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01-07-2011, 11:51 PM   #1
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Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 on Pentax K-x...lots of pics

I was working on a professional review of the Sigma EX 50-150mm f/2.8 HSM for the lens contest, but Sigma has just discontinued the lens (presumably to be replaced by an OS version), so a review of it seems kind of pointless now. And besides, it would no longer meet the criteria for the contest.

I have a lot of pictures of the lens I was going to use for the review, so I figured that I would go ahead and share a few of them so everybody can see how this bad boy looks mounted on the mighty K-x! I also have quite a few sample pictures that I was going to include in the review, so I may post some of those later.

Here's some of the product shots:



























01-08-2011, 01:36 AM   #2
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Great shots there.

Such a shame it was discontinued. An OS version will be bigger, heavier, 70% more expensive, less sharp... and totally unnecessary on a Pentax or Sony mount.

It will probably be priced higher than the 50-135, which might mean they never sell a single unit, ever, for a Pentax mount.
01-08-2011, 07:08 AM   #3
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Those were my exact same thoughts. I'm just glad I got a new one while it was still available. I might've been able to find a used copy, but then I wouldn't get the 4-year warranty.

I also find it strange that lenses in this range are not more popular. It's basically equivalent to the very popular 70-200mm range in full frame. But being designed for APS-C means that it is much smaller and lighter (and less expensive). But at least the two choices in the range, the Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 and the Tokina/Pentax 50-135mm f/2.8, were both excellent lenses.

I'm surprised that Sigma would have discontinued the lens before releasing the OS version. Especially since its only direct competitor (at least in non-Pentax mounts), the Tokina 50-135mm f/2.8, had already been discontinued.
01-08-2011, 10:13 AM   #4
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It seems like this lens is still available on a few websites..Amazon for one.

01-08-2011, 11:42 AM   #5
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Yeah, B&H Photo says they still have the Pentax version in stock:

sigma 50-150mm pentax

They were showing out of stock a couple weeks ago.
01-09-2011, 10:47 AM   #6
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Considering that the sigma 50-150 is no longer being made, do you all think its still a better choice now than the pentax 50-135? Or maybe the tammy 70-200 f 2.8 (even though its a monster lens)?
I need a fast long distance lens for shooting indoor gymnastics where lighting is poor, you can't use flash and more than not, the competitors are pretty far away.
01-09-2011, 01:47 PM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by lkjr Quote
Considering that the sigma 50-150 is no longer being made, do you all think its still a better choice now than the pentax 50-135? Or maybe the tammy 70-200 f 2.8 (even though its a monster lens)?
I need a fast long distance lens for shooting indoor gymnastics where lighting is poor, you can't use flash and more than not, the competitors are pretty far away.
I sold the Tamron 70-200 and replaced it with the Sigma 50-150. The Tamron was a bit sharper. However, the silence, fast focus and lighter weight of the Sigma is well worth it for me. A bit of sharpening brings the images to the Tamrons IQ. The Tamrons focus whine turned heads and actually scared birds away.

01-09-2011, 04:15 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by lkjr Quote
I need a fast long distance lens for shooting indoor gymnastics where lighting is poor, you can't use flash and more than not, the competitors are pretty far away.
The Pentax 50-135mm is good for portraits, but for fast moving action the Sigma 50-150mm would be a much better choice. Anybody who has had a chance to compare the two lenses has noted that the Sigma focuses much quicker. Plus, the Sigma has more reach. I have heard people say that IQ takes a hit at 150mm, but I haven't really seen any obvious IQ problems at full telephoto.

As has already been pointed out, the 70-200mm lenses are monstrously large, in addition to being more expensive. And while the extra reach to 200mm would be nice at times, I find that being able to back out to 50mm makes this a very versatile lens. When you're shooting indoors, there's a big difference between 50mm and 70mm.
01-09-2011, 05:38 PM   #9
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Shot at 150mm @ f4.5. Don't see any problems at 150mm, unless you are shooting wide open. And the problem wide open has more to do with a very narrow DOF and FF/BF issues.

01-09-2011, 05:52 PM   #10
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Here is one shot at 150mm @f2.8 and with distance of around 3 meters. The focus point was in the butterfly wings...

01-09-2011, 05:55 PM   #11
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The 50-150/2.8 is great for events given its focusing speed...






Saturation and colors of this lens are also much better than the older generation of Sigmas. Not exactly Pentax colors, but it has its own charms
01-09-2011, 07:25 PM   #12
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Vincent - great pics here and on your ppg gallery! Thanks...
I am just concerned about getting the Sigma because it is now discontinued....if I get a bad copy it might not be replaceable?
01-09-2011, 08:30 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by lkjr Quote
Vincent - great pics here and on your ppg gallery! Thanks...
I am just concerned about getting the Sigma because it is now discontinued....if I get a bad copy it might not be replaceable?
Thanks!

Getting a bad copy of a Sigma lens is always one of the fears, considering its reputation for qc. But I wouldn't be surprised if there is still ample inventory floating around in case you will have to demand a replacement. A friend of mine just ordered a brand new unit from Japan this month, so I am definitely sure there is inventory available.
01-09-2011, 09:52 PM   #14
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You can send your lens and camera body to Sigma, and they will calibrate the lens on your body. This is supposed to eliminate most focus/sharpness issues buyers experience.

Apparently there are slight differences from model to model and even from body to body, so that getting a "good" copy of a lens is really just a matter of getting a lens that happens to be calibrated perfectly for your body.

The article "'This lens is soft' and Other Myths" from lensrentals.com does a good job of explaining this. Here's a link to the article:

http://www.lensrentals.com/news/2008.12.22/this-lens-is-soft-and-other-myths

Worth a read if you're going to be buying a lens.

I'll be sending my 50-150mm in with my K-x for calibration, but I'm going to wait a little while since I'll probably be buying another Sigma lens soon...probably either the 50mm f/1.4 or the new 85mm f/1.4. I'll then send both lenses in at the same time for calibration to my body.
01-09-2011, 10:11 PM   #15
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I've only had my lens for a few weeks, but here's some sample pics taken over the holidays. All the of these pictures were taken hand-held at f/2.8, so if you click on them to view them full size, you can get an idea of how sharp this lens is wide-open in the field. These are the full 12MP images, no recropping/resizing has been done. I've made my usual exposure/color tweaks using Adobe Camera Raw, and since I shoot RAW (which can come out of the camera softer than JPGs) I give them a slight sharpening in Photoshop CS4.










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