Sigma 28mm f/1.8 DG EX

-=JoN=- · 12-22-2006, 11:39 AM

Sigma 28mm f/1.8 DG EX...

anyone has had any experience w/ this lens?

roentarre · 12-22-2006, 12:57 PM

Hi, Jon.

I used this lens before and it is definitely heavier than sigma 20mm f1.8

Red Hawk post a pic of desert plant using this lens not long ago in post a pic section.

See below (I hope yu do not mind posting your pic here, Redhawk). His pic here is a great shot but mine was not at all...

The images it produces are not too bad in terms of sharpness wide open (only referring to centre image not at corners), and vignets obviously unless stopping down to f2.8 at least. Colour rendition is great but the bokeh can be quite ugly ... In fact, I was not that impressed with this lens wide open most of the time, ending up using other primes instead.

Though I happened to like the bokeh in this image above

Cheers

RedHawk, are you putting up a review of this lens in equipment section?

kbrabble · 12-22-2006, 01:32 PM

I think it is a great Normal lens for candids/landscapes. It is sharp from f/2.0, and f/1.8 (Shows up as f/1.7 on my DS) is not bad, its as sharp as my 50mm f/1.4 at f/1.7.

I find the Bokeh to be good, it not the 31mm Limited, wide open but seems to become blocky (for lack of a better word) as it is stopped down past f/4 or so...

Heres a few shots Ive taken with it:
IMGP0879.jpg photo - kbrabble photos at pbase.com
Colors photo - kbrabble photos at pbase.com
On the Rocks photo - kbrabble photos at pbase.com
IMGP0681.jpg photo - kbrabble photos at pbase.com

-=JoN=- · 12-22-2006, 02:50 PM

GREAT shots....mostly want to use it for low light situations.
anyway, i went out to buy the lens (i couldnt wait for any responses, I was itching. )

BUT, the willoughby's website was updated prior to them getting the stock in (kinda sucked). and the other 2 places were closed already. soooo, im gonna have to wait.

thanks again for the input.

-=JoN=- · 12-28-2006, 06:19 PM

so I picked up the lens today. put it on my k10, and it wouldnt AF. put it on my *ist film, wouldnt af. lens is set to af, as well as in the camera. it did at for a bit, but it stopped again....puzzling.

any thoughts anyone?

last lens at b and h.....so should I send it out to sigma?

HogRider · 12-28-2006, 06:41 PM

Originally posted by roentarre

Hi, Jon.

I used this lens before and it is definitely heavier than sigma 20mm f1.8

Red Hawk post a pic of desert plant using this lens not long ago in post a pic section.

See below (I hope yu do not mind posting your pic here, Redhawk). His pic here is a great shot but mine was not at all...
RedHawk, are you putting up a review of this lens in equipment section?

I don't mind that at all. I appreciate when people enjoy my pictures! BTW - my lens is the 24mm not the 28mm but they are very similar in size and weight.

-=JoN=- · 12-28-2006, 06:45 PM

no problems w/ it w/ AF?

kbrabble · 12-28-2006, 06:52 PM

Mine auto-focuses just fine.

One note, just in case you don't know, the focus ring must be pushed forward for auto focus...

HogRider · 12-28-2006, 06:54 PM

AF? I don't remember - I rarely ever use AF. Most of my lenses are Manual Focus, so I just use MF all the time. That's what I learned 30 years ago, and I never switched over.

Here is a test pic with f1.8 - shows the bokeh pretty nicely.

Camera make: Pentax
Camera model: *ist D
Date/Time: 2006:09:14 13:46:50
Resolution: 800 x 543
Flash used: No
Focal length: 24.0mm (35mm equivalent: 36mm)
Exposure time: 0.0005 s (1/2000)
Aperture: f/2.0
ISO equiv.: 200
Whitebalance: Auto
Metering Mode: center weight
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)

-=JoN=- · 12-28-2006, 06:59 PM

it's frustrating..searched high and low for this lens, only to get a busted one.

i wouldnt mind MF either, but..sometimes I need to go AF

not sure how the 24mm is, but the barrel slides to af/mf....if I slide it to mf mode on the lens, the barrell just spins and it doesnt focus anything...

might have to go send it back...

also..I can go as low as f/1.2

HogRider · 12-28-2006, 07:16 PM

I think when it comes to the AF/MF mechanism the lenses are pretty much identical. I just put it on the DL. In MF mode (Ring moved toward camera) you a have a little bit of a dampened feel and you can feel gears are moving, not as smooth as a manual focus lens, but better than some other AF lenses.

In AF mode (forward) the focusing ring turns freely and smooth. I just did a couple of test focusings in AF onto the Computer Screen and some other places in my office and it seems to have no problems locking in right away (and it is very dim in here right now).

HogRider · 12-28-2006, 07:17 PM

BTW - wide open my DL reads it as F 1.7 !

-=JoN=- · 12-28-2006, 08:25 PM

on either mf or af on the lens, it doesnt do anything. i do like the dampened feel on MF. thing is....

either way, it shows mf on my VF even if the camera is set to AF
and as I said before, it shows f/1.2

im gonna call up sigma tomorrow....

takes good pics tho

thanks for the info

paska · 11-15-2010, 10:48 PM

hey guys , price for 28mm goes around $340? right ? i am looking amazon...

StephenMerola · 11-16-2010, 09:29 AM

Jon, sorry to hear about your focusing issues. I would urge you to give this lens a chance. I have had one for a few years now and it is my favorite lens. It is sharp and a great general purpose lens for aps.

12-22-2006, 11:39 AM	#1
-=JoN=- Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 1,000	Sigma 28mm f/1.8 DG EX Sigma 28mm f/1.8 DG EX... anyone has had any experience w/ this lens?

12-28-2006, 06:59 PM	#10
-=JoN=- Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 1,000 Original Poster	it's frustrating..searched high and low for this lens, only to get a busted one. i wouldnt mind MF either, but..sometimes I need to go AF not sure how the 24mm is, but the barrel slides to af/mf....if I slide it to mf mode on the lens, the barrell just spins and it doesnt focus anything... might have to go send it back... also..I can go as low as f/1.2 Last edited by -=JoN=-; 12-28-2006 at 07:05 PM.

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12-22-2006, 12:57 PM	#2
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,794	Hi, Jon. I used this lens before and it is definitely heavier than sigma 20mm f1.8 Red Hawk post a pic of desert plant using this lens not long ago in post a pic section. See below (I hope yu do not mind posting your pic here, Redhawk). His pic here is a great shot but mine was not at all... The images it produces are not too bad in terms of sharpness wide open (only referring to centre image not at corners), and vignets obviously unless stopping down to f2.8 at least. Colour rendition is great but the bokeh can be quite ugly ... In fact, I was not that impressed with this lens wide open most of the time, ending up using other primes instead. Though I happened to like the bokeh in this image above Cheers RedHawk, are you putting up a review of this lens in equipment section?

12-22-2006, 01:32 PM	#3
kbrabble Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 181	I think it is a great Normal lens for candids/landscapes. It is sharp from f/2.0, and f/1.8 (Shows up as f/1.7 on my DS) is not bad, its as sharp as my 50mm f/1.4 at f/1.7. I find the Bokeh to be good, it not the 31mm Limited, wide open but seems to become blocky (for lack of a better word) as it is stopped down past f/4 or so... Heres a few shots Ive taken with it: IMGP0879.jpg photo - kbrabble photos at pbase.com Colors photo - kbrabble photos at pbase.com On the Rocks photo - kbrabble photos at pbase.com IMGP0681.jpg photo - kbrabble photos at pbase.com

12-22-2006, 02:50 PM	#4
-=JoN=- Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 1,000 Original Poster	GREAT shots....mostly want to use it for low light situations. anyway, i went out to buy the lens (i couldnt wait for any responses, I was itching. ) BUT, the willoughby's website was updated prior to them getting the stock in (kinda sucked). and the other 2 places were closed already. soooo, im gonna have to wait. thanks again for the input.

12-28-2006, 06:19 PM	#5
-=JoN=- Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 1,000 Original Poster	so I picked up the lens today. put it on my k10, and it wouldnt AF. put it on my *ist film, wouldnt af. lens is set to af, as well as in the camera. it did at for a bit, but it stopped again....puzzling. any thoughts anyone? last lens at b and h.....so should I send it out to sigma?

12-28-2006, 06:41 PM	#6
HogRider Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 608	Originally posted by roentarre Hi, Jon. I used this lens before and it is definitely heavier than sigma 20mm f1.8 Red Hawk post a pic of desert plant using this lens not long ago in post a pic section. See below (I hope yu do not mind posting your pic here, Redhawk). His pic here is a great shot but mine was not at all... RedHawk, are you putting up a review of this lens in equipment section? I don't mind that at all. I appreciate when people enjoy my pictures! BTW - my lens is the 24mm not the 28mm but they are very similar in size and weight.

12-28-2006, 06:45 PM	#7
-=JoN=- Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 1,000 Original Poster	no problems w/ it w/ AF?

12-28-2006, 06:52 PM	#8
kbrabble Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 181	Mine auto-focuses just fine. One note, just in case you don't know, the focus ring must be pushed forward for auto focus...

12-28-2006, 06:54 PM	#9
HogRider Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 608	AF? I don't remember - I rarely ever use AF. Most of my lenses are Manual Focus, so I just use MF all the time. That's what I learned 30 years ago, and I never switched over. Here is a test pic with f1.8 - shows the bokeh pretty nicely. Camera make: Pentax Camera model: *ist D Date/Time: 2006:09:14 13:46:50 Resolution: 800 x 543 Flash used: No Focal length: 24.0mm (35mm equivalent: 36mm) Exposure time: 0.0005 s (1/2000) Aperture: f/2.0 ISO equiv.: 200 Whitebalance: Auto Metering Mode: center weight Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)

12-28-2006, 07:16 PM	#11
HogRider Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 608	I think when it comes to the AF/MF mechanism the lenses are pretty much identical. I just put it on the DL. In MF mode (Ring moved toward camera) you a have a little bit of a dampened feel and you can feel gears are moving, not as smooth as a manual focus lens, but better than some other AF lenses. In AF mode (forward) the focusing ring turns freely and smooth. I just did a couple of test focusings in AF onto the Computer Screen and some other places in my office and it seems to have no problems locking in right away (and it is very dim in here right now).

12-28-2006, 07:17 PM	#12
HogRider Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 608	BTW - wide open my DL reads it as F 1.7 !

12-28-2006, 08:25 PM	#13
-=JoN=- Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 1,000 Original Poster	on either mf or af on the lens, it doesnt do anything. i do like the dampened feel on MF. thing is.... either way, it shows mf on my VF even if the camera is set to AF and as I said before, it shows f/1.2 im gonna call up sigma tomorrow.... takes good pics tho thanks for the info

11-15-2010, 10:48 PM	#14
paska Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: chicago Posts: 8	hey guys , price for 28mm goes around $340? right ? i am looking amazon...

11-16-2010, 09:29 AM	#15
StephenMerola Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Southeast Wisconsin Photos: Albums Posts: 391	Jon, sorry to hear about your focusing issues. I would urge you to give this lens a chance. I have had one for a few years now and it is my favorite lens. It is sharp and a great general purpose lens for aps.