Telezoom for Sigma SD 15

Jhnns wrote:

Hm, hm, hm – thank you! It seems difficult to find an inexpensive useful lens. What's about the 55-200: https://www.ephotozine.com/article/sigma-55-200-f-4-5-6-dc-4341

It seems not too bad!?

I had one years ago; came as a kit lens with an SD9. It took good pictures.

Can lenses from analog Sigma cameras be used with the SD15?

I am not sure, sorry. Best to research the Sigma SA mount ... my SD9 has internal and external "threads" and it did accept the old 50mm f/2.8 macro lens, the one with an aperture ring on the lens. I no longer own an SD15 and don't remember what variety of threads it had.

Thanks for all your comments and ideas!

You're welcome!

Jhnns and Ted, thanks for your comments. My serious recommendation for your SD15 would be to buy one excellent prime lens now, get to know the camera, then decide what longer zoom to buy. For prime I would recommend the current production 30mm f1.4. It takes exquisitely sharp photos on the SD15. Look at my caboose photos with that combination. The old 2000 era 50mm f/2.8 EX lens is also excellent on the SD15. Look at my manual focus of lotus flowers in pond with the SD15 last month. Sigma NY fixed the auto focus rapidly and inexpensively for me. My older 105mm EX prime non-OS seems a bit hit or miss on the SD15. It was better on the SD10/14. I don't know why, electronics?

I may have some other lens you've mentioned, I'll look and try them. As a general point newer Sigma lenses are much sharper or with OS (stabilization) than the early 2000 to mid-2000 yr lenses. Some of those didn't work too well on the digital cameras at least in auto focus. I mainly used the 17-70mm OS from about 2013 and now on my SD15.

See what you can find in your area for a good sharp prime in SA mount. Keep checking with this forum. With everyone here we have probably used most of them.

In my older first SD15 album on Flickr, page 3 starting SDIM01945,  I just noticed I have some photos taken with the 55-200mm lens. That whole SD15 album can give you an idea of the SD15's color and quality. Some 50mm f2.8 prime examples there too.

Sorry the lotus pad photo was the 50mmEX on the SDQuattro body. The Quattro and Merrill sensor cameras have more resolution than the SD15. That's why I stopped shooting the SD15 and just bought Quattros.

Thank you very much, Sandy and all others! I would like to buy a great prime lens but as indicated above, I can not afford such a thing at the moment (I paid – thank God – only about 70 Euro for the SD15). I have now been able to buy a 55-200 for 50 euros and am curious how much can be done with it. Thanks and best regards!

Good news, congratulations. I hope you keep reading this forum and ask any questions you have and post photos.

Best advice I received recently is to 'bracket' a lot, ie use the EV feature (exposure compensation). For example  start at EV 0 take a photo then do photos at -.3 then -.7. These EV changes will adjust your aperture and shutter speeds in relation.

I find the SD15 easily overexposes highlights, like bright skies and highlights. Personally I like the center weighted exposure setting rather than evaluative.

SandyF wrote:

Good news, congratulations. I hope you keep reading this forum and ask any questions you have and post photos.

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I find the SD15 easily overexposes highlights, like bright skies and highlights. Personally I like the center weighted exposure setting rather than evaluative.

Me too. Evaluative is easily fooled by many scenes, I reckon.

I tend to spot-meter and then to decide an exposure similarly to Adams' Zone system.

This Kodak chart is quite helpful in that regard:

Thank you so much Sandy! Yes, I have had the same experience with my DP2 and basically underexpose a bit. Kind regards!

Thank you for the overview. I have saved it. This is a great forum here!

Jhnns wrote:

Thank you so much Sandy! Yes, I have had the same experience with my DP2 and basically underexpose a bit. Kind regards!

Good, I hadn't realized that you have experience with the DP2. It shoots and processes in SPP about the same as the SD15.