I did a fair amount of research before buying this lens, but I was having trouble with dirt getting into the camera as I was constantly changing a 18-55 and 50-200 lens. The reviews suggested it was much clearer than the equivalent Tamron. I have owned it for 10 months and am very pleased with the results. No point comparing it to a £900 canon or nikon monster, but it is very capable. The 200mm reach is very handy and the image quality is actually pretty good wide open at that setting. At 18mm it is decent as well, but benefits from stopping down a little. At this wide angle setting it also shows much less barrel distortion than my Pentax kit lens (but I wouldn't tell the Pentax fan-boys that ;-) More than capable for general use. Solid enough and does not seem to have too many problems with focus.

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full 11.1 x
macro focus to about 6 inches
very light and small when retracted
relatively inexpensive
optics appear to be very good in early practical trial

little noiser than Nikkor
stiff feel in turning mechanism
clumsy kind of segmentation when the lens extends

I was going to buy the Nikkor version for close to 700 dollars but saved over $200 purchasing the Sigma. The lens is very light. The motor is a little noiser than the Nikkor and the turning mechanisms seem a little stiffer. The lens is surpriringly small and light, even though it is longer than the 55-200 mm Nikkor when extended--or seems so. It has an additional extension out of the tube for the longer focal lengths. The segments have visal scares to mark focal lengths. The optics look very good to me and the lens has a macro potential focussing down to about 6 inches. You have to use the manual focus when you focus in that close because the autofocus seems to search forever, but it does focus fine.

The best part is that my Nikon has the same capability as my point and shoot Kodak and I don't have to make decisions about every day use lenses. I can carry my Sigma 10-20 mm lens with me in my small case and have my whole photographic range. I've only had the lens a few hours but I feel like the cat who swallowed the canary.

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Similar Products Used:

Nikkor 55-200