[cajuncutter]

I am currently looking at purchasing this lens. Found a seller that got deceived into buying it cause it had a Canon lens cap on it. When she received it she then discovered it was for pentax. Assuming it is a good sample, is it worth $250? Thinking hard on pulling the trigger on it.

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[termy]

USD250 for this lens, is daylight robbery
(ie, seller getting robbed, not buyer)
:-)
(Assuming it is in good condition of cuz)

[FozzFoster]

a steal of a deal

[Bruce Clark]

I bought mine as a demo model from CR Kennedy the Australian Pentax Distributor. After 12 months or so, I had an issue with the SDM and they replaced the whole lens under warranty. The replacement lens has been faultless. I repeat the original was a shop demo and who knows how much rough handling it had.

If I needed another one I would have no hesitation in jumping on this.

[rawr]

For that price, it's a good deal

For that price, probably any of the last four 70-200 f2.8 K-mount Sigma versions would be an OK buy if in good condition.

[cajuncutter]

I bought mine as a demo model from CR Kennedy the Australian Pentax Distributor. After 12 months or so, I had an issue with the SDM and they replaced the whole lens under warranty. The replacement lens has been faultless. I repeat the original was a shop demo and who knows how much rough handling it had.

If I needed another one I would have no hesitation in jumping on this.

Correct me if I am wrong. This lens does not have a drive motor, I assume focus is screwdrive. With that said I called Sigma today and they said that lens is not serviceable. It almost sounded as if any Sigma lens that is k mount is no longer under warranty. I asked if I purchased a new unused lens from like adorama would it be under warranty. I was advised it would not. So on my end it is a gamble. She was asking 350 for it but that was too much of a sting for me to handle. I offered $250.

[termy]

This version of the lens, don't think it has in-built motor.

[bertwert]

This version of the lens, don't think it has in-built motor.

You can see from the photo that it does - no screwdrive connection, and it has contacts for it's AF motor.

[cajuncutter]

You can see from the photo that it does - no screwdrive connection, and it has contacts for it's AF motor.

I stand corrected. So how dependable are these af motors and how fast are they? Sigma has sports lenses but never made them for pentax. I want to use it to shoot 7/8 grade football. My DA 50-135 is a lot faster now that I converted it.

[termy]

ooops, pardon the error.

anyway, with Sigma lenses, if want to buy them, then just got to live with the risk of, no support, no spare parts, no this no that, nothing, zilch.
Even with "new old stock".

Although, there seems to be different levels of "rudimentary support" (such as firmware update).

For example.
over where i am (singapore), ever asked the authorised distributor here, whether they could assist with firmware update of certain Sigma lenses, so that they can work on the K-1.
The response was, 50-50, ie, not definitive Yes or No.

I contacted CR Kennedy to ask same thing.
CRK (Australia) were unequivocal.
They can and will assist with firmware update (so long i am willing to foot the shipping to and fro).
(But this was last year, many months ago, not sure about now).

So ..... For the fantastic price, perhaps is a risk that could be undertaken?

[cajuncutter]

ooops, pardon the error.

anyway, with Sigma lenses, if want to buy them, then just got to live with the risk of, no support, no spare parts, no this no that, nothing, zilch.
Even with "new old stock".

Although, there seems to be different levels of "rudimentary support" (such as firmware update).

For example.
over where i am (singapore), ever asked the authorised distributor here, whether they could assist with firmware update of certain Sigma lenses, so that they can work on the K-1.
The response was, 50-50, ie, not definitive Yes or No.

I contacted CR Kennedy to ask same thing.
CRK (Australia) were unequivocal.
They can and will assist with firmware update (so long i am willing to foot the shipping to and fro).
(But this was last year, many months ago, not sure about now).

So ..... For the fantastic price, perhaps is a risk that could be undertaken?

I just got off the phone with the young lady and she agreed to keep the money in her paypal account till I have tried it and confirmed it does work. If it doesn't I will send it back. I did offer to it half the cost on the lens and return it. In other words she refund me 125 and she gets the lens back. She said to not worry it will be full refund. I will pay the shipping both ways if that is the case. So I am going for it.

---------- Post added 02-24-2020 at 08:34 PM ----------

So obviously the lens doesn't match the box. This is the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG APO HSM Macro. Keeping fingers crossed this thing works out

[rawr]

So how dependable are these af motors and how fast are they?

The AF motors in Sigma lenses have probably undergone some evolution. I think your model - the APO DG AF - was the first non-screw drive 70-200 they made, but I'm not sure it includes what they later called their 'HSM' autofocus motors.

Over time they have tweaked and improved the performance of the 'HSM' AF motors within the lenses that feature it. All I can say is that the AF in the Sigma 70-200 HSM II I own is very fast.

For info, from what I can tell, looking around PentaxForums, DPR and other sites, the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 design history seems to be:

- 70-200mm F2.8 EX APO DG- Original version, minimum focus distance 1.8m, screw drive, screw drive then then HSM (?) (1998/9)
- 70-200mm F2.8 EX APO DG - HSM, no screw drive, 'digitally optimized' lens coatings to reduce flare, MFD 1.8m (2005)
- 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG Macro (HSM) - HSM, macro feature, minimum focus distance reduced to 1m (2006)
- 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG Macro HSM II - Improved optical performance (2007)
- 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM - All-new design with built-in Optical Stabilization (2010)
- 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sport - New optical design (2018)

Lenstip also have a handy table showing the differences between last five Sigma 70-200 f2.8s (as of 2018):

https://www.lenstip.com/porownaj.php?co=obiektyw&ile=5&add0=1572&add1=911&ad...d3=42&add4=511

[Ian Stuart Forsyth]

- 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG Macro HSM II - Improved optical performance (2007)

I used the 70-200 hsm II for several years and by far it was the fastest AF lenses I had with pentax

[cajuncutter]

I believe it is this one:
70-200mm F2.8 EX DG Macro (HSM) - HSM, macro feature, minimum focus distance reduced to 1m (2006)

She did say it said macro but I do not recall her saying HSM II
Hopefully it will work out. I need to do some reading up. I am leaning twords a K3 II body to go with my K70. Rather than switching between lenses I can just grab and shoot


Read more at: Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG APO AF - PentaxForums.com

The AF motors in Sigma lenses have probably undergone some evolution. I think your model - the APO DG AF - was the first non-screw drive 70-200 they made, but I'm not sure it includes what they later called their 'HSM' autofocus motors.

Over time they have tweaked and improved the performance of the 'HSM' AF motors within the lenses that feature it. All I can say is that the AF in the Sigma 70-200 HSM II I own is very fast.

For info, from what I can tell, looking around PentaxForums, DPR and other sites, the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 design history seems to be:

- 70-200mm F2.8 EX APO DG- Original version, minimum focus distance 1.8m, screw drive, screw drive then then HSM (?) (1998/9)
- 70-200mm F2.8 EX APO DG - HSM, no screw drive, 'digitally optimized' lens coatings to reduce flare, MFD 1.8m (2005)
- 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG Macro (HSM) - HSM, macro feature, minimum focus distance reduced to 1m (2006)
- 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG Macro HSM II - Improved optical performance (2007)
- 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM - All-new design with built-in Optical Stabilization (2010)
- 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | Sport - New optical design (2018)

Lenstip also have a handy table showing the differences between last five Sigma 70-200 f2.8s (as of 2018):

https://www.lenstip.com/porownaj.php?co=obiektyw&ile=5&add0=1572&add1=911&ad...d3=42&add4=511

[termy]

am quite sure it will end up being your biggest bargain