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I'm about to order a Sigma 17-70mm f2.8-4.0 OS for a 7D ... Should I?

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akin_t

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Simply put, I am getting a 7D and need a mid zoom lens for general purpose shots. Canon simply doesn't offer anything similar. The 15-85mm is fastest at f3.5 ... I'm also worried about it's build quality compared to the Sigma.

I intend to primarily shoot with the 50mm f1.4 (Haven't decided Canon or Sigma) but I need a general purpose lens for the every day stuff.

My primary reason for gravitating towards Sigma is every review out there say they are sturdier than the non L Canon series ... It also helps that they are sometimes cheaper too (50mm f1.4 is actually more expensive, but I'm willing to pay the price if it's indeed as well built as they claim)

Your opinions?
 
I had the older version of this Sigma lens in Nikon mount and all I can tell you that it is an amazing sharp lens. And the new version (the one you are ordering) is supposedly even better. F/2.8 at wide end is very useful at night. HSM on it provides for silent and quick focusing. Some of my best shots with Nikon D300 were with that lens. I can't think that Canon mount would be much worse.
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Current gear: Nikon D300, Nikon D80, Canon 30D, Panasonic ZS3, Canon SD870IS, Fuji F11

 
You are not wrong about the Canon version, I have the older one and it is quite simply superb. Very sharp and quick focus. I use it on my 50d and it is more than up to the job. This has got to be one of the best sigma lenses and I have heard no major issues about 'bad copies'. Mine was good first time around straight out of the box. A real bargain of a lens. I think that Sigma should offer an EX version of this lens with 2.8 accross the zoom range but if you can live with the variable aperture it won't dissapoint. The build quality isn't bad either.

This lens easly competes with much more expensive lenses. I will never sell it.
 
As far as primes on a crop body, I would recommend you compare the Canon 28mm 1.8 and the Sigma 30mm 1.4. The focal range will work better for you in indoor settings. You can always walk forward to zoom in. :)

I see the Sigma 17-70 rated very well. Sigma lenses do have a certain style to their build quality that is nice. (I own just one). They have this smooth material over them that makes it feel a bit more solid and durable. I like them.

Also consider the 18-50mm 2.8 Sigma which shaves off range but gives you constant 2.8 if speed is an issue for you. I personally like more zoom range for my general purpose.

What are your thoughts on a super zoom for a general purpose? like Tamron 18-270mm or Sigma 18-250mm?
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Darkness is the monster and your shutter is your sword, aperture your shield and iso your armor. Strike fast with your sword and defend well with your shield and hope your armor holds up.
 
I had the original version, it was a excellent value for the price. It did have its weaknesses, at MFD, the sharpness was poor, the focus ring was stiff, and pretty much unusable for manual focus, but for walkaround use it was excellent, at least until I upgraded to the 17-55mm lens which was a big step up.

I still recommend this lens due to the bang for your buck.

Here is a sample using my 40D.

 
Thanks I'll look into those.

I was even considering the 100mm f2.8L IS for Macro/Portraits ... But I'm sure it'll be way too long/narrow for indoor portraits or even a shot of two people standing close together. Best case scenario it would force me to stand uncomfortably far away from my subject to get them in the field of view. It got stellar reviews all around but I'm guessing it can't be used for portrait shots comfortably.

Man, I'm new to this but it seems lenses and compromises go together like bread and butter, you just have to sacrifice something.
Rakumi said:
As far as primes on a crop body, I would recommend you compare the Canon 28mm 1.8 and the Sigma 30mm 1.4. The focal range will work better for you in indoor settings. You can always walk forward to zoom in. :)

I see the Sigma 17-70 rated very well. Sigma lenses do have a certain style to their build quality that is nice. (I own just one). They have this smooth material over them that makes it feel a bit more solid and durable. I like them.

Also consider the 18-50mm 2.8 Sigma which shaves off range but gives you constant 2.8 if speed is an issue for you. I personally like more zoom range for my general purpose.

What are your thoughts on a super zoom for a general purpose? like Tamron 18-270mm or Sigma 18-250mm?
--

Darkness is the monster and your shutter is your sword, aperture your shield and iso your armor. Strike fast with your sword and defend well with your shield and hope your armor holds up.
Click to expand...
 
Here are some samples I've located on the older non-IS (sorry, Nikon bodies) The only thing that I found peculiar with that lens was that it has HSM but not manual override, unlike many other Sigmas that have both and of course pretty much all Canons with USM have manual focus override. I don't know if the Sigma OS new version has manual focus override on HSM:













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Current gear: Nikon D300, Nikon D80, Canon 30D, Panasonic ZS3, Canon SD870IS, Fuji F11

 
I'm very happy with my 17-70 OS. Recent photo & 100% crop from my 550D:









This was at the longer end and F5.0, where some of the review copies have not been great. Put it down to Sigma copy variation...

However, the lens badly front focuses when using the high precision AF point - in the 550D, the center point with F2.8 or faster. So with very short focal lengths it will front focus, then when the max aperture is slower than F2.8 it focuses correctly. I don't worry cos I use wide angle only for landscapes and videos. I think this is just a software problem, so may not be a problem with the newest batch.
 
I love my 17-70 OS. Like the earlier version it too does not have manual override but that doesn't really bother me as I rarely ever use that on my lenses that do have it. My copy is pretty sharp throughout the whole range. Also it focuses very fast. My favorite thing on the lens though is the OS system. It is superb.
 
I wouldn't worry about the build quality of the 15-85. I just purchased the lens a couple of weeks ago and it is probably one of the best built non-L lens from Canon. The lens feels very solid, there is no barrel play and no zoom creep. I also own the 17-55IS and the 24-70L and have owned a number of other zooms in this range and I consider this the best all around walkaround zoom for the Canon APS-C bodies. It is extremely sharp from edge to edge wide open and my only complaint is some mild light fall off at the wide end. The difference between 17mm and 15mm is significant on the wide end which is one of the reasons I went with the lens. The 4 stop IS will better support lower light shots than f/2.8 unless you are looking for a higher shutter speed for action on the wide side. The 15-85 coupled with a fast prime is an excellent combo.

Randy
 
snipe523 said:
I love my 17-70 OS. Like the earlier version it too does not have manual override but that doesn't really bother me as I rarely ever use that on my lenses that do have it. My copy is pretty sharp throughout the whole range. Also it focuses very fast. My favorite thing on the lens though is the OS system. It is superb.
Click to expand...
I agree about the OS system. It also works very well with handheld video making pans smooth, unlike some other systems that become a bit jerky. Ie, it doesn't just try sticking to one point and then suddenly change, but tries to predict what you are doing. Probably makes it slightly less good on stills but helps a lot with video. Also being faster than the Canon competitor lenses helps with video, since you are restricted to 1/30s exposures. That was a deciding factor for me.
 
Lenses are all about compromise. My suggestion is this (because if I knew this when I started, I would have saved a lot of money). Get a nice general purpose zoom with the focal length you desire, and get a nice prime with the focal length you feel you will most often use. And just work with that for now.
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Darkness is the monster and your shutter is your sword, aperture your shield and iso your armor. Strike fast with your sword and defend well with your shield and hope your armor holds up.
 
NIce shots
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Darkness is the monster and your shutter is your sword, aperture your shield and iso your armor. Strike fast with your sword and defend well with your shield and hope your armor holds up.
 
Just dropped it onto granite stone today - a fall about a meter or slightly more, while changing lenses. Picked it up, put it on camera and continued shooting. No problems whatsoever.

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Regards,
Roger
 
I bought the 17-70 OS for hiking and nature photiography with the 550D and to get a little closer than the 18-55 kit Although, the kit doesn't do too bad and is a lot lighter.





 
I caught these happy bugs simultaneously eating brittlebush and recombining their DNA on the Skyline trail above downtown Palm Springs last March. The 17-70 OS is great for extemporaneous close up shots when you're hiking out and about. It seems to focus pretty well on the 550D so I would guess that it would work well on the 7D as well.
 
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