5 comments about Sigma 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX DG HSM APO RF Telephoto Zoom Lens for Minolta and Sony SLR Cameras.

1. I just started taking pictures with this lens and it is just great. The only drawback is its weight that makes it uncomfortable for long nature treks. But I guess the weight comes with the kind of optics involved. Great lens for birds.



2. This lens was a nice lens, but I just wasn't happy with the pictures I got from it. I returned the lens and replaced it with a Tamron 200-500mm and love the Tamron.
   
   The is a good lens if you want a lens to get a wide range of focal lengths. It has good build quality, looks good and produces decent images but I saw some strange aberrations in my pictures and the bokeh just didn't look right to me.
   
   I am not a pro photographer so the issue I had with the lens may have been user generated...but I will say that the Tamron 200-500mm works better for me than this lens did.



3. I purchased this lens, hoping to finally get shots of some birds and people that kept eluding me. I'm happy to say I've been able to get both in range now.
   The lens arrived on the exact delivery date promised, packaged very well.
   It has a bit of weight to it, but not nearly as much as some of my other tele lenses.
   I use this lens with a Tripod, but in good light, while bracing yourself, you can manage to get clean shots up to the 400mm range.
   I've shot with this on both my a100 and my a350 with fairly equal results on both. I find it zooms in a bit faster on the a350.
   Pros: It delivers what it says it can.
   Cons: I didn't buy it sooner.
   Givens: It weighs what you would expect from this size of lens.



4. One of the best lenses money can buy. A little bulky as a handheld, but great on a tripod.



5. I'm using this on an A700. Its fast becoming my main lens. The tremendous range makes it usable in a variety of situations. I love to use it while doing event photography...I can get up close and personal with someone way on the other side of things and they never know I'm even shooting at them. With a good flash, it even serves well at night. I can get great pictures (or at least as great as can be expected with direct flash at night) up to about 100ft away. At that range I can zoom in pretty close with this lens.
   It does get a little soft at the tele end, and I've seen some purple CA fringing around objects where there is a sharp light/dark contrast.
   Like most lenses, it has a little trouble with focus in low light, but generally it is fast and accurate. Some extra support is a must. this thing is a hoss, and you *will* feel it after you carry it around for a while. I use a Giotto's P-pod with mine, and that's been the best combo I could ask for.
   I guess my only real disappointment with this lens is that you have to keep the shutter speed up higher than you would on a smaller/shorter lens (I guess it has to do with the length of the lens exaggerating camera shake plus the center of balance is farther forward so in-camera anti-shake probably isn't as effective).

5 comments about Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG APO Macro Telephoto Zoom Lens for Pentax and Samsung SLR Cameras.

1. When I manually focus the lens the picture is of very good quality but the auto focus does not work very well at any distance



2. I've owned this lens for about a year and use it on a *istDS. Used in good light, the focusing is quick and accurate. My pictures are sharp wide open or stopped down... doesn't matter. I just returned from a vacation where I took many bird pictures and I can't see how the definition in the feathers could be any better.
   
   No, it isn't an f/2.8 lens, so don't expect miracles in low light. Still, it does an acceptable job here, too. Macro function is good, but the switch can be difficult to move back out of macro mode.
   
   The size and weight are reasonable. It is well worth the weight, space and effort to take on multi day hikes in the deep woods. Been there - happy I had it. Zoom in on the big animals far away or close in on the bugs and flowers.
   
   I'm sure that there are slightly better lenses out there, but not for anywhere near this price. To me, it's easily worth twice what I paid for it. I'm extremely happy to have this lens in my bag! For the function and price, easily 5 stars.



3. This range just does not seem to have a really good lens on the market right now and hopefully one of the companies who makes K mount lenses will do something about the problem. If I had it to do again I would buy a fixed lens at 300 or 400 in a manual focus lens.



4. Great lense for the price. Works as advertised and I have no complaints about the sharpness or contrast. The macro works fine but with very limited depth of field.



5. I'm really happy with the result I achieved with this lens. Every shot is sharp. The only issue is the macro switch which is difficult to move at times.I tried shooting at f4 and the result is not as sharp but at f8 is where this lens shine. The lens feel is quite acceptable for it's price. I reccomend this lens because of it's value for money and acceptable performance.

No comments about Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX DG IF HSM APO Macro Lens for Pentax and Samsung SLR Cameras.

No comments about Sigma 170-500mm f/5-6.3 DG RF APO Aspherical Ultra Telephoto Zoom Lens for Sigma SLR Cameras.

1 comments about Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Large Aperture Wide Angle Lens for Pentax and Samsung DSLR Cameras.

1. This lens works pretty well with my Pentax K10D.
   Nice Sharpness, nice contrast, good-enough saturation for me
   needs a 77mm filter to fit, that might be expensive.
   I never take it off from my camera since I bought it.
   it has a better control of image shape than all my zoom lenses since it has a fixed focal length 24mm.

5 comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC IF Aspherical Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras.

1. I bought this lens to use on my Nikon D70. I could not be more pleased with any lens. I compared shots taken with this lens to my Nikon 28-105 and cannot tell any differencs. This is a well made lens and I would reccomend it highly.



2. I bought this lens so that when I travel using my Nikon D100 I could have an all-in-one zoom that would spare me the inconvenience of constantly changing lenses. I have not regretted this purchase, as for most situations the resulting photos are quite satisfactory. However, potential buyers should be aware that any lens that is designed to "do it all" involves compromises.
   
   The lens balances well on an SLR body, is remarkably compact, and is well-made. It's not as solid, however, as an expensive professional-level zoom, so don't drop it! The petal-type lens hood works well to prevent routine flare.
   
   Photos I have taken have been sharp and clear, with only a bit of softness at maximum aperture and at the longest focal lengths. The lens has a few shortcomings, however. In some lighting situations the color cast of digital images seems to be a bit "tan," tending almost toward sepia tones. This can be corrected easily enough in Photoshop (or whatever post-exposure program one uses). Perhaps a bit more annoying is that there is noticeable light falloff in the corners, a phenomenon that is most prominent in photos that include large areas of sky. Again, this can be dealt with in post-processing (mainly through slight cropping), but potential buyers should be aware of this issue.
   
   The best thing about the lens is that it provides adequate performance at focal lengths ranging from standard wide-angle (what would be the equivalent of around 27mm. in a 35mm. camera) to basic telephoto (187 mm. at 35mm.) This makes it quite useful for general, "walkaround" photography, especially when one is traveling. If you want the absolute best in optical performance, however, you might find the lens wanting in some situations.



3. I bought this lens to use with my Canon EOS300D. Buyers should beware of the noticeable vignetting - in my opinion this problem is not acceptable in a lens of this price. Sigma should have sorted this out before putting it on the market. On the plus side is the convenient zoom range and the compact size. I guess it depends on whether you consider these benefits outweigh the vignetting problems. Yes, it can be corrected with imaging software, but who wants to have to correct every picture that has an area of sky or other light subject matter in the corners?



4. I have a Nikon D50 with the 18-55mm lens. I wanted a lens that would handle most of my requirements without carrying multiple lenses. I considered the Nikon 18-70mm but wanted just a bit more on the telephoto end. The Sigma 18 to 125mm f3.5-5.6 looked like it would do the job nicely. Being a retired news and commercial photographer, I was concerned about the quality of the non-Nikon lens but after reading a number of reviews, decided to give the Sigma a try.
   
   I'm delighted I did! I really like this lens! Colors are crisp and true. The lens feels solid and works very smoothly and, most important, it is needle sharp! There is a small sound when focusing but it's not objectionalble. Focus is quick and accurate even in low light conditions. Unlike the low priced Nikons, the Sigma has a metal mounting flange.
   
   I wouldn't hesitate to buy this lens again. It does more than I expected for a very reasonable price!



5. I bought this lens for those times when all I want is the camera and one lens. There are times when its nice having every accessory known to man packed in a case on your back but who needs all that when attending a party or family picnic. I really like the 18mm end of the range but do see the benefit of reaching out further without a lens change which the 125mm end provides. I have read all the technical analysis most of which confuses me and comes across like splitting hairs. Maybe some of those reviewers can afford to spend hundreds more. It seems like just about every lens suffers from something. Capturing an image that pleases the PHOTOGRAPHER is what is really important and so far I have been very pleased with the results. The lens is being used on a Nikon D50 so I have NOT experienced any of the focus problems the Canon users seem to talk about. As far as focus speed and noise are concerned, I can't tell the difference between this lens and my other Sigma(2) and Nikon(1) lenses. I should mention that I did consider the 18-200mm lens but decided against it because the 18-125mm has been in production longer, doesn't stretch the technical limits as far, and costs about $100 less.

1 comments about Sigma 55-200mm f/4-5.6 DC Telephoto Zoom Lens for Minolta and Sony Digital SLR Cameras.

1. Easy to operate. Attaches perfectly to my A100 camera. Pictures taken with this lens are superb!

2 comments about Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG APO HSM Large Aperture Macro Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras.

1. I recently just picked up this lens for myself. I have to say this is one of the best lenses I have used. The auto-focus is fast and silent. It doens't hunt, even when you zoom straight to 200mm. I also love that the minimum focusing distance is 3 feet. My dad has an older version of this lens for the Minolta mount and he is envious of the focusing distance.
   
   I will say that at 200mm at f/2.8, there is a touch of softness, but it's not objectionable for my taste. I would recommend trying this lens if you can to make sure you would be willing to deal with the softness. Otherwise at all other focal lengths, it is tack sharp!
   
   This lens is also heavy at 3 pounds. It can get tiring to hold it all day long, so I would recommend a monopod for support. Overall, I really love this lens and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good telephoto lens.



2. I'm a huge fan of my Sigma 70-200 2.8. I do a lot of indoor sports photography and can get some really crisp pictures with this lens. The only thing is that the lens that I was sent by amazon is different from the one pictured here. It did not have an automatic/manual switch on the lens, which I thought would be a problem with my D40, but DOES still work with my D40- both manual and automatic.
   
   I highly recommend this lens. It's cheaper than the alternatives and gets the job done.

3 comments about Sigma 100-300mm f/4 EX DG IF HSM APO Fast Aperture Telephoto Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras.

1. The HSM of this lens is faster than Nikon 80-200 on D70s (it hunt around 2 times when i tried to focus on my frd who was in blue/white stripes at opposite side of a tennis court walking to me) and Sigma 70-200 on 350D. How fast is that? I could say that it is as fast as the EF-S 18-55 kit lens! Do bear in mind, usually wide lenses focuses faster than tele.
   Besides, the handling and build of this lens is good. Tripod mount made of metal. Holding the tripod ring and focusing ring feels great. I shaked this lens on intention, and hit it to a table... ( this is not my lens :P ) It works same well and not even a tiny scratch is done on the lens after all
   However, it has some draw backs. 300mm focal length is a bit too long for me. F4.0 is a bit too narrow to use with 300mm indoor ... your photos may be blurred if you handheld them
   Conclusion: It is a perfect lens (especially sports) if you use it under bright sunlight.



2. I bought this lens to use with my Canon 30D for high school sports (soccer, football, baseball, etc). I already had the Sigma APO 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras and needed more focal length. Like the 70-200 F/2.8, this lens is big, heavy, and built like a tank. The bare lens is about an inch longer than the 70-200, but the 100-300's hood is longer than the 70-200's hood.
   
   The zoom and focus rings are wide and move smoothly with just the right amount of resistance. This lens is sharp wide open. At the overlapping focal lengths, the 70-200 at F/4 is just barely sharper than this lens at F/4 (wide open). At 200mm, this lens is actually sharper (200mm is this lens's sweet spot.) At 300mm, the lens is still sharp wide open, but I like to stop down to F/4.5 just to keep things super-sharp. Up to 250mm, I would not hesitate to use it wide open.
   
   This Sigma lens has HSM which means the focus is fast and quiet. The lens focuses a little slower than the 70-200 F/2.8, but I've found that the 30D is more of a limiting factor in focus speed than the lens is. Servo tracking is very good with this lens, the only time it can't keep up is when track runners are sprinting straight at me (although again, I think the body is the limiting factor here.) For almost every other situation, the focus will definitely keep up.
   
   All in all, this is not an indoor lens by any means, but as an outdoor sports (or wildlife/nature) lens, it is awesome.



3. I bought this lens because the Canon 100-400mm was alittle to much for my pocket book. I have had the lens over 5 months and used it mostly outdoors with a monopod. A monopod is a must, Living next to Yellowstone Park I use this lens alot, however it is alittle heavy, and needs alot of light to get a perfect picture. Its not a L lens but it has its qualities that are very close, this lens doesn't get the attention it deserves for outdoor photography.
   
   If you are looking for a good F4 lens without spending over $ 900.00 this is a good alternative. If you shot in low light tripod is a must.
   
   Overall I am very happy with this lens, I would give it 5 stars if it handled low light better.

2 comments about Sigma 70mm F/2.8 EX DG Macro Lens for Pentax Digital SLR Cameras.

1. After researching macro lenses and considering my uses, I decided that I would get more use from a 70mm macro than other focal lengths such as 50 or 105. I see this lens as primarily a 70mm with macro capability for my purposes. And it is a great lens. Very sharp for all distances. Very nice color, contrast, etc. Solid construction, smooth focusing both manual and auto. This is a hunk of gear that is excellent in almost every way.
   
   And HUNK it is. Heavy, big. Be prepared for this. Use a can of peas to get the idea. This isn't a complaint; on my Pentax K10D, it balances well and is a pleasure to hold. But it will start weighing you down after time around the neck.
   
   My negative comments: The lens hood should be sized tighter so that it stays in place when reversed and you place it in a bag. The Sigma 'EX' crinkle finish is fine but not my favorite. The supplied case is bigger than it needs to be and yet doesn't provide much padding.
   
   My most used lens. I didn't know that 70mm on an APS-C sensor (105mm equivalence for 35mm) would be such a nice focal length but it has become my new 'standard' lens.



2. I chose this as I didn't want a 105 or 50mm macro, so far this is one of the sharpest lenses I have ever used, on par with the Pentax 70mm limited ( which is a great lens just can't focus close ). Yes the lens is heavy and the AF is typical macro lens laboriously slow but for macros your typicaly shooting subjects that won't need fast AF. Good rendering and good bokeh.
   
   My only problem with the lens is it's close focus, about 7 cm to get 1:1 is too close for insects and such, it's not the normal close focus of 25cm they claim ( which is close focus in non macro mode with the limiter on ). I would have liked if they had mentioned that ( sigma ) so I would have known as it might be to tight for some ring lights and 1:1 with this lens.