibility that Sigma might have gotten it right with the new offering. Just more of the same form Sigma, I'm afraid.

Apr 25, 2009 at 01:30 AM

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p.1 #18 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

looks pretty close to the nikon 24-70

Apr 26, 2009 at 04:52 AM

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p.1 #19 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

Lotusm50 wrote:
Not any better than i expected. Even the bokeh is horrible.

Could you show some examples?

The only weird bokeh from that I've seen is funkadelic highlight bokeh in somewhat unusual shooting conditions.
Sharpness/flare control looked better than Canon's 24-70L (though it's an old lens) and only slightly worse than Nikon's 24-70 which is the current standard (though I haven't seen any comparisons w/ the Zeiss 24-70)...

Apr 27, 2009 at 02:19 PM

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p.1 #20 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

kenyee wrote:
Lotusm50 wrote:
Not any better than i expected. Even the bokeh is horrible.

Could you show some examples?

Did you see the examples that were posted at the beginning of this thread??

Apr 27, 2009 at 02:52 PM

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p.1 #21 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

kenyee wrote:
Sharpness/flare control looked better than Canon's 24-70L (though it's an old lens) and only slightly worse than Nikon's 24-70 which is the current standard (though I haven't seen any comparisons w/ the Zeiss 24-70)...

Ask and you shall receive.

Same reviewer as with the Nikon. This time they compare against the Sony Zeiss 24-70 f/2.8. http://review.fengniao.com/113/1134071.html

english translation

Apr 27, 2009 at 05:17 PM

Tariq Gibran
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p.1 #22 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

Here, the Sigma does very well. It appears better than the Zeiss ZA at 24mm but worse at the long end. This same site compares this Sigma to it's Canon and Nikon competition and comes to the conclusion that the new Sigma beats the Canon, ties the Nikkor and gives good competition to the Zeiss.

phelme wrote:
kenyee wrote:
Sharpness/flare control looked better than Canon's 24-70L (though it's an old lens) and only slightly worse than Nikon's 24-70 which is the current standard (though I haven't seen any comparisons w/ the Zeiss 24-70)...

Ask and you shall receive.

Same reviewer as with the Nikon. This time they compare against the Sony Zeiss 24-70 f/2.8. http://review.fengniao.com/113/1134071.html

english translation

Apr 27, 2009 at 05:38 PM

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p.1 #23 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

Lotusm50 wrote:
Did you see the examples that were posted at the beginning of this thread??

Do you mean this one?
http://www.pbase.com/masimo/image/111678347&exif=Y

In the fengiao review, it mentions the aperture blades don't close to the same point as the Zeiss. I wonder if this is what's causing this double bokeh?

Apr 28, 2009 at 02:38 PM

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p.1 #24 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

Tariq Gibran wrote:
Here, the Sigma does very well. It appears better than the Zeiss ZA at 24mm but worse at the long end.

I came to the same conclusion...and flare control in the Sigma is *better* than the Zeiss which is a big surprise to me.
Edge sharpness is better on the Sigma wide open but the Zeiss is better at 70mm. I'm surprised the Sigma's vignetting wasn't better w/ that massive 82mm filter.
Looks like pretty much a tie to me..

Sigma's infamous QC is mostly what is biting people who are trying to HSM one

Apr 28, 2009 at 03:05 PM

Tariq Gibran
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p.1 #25 · Sigma 24-70 f2.8 hsm on Sony A900 samples up on pbase

kenyee wrote:

Sigma's infamous QC is mostly what is biting people who are trying to HSM one

Yep, the infamous Sigma lottery. I can say that having previously owned a Sigma lens that had issues, Sigma was very quick to replace it. One would hope that the additional expense of the HSM 24-70 over its predecessor would go to fund better QC.

Apr 28, 2009 at 05:14 PM


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