4 comments about Sigma 50mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras.

1. I recently purchased the Nikon D200 camera. I had several nice zoom lenses but I did not have anything which would take macro close-up photos. I did some research and found good reviews for this lens. So I got it.
   
   The lens is an excellent lens for close-up photos. I am not a professional photographer but I try really hard to get good sharp photos. This lens will do the job.
   
   Since it is also also a 50mm lens I have used it as a normal lens. The only problem with that is that over the years many of us have been spoiled with zoom lenses. With a zoom lens you can stand in one spot and zoom the lens in or out to get closer or father from your subject. With just the 50mm capability of this lens you have to physically move in or out to get a closer shot or a wider shot. This is not necessarily a criticism, just a comment about how we have been spoiled by zoom lenses.
   
   I do not believe you will be disappointed with this lens. The price is great for the quality.



2. I have always wanted a Macro lens - and this is my first. So far it has lived up to my expectations. Is lightweight and is just great for real closeups. For a reasonably priced macro, I recommend this lens!
   Although I am used to zoom lenses and this one is fixed, I think it will be useful for a lot of situations other than close ups, especially since it is an f/2.8 lens - faster than any of my zoom lenses.



3. For the price I am happy with this macro lens. I purchased it for a Nikon D40 DSLR. It will not auto focus with this camera, as a AF-S lens is needed for that; but those are in the range of $700+; so this lens is fine with manual focus, and for $550 or so less than one that will auto focus with my camera. I am happy with the photo quality that it produces.



4. I own a Nikon D200 and already have a 300 mm lens that will do "macro" which for me, isn't the kind of macro I like to do. A lot of professional photographers don't 'get it' as to why I would want a 1:1 ratio. I love this lens from the moment I tried it out. What convinced me to buy it was a lens review in PC Photo magazine (the most recent issue) that reviewed the Sigma, Nikon and Canon 50mm macro lenses. This one won hands down and I can easily see why. You can view some of my macro shots at my web album: [...]
   They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

5 comments about Sigma 55-200mm f/4-5.6 DC Telephoto Zoom Lens for Olympus and Panasonic Digital SLR Cameras.

1. The Sigma 55-200 is a very inexpensive telephoto zoom. For the price, it's excellent. Of course it's not a pro lens, but for candid telephoto shots of the family and friends it's great. It's a little soft wide open, so try and keep the lens closed down a bit.



2. I couldn't afford the pricey lenses so I thought I'd give this one a try. While it is a good lens, it lacks the finesse that an Olympus lens has. Focus and telephoto movements of the lens aren't nearly as smooth as the Olympus. I guess I sacrificed some of the refinements of a high end lens when I went with Sigma. Don't get me wrong, it's a great lens and suits my needs well. I'm happy with the purchase.



3. Despite what some reviewers have stated, I found the IQ produced by this lens to be unacceptable. The lens is cheap compared to the Zuiko 50-200mm or even the Zuiko kit 40-150mm and it gives a nice focal range but that's about it. Images are soft (unless the lens is stepped down to f8.0, which becomes a problem in moderate to low light conditions) and it produces a yellow cast, visible in most shots. I should have listened to the many negative reviews I came across and avoid it. In the end, I sent it back to Amazon for a refund. I won't recommend it not even if you are on a budget. Save you money util you can afford something better. I bought the Zuiko 70-300mm instead and that's one great lens...worth every penny!!!



4. I bought this lens for my Olympus e-510 three months ago and waited to see its performance before writing this review. I hope it would be helpful for the readers.
   
   First I must tell that it is fully compatible with my Olympus e510 and it is perfoming very well. If you have any doubt about its compatibility with your camera, I strongly recommend you to visit Sigma official web site to read the "zoom products'" specification table. You can detailed information about the Sigma lenses and their compatibility issues.
   
   This lens's 4/3 feature empowers the zoom to a great extend, the 35mm equilivance of that is 110mm to 400mm. That means you can do anything you want with such a powerful zoom.
   
   The picture quality is excellent, the lens has both Manual and Auto focus feature so it lets you to become the part of the picture. I bought my Olympus Evolt E510 with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Lens from Amazon.com. Then I bought Sigma 55-200mm instead of 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 Zuiko. I paid couple of dollars more but got 50mm more (100mm for 35mm equilivance or 4x optic) well and very happy with my decision.
   
   It's a good product and Great value for the money paid!



5. This is a very nice piece of glass especially for the price. Would definitely recommend it to anyone on a budget. Shoots clear and precise, the zoom does have a little drag but no worse than the two Zukios that I have. Will certainly be my every day all around lens.

1 comments about Sigma EX DG 67mm Multi-Coated UV Filter.

1. Filter appears to be as advertised. It fit well to the threads on the camera lens and is distortion free. External threads are sufficient to allow the lens cap to grip securely.

1 comments about Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Medium Telephoto Macro Lens for Pentax and Samsung SLR Cameras.

1. excellent product with excellent service from the supplier. My son loves his new lens. Far exceeds expectation.

2 comments about Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC IF Aspherical Zoom Lens for Minolta and Sony Digital SLR Cameras.

1. Okay, this is a cheap, wide angle almost superzoom lens. That said, it covers a very usable range, produces sharp images, has a solid build, and is light and easy to use. It is a good choice for a travel lens for an APS-C sensor dSLR (not for full frame). The bokeh is a little odd, but I can live with it. The AF can be a bit slow in poorer lighting (but many more expensive lenses suffer from this as well). I've not regretted the purchase. Highly reccomend.



2. This lens is a quick step up or a replacement for the kit lens that accompanies new cameras. Not a great lens, since the barrel turns while focusing making it difficult to use a CPL or graduated ND filter. I would deffinetly reccomend this as a walk around or starter lens and the price can't be beat.

5 comments about Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Aspherical Large Aperture Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras.

1. Out of the box I don't think I would have gave this lens one star. The focus was terrible, I couldn't get a sharp image out of the lens to save my life. To be honest i read alot of reviews beforehand and almost anticipated on sending it back for calibration. Anyhow, I sent it back to sigma for calibration, 2 weeks later I have the lens back and it's consistently sharp! It's not "L" quality glass (as some claim)....but for for the $700 savings this lens is worth it's price in gold!
   
   To sum it up, buy this lens but plan on sending it back to sigma for calibration. I do wish they would get a handle on quality!



2. Cristal clear at all f/stops including f/2.8 at 800 iso. Love every thing about this lens, the feel is topnotch, i like the heft and the solid feel, allso like the lens hood that Sigma supplys with this one.



3. I use this lens to take action photos at my curling club. The f2.8 works wonders in the poor lighting of the arena.



4. I use this lens as a walkround lens, it's a great lens with great IQ, Highly Recomended



5. I bought this lens as a result of the damage of my other sigma lens(18-50mm). Basically it fell out of my camera bag. I was going to save up for the Canon L series version of this lens, but I was forced to buy a lens pronto... Fortunately I'd already done research on these lenses. The main drawbacks of this lens is the lack of USM, and the fact that the 82mm filter screw is larger than normal... But that's ok. I don't like filters anyway, and for the 800 dollar difference, quietness is not worth it. I went to canoga camera and tried both the L lens and the sigma... Back at home with my big cinematic monitor I couldn't tell the difference between the two lenses... I'm glad that I wrote down which exposures were which.
   
   I've heard complaints about flair on this lens... I couldn't find it. with the provided lens hood attached, I took a few pictures directed at a bright glass door, the sun behind a model, and sun through the trees, and nothing... The glass on this is great, very low amount of aberation... only at extreme wide open aperture.
   
   To review:
   Sigma... No HSM, 82 mm, L quality image.
   Canon... USM, 77mm, L quality image.

4 comments about Sigma APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG for Canon Digital SLR Cameras.

1. This is an Excellent piece from Sigma, I've tried it on my APO MACRO 150mm F2.8 EX DG HSM and CANON 20D Body,the results was marvelous, no loose of sharpness, seems to be part of the original lens, you can sell your photos even ..What else ..?
   The only thing I didn't like is that,with the 150mm macro lens,the 1.4x APO Tele Converter, AF operate between infinity and 0.52m, If the subject is closer than 0.52m, only MF is available,also similar case with 180mm macro ,but with different figures.
   With other compatible lenses like (APO 300mm F2.8 EX DG HSM) it work fine with AF.
   Finally I recommend this one over the 2X for Sigma compatible MACRO lenses, since the auto focus still working.



2. Not compatable wth Cannon lens only selected Sigma lens



3. Optically outstanding when combined with the Sigma 70-200 f2.8 EX DG. This new Sigma EX DG lens and converter is super sharp and great color that stacks up to the famed Canon L series at about 60% of the cost. I see incredible clarity at 800% magnification doing touch ups in Photoshop.
   
   I've used both and wouldn't hesitate a second buying the Sigma DG series again.
   
   Advanced amateur who loves Canon.



4. I did a lot of research on this item before I bought it. Nowhere did I read a bad review or rating and most buyers raved about how their pics remained sharp as a tack with the Sigma 120-300 mm f2.8 lens, but this is not what I experienced. All my pics are now slightly out-of-focus when I use this lens so I no longer use it and mark it off as a bad purchase.

5 comments about Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Aspherical Large Aperture Standard Zoom Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras.

1. I have been using this lens with my Nikon D50 for over 8 months and I have taken very nice pictures with it. It's solid, reliable, good resolution, constant 2.8 minimum aperture, comes with its own bag. However there are a few things I don't like: it's quite heavy, 24mm with DSLR is not wide enough for many landscape situations, there is a shadow when using the D50 built in flash, noisy with autofocus (but very smooth with manual focus), D50 AF light is partially hidden by the lens hood. Anyway a very good lens for this price.



2. I use this lens on my Pentax K10D and it performs great. I took it with my on a trip to Antelope Canyon, AZ and it was fast enough that I didn't need a tripod to get beautiful photographs. As mention in a earlier review, if you use the built in flash on your camera and forget to remove the lens hood you will get a shadow at the top of your picture. The macro function produces equally amazing results as well. I would highly recommend this lens to anyone who wants a truly fast and versatile high quality lens. For the price and quality you cant beat it.



3. I was really excited to get this lens and mayyybe didn't give it a long enough chance but I found it was heavy and way tooooo big. The few pics I did take with it came out ok but it wasn't worth it to me to not want to pull it out and use it so back it went



4. I looked long and hard for a wide angle zoom for my Nikon D80 and after a lot of searching I decided on the Sigma 24-70. I have had it for a few weeks and I have take over 600 photos with it. The constant 2.8 is a nice plus but I found the images to be slightly soft and it's the reason I gave it 4 stars. The lens is sharp anywhere past 2.8 so its not much of and issue. When using the pop up flash with the lens hood on it does leave a shadow at the bottom of the image, but the way I see it if your going to buy a lens of this caliber you should dedicated flash anyway. The lens is huge at the front it's 82mm and it is quite heavy but it's a nice compliment to my D80 with a battery grip. I have not found the autofocus to be loud or inaccurate. Filters aren't cheap but you want to protect your investment. I am a passionate amature photog and I really like the way this lens looks, it looks really impressive on your camera and draws alot of attention. I compared the images my freind took with his new Nikon N wide angle zoom that he paid $1700 for and could not see enough of a difference to justify the price. The build quality is excellent and I am really glad I purchased this lens. For the price and build quality its really hard to beat.



5. I had read quite a few reviews of this lens before buying it for my D300. Some were great and others not so great. I picked it up to use as a portrait lens for location shoots. I haven't experienced any problems whatsoever. Some say it's soft at f2.8. Not mine. Tack sharp at all focal lengths. Some say the Autofocus is noisy(loud.) Not mine. Or maybe I'm just not that picky. If noisy means you can hear it then...yeah it can be noisy. Some say that the autofocus hunts. Not mine. In fact this lens focuses so fast I was amazed. Color rendition is good. Contrast is good. Bokeh is nice and smooth.
   
   People raved about the Nikon 18-200vr so I bought one. It's soft and slow in my experience. It was "ok" on my D70 but its flaws were multiplied on my d300. So even with the good reviews of this lens I was really worried about buying it but the price made me give it a try. I'm so glad I did. I could easily slip into another good Sigma or halfway decent Nikon lens with the money I saved over going with the Nikon equivalent. It makes me wonder how their competitor to Nikon's 18-200vr stacks up.
   
   My only "complaint" about this lens is that the zoom ring is small, stiff, and at the base of the lens. It's sometimes hard to get to and a bit backward from what I'm used to. A minor annoyance is that switching to manual focus is a 2 step process. The lens will stay in autofocus even after locking the clutch down as long as the camera is still in autofocus. Be careful with this because you could damage your camera's motor drive if you have a tight grip on your lens. You'll know the lens is set to manual when you try to focus and the focus ring turns on its own. I also found it odd that the lens is at it shortest when zoomed all the way in and longest when backed off to 24mm. Strange...maybe I'm missing something here but all my other zooms are the opposite.
   
   It's big and bulky. I actually like this because I have big hands and find it easier to stabilize heavier equipment. And as dumb as it sounds...it looks good on the camera. Those out of "the-know" will judge you based on these types of things at times.
   Nice big lens = professional right?
   As long as you're a potential paying customer...um...yeah! Of course!
   
   I haven't had a chance to try it out yet but I've heard some people complain about lens flare and that hood is useless to protect against it. I like lens flare and use it creatively in my own photography so it's not anything I would consider a minus. For me a lens hood is something I use to keep from bumping the end of my lens into stuff. I can see though how people could get annoyed if it's unexpected. But if you're getting unexpected flare in your shots you're not doing your job as a photographer and paying proper attention to your scene.
   
   Update 6/17/2008
   I've been shooting with this lens for a few weeks now and my above observations are accurate. However the lens flare issue is a bit more than I thought. I had a hard time getting the "touch of flair" I like in some backlit shots. It was more like "holy crap that's a lot of flair!" The hood does seem a bit useless but I tend to bump into stuff so it's good to protect the end of the lens. I'd still buy it and fully recommend it at 5 stars.

5 comments about Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Lens for Olympus and Panasonic Digital SLR Cameras.

1. I shoot for a newspaper and this lens is great for basketball or other indoor sports where you may not be able flash. This lens allows 4x more light than an f2.8 lens. I sent my lens in twice to have the focusing fixed. I'm still not sure what the problem was, but I still have some problems with it not focusing on what I want it to. It appears that it's the UV filter that comes with it. It seems that when I remove it, I don't have any focusing problems and it's very quick.
   It really is a great lens. I was able to shoot down at ISO 400 or 800 with no flash and at a shutter speed of 1/400 on my 510



2. Nice little lens, and I like how cute and small it is. I have found that it has a tough time in darker situations, trying to find focus, though it lets in enough light for strong images.
   I find it a little loud in focusing, but the images really are what I wanted: nice and shallow focus, so everything fades to soft blur in the background. A nice portrait lens, or for intimate settings to capture cozy moods. I haven't used it much indoors yet, but so far is doing alright, but I far prefer natural lighting of the outdoors.
   All in all, a strong little addition to the family.



3. I bought this lens 2 months ago, and since then it has rarely been detached from my camera. I do a lot of portraiture, and it works great for nearly all situations. It's fast and sharp. I love it.



4. I happened to get a bad copy of this lens. It front focused very badly. I am sending it back to Amazon for a full refund after going around with the customer service rep, he finally did the right thing even though it is past the 60 day return because I really want an exchange. I hope to order another & get a good copy. The few times I got spot on focus by luck, it was very crisp. Hope to get a good copy next time. The focal length is great for indoors.



5. I did a lot of research befpre buying this lens, and all my research only compelled me to not buy this lens as many people had experienced severe front and back focus problems with this lens, however I still decided to go ahead buy the lens as I wanted to experience the lens for myself before making any decisions.
   
   My first impressions were very good, but as soon as I started testing the lens, I noticed that the lens had a front focus problem, especially wide open, but this didn't go away completely even when closed down to F2.0.
   
   I've taken some great sharp shots with this lens, but the focus is very hit or miss. Also, the focus isn't as fast I had expected even with the large aperture. In face the lens struggles to focus in low light even in scenarios where my 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 lens focuses relatively quickly.
   
   Pros: Fast lens, very sharp, very accurate distance meter, excellent build quality.
   
   Cons: Front focus issues, slow AF, lack of macro support makes shooting at wide open very hard.

5 comments about Sigma 50mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Lens for Canon SLR Cameras.

1. I was looking for a lens that would allow me to get good "scene" shots as well as clear close-ups (closer than portrait) for my job. I'm not a professional photographer but a camera is required for information gathering. While bokeh isn't a plus for my work, this lens gives beautiful bokeh for my personal shots. It also gives me great scene width with remarkable clarity and the macro shots are crazy-clear. Since my subjects don't move, the motor noise and comparatively long focus time I read about haven't been an issue. I haven't seen any CA with this lens and the f/2.8 is fast enough that IS hasn't been an issue. I'd advise just about anyone who uses a DSLR to have one of these lenses in his/her kit.



2. This was my first non canon lens,I was wanting a macro lens that also would be a good low light lens to use in the home to take photos of my pets at play.After reading many reviews I was concerned about the Auto focus being too slow for my needs,but I just couldn't spring for a Canon 60mm Macro at this time.
   My lens came today,and I have to say I am fairly pleased.It does not hunt like my 28-135mm always has,and the AF is fairly fast,even in the low light of my living room with no interior lights on and only one window curtain open during daylight.The limitor switch does speed it up noticable as well. The colors is what has impressed me so far,The browns of my chocolate lab's coat were true,and had nice highlights I had never been able to get before.The lens fgocuses very close to an object as well,and I am looking forward to comparing my macro shots to the ones I got with my 28-135 with a macro filter applied.
   There have been complaints that the hood doesnt fit the lens cap,but I think a 72mm lens cap would work well on the hood itself and would solve this problem for those who keep the hood on the lens.



3. Sigma makes nice lenses, what can I say? It's been reviewed In Pop Photography. I will eventually start shooting flies' eyeballs, but it's last on my priority list.



4. If you use this lens for macro with your Canon DSLR, beware that you should not use auto-focus. I got this lens to take macro pictures of coins and small items. I found that the depth of field is so low that the coin HAS TO BE flat and the camera dead-on to the coin. Only then will you get the whole coin in focus.
   
   The depth of field is about 0.25mm. To get to the 1:1 macro mode, you have to be pretty far from the subject, say 10 inches. With the low DOF, you definitely have to use a copy stand or tripod because the slightest movement will cause the subject to be out of focus.
   
   As always, the quality with Sigma lenses is here. It is a solid piece of hardware that is well-put-together. Would I buy it again? Yes. In a heartbeat. Once I get the focus down, I'll be getting better images. I have not tried it on my copy stand yet, I hope it fits well.
   
   If you are looking for a great macro lens, look no further. However, it does NOT double as a good snapshot lens as you have to be quite far from your subject in order to fit them in the frame. With the lens that came with the camera (Canon Rebel XTi) I need to be about 50 feet from my house to get it into frame. With this lens, I need to be about 70 feet from the house to get it all in frame. Just something to think about. This is not a universal lens.



5. After researching 50mm macro's I purchased this for my son for Christmas this year. I seriously considered the Canon lens, but it requires an adapter to make it a true 1:1 macro, doubling its price. The Sigma is a 1:1 macro without an adapter, making it about half the price of the Canon. Reviews of the lens are nearly all positive, and on-line photos I've seen taken with it look very good. My son and I went to the local butterfly "zoo" to try it out the day after Christmas and the results are very good. He's VERY happy with the lens.