Inexpensive.

Unclear images.

This was the biggest purchase mistake of my career. I bought this lens to replace a Canon wide zoom I had owned for years. I was on a very tight budget and needed a lens fast.

At 3 feet, the lens focuses well. Anything after 3 feet isn't crisp at all. Like the one reviewer said, you can sharpen the images in the editing process, but no one should have to do that.

As for the other reviewer, who said this lens was great for a beginner, I would say he's wrong, because a beginning photographer would see the fuzzy images and think it's human error.

And, anyone who thinks these images are crisp either needs glasses or isn't zooming in during the editing process.

True, you get what you pay for, but I expected Sigma to turn out a better product, and because of this lens's poor craftsmanship, I will never purchase another Sigma product as long as I live.

I paid $100 for this lens, and it has cost me over $2,000 because of the poor, unsellable shots I've taken with it.

But, if you want it, contact me, and I'll sell it to you for $40.

Fast, compact.

Soft throughout all apertures, in fact it is softer than the lens of my P/S digital camera!

I basically got this lens because it was fast and because the 58mm filter size is the same as the other lens I use (thus no need for stepping rings to use filters). The lens is pretty much what can be expected from a cheap lens, so-so performance but nothing spectacular. My main complaint is that the lens produces noticeably soft images through all apertures and focal lengths. Sharpness can be improved to acceptable levels in post processing. It is good enough and does what I need (and fits my *very* restricted budget), but if you can I would save up some cash and go for something better.

Sharp, low cost, lightweight

Body has a plasticy feel, almost like it was a toy

I needed a lens to replace my kit lens on my Nikon N65, so I bought this one. I've been very happy with it while I used it. I ended up replacing it with the 28-70 2.8 lens, and using this one as a backup. This lens still gets used when I and a buddy are out shooting and we both want a semi-wide angle lens.

Customer Service

Never had to use it

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 28-70G Sigma 28-70 F2.8

Price and small size.

Could be sharper at the 28mm end.

This is a good lens for those starting out in photography. The max aperture of 2.8-4 gives it a slight edge over the Nikon 28-80 3.5-5.6g in low light. Sharpest at 5.6 @ 50mm. Ideal for going places where you are likely to damage it, as it is priced so low you can easily get a replacement. ;-)

Customer Service

They actually reply to emails. :-)

very good construction and aspect

sharpness could be better at both ends of the focal range

I have the Canon mount version of this lens. The mount is made of plastic with a kind of metal look, that seems to be metal at first, but it is plastic. I tested the lens photographing a newspater page fixed on the wall. The camera was an EOS 3000V (Rebel K2) I took photographs at several aperure settings and at 28, 50 ant 70mm, and compared them with my Nikkor 50/1,8 (with a Nikon F80) I got the following results: 28mm F5,6: sharpness: bad (2 in a 0-5 scale) vignetting: little vignetting distortion: no distortion observed 50mm f5.6 sharpness: very very good (at least 4.5 in a 0-5 scale) almost as good as the Nikkor 50/1.8 vignetting: no vignetting dustortion: very slight pincushion distortion. 70mm F5.6: sharpness: bad (2 in a 0-5 scale) vignetting : no vignetting distortion : severe pincushion distortion.

Customer Service

unknown

Similar Products Used:

Several Nikkor lenes, such as the 20-80, 35-80, tamron 80-200 etc

light, smooth, fast, inexpensive

as with any zoom lens - distortions

This lens came in a Sigma SA-7 kit. I bought it form a German internet shop. The mount is a metal one, unlike the experience of the previous reviewer. The body is made of polycarbonate (plastic). It is light, the zoom and the manual focusing rings are convenient and their movement is smooth. The focusing motor can be heard. I guess it is normal for a lens that does not have HSM or USM. There is a noticeable barrel distortion at 28 mm, a slight pincushion distortion at 50 mm and a noticeable pincushion distortion at 70 mm. I guess that at 40 to 45 mm the images will be distortion-free. I photographed some resolution charts at wide open aperture and the shot at 50 mm had the best resolution (I know I should stop down the aperture for best results). I could not notice any vignetting (light falloff). With Fuji Superia 200, the blue color of some clothes becomes more saturated than it is in real life. It could be the film. Other than that, the colours seem OK to me. I made some pretty good street portraits with the lens (in a foggy weather). I can say that it will do the job for me. I shoot several rolls of film per year and I don't think that I will wear it off soon.

Customer Service

Have not needed it yet.

Similar Products Used:

none

-fast at 2.8 -better built than nikon's cheap higly deceiving plastic lens... -comes with a cool hood. - small, pretty, lightweight.

-PLASTIC BAYONNET! DONT BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU SEE AT SIGMA'S SITE! - soft at 70mm - no DOF scale - could have a macro, like the 28-80 :)

This lens.. is... weird. It is a reasonable lens. I dodnt nocice any barrel distortion at 28mm but there ia pincushion distortion at 70mm. It is a well built lens. The rings are smooth and much better than the awfull nikon 28-80mm 3.5-5.6. It feels much more solid that the nikon. It does not have internal focusing so it rotates the front element. The hood is similar to the canon 28-70 2.8... nothing to compare here.. just the hood! Image quality is quite good but not THAT sharp at 70mm. At 70mm this lens is a waist.. pincushion... softness.. bleh! I find this lens quite pretty, but ir doesnt have DOF scale. The better thing to say here is: Sigma cheats! Look at this lens photo at sigma's site, it has a metal bayonnet. BUT this is plastic!!! We cant thust photography anymore.. what a fake! I bought this lens because my sigma 28-70 2.8 EX just broke twice in my hands. So i was looking for something to be an casual substitute, then, when I saw that this lens bayonnet was in metal, I tought It could be better than any other in this segment (I wont pay 1.200 for the 28-70mm 2.8 nikkor). I was wrong.. it is plastic... just a little plastic, not suberb lens...

Customer Service

hehe I'm in Brazil. once broken, buy another...

Similar Products Used:

nikon 28-80mm (blerk! although hasnt pincushion at 80mm) sigma 28-70 EX 2.8 (too fragile for the price)