| Review of: Sigma DL Hyperzoom Macro 28-200mm F3.5-5.6 by geezer52 on Fri November 18, 2011 | Rating: 5 | View more reviews | |
Views: 72306
Reviews: 17
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This was the first lens I bought after the kit lens (18-55) for my K100D. I initially liked the wide range and thought the quality was OK but it didn't take too long to discover all the lens's short comings. The wide end was not quite wide enough (28mm was the standard WA for film but for the APS-C sensor approx 18mm is the correct equivalent). And the images were simply not that sharp. Colors were OK but just not sharp. In short it was a lens I quickly became dissatisfied with and outgrew. I see where this lens still shows up frequently on e-bay for fairly low prices but IMHO it is NOT a hidden gem and newbies or anyone would be well advised to save your dollars for better glass or for the same money better quality buys are found in many of the old manual lenses (for example many of the Sears lenses were made by Ricoh - almost as good as the Pentax lenses from the same era). I wouldn't go so far as to say the lens is garbage but unless someone gave you the lens, with so many other options available there is simply no compelling reason at any price to own it.
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| Review of: Vivitar Macro Focusing Zoom 35-70mm F2.8-3.8 by geezer52 on Wed November 16, 2011 | Rating: 10 | View more reviews | |
Views: 73595
Reviews: 12
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I would rate this lens a 9 or better regardless but I feel it's necessary to give it a 10 to counter the first reviewer. JMHO but attempting a serious review of a lens in admittedly poor condition is both pointless and unfair no matter how many disclaimers applied. People looking at Vivitar lenses should know Vivitar does not manufacture any lenses. It is a brand name pasted on lenses made by a wide variety of companies. Generally and esp w/ older lenses the serial number provides a lot of info, for example serial numbers starting w/ "22" are made by Kiron, "28"s are made by Komine both premier Japanese lens makers from this era and both responsible for the most highly regarded versions of Vivitar's Series One lenses. This lens is made by Komine and my copy is in excellent shape. Despite some research, I have found out little about this lens's history but it does seem to be pretty uncommon. I've rarely seen examples up for sale and the odd focal range for an ASP-C sensor probably keeps the price low when it is for sale. Regardless, this is one of the sharpest lenses I've come across. My copy also came with a very nice padded case made for this lens. These examples were taken with this lens on a 6MP DS1 and should speak for themselves. If you like manual lenses and find one in good condition, buy it, you won't be disappointed
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| Review of: Sigma DC OS HSM 50-200mm F4-5.6 by geezer52 on Sun October 30, 2011 | Rating: 8 | View more reviews | |
Views: 38508
Reviews: 5
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At $159 this is an inexpensive lens. Pixel peepers need not read further. Basically this is a kit or kit replacement lens and for that I'd say it's a pretty good option. I don't have the Pentax 50-200 so I can't compare the two but I've always read the Pentax has decent IQ, I can say for sure this one does. Actually I was pleasantly surprized. Neither lens is a low-light wonder but I suspect the Sigma's built-in OIS will equal Pentax's SR at the wide end and certainly better it at the long end. It is effective but remember you can't have both systems running at the same time. I can't say if the Sigma's built in AF is any faster the the standard Pentax 50-200, but again I can say the Sigma is accurate, quiet, rarely hunts, and is fairly quick with fresh batteries. But the Sigma does seem to wear the batteries down somewhat quicker than normal and the AF slows accordingly. It is not a close focus lens. While it is not a WR lens, the build quality also left me pleasantly surprized. It has a metal mount and feels solid which is a good thing because at only $159 I do wonder how long the motors, the AF and the OIS will last. But in general Sigma systems do seem to hold up well. I don't think anyone starting out with this lens will be disappointed. It punches above its weight. And even after one has moved up scale with their lenses, this one will still serve as a good knock-about.
UPDATE: 11/30/11 I used this lens quite a bit last weekend, approx 600 shots with my K5, generally at f5.6-f8. In sum the lens gave very sharp pictures when given time for the AF to get a solid lock. But results were mixed when using AF-C (continuous AF) on moving targets. In a quick sequence of shots I always got at least one good one if not the one I hoped for. So not ideal for action unless you can pre-focus somewhat and use a smaller aperture to maximize DoF. And fresh batteries. I still like and recommend the lens because it can produce very good IQ. Jjust remember it is an inexpensive lens with a few limitations
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| Review of: Sigma DC 18-125mm F3.5-5.6 by geezer52 on Thu May 5, 2011 | Rating: 7 | View more reviews | |
Views: 54932
Reviews: 9
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This review is for the older, Non-OS, Non-HSM, version of this lens. Based on the generally favorable review of this lens on Photozone, I went and bought this lens off ebay as a kit replacement for my K100D which I meant to to pass along to a budding newbie photographer. And by all appearances the lens received was clean, in very fine shape, and seemed well built. However optically, my copy had one bad problem. The wider the angle, the more open the aperture, the left side of the image was consistently soft and/or out of focus. In fact viewing an image from left to right, the image got progressively sharper, from poor to very good. Not a problem I could adjust for even with my K5. I take this to be a QC issue rather than a defect in design. Ignoring this problem for the moment and just looking at the more than decent rest of the image, you could see where a good copy of this lens could be quite nice for walking around. And for what it's worth the AF was fairly quick and sure. So for anyone considering the older version of this lens - ATT they sell for around $150, often less and if it's a for-certain good copy of this lens I think it would be a real bargain (one should remember that even a good copy will have the usual compromises typical in a lens with this broad a focal range). However the cost is steep enough that a copy with the problem I experienced is a real disappointment and it's not really worth having it serviced. So I would be very reluctant to buy a copy of this lens sight unseen. And since it seems to be a QC issue, even a new-old-stock copy is no guarantee.
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| Review of: Tamron AF XR Di II LD Aspherical IF Macro 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 by geezer52 on Tue January 25, 2011 | Rating: 8 | View more reviews | |
Views: 135034
Reviews: 32
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Recently, this lens has showed up a lot on e-bay and at a rather reduced price so I took a chance. The expected and previously discussed pros and cons still apply. It is soft at the edges at the wide end, and soft at 200mm. But at the middle ranges about 30mm-135mm it performs very well especially if stopped down to about f8. So it needs lots of light or a camera that handles high ISO well for best results. But even shots at the extreme ends are OK for smaller prints and can be tightened up some in post processing and be acceptable for casual use. I found it to be a good "tourist" lens when you don't want to carry a stockpile of primes. It comes with all the expected compromises typical of a superzoom but performs better than most and at the price I paid is a good value.
UPDATE: I was recently at my usual weekend haunt and was going to try this lens out on my K5. I ended up using it almost exclusively the whole time and took over 800 pictures. In sum I was very happy with the results most of which will go on the skydive elsinore website for 16 Apr (should be posted by Sat the 23rd) While I can't honestly give the lens a 9 it is certainly much better than an 8. I found it weakest at the edges at the wide end but the center was surprizingly sharp all the way out. And it was very nice not having to change lenses for all the different angles and field of views. AF on the K5 was mostly dead accurate and quite fast. This is not an end-all, be-all lens but has a definite place in the arsenal, and at half the price of the DA 18-135, if you don't need the WR, I say go for it.
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| Review of: Sigma EX DC J 10-20mm F4-5.6 by geezer52 on Mon September 27, 2010 | Rating: 9 | View more reviews | |
Views: 223794
Reviews: 66
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This is for the non-HSM version
Absolutely in love with this lens. Have been mostly a long range shooter till now, but this lens has made me a convert. Very wide angle but without the wierd distortions that gets tiresome after a while with fisheye lenses. This lens has opened up a world of possibilities to me. Focus is quick (on my K200), images are sharp, colors are crisp. Simply a joy. Build quality is excellent. Overall one of the most impressive zooms I've seen.
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| Review of: Sigma APO DG Macro 70-300mm F4-5.6 by geezer52 on Mon September 27, 2010 | Rating: 8 | View more reviews | |
Views: 197934
Reviews: 43
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This is definitely a bang-for-the-buck kind of lens. Which means for the price paid you get a good deal but there are better options available if you wait and save. For example, save for the Pentax 55-300. Whether this is important to you depends entirely on how important the long end of the range is too you. I shoot a lot at the long end so the difference matters to me, the 55-300 is definitely a better lens. But that said this Sigma lens is not terrible by any means. The image center stays reasonably sharp throughout the range. The colors are good; the lens is built like a tank; the price is great. Also, the close-focus ability is fun to play with. Even tho I've upgraded to the 55-300, I've kept my copy of this lens for the times when I'm in rough conditions. So depending on your budget and/or your requirements for this focal range, this lens can be an excellent choice.
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