Sigma EX - Telephoto zoom lens - 50 mm - 150 mm - f/2.8 APO DC HSM II - Minolta A-type Review

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(More customer reviews)I switched to this since my Nikno 70-200 was really getting heavy for a day of wedding photography. What i like: Very light, good working distance, nice easy zoom, fairly good images. What i dislike, a little soft at F2.8. Much better at F4.5. Not as vibrant colors...slighly cooler. Can easily flare...make sure you use the hood. No VR means you better shoot at fast shutter speeds or have really steady hands. Overall, a keeper for me. I now use this more than my 70-200. :-)

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This F2.8 large aperture telephoto zoom lens is designed exclusively for digital SLR cameras with APS-C size sensors and its compact, lightweight body provides freedom of movement and versatility. The super multi-layer coating reduces flare and ghosting and ensures sharp images throughout the entire zoom range. The addition of the optional 1.4x EX DG APO or 2x EX DG APO Tele Converters produce a 70-210mm F4 AF tele-zoom lens and a 100-300mm F5.6 AF ultra-telephoto zoom lens respectively.

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Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG IF HSM APO Telephoto Zoom Lens for Sigma SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)I shoot 2-3 sports events a week and while I love my D3 needed more reach (had been trying to shoot soccer & track meets with Nikon 70-200 & Sigma 100-300). I concluded after a lot of thought & soul searching it would be more strategic for me to buy D300/Sigma 120-300mm combo than a 200-400mm for the D3. [the 100-300mm is a great lens too, but that extra stop is so sweet!]
For me, I definitely wanted a f/2.8 lens and felt a zoom would be more versatile than the Nikon 300 f/2.8 (& cheaper too).
There's no question it's a heavy lens by most people's standards, but I always use with a Monfrotto 681B monopod (which I love too).
Have only had this combo for about a 2 weeks but love it. The pictures are tack sharp, and the bokeh is awesome--rivaling Nikon 70-200mm IMHO. People always mention you have to get a good copy from Sigma but buying new I was fairly certain this would not be a problem, and I knew I could always send it right back to Amazon for another copy with no problem.
[....]In summary this combo has helped me take my game to a whole new level, and I'm very, very happy with this lens.



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The Sigma APO 120-300mm f2.8 EX DG HSM Lens for Sigma Digital SLR Cameras features a large aperture of f2.8 at the 300 millimeter focal length and is optimized for used with digital SLR cameras. This lens transforms a large-aperture f2.8 300 millimeter lens into a zoom lens that allows you to determine the picture composition you want without having to change your vantage point. It has two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements in front group and another SLD element in the rear group for excellent correction of chromatic aberration.The latest in multi-layer lens coating technology and lens design reduce flare and ghosting, which is a common problem with digital cameras, and it also creates an optimum color balance through the entire zoom range. The lens' AF drive is equipped with a silent, responsive and high speed Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM), which also provides full-time manual focus function. Since focusing and zooming do not change its overall length, this lens is easy to hold and use. In addition, since the front of the lens does not rotate, a circular polarizing filter can be easily attached and used. High-speed focusing is possible when this lens is used with dedicated APO EX 1.4 x or 2x tele-converters (sold separately).

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Sigma 100-300mm f/4 EX DG IF HSM APO Fast Aperture Telephoto Zoom Lens for Sigma SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)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.

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This telephoto zoom lens provides a large F4 aperture at all focal lengths. With minimal light-fall-off, superior peripheral brightness is ensured. It's the ideal lens for digital SLR cameras.The new multi layer lens coating and lens design reduce flare and ghost, which is a common problem with digital cameras and also creates an optimum color balance through the entire zoom range.This lens uses two pieces of SLD glass elements in the front lens group and another two in the rear group for excellent correction of chromatic aberration. High optic performance is demonstrated throughout the entire zoom range.This lens incorporates an internal focusing system, which eliminates front lens rotation, allowing the use of a Petal-type Hood and more convenient to use of circular polarizing filter. Since focusing and zooming do not change its overall length, this lens is easy to hold and use.The use of an Apochromatic design and 4 SLD (The Special Low Dispersion) glass elements (two SLD glass elements are utilized in the front lens group and two in the rear group) provide for full correction of chromatic aberration and a high level of optical performance.The DG designation applied to certain newer Sigma lenses (mostly wide-angle and wide zoom type lenses) indicates that the lens is especially suited for use with digital SLR cameras. The DG lenses feature improved (more even) light distribution from image center to edge, especially at maximum aperture, compared to conventional fast wide-angle lenses. This is important in digital photography, but is also useful in 35mm photography, especially when slide film is used. Also, the shorter focal lengths are desirable, because most digital SLR cameras have image sensors whose dimensions are considerably smaller than a 35mm negative (usually by a factor of 1.3X to 1.7X), making the lens' angle of view equivalent to that of a longer lens on a 35mm camera.

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Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Large Aperture Medium Telephoto Prime Lens for Pentax Digital SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)I've always been hesitant to try sigma lenses because I hear a lot of problems that people have with the focusing on them. I passed up on the widely regarded 50mm f1.4 and 30mm f1.4 even though they got stellar reviews for the most part. When Sigma came out with the 85mm f1.4 for less than half the price of Canon's 85mm f1.2 L II, I had to see if it would save me a bundle in my search for a great 85mm.
I took some time to compare this one to the 85mm f1.8 and the 85mm f1.2 L II by renting all three before making any decisions, and I have to say that this lens really impresses!
The Sigma lens is much lighter than the Canon f1.2 and therefore, much easier to handle. The first thing that comes to mind when putting the canon f1.2 on my camera is how awkward everything feels - it's weight and "top-heaviness" really throw the balance off (I'm using a 7D) and makes the whole set-up feel wrong. With the sigma, I don't get this feel.... it feels right. It feels like almost a rubbery-plastic, and while the canon f1.2 feels more solid, the Sigma feels more modernized to me. The Canon f1.8 is no slouch, but feels lacking compared to the other two in build quality. The Sigma comes with a unique 2-part lens hood to help avoid hood vignetting on full-frame cameras. There is a middle section that you leave off if you are using a full-frame camera, but then add back on if you have a crop camera.
As for image quality, I'm not going to go too much into detail here because other reviews across the web have conducted much more scientific tests than me and provide images to compare. I will just summarize my experiences though: in my opinion, the Canon f1.2 has the sharpest photos, especially in the center of the image. The Sigma bests the other 2 in corner sharpness though. The f1.8 has the fastest autofocus, with the f1.2 far behind and Sigma trailing only slightly behind. For bokeh quality, I actually prefer the Sigma to the f1.2. Color and contrast is a tie between the Sigma and f1.2... the Sigma offers slightly warmer photos. The Sigma handles flares better than the f1.8, but not as well as the f1.2. All three seemed to handle chromatic abrasion well in my tests. Just as an overall picture, I really found that I enjoyed the f1.2 pictures the best, but did I enjoy them $1000 more? Probably not. The Sigma really wasn't far behind the f1.2 in image quality.
If I were a professional photographer, I would probably go with the canon f1.2 over the Sigma just because that slight edge in image quality and extra light from the f1.2 would probably pay for itself over time. As a hobbyist though, I can't see myself paying over twice as much for the only slightly better lens. The Sigma really provides an excellent option for a midpoint between the Canon f1.8 and f1.2. In addition, it opens up a new way for indoor sports photographers to capture fast action. Because of its slower autofocus, I constantly found that the f1.2 had less keepers when I did indoor fast action photography. The Sigma and f1.8 handled these situations fine. I shoot a lot of indoor dog shows and competitions, so the Sigma is now going to be my go-to lens for those. The f1.8 would have been a great option and still is probably one of the best quality/value ratios out there in my opinion, but the better image quality of the Sigma is apparent. Plus, the extra light from the wider aperture really does help in many situations. I also like the bokeh quality much better than the f1.8.

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Vivitar 19-35mm Series One Zoom Lens For Minolta SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)I wanted a wide-angle lens for some while, but they were just too expensive. Plus, I had never tried a 3rd party lens with my Minolta, and was not sure what to expect. This lens produced results that I found quite acceptable. Like any cheapie wide angle lens, it is prone to flare. Oh, well. The edges do not appear soft to me, as I believe someone claimed, but I have not made any really large prints. One major downer is the very dull unimpressive looking plastic case. The picture at least looks like aluminum. The real thing does not. Also, I have not taken any pictures in the 30-35mm range (I have an expensive lens for that). If your Maxxum is one with a panoramic mode the pictures you take at 19mm will look pretty cool.

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Vivitar's Series1 19-35mm AF zoom lens is designed to work with Minoltaautofocus single-lens reflex cameras. This lens is compact and lightweight, withan aperture range of f/3.5 to f/4.5 and a minimum focusing distance of 1.6 feet. Its macro ratio is 1:12x at 35mm and it takes 77mm accessories.

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Tamron SP Autofocus 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6 AD Aspherical (IF) Lens for Canon SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)Using a Canon Digital Rebel, sold my 28-135mm lens for this lens. Quality is superior. Is almost at the Canon "L" series level. It's lighter, more compact & weighs less. Very satisfied with the photos I've taken. A serious contender.

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Versatile and Flexible New Super Performance Lens. Introducing in the third in our series of high power zoom lenses, following on the successes of the 28-200mm and the 28-300mm mega-zoom lenses. The new zoom lens from Tamron covers everything from the 24mm real wideangle that professionals and serious amateurs demand to 135mm telephoto suitable for portraits-all in one compact package. The first SP lens among Tamron's high power zoom lenses, the lens represents a new concept in high power zoom lenses, achieving outstanding performance characteristics worthy of the name SP (Super Performance).

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Fotodiox Pro Adapter, Leica Visoflex M Lens to Canon EOS Camera Mount Adapter -- for Canon EOS 1d,1ds,Mark II, III, IV, 5D, MarK II, 7D, 10D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 60D, Digital Rebel xt, xti, xs, xsi, t1i, t2i, 300D, 350D, 400D, 450D, 500D, 550D, 1000D Review

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(More customer reviews)After reading reviews of the Leica M to Micro 4/3 adapter, I was concerned about this item BUT in the end, it worked without any problems. I used it to mount my Nokton 50mm F1.1 to my Canon T2i.

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This is one of the Pro-series lens mount adapter made with precision and pristine award standard. As all Pro-series adapters, these adapters have been specially crafted to endure professional lenses.No "play" between lens and Camera. With unique styling, the lens mount adapter maintains/enhances professional appearance. This lens mount adapter allows Visoflex M (Leica) lenses to fit on Canon EOS camera body.35mm Leica M mount lens can use this adapter as Macro Extension Tube.

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Tamron AF 24-135mm f/3.5-5.6 SP AD Aspherical (IF) Lens for Pentax SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this lens for my Pentax K100D. The folks over at FredMiranda gave it consistantly good reviews, and the zoom range seemed perfect for a general walk-around lens. It is certainly a nicely-built lens and a comfortable weight. I found the auto-focus to be quick and generally accurate. The lens took great pictures in the 24-100 mm portion of the focal range, but I could not get good pictures out of it at the longer focal lengths for the life of me. I tried different apertures, manual focus, tripod, everything I could think of, but almost everything came out too soft for my taste. I am a hobbyist, not a pro, so maybe the problem was user error. Or maybe I got a bad copy of the lens. I am open to these possibilities, but I felt I should share my experience, regardless. If I'd only wanted 24-100, I'd have bought something different. I ended up sending this lens back, and I'm considering Pentax's 24-90, now, which is supposed to be quite good. Props to Amazon for the usual quick shipping and painless return policy.

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CL) U) 24-135MM F3.5-5.6 F/PENTAX

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Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 DG APO OS (Optical Stabilizer) HSM AutoFocus Telephoto Zoom Lens for Pentax AF Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)I have have had this lens for about a month now and really do enjoy it. It gives me the reach and quality of photos that I need. I use this in with my Sigma 18-200mm and with two lens it covers all the ranges that i need. It can be heavy but you will get used to it pretty quick. I tend to hand hold most all of my shots, a tripod is recommended I do like that it came with a really nice case to carry it. In all this a a good priced lens that will give great photos.

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This ultra-telephoto zoom lens covers a telephoto range up to 500mm and allows photographers to bring the subject close and short perspective. Sigma's original OS (Optical Stabilizer) function offers the use of shutter speeds approximately 4 stops slower. It is ideal for sports, wildlife and landscape photography with handheld shooting. Three SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements provide excellent correction for chromatic aberration. This lens is equipped with a rear focus system that minimizes fluctuation of aberration caused by focusing.The super multi-layer lens coating reduces flare and ghosting. High image quality is assured throughout the entire zoom range. This lens incorporates HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor), which ensures a quiet and high-speed AF as well asfull-time manual focusing capability.The addition of the (optional) 1.4x EX DG APO or 2x EX DG APO Tele Converters produce a 210-700mm F7-9 MF ultra-telephoto zoom lens or a 300-1000mm F10-13 MF ultra-telephoto zoom lens respectively. A removable tripod socket (TS-31) is included as a standard component.

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Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 and 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 ED Zuiko Lenses Review

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(More customer reviews)The E-520 is my very first DSLR and I have had it now since April '09 (the Easter Bunny brought it :-) and I can't say enough good things about this camera or this combo.
The camera body is lightweight enough to carry all day without getting tired but sturdy enough to not feel "cheap". The two kit lenses cover most of the distances the average user will want or need, and again neither one is a back-breaker. I use the 40-150mm when I am going to spend a day at the zoo to bring the animals closer to me (since they won't let me get closer to them :-).
One really nifty feature that the camera offers is the ability to use Live View Boost to focus and frame pictures with an infrared filter in place on the front of the lens and to actually see what the camera will record. Pretty cool.
The controls are easy to use and I think the only challenge I have encountered where they are concerned is not in using them but in remembering what to use when and to remember what menu it is under. Fortunately, most of the things you will need most often (wb, AF, Flash, ISO, etc.) also have dedicated buttons easy to find right there on the camera body. You can also set your own custom profile combos to allow you to quickly switch from one set up to another without having to remember what you did the last time that you liked.
The 20 scene modes make life very easy especially when you are just starting out or if you don't want to think and just want to shoot. And the ability (with the optional waterproof housing and light) to shoot underwater would be a really cool thing to do.
Color is great, clarity is great, the ability to remotely control the FL-36R or FL-50R flash units without having to have them attached to the camera by wires of any kind is great too.
A word about the proprietary XD card (the camera supports three different recording formats, CF, XD and Microdrive (But who uses those really?)) you can have the card in the camera in addition to the CF card and I would recommend having one just for the panoramic assist option which is only available if you use the XD card. The panoramic assist supports horizontal and vertical pans and the stitching software is built into the Olympus Master software that comes standard with the camera.
The only down side to having this camera is that you may find it difficult to find all the different lenses available at your local camera store (but there is always Amazon) as Nikon and Cannon have much better marketing. Oh, and one more word about lenses, you can get adapters which will allow you to use not only Olympus OM mount lenses from your SLR but also Pentax, Minolta, Nikon, Cannon, Miyama, and all the rest. Olympus only makes the OM mount adapter but you can find all the others aftermarket. You will need to be able to manually focus and set the f-stop on the lens itself as those features won't be supported through the adapters but it sure opens up options.

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Olympus EVOLT E-520 Digital SLR Camera 10 Megapixel - 3x/3.8x Optical Zoom - 2.70

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Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC ELD OS HSM Macro Lens for Sigma Mount Digital SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)I received the Sigma 17-70 2.8-4 OS HSM from Amazon five days ago. I have taken about 400 shots with this lens, including landscapes, indoor family gatherings with flash, and a sporting event in a large, well-lit indoor arena. It seems to me that this lens works as advertised. I don't see focus problems with this lens in either the AI Servo to AI Focus modes on my Canon XSi. The XSi exposure metering seems to work fine with the Sigma 17-70, and I cannot see anything wrong with color accuracy. The finish, appearance, and feel of the lens are pleasing. I like it, and it certainly seems to be a good value given its relatively low cost vs. function. I have awarded four stars in my rating only because of my limited experience with this lens. If this lens continues to work as it has so far, I would award a fifth star.
Photography is my hobby, not my profession, but I carry my camera to work and shoot nearly every day. I cannot afford high-end camera equipment, so I make do with what I can afford. Even so, I have had rewarding successes and lots of fun with my hobby. My photos have been published in magazines, textbooks, brochures, large-format calendars, and web sites. They have been framed and hung on walls in office suites, sports arenas, and homes.
I have used Sigma lens for the past ten years, and currently own four Sigma lens for my Canon XSi. Sigma lens are cheap, they are most often lightweight as compared to Canon lens, and they work acceptably well. I am familiar with the "you get what you pay for" concept, and I understand that sometimes there are issues with Sigma lens. I can see why professionals need sturdy equipment, but overall Sigma has provided me with a successful and cost-effective way to observe, record, and enjoy my surroundings.


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Sigma Corporation adds unique, anti-shake technology to award-winning 17-70mm lens Sigma announced the new Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC MACRO OS HSM. This large aperture standard zoom lens offers an aperture of F2.8 at the 17mm focal length and is ideal for many situations such as portraits, sports, macro and general photographyThe OS (Optical Stabilizer) function offers the use of shutter speeds approximately 4 stops slower than would otherwise be possible.The maximum aperture of F2.8 makes this lens ideal for hand held photography as well as producing an attractive background blur and high speed auto focus.This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 22cm (8.7..) throughout the entire zoom range and maximum magnification ratio of 1:2.7, making it ideal for close-up photography. It is possible to focus as close as approximately 4.7cm from the tip of the lens to the subject making this lens particularly useful for close-up photography.Three aspherical lenses and one ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion) glass element provide excellent correction for all types of aberrations. High image quality is assured throughout the entire zoom range. The Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare and ghosting and provides high contrast images.The incorporation of HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) ensures a quiet and high speed AF. This lens has a rounded 7 blade diaphragm which creates an attractive blur to the out of focus areas of the image

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Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC SLD ELD Aspherical Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)I own the best Canon 17-55 F/2.8, but it is also heavy and expensive for risky environments like windy beaches to packed clubhouses. I need an affordable F/2.8 backup, so I bought this Sigma 18-50mm F/2.8 Macro. Having read many account of sigma lens front/back focusing, I have a very low expectation for my lens. Luckily, my fear proves to be unfounded, as my 18-50mm f/2.8 macro is free from rear/front focusing.
[ Biggest Surprise ] = Fast + Silent + Reliable focusing. Even without HSM/USM motor, the AF speed is fast & comparable to my canon 17-55 f/2.8 usm in dim light. Under the same setting, my tamron 17-50 f/2.8's banshee-like micro-motor scream loudly yet failed to find focus after 1 minutes.
+ The build quality is near "L", better than my expensive Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS
+ Size is very small compare to my gigantic canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS
+ Fantastic MACRO lens on the run
[Disappointment] 18mm F/2.8 "wide open" is softer than Tamron 17-50mm.
- Canon 17-55 f/2.8 @f/2.8 is sharper than sigma 18mm @f/5.6 (no joke!)
- Field of view is closer to 18.5mm or 19mm.
Since I had previously own the tamron 17-50 f/2.8, a canon 17-85is, and a canon 18-55is, here how they compare against one another:
...................................................[ Landscape Sharpness ]
[1] Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS__amazing sharpess even @f/2.8 wide open
[2] Canon 18-55 IS ______ sharp corners, mild barrel distortion + ca
[3] Tamron 17-50 f/2.8____sharp "when focused", problematic AF, field curvature
[4] Sigma 18-50 f/2.8_____softer wide open than tamron, 18mm behave like 19mm
[5] Canon 17-85 IS_______strong C_A + barrel distortion, soft corners
...................................................[ Bokeh / Out of Focused Highlight ]
[1] Sigma 18-50 f/2.8____ big round circular highlight, no cat's eyed footballs
[2] Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS__ some cat's eyed football highlight on the edge
[3] Tamron 17-50 f/2.8___ some visible double contours highlight
[4] Canon 17-85 IS______ small f/5.6, 85 has an edge over 55mm in highlight size
[5] Canon 18-55 IS ______ small f/5.6 = smallest highlight, boring photos
...................................................[ Construction Quality ]
[1] Sigma 18-50 f/2.8____ impressive build even at such a low price
[2] Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS__ [tied] build should have been better for a $1000 lens
[2] Canon 17-85 IS_______[tied] exactly the same build as 17-55 f/2.8 IS
[3] Tamron 17-50 f/2.8___ decent, plasticky, not as good as others above
[4] Canon 18-55 IS ______ plastic mount, front barrel rotate makes cpl difficult
...................................................[ AF Speed in Low Light + Reliability ]
[1] Canon 17-55 f/2.8 IS__ USM + IS + F/2.8 = ultimate
[2] Canon 17-85 IS_______USM + IS, F/5.6 seem to focus just as fast as F/2.8
[3] Sigma 18-50 f/2.8____ Silent, Fast, and Decisive AF even in low light
[4] Canon 18-55 IS ______ silent image stabilization, but louder AF
[5] Tamron 17-50 f/2.8___ loudest motor, indecisive AF in low light
-------------------------------------[ in conclusion ]-------------------------
Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 Macro is jack-of-all-trade, master of none. While tamron is sharper @17mm f/2.8 than sigma is @18mm f/2.8 "when in focused", sigma has superior AF motor that is far more reliable under any circumstance. Sigma is a pleasure to use in real life ownership, free from fousing-worrying that plagued my tamron. Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 is a combination between the reliable yet so-so IQ of canon 17-85is + tamron 17-50's superior IQ, but poor autofocusing mechanics. Highly Recommended!
$429.95 [Canon 17-85IS] poor 17mm IQ, but fantastic AF mechanic + IS
$443.41 [Tamron 17-50] great 17mm IQ, but poor AF mechanic
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
$375.00 [Sigma 18-50mc] decent 18mm IQ + fantastic AF mechanic (no BUT)
Sigma did their homework. Sig18-50 retained good quality from its competitors while shredding the bad, yet it is offer at the lowest price. Competition is wonderful, I'm very happy with my purchased

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This lens has a large aperture of f/2.8 throughout the entire zoom range, a minimum focusing distance of 20cm (7.9 ) and a maximum magnification of 1:3, making it ideal for close-up photography. Specially designed to suit the characteristics of digital SLR cameras, this lens provides a high level of optical performance.It incorporates both glass-mold and hybrid aspherical lens technology - offering superior peripheral brightness, extremely high image quality as well as a compact and lightweight construction. Special Low Dispersion (SLD) and Extraordinary Low Dispersion (ELD) glass elements provide excellent correction of color aberrations. The super multi-layer lens coating reduces flare and ghosting, a common problem with digital cameras. High image quality is assured throughout the entire zoom range. An inner focusing system eliminates front lens rotation, making the lens particularly suitable for using the petal-type lens hood (supplied) plus circular polarizing filters.

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Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Lens for Olympus and Panasonic Digital SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)I wanted a wide angle prime lens that I could take to parties where the shooting distance is always about the same and I could get higher quality pictures than with zoom lenses. Since this lens is fast, f/1.8, it focuses very quickly even in low light. It doesn't have an ultrasonic focusing mechanism, but focus speed is very fast and it has a clutch focusing ring so I can hold the lens and not interfere with the rotation of the focusing ring. The body feels very tight and well put together. The texture and feel are perfect. Picture quality is extremely good. The colors are natural and it's very sharp at 1.8 and is even better at 2.0 and above. Macro is excellent and since it has 9 curved aperature blades, the bokeh looks very pleasing. There is almost no distortion or abberation and focus is accurate. So even though this lens is a bit bigger and heavier than I would like in a prime lens like this, the benefits of brighter viewfinder (due to f/1.8), extemely sharp pictures and very good build quality makes it worthwhile purchase (especially for the price).

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This large-aperture wide-angle lens is equipped macro focusing capability with a maximum magnification of 127 and fast F18 maximum aperture The use of aspherical lenses are offered for superior peripheral brightness and compensation of aberrations an...

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Digital Video .5x 72mm Wide Angle Lens for Canon XL1H XL2 XL1s XL1 Review

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(More customer reviews)This lens is decent. It's good for cheap. It's really heavy, and built really well. But I don't think it's as high quality as the more expensive lens for High Definition video. We'll see if I even continue to use it because it is so heavy. But a wide angle is pretty important for certain shots.

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Voigtlander Color-Skopar Pan 35mm f/2.5 Wide Angle Manual Focus Lens - Black Review

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(More customer reviews)The Voigtlander Color-Skopar Pan 35mm f2.5 wide angle lens should appeal to Leica screw mount and M rangefinder camera users who are interested in travelling light, with a pocket camera that is almost easy to fit inside a deep coat or shirt pocket. This lens may be the ideal tool for street photographers interested in acquiring a compact 35mm rangefinder lens; ergonimically it almost resembles the Contax Zeiss 45mm f2.8 Tessar or the Nikon 45mm f2.8 Nikkor lenses with respect to size and shape. I have seen at Erwin Puts's website an enthusiastic technical report by him in which he claims that this lens is optically superior to Leica's vintage 35mm f2.8 Summaron lens made for its M mount rangefinder cameras from the 1950s to early 1970s; I believe Popular Photography had another splendid technical report on this lens in a recent issue. Owners of M mount rangefinder cameras will have to purchase a screw mount to M mount adaptor to mount this lens onto their cameras (However, this lens may be the new M mount version, so purchasing a screw mount to M mount adaptator will be unnecessary.).

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Canon EF 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)I've had this lens for a few years now, and I absolutely love it. It is compact, sharp, and dependable. I'm a wide-angle shooter, so this one is just about perfect. Canon's USM is beautiful. Unlike Nikon, Canon seeks and achieves quiet, fast, and accurate auto focusing. Coupled with a light and quiet EOS camera body, and you've got an excellent documentary kit, great for shooting people in close and personal. At 24 mm, this lens gives excellent range for close work, with lots of depth and sharpness, making focusing and composing a cinch in evolving situations. My only gripe with this lens is its manual focus ring. I grew up with manual focus, and I love excercising that skill, but this lens has nothing more than an obligatory, plastic, and poorly placed focusing ring that discourages manual work. Fortunately, Canon's autofocusing system is phenomenal. Round-out your EOS kit with a Canon SpeedLite (compatible all the way down to 24 mm).

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The Canon EF 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 USM lens has multiple moving lens groups that enhance image quality and make the whole system more compact and lightweight. This lens uses an ultrasonic focusing motor (USM) that gives you silent, high-speed autofocusing. Canon eliminated all the mechanical couplings in this lens and added a custom-designed autofocus motor as well as a microprocessor.
Built into the system is a replica aspherical lens element that minimizes optical distortions to give you sharp images. The flare-cutting diaphragm helps the lens produce a high-contrast image, even in tough lighting. Its high zoom ratio of 3.5x allows you to take tighter shots of your subjects. It's fully compatible with all EOS cameras.

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Sigma 14mm f/2.8 EX HSM RF Aspherical Ultra Wide Angle Lens for Minolta and Sony SLR Cameras Review

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(More customer reviews)To echo what is said about the new release SIGMA lenses - WOW.
Canon look out. I was shopping for a new toy for XMAS and settled on the CANON 14mm F2.8L lens. It was very nice but for the price hard to justify. I asked for an eval of the Canon and this, the Sigma alternative at 1/3rd the price. Head to head testing of the lenses on my Canon EOS 50 (ELAN) using ISO 200 film resulted in the Sigma producing a crisper image with better definition and colour saturation. Both lenses have a little "flattening" of the image at the edges as they try to compensate for curvature but the Sigma in my opinion is closer to true. Neither lens had any trouble Auto-Focusing during the day (Canon felt a little faster). The Sigma was a little unsure of itself on when I went for a night/bulb exposure of the starscape. Switched to Manual, set for infinity and away we went. My only other issue with the Sigma is the lens hood is not quite big enough where the Canon is spot on. Still you have to be looking really hard for faults to find them.
Tooling around with the lens has been lots of fun. I had never considered using the lens for indoors shots but it is magic. Architecture photography is going to be a new thing for me I think.

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