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duncansdad
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Registered: Mar 2, 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 64
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Review Date: Apr 29, 2013
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Fast af, good color, landscapes and macros, hsm
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Cons:
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Takes a good deal of trial and error to get the best iq from lens.
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Bought lens second hand. Took a leap of faith that the images posted by seller were not true reflection of its potential. My lens is the hsm version and I could not be happier with the images I am producing.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4641590244452&l=4f2a9235f9
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 Apr 29, 2013
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Vandergaze
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Registered: Mar 19, 2010
Location: Germany
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jun 10, 2010
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp throughout from 2.8 onward. Extreme Corners become sharpest from f/4 onward.
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Cons:
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All apertures are completely usable except 50mm f/2.8, extreme corners, extreme sunlight
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After a year of daily hourlong use, the rubber ring started getting a little loose. But this really only happens on extreme occasions with more than just over-average usage.
Probably the best lens i ever had for my D90. It's HSM was incredible.
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Jun 10, 2010
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Yang1815
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Registered: Dec 4, 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 31
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Review Date: Dec 4, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $400.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Decent build quality and finish, constant f/2.8, price compared to Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8
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Cons:
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Slight front focus, right side soft, hunts quite a bit in low light.
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Quite a performer at a third of the price compared to the Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8. The lens has the weight and a tight feel. Sigma's EX finish is also quite pleasant. However, their quality control needs some improvement. I have had/used my particular copy for over three years and although I have gotten quite a bit satisfactory photos, it is pretty obvious that there are some shortcomings.
The edges at f/2.8 is quite soft at all focal lengths but especially on the wide end. Stopped down would improve the performance. My particular copy has slight front focus that does not affect the photo too much but the right side is soft compared to the left which led to some fuzzy photos although focused correctly.
Even with the f/2.8, AF accuracy and speed is not good at low-light situations. The lens would go through the entire focal length range and hunts before failing to focus. Even if it did focus, it takes quite a few seconds that if the subject is a moving child, there goes the shot.
Overall it is a good lens to buy on a small budget but its performance leaves more to be desired. If budget is tight, I would suggest getting a faster prime such as the 35mm f/1.8G, f/2D; 50mm f/1.8G, f/1.4D for sharpness and speed. Zoom is useful, but I prefer sharper photos captured.
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Dec 4, 2009
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jz77
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Registered: May 3, 2009
Location: Poland
Posts: 0
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Review Date: May 3, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $430.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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iq for the price, colors build quality, handling
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Cons:
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focus in dark
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I've had this lens for over 2 years with two canon 400d bodies and took lots of photos I'm very happy with. Once thought about selling just because whatever, but made my mind that there are no reasons and I'll use it more and I don't regret, it's great as a walkaround and for tourism, good colors. Went on trips with that and it's neat for that.
Don't know if there's some zoom with this light in this price that would beat it, haven't tried the Tamron though. The iq in the corners is not very good so don't know if it'd work for pro shoots, but overally I think it meets the iq/price factor very well and you'll be happy with it.
It has some problems with focusing in dark, it tends to go through all the range and stop on some random place, after a few tries and a bit of light it may finally get near the spot.
The noise, well, you can get used to it, it's for shooting pics not listening to, and it's not as annoying as in some other sigmas I've had.
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May 3, 2009
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graemeak
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Registered: Mar 30, 2008
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 313
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Review Date: May 3, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $260.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Wide aperture throughout range, fast and accurate AF, compact, lightweight, 67mm filters are reasonable to buy, decent build quality, comes with case and hood, internal focusing.
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Cons:
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Extends when zooming and fairly noisy AF
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I bought this lens after selling my 17-40mm L series Canon lens. I wanted a faster lens and didn't mind downgrading in build quality a bit. I'm glad I did this as this lens is very very good for the money and I can see it being in my bag a lot!
Its focusing isn't as fast as the 17-40 but it is just as accurate. The lens is nice to hold and I recommend it to anyone with a 1.6x sensor as a general purpose lens! I saw no point in forking out £750+ for a Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 when this was £260. I don't need IS as I have steady hands and the subjects I photograph are usually the ones moving!
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May 3, 2009
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saakal
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Registered: Feb 17, 2009
Location: Estonia
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Feb 17, 2009
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Vivid colours and sharp as a scalpel!
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Cons:
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Could have HSM
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Just buy one!
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Feb 17, 2009
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timontario
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Registered: May 30, 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 163
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Review Date: Dec 6, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Quick focus, beautiful bokeh & great IQ
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Cons:
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None.
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I've had this lens for about 24 hours, and have popped off about 500 shots with it. It's great. I had the 17-70 2.8-4.5 - but found that I was getting frustrated with the loss of a stop & third at the long end. Traded it in at Henry's for half back towards this one.
Bokeh at 50mm is nice, low light performance is great too.
Hunts for focus in very low-light -=- but then again, I can't see that great at night either -- why expect the lens to change that ;-)
So far - My images have been SUPER crisp. I'm extremely satisfied.
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Dec 6, 2008
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Joseph N. Hall
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Registered: Dec 31, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Sep 2, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Lightweight, well built, fast, image quality excellent.
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Cons:
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Slight droop; focus ring rotates (no HSM).
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At this price, and in general, I can't find anything major to complain about with this lens. I actually have the SA (Sigma mount) version, but it's electronically equivalent to the EF - Sigma uses the EOS signaling protocol, so I'm assuming that the lens will perform and handle similarly on both bodies.
At a constant f/2.8, it's fast. It's light. It handles well. Seems solid like my other EX lenses. There's not much to complain about image quality wise. I'd consider the IQ "A-" to "A" depending on focal length and aperture. It performs well wide open.
There's a slight tendency for the barrel to droop when the lens is pointed straight down (or up). Not really a problem. It would be nice if the lens had HSM, but the rotating focus ring doesn't pose much of a handling problem. Basically, the lens takes good pictures, is an all around good performer, and is reasonably priced.
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Sep 2, 2008
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Alanu
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Registered: Mar 8, 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 877
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Review Date: Aug 24, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Wide open the images are very useable, Fast AF, stopping down to f3.5 has very impressive IQ, great bokeh, excellent performer for the price range.
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Cons:
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Marginal zoom creep. Hunting may occur in very low light situations. Good build but no comparison to Canon's "L" series.
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I would consider this lens to be a pleasant suprise. You may find negative reviews on this lens but make a note it may be of the older versions of this focal range.
My copy has provided me excellent IQ. Keep in mind $$ to IQ ratio. Looking at photos taken with my 24-70L I feel the Sigma 18-50EX holds its own in terms of sharpness and colour rendition. The sigma may have a hint of more warmth to the image.
If you want an "L" lens in this focal range there really isn't any. The non "L" EF-S 17-55 IS is double the price but faster AF and dead on accurate in low light. The Sigma 18-50EX is marketed for a lower budget, however IMO its no slouch.
This lens is dedicated for the crop camera bodies so take that into condsideration in your purchase. If your moving onto full frame this lens isn't for you.
I chose the Sigma vs the more expensive EF 17-40 f4 L because I wanted faster glass. IMO the 18-50EX equals to this particular "L"lens but has the edge for nicer bokeh.
I highly recommend this lens to any hobbyist that demands high IQ at an affordable price. For photogs getting paid for their work the EFS 17-55 IS will provide more keepers in low light.
Like anything post processing is a photographers best friend. Minimal tweeks maybe required but this also applies to higher end lenses aswell.
This lens will remain in my gearbag. It compliments my other lenses well (24-70L, 70-200 2.8IS, 85 1.8 etc) without compromising IQ.
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Aug 24, 2008
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Bara
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Registered: Aug 17, 2008
Location: Croatia
Posts: 21
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Review Date: Aug 18, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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very fast and precise AF, very good sharpness wide open, excellent sharpness stopped down, price/performance
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Cons:
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average build quality, lens hood
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I 18-50mm 2,8 EX DC MACRO HSM 5 months now. I'm delighted with my copy becuse it's sharp as Nikkor 17-55 2,8 and 3,5 times cheaper.
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Aug 18, 2008
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ehhh
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Registered: Jul 10, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 138
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Review Date: Jul 10, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $450.00
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Good performance wide open, very sharp stopped down, focuses quickly and accurately, good build quality, excellent lens. That is if you get a good copy.
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Cons:
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Shoddy quality control (I went through 4), little too much damping on zoom ring, inconsistent fit and finish.
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I went through 4 of these lenses (Macro version) to get a good copy, so make sure you buy it from somewhere with a good exchange policy.
1st lens had extremely poor focus calibration and was exchanged.
2nd lens had slight front focus and was sharper at the edges than in the center, and slight, but noticeable decentering. This one was borderline acceptable.
3rd lens had obvious decentering where a large portion of one corner was completely smeared. Focus was great though.
4th and final lens is great, with no noticeable decentering and excellent focus.
I may be a little more nitpicky than the average person though, and I think the 2nd copy would probably have been acceptable to some.
Fit and finish not consistent between copies. Two had slight play in the zoom ring, 3 previous copies had stiff focus/lock switches.
Build is overall good, with a nice finish, solid feel, and very little barrel wobble. Comes with a nice case and hood.
Image quality on the keeper lens is excellent. Colors are a bit different from Canon lenses, but easily corrected with custom white balance. Wide open -- images are sharp, and as expected, softness is visible in corners. The lens is very sharp past f4, corner to corner. Vignetting is visible at f2.8 at the wide end of the zoom, but very low stopped down past f4. Vignetting is virtually gone at the longer end.
Focus speed is quick, accurate, and fairly quiet (assuming it is calibrated well). There is a light buzzing noise when autofocusing. Accurate manual focusing is difficult due to the short rotation range and undamped ring.
Overall a nice step up from the kit lens, and an affordable large aperture zoom. If only Sigma could get their QC up to snuff.
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Jul 10, 2008
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capnd
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Registered: Jun 3, 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jun 3, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $460.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Versatile. Wide enough. Macro
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Cons:
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Focus ring spins opposite to Nikon. Focus mode switch tight - takes
two fingers and a good flip.
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I have the new macro version, which is an upgrade from the lens
listed in the review. Lens is sharp and quite. Dollar for dollar this
lens is great. Shot two weddings with it and it's a keeper.
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Jun 3, 2008
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lextalionis
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Registered: Jul 28, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 1076
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Review Date: Mar 14, 2008
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Recommend? no |
Price paid: $430.00
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Wide angle macro and sharp if stepped down beyond 2.8
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Cons:
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Soft, soft edges and buid quality is low IMHO
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I'm not going to recommend this lens, but this is my opinion.
Photos speak for themselves. Here are samples taken with a Canon XTi:
Sample Photos
-Roy
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Mar 14, 2008
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Chad Schulz
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Registered: Oct 25, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 1499
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Review Date: Feb 22, 2008
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Very Sharp above f4, f2.8 works well at all focal lengths, Good Bokeh at 35mm+, Low Distortion above 24mm, New quiet/fast HSM motor, Can focus almost touching glass, near-macro @ 1:3, Heavy build quality
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Cons:
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Focus ring moves during AF, Moderate distortion at 18-24mm, Soft (but not bad) @ f2.8, Front cap cannot be attached with hood on
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I love this lens, it and it's 150mm Macro brother are the only lenses I need.
Fast and quiet HSM, near-macro close focus, high resolution contrasty images, and VERY sharp above f4. The distortion is moderate below 24mm and undetectable above 35mm. The bokeh at 35mm+ is great at large aperatures. And it feels well built, no zoom creep and good focal dial resistance.
But what the hell were Sigma thinking having the focus ring move during AF? A lens this short and heavy requires you to grab the damn ring to hold the camera and when the ring moves you lose shots. And Sigma needs to start using center-pinch lens caps, you can't attach their cap with the hood on.
Otherwise a GREAT kit type standard/wide zoom for digital cropped cameras. Highly recommended!
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Feb 22, 2008
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pc168
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Registered: Mar 9, 2007
Location: China
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Aug 29, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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F2.8 is usable with good centre sharpness. Very sharp between F5.6 and F11 across the whole zoom range. Very good build quality. A high quality kit lens with true F2.8.
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Cons:
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Focus ring rotates during autofocus. Don't know why the design does not follow other EX lenses such as the 10-20 with a distance window. No HSM (but they released the HSM version for Nikon!)
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Always felt my 24-105 L is not wide enough. Recently got the macro version for my Canon 350D. The sharpness is comparable to Canon L glass. Excellent sharpness at both centre and border when stopped down. Color and saturation are good. But Canon L is a bit better, fair enough. Build quality better than Tamron. No front/back focus issue, fast and accurate focus. Very satisfied with the overall performance. I need a standard kit lens with very good wide angle performance and large aperture, this is the one. Will be in my camera most of the time.
Something to mention, the 18mm performance is much much better than the 17mm of my first Canon lens, the 17-85 IS (of course sold).
Never tried Sigma product before. Good impression. Highly recommended.
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Aug 29, 2007
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pix-l
Offline
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Registered: Aug 17, 2007
Location: Netherlands
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Aug 17, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Value for money, f/2.8, EX buid, close up ability (would not call it macro)
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Cons:
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No HSM.
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Note i've got the new Macro version. This is my standard lens. Realy like the f/2.8 apeture. This is the lens that's on my camera most of the time.
The addition of HSM would make it even better, it's fast enough focussing and it makes a resonable amount of noise.
As with my other f/2.8 lens it a bit soft wide open, gets better stopped down a bit. Can't wait to use it for my holiday in France.
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Aug 17, 2007
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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90
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298874
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Apr 29, 2013
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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89% of reviewers
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$438.58
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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8.58
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8.67
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8.3
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