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More samples with the new Sigma 50-150mm

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Daos

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For those interested into this lens, the guy who had the first samples on pbase added some more. Nothing scientific or a comparision with some other lens, but better than nothing for now.

Other samples can also be found at http://cranston.smugmug.com/gallery/1964241/ (and his first impressions at http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1030&message=20305527 ).

Imho the lens looks somewhat soft at f/2.8 especially towards the tele end (guess this was to be expected), but stopped down it's sharpness increases and gets to a very good level. Guess/Hope it can be a decent alternative for those like me looking for a lighter&smaller&also not-so-expensive alternative to 70/80-200 zooms.

Hope we'll have some reviews and comparisons with other lenses soon.
--
A man is only as big as the dreams he dares to live.
--
A man is only as big as the dreams he dares to live.
 
I have the same experience with this lens, trying it out on a Canon 20D.

It's a shame really, as the point with f/2.8 lenses would be that you can use them with the larger aperture, and get nice and sharp images.

Good things about it are nice sharpness starting from about f/4-5.6, more like 5.6 at the 150mm length. Also HSM focusing works nicely, the size is very compact also.

--
My photos: http://album.photo-lehtinen.com
 
kocho said:
... got cut-off before I could finish...

The fourth one at f/2.8 at 150mm with the small pebbles and grass
looks in fact excellent in the center (can't tell about the corners
as there aren't any) , considering he shot at "Soft" sharpening.
Click to expand...
If you're talking about Wayne Cranston's 4th shot, in my opinion looks like pretty good bokeh too.
 
yes focus issues. The lens is actually sharp at 150mm @f2.8, i think more than the Sigma 70-200 was at 200/f2.8 (I owned 2, as well as a recent EF 200/2.8 prime)... the problem is simply the 50-150 Front-focusses (on a Canon body anyway -on mine and many others'...). Anything upto 6m it does this, beyond 6m the DoF seems to mask the problem. But the closer you are to 1m on my lens the worse things get. I AF and take the shot, then AF again and over-ride with MF a half-millimetre (or less) turn anti-clockwise.. retake the shot... and every time my re-focussed shot is razor sharp, whereas my first AF'ed shot was just ok, or soft. Real shame, because I love the lens in every other way. I'm gonna try and get it recalibrated while-I-wait at a Sigma service centre, otherwise it's going back to the shop.

Maybe the lens performs better on Nikon but those pbase samples look soft to me, like my mis-focussed shots (after seeing what the lens can do when AF is spot on). And BTW, my 20D body is AF'ing perfectly with my other fast primes.

posts here

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1029&message=20364021
&
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1029&message=20370147
Daos said:
kocho said:
... got cut-off before I could finish...

The fourth one at f/2.8 at 150mm with the small pebbles and grass
looks in fact excellent in the center (can't tell about the corners
as there aren't any) , considering he shot at "Soft" sharpening.
Click to expand...
If you're talking about Wayne Cranston's 4th shot, in my opinion
looks like pretty good bokeh too.
Click to expand...
--

My Favourite Restaurant > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/5371500.stm
-
 
Thank you for sharing those.
What are your impressions about the lens?

When you have time to take some more shots with this lens, could you post more samples? Some full-sized ones in different conditions/subjects would be nice.
--
A man is only as big as the dreams he dares to live.
 
I don't own it, tried it at the store.

Well, other than for the image sharpness the lens is definately good. Build quality is good, it's light, but sturdy. HSM is fast and accurate.

It's a shame it isn't sharper wide open, but this is typical for Sigma lenses, the 70-200/2.8 is pretty much the same.

--
My photos: http://album.photo-lehtinen.com
 
Lasse Lehtinen said:
Well, other than for the image sharpness the lens is definately
good.
Click to expand...
The image sharpness is pretty good, i own the lens and when i manual focus it the images are good at f2.8. I have to over-ride the AF by half a mm turn. At first I thought the lens was also just soft at 2.8. I'm going to take it to Sigma service centre probably this week.
Lasse Lehtinen said:
Build quality is good, it's light, but sturdy. HSM is fast
and accurate.
Click to expand...
I don't think it is, for the one you tried as well as everyone elses. Thats whats making f2.8 look so soft. F4 covers over the focus problem.
Lasse Lehtinen said:
It's a shame it isn't sharper wide open, but this is typical for
Sigma lenses, the 70-200/2.8 is pretty much the same.
Click to expand...
 
Not sure how you shot the wide open shot, but the EXIF shows 1/20s at 150mm. I see no ISO information, but it looks rather noisy, which would have the effect of further reducing the appearance of sharpness. Unless you used a sturdy tripod, this is one very good hand-holding -:) Nonetheless, unsuitable for judging sharpness...

Regards,
kocho
Lasse Lehtinen said:
I don't own it, tried it at the store.

Well, other than for the image sharpness the lens is definately
good. Build quality is good, it's light, but sturdy. HSM is fast
and accurate.

It's a shame it isn't sharper wide open, but this is typical for
Sigma lenses, the 70-200/2.8 is pretty much the same.

--
My photos: http://album.photo-lehtinen.com
Click to expand...
 
Lasse Lehtinen said:
Dom said:
maybe manual focussed wrong.
Click to expand...
Errr...MF so the red light blinks when in focus, and with my own
sight of course.
Click to expand...
my camera the red light comes on when my lens is still front-focussed.

I have good sight but find it hard to judge perfect focus through the viewfinder. But I twitch it a half mm anti-clockwise because I know thats the direction and amount to take it away from it's front-focus.
Lasse Lehtinen said:
MF and AF wrong - or bad lens quality...
Click to expand...
maybe. Judging by the amounts of other complaints of bad AF on this lens I'd say the lens is at fault again.
 
Dom167916 said:
maybe. Judging by the amounts of other complaints of bad AF on this
lens I'd say the lens is at fault again.
Click to expand...
Dang~! I really hoped that Sigma would bring a good lens on the market with this one... this would have been great for me (and I'm sure for many others too) if it would have had an AF that worked and good IQ and sharpness (it seems to have these last ones, but the AF issue really makes this a bummer).

Too bad... :-(

--
A man is only as big as the dreams he dares to live.
 
hey they might sort it out quickly... sometimes this happens with brand new lenses... maybe a few months in and it;ll be fine. My copy is in the first 2000 (judging by serial number), and other complaints have been in this first batch.

Im calling the guy who calibrates AF at my local sigma service centre tomorrow, and gonna ask if he can do it on the day... i dont want to lose the lens for weeks. If it gets fixed it will be a perfect lens for me.
Daos said:
Daos said:
maybe. Judging by the amounts of other complaints of bad AF on this
lens I'd say the lens is at fault again.
Click to expand...
Dang~! I really hoped that Sigma would bring a good lens on the
market with this one... this would have been great for me (and I'm
sure for many others too) if it would have had an AF that worked
and good IQ and sharpness (it seems to have these last ones, but
the AF issue really makes this a bummer).

Too bad... :-(

--
A man is only as big as the dreams he dares to live.
Click to expand...
--

My Favourite Restaurant > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/5371500.stm
-
 
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