Sigma Lens Reviews

Field Test Report

Peter Burian tests five lenses with great light gathering ability: the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM, Tamron AF 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro, Tokina AF 50-135mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX, Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S DX and the Sigma AF 30mm f/1.4 EX HSM DC

Because most digital SLR camera owners demand compact, lightweight lenses, the vast majority of zooms feature a small maximum aperture. A typical kit lens is designated as f/3.5-5.6 indicating that the maximum aperture is quite small at the short end and becomes very small at longer focal lengths. In practical terms, that translates to moderate light gathering ability. The larger the numeral the smaller the opening in the lens and the less light that will reach the camera’s digital sensor.

A wide aperture lens is ideal for fast shutter speeds in low light conditions when you cannot use flash or a tripod. Shooting at f/2.8 allowed me to get many sharp photos at 1/125 sec. during a stage performance, using ISO 1000. With a more typical (smaller) aperture, much higher ISO levels would have been required for the same shutter speed and the images would have been seriously degraded by digital noise. (Nikon 17-55mm at f/2.8.) (c) 2009 Peter K. Burian

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Thom Hogan

Oh my, here’s a lens wide enough to take in almost your entire vision, yet with very little linear distortion (i.e., straight lines remain straight). Sigma has managed to make a very wide angle lens without most of the optical issues that plague them (light falloff, corner softness, chromatic aberration, etc.). With one major caveat, the Sigma 14mm f/3.5 is a decent performer. The edges are a little soft wide open. And I wouldn’t use the lens at f/22, as defraction seems to take a bit of sharpness away at minimum aperture. Fortunately, depth of field is so great even at f/3.5 (hyperfocal distance is less than 8′), that you’ll never really need to stop all the way down. I expected more light falloff in the corners, but this common wide-angle problem is well controlled on this lens. Unbelievably, straight lines really do stay straight. READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX IF HSM Macro Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras

Photo Zone

The is a very capable macro lens with very high resolution figures, marginal vignetting and non-existing distortions. Unfortunately CAs are a on the high side which is unusual for a tele fix-focal lens – this is a correctable issue though (via PS ACR, RawShooter, etc.). The build quality is very high and thanks to HSM the AF operates pretty fast and virtually silent. Compared to similar genuine brand lenses the AF 180mm f/3.5 EX APO macro is an absolute bargain at less than half the costs. However, all-in-all the Sigma AF 150mm f/2.8 EX HSM APO macro DG was a little more convincing. … READ FULL REVIEW

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Digital Picture

One of the best situations in which to consider a third party lens is when the camera body manufacturer does not have an equivalent offering. Meet the Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DG Lens – as of this writing, Canon does not offer a lens this wide with an aperture this large. Unfortunately, I consider the Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DG Lens to be unusable at f/1.8 unless you are looking for a soft-focus effect. This lens is one of the softest I’ve seen wide open. Realistically, this will be an f/2.8 lens to most people as the center does not become decently sharp until this aperture. Sorry Sigma, this one is a dud. If you want a fast 20mm lens, I suggest saving for the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L USM Lens. It far surpasses the performance of the current Sigma and Canon 20mm lenses in all regards. READ FULL REVIEW

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Photo Zone

The Sigma AF 400mm f/5.6 HSM APO macro may be discontinued but this surely doesn’t originate in performance factors. The lens is capable to delivery high quality images with very high resolution, low vignetting and insignificant distortions as well as a negligible degree of CAs. The build quality is also decent apart from the AF/MF switch and the focus limiter. Same goes for the focusing speed thanks to Sigma’s HSM (ultrasonic) AF drive. So if you’re looking for a high performance 400mm lens on a budget it is surely worth to check out the used market for this lens. However, you should make sure that the lens is still compatible to today’s DSLRs. The tested sample had no real issues on the EOS 350D but older samples with an old firmware may even lock up your camera. This is especially likely for the older variants with a conventional AF motor (non-HSM). Unfortunately Sigma doesn’t seem to be able to provide firmware updates for all these 400mm lenses anymore. … READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Autofocus Lens & Opteka Battery Pack Grip & 2 EN-EL3e Batteries (3400 mAh Total) & Filters & Accessories for Nikon D80 Digital SLR Camera

Photo Zone

We all know that zoom lenses are compromises regarding speed and performance but we expect fix-focals to perform better than that. Sigma AF 30mm f/1.4 EX HSM DC may perform pretty good in absolute terms but for a fix-focal the lens disappoints a little. The center performance is exceptionally high but the borders are not all that impressive. The other image parameters such as distortions, vignetting and CAs are Okay but nothing to rave about. So at the end of the day the only differentiator is its ultra-large aperture – it’s up to you whether this is good enough compared to classic 28mm or 35mm lenses. READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Photo Zone

The new Sigma AF 50mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM is a refreshing alternative in the long-ignored standard AF lens market. The lens is fairly big and heavy due to unusually big glass elements but thanks to the design efforts it is already capable of delivering very sharp images straight from f/1.4 and the resolution is truly impressive at medium aperture settings. Distortions, vignetting as well as CAs aren’t overly relevant in field conditions. The bokeh can be a bit nervous at f/1.4 but it’s smooth and buttery from f/2 onwards. The build quality of the lens is excellent. The HSM AF drive is very fast and virtually silent. All-in-all – highly recommended but watch out for focus accuracy problems. READ FULL REVIEW

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Photo Zone

The Sigma AF 50mm f/2.8 EX macro DG is an excellent lens without any significant optical flaws. Compared to the Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 USM macro it shows less vignetting at wide-open aperture – other than that both lenses perform quite similar. Mechanically the Canon has an edge though thanks to a fast USM AF drive combined with a true IF design (constant length). However, the Sigma is earns some points due to its lower price tag and a more future-proof full-frame design. As such it can be highly recommended. READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG IF HSM Aspherical Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Photo Zone

The Sigma AF 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX HSM DG is the most extreme full format ultra-wide zoom lens around and it is still a “mainstream” ultra-wide lens when used on APS-C DSLRs. If you’re looking for a future-proof “duo-format” lens in this class – well, here it is. However, there’re a couple of further good arguments in favor of the lens. In the APS-C scope the resolution is very high and even throughout the tested aperture and focal length range and as such more harmonious compared to dedicated APS-C zooms which tend to suffer from edge problems. Distortions are extremely well controlled for a lens in this class and vignetting is generally not a problem except maybe at 12mm @ f/4.5. The only significant issue are lateral CAs at and below 17mm – you better shoot RAW files and correct the issue in your RAW converter, otherwise CAs are too extreme. The build quality of the Sigma is excellent and the fast and near-silent HSM (ultrasonic) AF drive is a welcome feature. The price tag of the lens is fairly moderate in relation to what you get for your bucks. Highly recommended … if you can get a good sample (the tested sample in Canon mount wasn’t quite as good). … READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma MACRO 70mm f/2.8 EX DG Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS

Photo Zone

The Sigma AF 70mm f/2.8 EX DG macro is capable to deliver exceptionally sharp results throughout most of the aperture range. The bokeh (out-of-focus blur) is very smooth and buttery. Typical for macro lenses it also produces a negligible degree of distortions. On an APS-C DSLR vignetting is nothing to worry about. Lateral CAs (color shadows at the image borders) are comparatively high for a fix-focal lens but still fairly low in absolute terms and not really field relevant. The AF performance of the lens isn’t overly impressive – the accuracy is fine but it is both slow and noisy. Other than that the build quality is on a very high level. READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Medium Telephoto Macro Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Photo Zone

The Sigma AF 105mm f/2.8 EX macro DG is an excellent lens without any significant optical flaws. The resolution figures are excellent and neither distortions nor CAs nor vignetting is something to worry about. Similar to the Tamron or Tokina counterpart it is basically as good as the much higher priced Micro-Nikkor (the classic one, not the VR). The build quality feels very good although the implementation of the Dual-Focus mechanism isn’t really perfect. Regarding all the excellent lens alternatives in this segment it is quite difficult to select a favorite … but the good news is that there isn’t really a wrong choice. READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma 150mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM APO HSM IF Macro Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Photo Zone

The Sigma AF 150mm f/2.8 APO EX macro DG D is one of the few third-party lenses that can play in the league up there with the big boyz. The performance figures are excellent and leave really nothing to be desired across all tested quality characteristics. The mechanical build quality is very good thanks to a metal body and a true IF (internal focusing) design with a constant physical length. The AF speed is about average in absolute terms but pretty good for a macro lens. Thanks to Sigma’s HSM (Hypersonic-Motor> the AF operates virtually silent. The lens is compatible to Sigma’s APO EX DG converter so there´s also an option for some extra reach or increased working distance if needed. The price tag of the lens is moderate at around 550-600 €/US$.
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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma 15-30mm f/3.5-4.5 EX DG IF Aspherical Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras

Thom Hogan

A bit of barrel distortion, edge sharpness issues on 35mm bodies at the extremes, and contrast/flare control problems keep this from being a top-of-the-line lens. If you’re expecting this lens to be equivalent to a wider Nikkor 17-35mm AF-S, downgrade your expectations a bit. Performance is a mixed bag. From a sharpness and contrast standpoint, the lens does a quite fine job. For it’s price, this lens performs quite well. … READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC IF Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

Photo Zone

The Sigma AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC is a very good standard zoom and a viable alternative to the Nikon offerings in this range. Generally it is capable to produce very sharp results although the corner performance leaves a bit to be desired at 17mm at large aperture settings. The vignetting level could also be a bit better here but most competitors don’t offer a f/2.8 settings anyway and from f/4 it follows the mainstream. The level of distortions is about typical for a standard zoom whereas chromatic aberrations (color shadows) are comparatively low. The build quality is very fine for a lens in this price league. … READ FULL REVIEW

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Photo Zone

Generally the Sigma AF 18-50mm f/2.8 DC EX macro delivered a solid performance but without being any better than the competition. The resolution results are generally very fine except at 18mm where the extreme border performance leaves something to be desired below f/5.6. Distortions as well as CAs are about in line with the rest of the gang. Typical for most dedicated APS-C lenses the vignetting could be a little better at wide-open aperture. The build quality and handling of the Sigma is fine. The Sigma offers lots of bangs for your bucks but the comparable Tamron AF 17-50mm f/2.8 SP seems to be a better alternative. … READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma 18-50mm f/3.5-5.6 DC Aspherical Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Photo Zone

The Sigma AF 18-50mm f/3.5-5.6 DC is an budget lens which comes with a couple of weaknesses but also surprising strengths. At 18mm the level of distortions and CAs is quite extreme. Vignetting is also an issue at 18mm and 50mm – the latter is quite unusual especially because it doesn’t really help much to stop down here. However, if you limit your aperture settings to f/5.6 and smaller the resolution figures are pretty impressive and comparable to much more pricey zooms out there. Regarding the extremely low price tag Sigma had to implement some compromises on the mechanical side like a rotating front element and a rotating focus ring in AF mode but other than that the build quality of this little lens is actually quite decent. Regarding its weaknesses the corresponding Nikkor AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED DX may be a better choice though. … READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma 135-400mm f/4.5-5.6 APO DG Aspherical AF Zoom Telephoto Lens for Nikon AF

Photo Zone

The Sigma AF 135-400mm f/4.5-5.6 APO Aspherical RF is not a perfect lens nor can you expect that a budget lens reaches high end quality levels. Nonetheless it is capable to provide very decent results especially in the 135-300mm range. At 400mm @ f/5.6 the quality is quite soft but from f/8 and up the quality is very respectable. The distortion characteristic is almost perfect and vignetting isn’t really field relevant on an APS-C DSLR. CAs are a quite pronounced at 135mm but the overall level is still acceptable. Mechanically the lens leaves more to be desired. The quality of the used materials is fine but the friction of the zoom ring is way too high and the worst implementation that I’ve seen so far. There’s no such thing as a free lunch but admittedly the Sigma offers quite a bit of possibilities for your bucks. READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 AF DC OS HSM Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Photo Zone

The Sigma AF 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC is naturally a compromise but the package is a bit more sound compared to its more ambitious sister lens – the AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC. Sigma seems to have followed a quite interesting design approach – ignoring distortions and focus on the rest and this works out pretty well. The lens is very sharp specifically around the wide end of the zoom range but the tele settings aren´t bad either. CAs are about average and vignetting could be a little better at wide-open aperture. Nonetheless these are viable compromises for an extremely compact 7x zoom. Unfortunately the AF performance of the lens isn’t quite as promising. On the EOS 350D AF accuracy is totally unacceptable when using a focal length below 50mm – I haven’t really experienced another lens (besides the 18-200mm) which performs as bad in this respect. Trusting the camera is no good idea here. I used the lens extensively during a recent vacation and after a couple of days I gave up and disabled AF for wide angle shots (Note: normally I’m using the central AF point only for better accuracy …). The lens may work out better on an EOS 30D or EOS 400D. … READ FULL REVIEW

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Photo Zone

There’s no such thing as a free lunch in lens land and the Sigma AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC is no exception here. The resolution figures are generally quite decent and regarding the extreme zoom range you may accept the very pronounced distortions present throughout the zoom range as well as a few other shortcomings. Unfortunately the AF accuracy leaves something to be desired with this lens especially towards the long end of the zoom range. Typically such a type of lens is used by beginners on entry level DSLRs where a rather dark viewfinder combined and an average AF system don’t really help here. So if you’re interested in this lens it’s a good idea to take your DSLR to your trusted photo dealer around the corner to check whether the camera’s AF system is really up to the task. If so it is a good compromise between quality and zoom range. READ FULL REVIEW

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Get information and user reviews for this lens from Amazon: Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

Thom Hogan

Full-frame fisheye lenses (of which there are two, the Nikkor 16mm and the Sigma 15mm described here) provide a 180 degree angle of view across the 35mm frame diagonal. These lenses don’t attempt to correct for rectilinear distortion (as do the 14mm lenses) and thus produce a very unique “look” to a shot. The Sigma 15mm isn’t exactly a lens suitable for architectural photography, but it can be used for dramatic effect. Focusing is quick and somewhat quiet. Overall sharpness is excellent, though I do note a bit of softness in the corners, especially wide open. Depth of field is phenomenal even wide open, which tends to increase the perception of sharpness of the lens. Chromatic aberration is minimal (and not an issue on the digital bodies; a trivial issue on the 35mm bodies). Light falloff is substantial wide open in the corners of 35mm shots, only a minor issue for digital. By f/5.6, light falloff is minimal and ignorable. Straight lines that run directly through the center of the frame are rendered straight, while straight lines near the edges have considerable barrel distortion (outward curve). READ FULL REVIEW

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