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Sigma APO EX 70-200mm f/2.8
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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Average Rating
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100% of reviewers
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$867.39
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9.4
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supersize
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Description:
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Focal Length (mm) 70-200mm
Aperture Maximum 2.8
Aperture range 2.8-32, AE
field of view 34.3-12.3
optical construction (elements / groups) 17/14
Coatings 0
Minimum focus distance (mm from film plane) 1800
magnification ratio 1:7.8
filter diameter (mm) 77
"length( mm at infinity)" 183.5
maximum diameter (mm) 86
"weight (g)" 1270
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Author
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Peter Zack
Moderator
Site Supporter
Registered: May 2007
Location: East Coast Canada
Posts: 8275
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Review Date: Sat March 15, 2008
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $950.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Sharp, fast well built. Excellent IQ
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Cons:
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None to speak of
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Super lens. Reasonable size and weight. Balances nicely on K10D. Very sharp and close to a prime at all focal lengths. Internal zoom and focus so the lens is great for filters and does not extend to zoom. This makes it faster to focus since it's much bigger and heavier than the typical DA50-200.
Sharp, Great colour, very little distortion. Full frame design so there is no vignetting noticed on a DSLR. Very good build with good hood. Has a useful tripod mount collar.
If you can find one, buy it. I've compared it to several primes in similar FL's and it's hard to tell the difference.
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johngios
New Member
Registered: February 2008
Location: sydney,australia
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Sat March 15, 2008
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $1,200.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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sharp throughout with K10D,no autofocus issues,pro build quality
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Cons:
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quite heavy when used with K10D and battery grip,slght play in bayonet mount so lock fully when attaching,some PF in extreme contrast situations
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This lens has not gained such a high reputation for nothing.I have the DG version and it has given several years worth of very pleasing images with MZS and now K10D. Would recommend a tripod when you can if shooting in low light , although SR on K10D helps alot when shooting under normal circumstances .Would recommend for both film and digital.
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Lowell Goudge
Pentaxian
Registered: January 2007
Location: Toronto
Posts: 6001
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Review Date: Fri March 21, 2008
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $1,200.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Speed, Image Quality, Build quality
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Cons:
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None (proividing you accept an F2.8 200mm zoom weighs 2 pounds)
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We really need a 9.5 quality rating, nothing is ever perfect but this lens is much better than a 9.
I have the origonal (pre DG) version, and have used it for 4 + years now, starting with my *istD and now on the K10D.
The lens is exceptional, and also suffers very little loss of performance when used with the 1.4x or 2x sigma TCs.
The only noticible performance change with a 2x TC is a slight tendancy to go from minimum to maximum focus when aquiring a new subject at different focus distance.
One thing I have noticed is that the plastic lens hood had a tendancy to stick, due to plastic on plastic friction that developed when locking it in place. I fixed this with a little soap on the lock in track. This problem is not unique to sigma, tamron lenses also suffer from the hoods binding on the plastic to plastic interface.
One thing that would be a nice aftermarket product for the lens would be a set of tulip hoods that consider the ASP-C crop factor, and also use with 1.4x and 2x TCs. the existing hood is dimensioned for the field of view of a full frame sensor/35mm film camera and not as effective as it could be.
A note for manual focus users. I have tried this with the lens, but the focusing collar only has a 90 degree (1/4 turn) rotation from minimum focus to infinity. WHile it makes aquiring an image to a rough focus easy, precise focus is difficult because of the limited range of motion on the focusing collar. although it can be manually focused, this is really an AF lens and should be used that way. There is a mechanical clutch in the focusing collar that can disengage the focusing collar for AF use.
A note for DSLR Users: Depending upon the focusing screen used in your DSLR (K10D is one specific case), when this lens is used with a telecvonverter such as sigma's APO 1.4x and 2X Teleconverters there is an exposure error due to the inability of the camera to know the true maxiumum apature. As a result you need to compensate by setting exposure compensation to between -.7 and -1.3 stops for correct exposure. Tele converters that modify, with internal circuitry, the apature reporting do not need this coppensation (added with an edit)
Edit note, this should be split into 2 reviews, one for the APO 70-200 F2.8 EX and one for the APO 70-200 F2.8 EX DG Perhaps one of the reviewers with the DG version can enter it as a new lens. The same comment will also apply with the HSM version when it appears.
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SupremeMoFo
Pentaxian
Registered: March 2007
Location: Queensland, Australia
Posts: 668
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Review Date: Fri March 21, 2008
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $700.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Sharpness, great colour rendition & contrast, fairly fast focusing, pairs well with Sigma 1.4x TC
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Cons:
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Chromatic aberration wide open
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I've got the DG version, which looks different to the non-DG version - the zoom and focusing rings are a different design.
The lens is fantastic, other than relatively strong CA, which is mostly gone by f3.5 and gone by f4. Obviously, it's exacerbated with the teleconverter but you just have to change shooting technique to allow for lower shutter speeds to give you smaller apertures.
The case that comes with it is nice, but won't be used if you already have a decent bag for your equipment. The hood is significantly smaller than, say, the Nikon 80-200 f2.8, and you cannot shoot into the sun with this lens.
But I'd thoroughly recommend it - the results I've garnered have been brilliant.
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Tyler
Pentaxian
Registered: April 2007
Location: 3rd rock from the sun
Posts: 475
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Review Date: Sun March 30, 2008
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $900.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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sharp, fast AF, great build,
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Cons:
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little heavy, but that is expected
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I will edit this later with a full review.
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reknelb
Pentaxian
Registered: January 2007
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 312
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Review Date: Thu April 10, 2008
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $750.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Most versatile lens in my bag. Does everything well.
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Cons:
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Cant think of any worth mentioning.
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This lens rarely comes off my camera. I use it for Family/Senior portraits, weddings, horse shows, birding, you name it.
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volosong
Pentaxian
Registered: September 2006
Location: Laurentia
Posts: 537
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Review Date: Tue April 29, 2008
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $739.95
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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optical quality, mechanical construction
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Cons:
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absolutely none
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If on the side of the barrel this lens said "Pentax" instead of "Sigma", it would be a FA* lens. It it THAT good! It is so good that I'm having a hard time convincing myself that I want or need the DA* 200/2.8 lens. This one covers the same exact focal length and maximum aperture.
My copy is the pre-DG version. Even though it is the older screw drive autofocus mechanism, it is focusing very quickly. Only in the dimmest of light conditions does it hunt for focus, but which lens on a Pentax body doesn't.
This is my go-to lens when I shoot sports. It also works flawlessly with the Sigma EX teleconverters. With the EX 1.4x converter, you have a 98-280/4 lens. You may ask yourself that with this combination, why do I need the Sigma EX 100-300/4? Truly, you will really question. You will not be giving up much.
Price paid was in May of 2005 from Sigma4less and reflects availability and market at that time.
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jeallen01
New Member
Registered: May 2008
Location: London, UK
Posts: 11
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Review Date: Sun May 18, 2008
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): None indicated
| Rating: 0
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A question to Lowell Goudge if you would be so kind as to answer:
You are using the pre-DG version with a KD10D - did the lens need to rechipped before it would work with that camera?
(I have a Samsung GX10, and the possible supplier of a second-hand 70-200 F2.8 has tried if on a GX20 - but it would not talk to the camera, and so would not work properly.)
Thanks in advance for any info you can give!
Regards
John Allen
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truonganh
Senior Member
Registered: November 2007
Location: Bay area, CA
Posts: 154
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Review Date: Sat August 16, 2008
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $750.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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fast and sharp.
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Cons:
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big and heavy
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i have the DG version, screw drive mechanism focus is plenty fast enough with the familiar buzzing sound. Really sharp wide open at 70 thru 135mm, at 200mm, it's dreamy at f2.8 but sharpens up nicely 1 stop down (f4). Works wonderful with the matching Sigma 1.4X...
It's a big piece of glass. you'll definitely feel it on your neck if you walk around with this thing. I guess that is the price you have to pay for FF fast glass.
Regarding focusing accuracy: Since i've upgraded to the K20D, this lens really shine. I notice a much improved focus accuracy, as it is very important with telephoto lens.
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Denis
Pentaxian
Registered: January 2007
Location: St-Albert, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 315
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Review Date: Thu September 18, 2008
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $900.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Sharp, great IQ, quiet and smooth focusing, low cost
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Cons:
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Slightly heavy requiring monopod at 200mm range
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I purchased the Sigma 70-200 F2.8 EX II HSM in mid September. Image quality is excellent with good color rendering. The macro function is very good for a lens this size. Focusing is very,very quiet and fast. Range and focusing rings are smooth.
After using it for a week, I definitely would say it is a keeper. Reviews were not all that favorable prior to store purchase availibility but so far my results easily exceed those achieved in their test.
The quality of construction of this lens combined with great IQ throughout its range and HSM's quiet focusing at a price under $1000 are real values for any photographer.
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dadipentak
Site Supporter
Registered: July 2008
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Posts: 1154
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Review Date: Sun September 21, 2008
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $799.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Sharp across the range, fine bokeh, quick, accurate AF
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Cons:
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Yeah it's big & heavy. Has a white dot where the red dot should be ;>)
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My APO EX DG MACRO HSM (etc.) arrived Friday and I've been giving it a work-out (and vice-versa ;>) It's flat out amazing! At 77mm, it rivals my Limited in terms of IQ (including the "3D" effect.) Yes, it's big, solid and heavy (and perhaps a bit imposing from the subject's pov--which is why I'm keeping the 77mm) but, wow, this is a great lens at a great price!
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Jimbo
Site Supporter
Registered: December 2007
Location: Maple Ridge BC Canada
Posts: 6603
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Review Date: Tue October 7, 2008
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $900.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Fast and quite focus
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Cons:
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none
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I have now used this lens for just over a month and have been extremely happy with the results. Focus is smooth and quite. Shape at all ranges and the Marco is ok but prefer the Tamron 90mm. If you are shooting for a few hours would recommend a monipod or tri-pod as the lens is a little heavy, which over a short time makes it harder to focus hand held. For the dollar versus preformance, it is well worth the money. Would hightly recommend and for me it is worth the $$'s. JIMBO
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Zivelot
New Member
Registered: October 2008
Location: Jászberény, Hungary
Posts: 8
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Review Date: Wed January 21, 2009
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $1,000.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Inner zoom and focusing, image quality, built quality, tripod collar
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Cons:
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none... (well, after an hour it is a bit heavy to hold)
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Excellent lens. I have the first version (APO EX; ser. nr: 3×××××) without DG, macro or HSM features but I do not miss these shiny bits. The lens performs very well anyway, so no need for them. Both on analog and digital medium it simply does the job without compromise. The positive aspect of this old dog, that it still has an aperture ring, so I can even use it on my MX or Super A body without any restriction (less AF). Unfortunately Sigma made a step backward concerning aperture ring, as the latest versions miss this feature.
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mridgep
New Member
Registered: September 2008
Location: Iowa
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Sat February 14, 2009
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $1,100.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Perfect walk around lens
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Cons:
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The newer version (HSM II) has been receiving more critical reviews
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I do not think that the HSM II should be included with the APO EX reviews
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CRPhoto
Junior Member
Registered: July 2008
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Posts: 30
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Review Date: Mon March 2, 2009
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $750.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Quiet, Sharp, Excellent IQ, Excellent value
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Cons:
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haven't found yet.
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I just got the HSM MACRO II version. Great value for my money. Heavy, a well built feel and ultra quiet.
I'm just starting to test it butI got the feeling I made an excellent choice and I'm really happy with my investment.
I do aerial work and some motorsports so I have yet to put this lens to the test. But as for the shots I've made so far I'm impressed with the quality and sharpness.
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lunelson
Site Supporter
Registered: September 2007
Location: Missouri
Posts: 80
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Review Date: Thu April 9, 2009
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $750.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Fast focusing, great build quality, extremely sharp
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Cons:
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CA wide open and at long focal lengths
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This is a review for the 70-200mm f/2.8 II EX DG APO Macro HSM AF Lens on a K20D.
The build quality of the lens is very nice. It works as smoothly as any Pentax lens (including Limiteds) that I've used, and it has a nice heft to it while still remaining light enough for some handheld use. The included tripod collar is a nice touch and very simple to use as well. Possibly as a consequence of HSM, the focus ring can be turned at any time to tweak focus, just like a Pentax DA lens.
Focusing is very fast and very quiet. I have not used a Pentax SDM lens, so unfortunately I can't compare apples to apples, but it is a quantum leap above all of the non-SDM lenses I've used. I haven't had any problems with focus accuracy. The viewfinder image is bright and clear enough, with a shallow enough DOF, to be able to judge focus quite effectively.
I can't say enough good things about the image quality from f/4 and down. It's really on par with the finest lenses I've used from Pentax (the DA 35 macro and the DA 70 pancake), with fantastic, beautiful bokeh. The speed of the lens allows for some marvelous blurred backgrounds. The only reason my review is marked down from a 10 is that the lens shows pretty bad chromatic aberration at 200mm f/2.8. It's not possible to completely correct it from Photoshop Camera RAW, but after some tweaking, images are good and usable at 200 f/2.8, just not stunning like they are at smaller apertures. I wish I could rate the lens an 8.5 for this, but I'll round up since the image quality is so nice otherwise.
Here's a shot at 200mm f/2.8 -- note the cyan fringing along the bottom of the branch the squirrel is on. This is from a RAW that was NOT corrected for CA in Photoshop:
To see more example shots, I went out to a local park with the lens and that gallery is here: http://albums.lunelson.com/2009/2009...ark/index.html. EXIF info is at the bottom of each image.
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Dhruba
Site Supporter
Registered: September 2008
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 93
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Review Date: Thu May 14, 2009
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $800.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Very sharp, Quick focusing, turns quiet
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Cons:
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None
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I have the HSM II version. It took me a bit of time to get used to this lens. I bought Sigma DG UV and Sigma DG Circular polarizer to use with this lens. This lens is just what it should be. Not super-heavy, hand-holdable, very versatile and very sharp. I like taking pictures of kids, and my lens is absolutely brilliant at 70mm at f2.8. Couldn't be happier.
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joeyc
Site Supporter
Registered: June 2009
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 391
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Review Date: Sun July 12, 2009
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $645.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Sharpness, Autofocus Speed and Accuracy, Value
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Cons:
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None
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I can't say enough about this lens. I recently converted from Olympus (5+ years) and was apprehensive to give up the highly praised Zuiko 50-200mm. In all honesty, I have not missed it one bit. The Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 Macro HSM is a wonderful lens. It is usable wide open (although best from F3.5 on) and quick and quiet to focus. I have found the accuracy to be quite impressive.
I did have one occasion where it would not focus, but a quick 'wipe' of the contacts corrected that - hopefully just an isolated problem. I really can't think of any cons.
The size and weight balance well with the K200D and grip. Overall a very impressive lens. Great value - especially with the awesome EX build I have come to love.
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WalterGA
Senior Member
Registered: May 2009
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 103
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Review Date: Fri July 31, 2009
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Would you recommend the lens? Yes |
How much did it cost? (U.S. Dollars): $779.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Ultra-quiet, quick focus. Great IQ. Good "feel".
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Cons:
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Can't think of any, yet.
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Started looking at 70-200 2.8 lenses couple of years ago. Thought I'd wind up with the Tamron, due to lower cost; however, lack of high-speed focusing motor is a big downer for me.
Just got the Sigma lens in today. Some folks have posted complaints that there's no red alignment dot on the lens to match up with the camera body. My lens came with a white dot. Doesn't matter to me whether the dot's white or red.
Just did a few test shots today. Pretty impressed so far.
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