Sigma 70-200 HSM Just Arrived

**joelovotti** · 11-04-2008, 06:40 PM

Bought this lens from Abe’s of Maine on Sunday night and with free shipping it got to my house today for $769.

I haven’t had time to get postable photos but I love the build quality along with the look and feel of this lens so much that I had to post some comments.

This lens is a tank. The zoom and focus are silky. The quick shift focus is a joy. The focus ring doesn’t rotate when focusing so you can keep your finger on it ready to touch up focus. If you choose to manually touch up focus the shift from HSM motor to manual focusing is imperceptible. It’s as if it the HSM was never engaged.

The HSM motor is very smooth, quite and quick.

The removable tripod mount is well designed and comes off in a flash.

The handful of shots I took were all well exposed and focused correctly. I’m looking forward to getting serious with this lens.

I am a mechanical engineer by trade and I get-off on well-designed hardware and this is a beautiful piece of engineering.

k100d · 11-04-2008, 06:59 PM

just for interest sake, why did you choose Sigma and not Tamron?

Alfisti · 11-04-2008, 07:14 PM

I'm going to hazard a guess and say because it is a better lens.

**joelovotti** · 11-04-2008, 07:15 PM

I needed an available light lens for sports photography and the HSM was important to me. I also have the 18-50 2.8 Sigma (new version) and love the lens. I didn't like that you had to push-pull the focus ring to go from motorized to manually focus on the Tamron. I own a Tamron 28-300 and it has taken many great pictures for me but this time I was seduced by the Sigma.

RussellW · 11-04-2008, 09:05 PM

I choose the Sigma, as I had heard many good things from other sport photographers who use Nikon and Canon. I can only agree with them.

Miserere · 11-04-2008, 11:21 PM

I want to hear what results you get wide open. I don't think I've seen a sharp picture from this lens at f/2.8, while I've seen many from the Tamron version.

krypticide · 11-05-2008, 02:24 AM

It's definitely soft wide open, particularly at 200mm. Still love using mine though, despite how heavy it is!

Joe, glad you took my advice? ;-) Am wondering if the lens is a little loose on your mount, as in does it wiggle even though it's locked?

**joelovotti** · 11-05-2008, 07:19 AM

The lens is solid on my K10D. No wiggle with normal handling. If I use a little force I can get it to rotate a degree or two but that's to be expected. It definitely locks on well to my K10D.

gkopeliadis · 11-05-2008, 07:58 AM

Originally posted by joelovotti

I needed an available light lens for sports photography and the HSM was important to me...

How much better is the HSM on a Pentax than the screw (the noise appart)?

**joelovotti** · 11-05-2008, 08:32 PM

The Sigma is replacing a screw drive Tamron 28-300.
I'll see if I can get some focus times comparing the two.

**joelovotti** · 11-05-2008, 08:40 PM

Not that I'm thinking about the focus test, it won't be fair since the Tammy has a short rotation from 3 feet to infinity and the Sigma has a nice long rotation for accurate manual focussing.

A useful test would be to get someone on the forum that has the screw version of the Sigma and we compare focus times between two known distances, say 3 to 20 feet on to nice contrasty subjects.

I'll do the original test with the Tammy for chuckles.

stevebrot · 11-05-2008, 10:42 PM

I was seriously thinking about getting the Tamron 70-200/2.8 until I found out that it lacked an aperture ring (I shoot film on a non-program body). Is that also the case with the Sigma?

Steve

**joelovotti** · 11-06-2008, 06:55 AM

Sorry but no aperture ring. That's a trend that I don't see changing with dual click wheels on camera bodies. I got my first SLR in 1976 so a lens without an aperture wheel will always look stange to me.

stevebrot · 11-06-2008, 11:32 AM

Originally posted by joelovotti

Sorry but no aperture ring. That's a trend that I don't see changing with dual click wheels on camera bodies. I got my first SLR in 1976 so a lens without an aperture wheel will always look stange to me.

Thanks...it is always worth a try. Some of the Sigmas have the ring, others not.

Steve

cupic · 11-08-2008, 11:42 PM

Awaiting some examples from the sigma from a productive weekend.

cheers

11-04-2008, 06:40 PM	#1
joelovotti Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: US Photos: Albums Posts: 394	Sigma 70-200 HSM Just Arrived Bought this lens from Abe’s of Maine on Sunday night and with free shipping it got to my house today for $769. I haven’t had time to get postable photos but I love the build quality along with the look and feel of this lens so much that I had to post some comments. This lens is a tank. The zoom and focus are silky. The quick shift focus is a joy. The focus ring doesn’t rotate when focusing so you can keep your finger on it ready to touch up focus. If you choose to manually touch up focus the shift from HSM motor to manual focusing is imperceptible. It’s as if it the HSM was never engaged. The HSM motor is very smooth, quite and quick. The removable tripod mount is well designed and comes off in a flash. The handful of shots I took were all well exposed and focused correctly. I’m looking forward to getting serious with this lens. I am a mechanical engineer by trade and I get-off on well-designed hardware and this is a beautiful piece of engineering.

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11-04-2008, 06:59 PM	#2
k100d Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,915	just for interest sake, why did you choose Sigma and not Tamron?

11-04-2008, 07:14 PM	#3
Alfisti Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto (for now) Posts: 1,749	I'm going to hazard a guess and say because it is a better lens.

11-04-2008, 07:15 PM	#4
joelovotti Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: US Photos: Albums Posts: 394 Original Poster	I needed an available light lens for sports photography and the HSM was important to me. I also have the 18-50 2.8 Sigma (new version) and love the lens. I didn't like that you had to push-pull the focus ring to go from motorized to manually focus on the Tamron. I own a Tamron 28-300 and it has taken many great pictures for me but this time I was seduced by the Sigma.

11-04-2008, 09:05 PM	#5
RussellW Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 198	I choose the Sigma, as I had heard many good things from other sport photographers who use Nikon and Canon. I can only agree with them.

11-04-2008, 11:21 PM	#6
Miserere Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Boston Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,994	I want to hear what results you get wide open. I don't think I've seen a sharp picture from this lens at f/2.8, while I've seen many from the Tamron version.

11-05-2008, 02:24 AM	#7
krypticide Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,079	It's definitely soft wide open, particularly at 200mm. Still love using mine though, despite how heavy it is! Joe, glad you took my advice? ;-) Am wondering if the lens is a little loose on your mount, as in does it wiggle even though it's locked?

11-05-2008, 07:19 AM	#8
joelovotti Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: US Photos: Albums Posts: 394 Original Poster	The lens is solid on my K10D. No wiggle with normal handling. If I use a little force I can get it to rotate a degree or two but that's to be expected. It definitely locks on well to my K10D.

11-05-2008, 07:58 AM	#9
gkopeliadis Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: ATHENS, GREECE Posts: 311	Originally posted by joelovotti I needed an available light lens for sports photography and the HSM was important to me... How much better is the HSM on a Pentax than the screw (the noise appart)?

11-05-2008, 08:32 PM	#10
joelovotti Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: US Photos: Albums Posts: 394 Original Poster	The Sigma is replacing a screw drive Tamron 28-300. I'll see if I can get some focus times comparing the two.

11-05-2008, 08:40 PM	#11
joelovotti Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: US Photos: Albums Posts: 394 Original Poster	Not that I'm thinking about the focus test, it won't be fair since the Tammy has a short rotation from 3 feet to infinity and the Sigma has a nice long rotation for accurate manual focussing. A useful test would be to get someone on the forum that has the screw version of the Sigma and we compare focus times between two known distances, say 3 to 20 feet on to nice contrasty subjects. I'll do the original test with the Tammy for chuckles.

11-05-2008, 10:42 PM	#12
stevebrot Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 29,631	I was seriously thinking about getting the Tamron 70-200/2.8 until I found out that it lacked an aperture ring (I shoot film on a non-program body). Is that also the case with the Sigma? Steve

11-06-2008, 06:55 AM	#13
joelovotti Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: US Photos: Albums Posts: 394 Original Poster	Sorry but no aperture ring. That's a trend that I don't see changing with dual click wheels on camera bodies. I got my first SLR in 1976 so a lens without an aperture wheel will always look stange to me.

11-06-2008, 11:32 AM	#14
stevebrot Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 29,631	Originally posted by joelovotti Sorry but no aperture ring. That's a trend that I don't see changing with dual click wheels on camera bodies. I got my first SLR in 1976 so a lens without an aperture wheel will always look stange to me. Thanks...it is always worth a try. Some of the Sigmas have the ring, others not. Steve

11-08-2008, 11:42 PM	#15
cupic Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia-NSW Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,756	Awaiting some examples from the sigma from a productive weekend. cheers