Seeking information on a Sigma lens

pathdoc · 06-19-2015, 10:25 AM

A shot I took of the front of the lens shows the words "Sigma high-speed wide 28mm 1:1.8 Multi Coated Lens Made In Japan" and the filter size as 58mm.

It is almost identical to the Sigma aspherical II lens listed in the sigma legacy primes review section, except that it lacks the Roman II after the aperture. My vague recollection is that it was manual-focus, and it may even have lacked an A setting, which was what caused me to reject it (because it wouldn't talk to my camera!!). The camera seemed to think it was a 35mm f/1.7 lens for some stupid reason.

Did I make the correct decision without knowing it, or should I continue to kick myself for not having known (then) how to use aperture-ring lenses on my K5?

vonBaloney · 06-19-2015, 10:38 AM

Originally posted by pathdoc

A shot I took of the front of the lens shows the words "Sigma high-speed wide 28mm 1:1.8 Multi Coated Lens Made In Japan" and the filter size as 58mm.

It is almost identical to the Sigma aspherical II lens listed in the sigma legacy primes review section, except that it lacks the Roman II after the aperture. My vague recollection is that it was manual-focus, and it may even have lacked an A setting, which was what caused me to reject it (because it wouldn't talk to my camera!!). The camera seemed to think it was a 35mm f/1.7 lens for some stupid reason.

A 1.8 lens might show as 1.7 on some bodies, yes. Wouldn't really affect anything. As far as "thinking it was a 35mm", how so? Being manual focus, it would have asked you to put in the focal length (if 35 popped up, it just meant that the last lens manual lens you used was set to 35 [maybe that's the default if you've never used one], and you would just scroll over to 28 and set it there.) Anyway, that lens should work fine on your camera -- you'd set the aperture ring to 'A' (pretty sure that is in fact an 'A' lens) and forget about it and it would work like any other lens (except for manually focusing)...

pathdoc · 06-19-2015, 11:53 AM

Originally posted by vonBaloney

As far as "thinking it was a 35mm", how so?

I reviewed the pic data before typing this post in, and that was the focal length it gave me.

Of course all of this happened before I joined the forum and got the HUGE infodump which made me aware of everything you've said and caused me to swear in disgust at my utter stupidity for letting slip two lenses I really should have bought (the other was the FA 31...). Those lenses are currently half a world away and will almost certainly be spoken for by the time I get back to where I saw them.

Thanks to this forum, however, I will be a wiser man next time I go on a bricks-and-mortar-store lens hunt.

vonBaloney · 06-19-2015, 12:09 PM

Originally posted by pathdoc

I reviewed the pic data before typing this post in, and that was the focal length it gave me.

It can also just be not set correctly from not asking you (which it won't if shake reduction is turned off), or if you weren't looking when the camera turned on and asked you may have confirmed "35" without realizing it. In any case, that should be correctable because the focal length data for manual focus lenses comes from the user...

pathdoc · 06-19-2015, 03:26 PM

Like I said, I knew far less then than I knew two weeks later.

vonBaloney · 06-19-2015, 04:17 PM

When they say you have to pay your dues, that is often literal in buying stuff you don't need or missing out on stuff you now want...

06-19-2015, 10:25 AM	#1
pathdoc Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,381	Seeking information on a Sigma lens A shot I took of the front of the lens shows the words "Sigma high-speed wide 28mm 1:1.8 Multi Coated Lens Made In Japan" and the filter size as 58mm. It is almost identical to the Sigma aspherical II lens listed in the sigma legacy primes review section, except that it lacks the Roman II after the aperture. My vague recollection is that it was manual-focus, and it may even have lacked an A setting, which was what caused me to reject it (because it wouldn't talk to my camera!!). The camera seemed to think it was a 35mm f/1.7 lens for some stupid reason. Did I make the correct decision without knowing it, or should I continue to kick myself for not having known (then) how to use aperture-ring lenses on my K5?

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Lens information missing in EXIF on pentax K-01 uses FW 1.05	zozozo512	Pentax K-01	6	04-23-2015 10:48 PM
Resetting copyright information on a Kx	davewithington	Troubleshooting and Beginner Help	2	07-14-2014 09:38 AM
Any information on Sears Lens	AdamSelene	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	6	03-11-2011 07:41 PM
seeking info on Sigma's earlier 28-70mm lenses	jimr-pdx	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	2	07-28-2010 06:20 AM
seeking wisdom on lens brands..good,bad,ugly	arkansas72762	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	8	01-14-2009 10:35 AM

06-19-2015, 10:38 AM	#2
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Originally posted by pathdoc A shot I took of the front of the lens shows the words "Sigma high-speed wide 28mm 1:1.8 Multi Coated Lens Made In Japan" and the filter size as 58mm. It is almost identical to the Sigma aspherical II lens listed in the sigma legacy primes review section, except that it lacks the Roman II after the aperture. My vague recollection is that it was manual-focus, and it may even have lacked an A setting, which was what caused me to reject it (because it wouldn't talk to my camera!!). The camera seemed to think it was a 35mm f/1.7 lens for some stupid reason. A 1.8 lens might show as 1.7 on some bodies, yes. Wouldn't really affect anything. As far as "thinking it was a 35mm", how so? Being manual focus, it would have asked you to put in the focal length (if 35 popped up, it just meant that the last lens manual lens you used was set to 35 [maybe that's the default if you've never used one], and you would just scroll over to 28 and set it there.) Anyway, that lens should work fine on your camera -- you'd set the aperture ring to 'A' (pretty sure that is in fact an 'A' lens) and forget about it and it would work like any other lens (except for manually focusing)...

06-19-2015, 11:53 AM	#3
pathdoc Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,381 Original Poster	Originally posted by vonBaloney As far as "thinking it was a 35mm", how so? I reviewed the pic data before typing this post in, and that was the focal length it gave me. Of course all of this happened before I joined the forum and got the HUGE infodump which made me aware of everything you've said and caused me to swear in disgust at my utter stupidity for letting slip two lenses I really should have bought (the other was the FA 31...). Those lenses are currently half a world away and will almost certainly be spoken for by the time I get back to where I saw them. Thanks to this forum, however, I will be a wiser man next time I go on a bricks-and-mortar-store lens hunt.

06-19-2015, 12:09 PM	#4
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	Originally posted by pathdoc I reviewed the pic data before typing this post in, and that was the focal length it gave me. It can also just be not set correctly from not asking you (which it won't if shake reduction is turned off), or if you weren't looking when the camera turned on and asked you may have confirmed "35" without realizing it. In any case, that should be correctable because the focal length data for manual focus lenses comes from the user...

06-19-2015, 03:26 PM	#5
pathdoc Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,381 Original Poster	Like I said, I knew far less then than I knew two weeks later.

06-19-2015, 04:17 PM	#6
vonBaloney Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 6,029	When they say you have to pay your dues, that is often literal in buying stuff you don't need or missing out on stuff you now want...