3 comments about Sigma APO 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras.

1. I'm D100 user, and I have been watching this lens for a year. But, the old version of this product (NOT DG) had a problem with focusing accuracy, So I hesitated to buy the old version.
   Nowadays, we can buy old one $100 cheaper than this.
   
   Refer the followings.
   old version: Sigma APO 70-200mm f/2.8 EX HSM
   new version: Sigma APO 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM
   
   The images are all very sharp and accurate, except at 200mm.
   There was a little bit of blurring at 200mm. BUT, it will be gone if you increase aperture one or two stop.
   
   I'm really satisfying this produt.



2. I had the pleasure of using this lens for about a month.
   
   I go to auto races a couple times a year and wanted a fast lens (large aperture) with reasonable zoom. For about the same price, I could have bought a Nikon 80-200 F2.8ED or the Sigma lens. I think quality-wise the Nikon lens is a touch sharper but the Sigma fights back with much faster autofocus speeds and is a bit lighter.
   
   I took it to the Houston Grand Prix and got great pictures out of it. The 2.8 aperture makes it easy to take relatively grainfree images at night races. The lens was heavy (as are all F2.8 lenses in the same zoom range) but I was able to take something like 700 pictures per day without a problem.
   
   One small issue is that location of the focus and zoom rings are opposite of that found in the professional grade Nikon lenses - From the camera body the focus ring is located first and then comes the zoom ring. This makes it a bit inconvenient as you have to move your hand to adjust the focus. Compare this lens to a Nikon lens side by side. You will see what I mean.
   
   The Sigma lens looks solid and tank like. The finish looks like it can take some abuse.
   
   I eventually traded the Sigma lens for the Nikon 70-200 VR. At roughly half the price of the 70-200VR, the Sigma offers 80-90% of the value. It is a great buy for an enthusiast on a budget.



3. I am professional photographer and just started my business. Let me tell between trying to buy studio lights, extra camera bodies, expensive tri-pods, and advertising you can have a hefty credit card bill or large loan ahead of you. BUT!!! One place to save a $1000 bucks is this lens. The Nikon goes for $1600 or so this goes for $800. There is NO optical difference between this and the Nikon UNLESS you use a magnifying glass on your prints. This is what was told to me by my friend at the store. The Nikon has the VR stuff which is really good if you need. But, for $800 dollars I would just use a monopod. It focuses very quickly. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is does not have VR and does not say Nikon haha.

5 comments about Sigma 28-80mm F3.5-5.6 Aspherical-Macro Lens for Canon-AF Camera.

1. When I bought my Canon Elan II I opted for the Sigma lens over the Canon lens. What I based my decion on was that the Sigma Lens, although it does not have the second chip in it to make the whisper focus, it does come with the Macro feature, which with a flip of a switch, you can focus on things three inches from the lens, allowing for some great close-ups with flowers and other subjects. I consider it well worth your money, besides the whisper focus is not really worth the extra bucks.



2. If you are the SLR photographer who enjoys taking quality shots, this lens is for you! What's more, the zoom ring is well-positioned, and as far as i can tell, this is a very reliable lens. I have only had mine for a couple of months, but have already taken some brilliant shots with it! I would recommend it to anyone.



3. I got this lens for everyday use. It has a decent zoom range and a macro mode, making it more versatile than its Canon counterpart. The regular mode takes beautiful pictures at any distance. The macro mode is a little limited, but it does let you get just inches from the subject, good enough for basic close-up work. The close-ups were crystal clear. Although you can get closer with dedicated macro lenses, most people, like me, will find this lens more than sufficient.



4. First, let me say this lens is one of my favorites. I own this lens for my Pentax PZ-1 and have read MANY reviews about it. The price is cheap. In fact, it's arguably the cheapest lenses in it's class. But don't mistake a cheap price as the sign of a bad lens. I use this lens for many occassions and at it almost always delivers GREAT pictures. Yes, it's not the single best lens in the world, but it is as good as many of the lenses I've used that are two or three times the price. Plus, if you break this one you can buy another without breaking your piggy bank ... or your credit card limit.

   The two complaints most people make about this lens are, "It's a slow lens" and "It's almost impossible to focus manually." Let me put both those complaints to rest right now. First, when photographers refer to how "slow" a lens is, they don't mean how fast it can focus, they mean the F-stop setting. This lens is a F3.5-5.6. Granted, some expensive lenses at this focal length can go as low as F1.x, but most can't. And most experienced (and novice) photographers can use any lens that can go below F8. So, when people call this lens "slow," they should be talking about F-stops, not autofocus. I for one have found this lens to be more than fast enough for hand-held use. It's only been too slow once in about 1,000 shots.

   Second, the focusing ring on this puppy is short. That means it's hard to focus manually. Still, that's to be expected on a smaller, cheaper lens such as this. Although it's tough to focus manually, it's not impossible. I've used manual focus on this lens several times and got great results ... just move the ring SLOWLY and you will get great manual focus. Nevertheless, keep in mind this IS an autofocus lens ... most people won't focus the lens manually. And on that note, the autofocus is spectacular.

   Add in the macro ability of this lens and you've got one heck of a package! Oh, and don't forget ... It's CHEAP! If you can only afford one lens for your next vacation, make it this lens ... and use the $100+ you saved to buy more goodies.




5. I have owned this lens for about two years, and found that it was a fine lens at first, when I was just starting to learn with a good camera, but that it quickly outwore it's usefulness and now mainly gathers dust.

   Sigma gave up a lot on this lens to add the Macro element, which lets you focus in very close. The focus is pretty soft at longer lengths, producing pictures that are noticably unsharp. There are manual focusing difficulties resulting from saving much of the focal rings for the macro, so that you have a lot of room to turn for focusing from 2 to 3 feet but very little precision in focusing from twenty to thirty feet (and that is a range I use much more).

   Also, the lens has difficulties in low light, zooming in and out trying to focus on something, anything. I got this in a kit with the 70-300 lens, which I still use all the time and I think is a good lens for the money. On this lens, I would recommend investing instead on a good 50mm lens and just taking a few steps forward or backward to get your shots -- they will be much better shots than with this zoom.

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