Focal Range (28-200); Wide To Telephoto Apeture Range (f/3.5-38) Fast, Quiet AF Sharp, Clear Focusing Optics Good Choice For Primary Use & Travel

Requires 72mm Filters No Zoom Lock= Zoom Creep

A very good lens. The long focal range means you don't have to carry a whole entourage of lenses. Who wants to go on a trip and miss a bunch of shots because you're constantly changing lenses? For most people most of the time, 28mm is wide enough to get everything in and 200mm is long enough to meet most needs. There have been those times, however, that 28mm just wasn't wide enough. That's why I recently ordered the Tokina 19-35. Can't wait to get this one. Nonetneless, 28mm is wide enough most of the time. It has a fast and reasonably quiet AF. If you want/need complete silence, or if the AF takes too long to focus in low light, just kill the AF and focus manually. It's very easily done. Yes, the AF "hunts" a little in low light- but what lens doesn't? Too many folks depend on AF a little too often, methinks. This lens focuses nice and sharp in the viewfinder and delivers clear crisp photos as well. Anyone saying this lens has a soft focus needs an optomotrist. This lens has great optics. The size of the lens itself is of no concern to me except for one thing- 72mm filters. If you're going to buy and use only two or three, it's not a real concern. If you plan on using several, you're talking E-X-P-E-N-S-I-V-E. If this issue concerns you, you may want to opt for Sigma's 28-135 or Sigma's new compact 28-200. Both use 62mm filters. I wish Sigma had put a zoom lock on this lens. It does have an annoying zoom creep. That's the main reason I can't give this elsewise great lens a '5' in the overall rating. In a nutshell, a very good and versatile lens for as your primary lens and travel.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Canon 28-80 Pentax 50mm f/1.4

Wide zoom range Price

Poor build. Strange decline in sharpness with use. Tight, un-smooth zoom function.

I would classify this lens as "nice casual all around snapshot lens" If you're looking for sharp, undistorted images and smooth reliable operation this ain't the one. I found the zoom ring liked to bind ("get real tight like") in the middle of the zoom range. Sent it in for service and it came back just like it was. This made it very cumbersome for composing and ease of use. It annoyed me even more than the fact that image sharpness seemed to decline gradually with use. I was fairly impressed with the results on the first roll or two but then the thing got softer and softer! (curious?)I also addressed this issue when I sent it for service; also un resolved. Oh well, maybe I got a lemon but I think I'll avoid the Sigma line after this expeience. I also used the 28-105 by Sigma and was a bit better results but still below average in my opinion.

Customer Service

Lighting fast turn around but no results!

Similar Products Used:

Sigma 28-105 Pentax 28-80 Pentax80-320

very ligth for the zoom range and the aperture. compact and ligthwheigth. a very good lens for people who want a all in one lens when travelling.

not as sharp at 200. somtimes the AF is annoying me

just coming back from travel with it. mounted on a nikon F65. I buy this lens by reading theses reviews. I wanted a versatile and light lens to travel outdoor with only one lens. By reading the reviews, i find the quality of the photos i take better than i thougth. this lens is easy to use (and there is a lens lock at 28mm when the camera is off, unlike people's tells the contrary in others reviews) I take my camera and this lens for trekking and outdoor sports and it is very pleasant to have a light camera and such a zoom. Althougt the lens is in plastic, i find it a solid body. sharp for mid range and a little less at 28mm. but at 140 to 200 the sharpness goes down (can't blow up photos at 200). Very good lens for everyday photos. I will complete it whith a prime lens very sharp and wide opened. for very sharps photos and low light conditions

Customer Service

none

Similar Products Used:

i have an old canon with a 50mm f1.8 but it is break down, that's why i bougth this new lens.

Excellent quality for the price, especially considering the zoom range. Very small and light (13oz.)

A bit of distortion at 28mm (nothing too dramatic)

If you want to cut down on lens changes, want to get something light and compact, and don't want to spend a fortune, it's really hard to beat this lens. Coupled with my Canon EOS IX Lite, I have a small, very light (about 1.5 pounds) kit that can handle just about any photo opportunity that comes along (especially since, on my APS camera, the lens is effectively 35-250mm). With the lens at 28mm, the camera and lens store easily in my small Tamrac bag (with a pair of Nikon mini binocs), allowing me to take it anywhere without a second thought. Be warned, though - bystanders tend to be amazed at the change in size when the lens is at full zoom! The lens just about doubles in length, so be sure you have room for it as you compose through the viewfinder. So far, I've been very happy with the lens - excellent ergonomics when coupled with my camera, and the photos I've shot so far have been very nice. There's a little bit of distortion at the edges at the extreme wide setting, but nothing too objectionable, especially at this price. With this lens coupled with my IX Lite, I have what I consider to be one of the best performance-per-dollar setups available on the market (though the IX isn't made any more, it's readily available on eBay and at some dealers, at far below the price when new). One caveat - make sure you get the newest version of the lens, noted as Compact on the box. It fixes the lens creep issues others have mentioned with a zoom lock switch (though I haven't had a problem in my time carrying it around). Also, it's smaller, lighter, and now takes a 62mm filter instead of 72mm. All-in-all, an excellent lens!

Customer Service

Haven't needed to use, but the 4-year USA warranty gives great peace-of-mind.

Similar Products Used:

Old Tokina 50-250mm manual focus (which now feels like a tank)

Compact, much lighter than the 28-300mm, very crisp, fast autofocus, generally good quality for money, much less lense changes needed

Lense tends to extend slowely, when the camera is carried in your hand.

I bought this lense as a set with a NIKON F65 body for 447 EURO. I have had various Sigma lenses in the past usually a 28-70mm and 70-300mm combination and have been happy with the quality. I have shot approx. 30 films with this lense in the last 8 weeks, and must say, that it is GREAT quality for money!!! The pictures are crisp, the colours full, autofocus is fast and even at low-light, the lense operates swell.

Range, picture quallity is average to ok.

Build quality, build quality and build quality. If you want something firm and nice, don't buy it. It wobbles when extended to 200 mm ends. You can feel there is noticable play among barrels.

The lens gives average results in terms of picture quality. Soft wide open at 200 mm end. But my major complaint is the build quality: it wobbles when extended to 200mm end and the focus ring some times stucks just like something dropped into it. This happens when the lens was new. As a matter of fact, started yesterday, the focus ring refuses to turn anymore. I can only manually force it to turn after I took it off the camera. I will never buy any Sigma lenses, at least, sigma consumer grade lenses.

Customer Service

Mine breaks out of warranty period. Did not contact them.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta 85/1,4, Minolta 50mm/f1,7, Quantaray 35-70/3,5-4,5, Quantaray 80-210/4,5-5,6.

Closest focusing for macro Internal focus, non-rotating front barrel Zoom Range Price

Build Image quality especially out of focus highlights which are now annoying the hell out of me

I'm not sure where all the good reviews for this lens are coming from. I wanted an all-in-one, accepting that although this is a compromise, after around 12-13 years of developing these things this one should produce acceptable images. I've been disapointed from the first roll and I've tried seeing the good side but failing ever since (another 20 odd rolls since then). Images can be sharp, but you have to be careful. The camera beeps the focus lock, yet sometimes the image still comes out blurred (and it's not shake). The construction is only passable, with some considerable slop in the focus ring, which I think results in the odd unsharp image as the ring moves between lock and shoot. Hunting is also an issue. Sometimes the slop in the mechanism just manages to go past the point of focus and confuse the hell out of the Canon (EOS 5/A2E) which a proper Canon lens doesn't do, even on bright days. Out of focus highlights look artificial. I don't know what the hell's going on but out of focus hair and grass has 2 distinct edges rather than being nicely blurred. It made a goat look like it had an awful case of split ends!! I'm trading this one upto a Canon USM, but not the 28-200. I want the proper USM not the micro motor substitute. When comparing though with the Canon 28-200 USM, it has functionally the same attributes (closest focusing, focus speed) but image quality should be better on the Canon. I rate this 2 overall based on image quality being not upto the job and 3 for value.

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

Canon 28-200USM, 20-35USM, 75-300USM, 35-80

great range very good pictures with little distortion internal focusing HSM is quiet weight

Same complaints as the others: zoom creep (zoom run according to another post) slow AF in low light a bit soft at high focal lengths slightly higher prices on the 72mm filter size

If you''re a beginner like me you won''t regret getting this lens one bit. I chose this lens so that I won''t have to keep changing lenses a lot. More importantly, it allows me to compose my pictures on the subject of my choosing plus it allows me to take close ups that I was not able to previously. The range is good at 28 to 200 mm. And of course it helps that the lens is faster than most of its counterparts in the same price range. I made some simple tests with the lens and it didn''t look as if distortion is an issue with this lens. However lens flare could be a problem. Luckily the lens comes with a hood. So keep the hood on as much as possible especially when taking pictures at low focal lengths and large apertures. Internal focusing is another plus for this lens which makes the use of position sensitive filters easier (ex. circular polarizers) to handle. I just wish the hood wouldn''t get in the way. Once the C-PL is in place along with the hood, I can''t move the polarizer without removing the hood or risk touching the filter. This can get annoying at times. One last thing, I would recommend a UV or Skylight filter since the lens is very shallow and could get damaged if one is not too careful. So all in all, it''s a good lens to start with but I do not see myself sticking to it in the long run. I know I''ll be saving up for a better one in the future. But for the meantime, this can''t be beat.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

EF 22-55mm

Metal lens mount, focusing scale on barrel, solid feeling construction, range.

Bad lens creep, slight vigeneting at 28mm, slow AF in low light.

I had never tried a Sigma lens before, but for the price, I couldn''''t resist.

Customer Service

Unknown

Similar Products Used:

Canon 28-90mm f/4-5.6, Vivitar 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 (terrible)

Compact Reasonable range end performance (28/200mm) Non rotating front element Good contrast and resolution in mid zoom ranges capable of some blow up beyond 4x6

No zoom lock Vigeneting at 28mm with "thicker" filters Some AF hunt in low light 72mm filter size and cost

A very good general purpose zoom lens that has performed well in a variety of lighting conditions. Fast AF and an excellent range make this lens a high use on my pentax.

Customer Service

No problems reported

Similar Products Used:

Various MF 28-200mm and 35-105mm Tamron Sigma and Vivitar Series 1 lenses