| Author: | | New Member Registered: December, 2006 Location: Toronto Posts: 10 | | Review Date: April 13, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $300.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Excellent build quality, sharp and good contrast | | Cons: | soft at f2.8, could be wider | |
I replaced the sigma 17-70mm with this lens, but I now slightly regret it. I tend to shoot at the wide end of the focal range, and 24mm is not wide enough for me. Image quality is generally very good, but comparing it to the 17-70mm, I really cant tell the difference in terms of sharpness. Build quality is slightly better though (tighter mechanical tolerance). DOF is also shallower due to constant f2.8 and full frame. It's a little soft at f2.8, and I think my copy has a very slight front/back focus. But if you can live with the limited range, this one is a good buy.
| | | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2007 Location: St-Albert, Alberta, Canada Posts: 330 | | Review Date: July 3, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $300.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp,solid build,contrasty | | Cons: | heavy | |
Excellent construction for this fast lens. Slightly soft at 2.8 but tack sharp at 3.2 in all focal settings. I found this issue to be normal even in expensive lenses. Tend to slightly underexposed on K10D but easily fixed with 0.3 ev adjustment. Very good walk around lens, solid build with smooth zoom and manual focus actions. The zoom lock is useful but could be an issue for fast photo if left on. For the price it is an excellent lens, versatile and sharp.
| | | | | Forum Member Registered: April, 2008 Location: Vancouver Posts: 87 | | Review Date: July 31, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $500.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Superb image quality, Big constant aperture, Great build quality | | Cons: | Not the fastest focusing | |
I love my Sigma 24-60mm f/2.8 lens and use it as my main go-to lens. I shoot a lot indoors and I dislike using the flash, the constant aperture f/2.8 and the zoom lets me have the flexibilty in low-light that i want.
The image quality is also superb. Photos are tack sharp, around the city, I leave it at f/8 or f/11 and corner to corner sharpness is really good. For portraits, the f/2.8 really helps to throw the background out of focus. I didn't find it that soft when shot wide-open, but all the better for portrait photography (hides the winkles  )
All in all, I love this versatile big constant aperture lens. It is a bit on the heavy side, at 550g, but that's due to the impressive 16 elements in 15 groups, including 4 aspherical and 2 SLD elements, as well as the 9 blade aperture.
| | | | | Site Supporter Registered: July, 2008 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Posts: 11,590 | | Review Date: August 9, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $239.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharp, god bokeh, useful range, very good performer (especially for the price!) | | Cons: | none, really | |
I'm very happy with this lens. When I first bought it, I had it with me just about all the time. Things have changed, though: I've acquired some excellent primes (including the FA 31mm) within its range as well as an A 35-105mm so I haven't used the Sigma for months. It certainly has a place in my kit but it's not the constant companion it once was. I definitely recommend it, though--for the price, it's a steal.
| | | | | | | Site Supporter Registered: April, 2008 Location: Central Texas Posts: 383 | | Review Date: September 1, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Nice walking around range, good image quality, constant f2.8 | | Cons: | wish it had an aperture ring | |
For years my main 35mm film zoom was a Vivitar S1 28-90 2.8-3.5 that I almost never used a 28mm. I have now found replacement for my *istDS2 in the Sigma 24-60.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: May, 2007 Location: steel city / rust belt Posts: 2,043 | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: April, 2008 Location: Central Ohio (formerly SF Bay Area) Posts: 1,519 | | Review Date: October 15, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | sharp, contrasty, good color, nice bokeh | | Cons: | a little heavy for its size | |
Really an outstanding lens all around, especially for the money. This is the one I keep on my camera most of the time. Constant f/2.8 is really nice to have, and it's very usable wide open, though most of the shots I take are at f/4 to 8 where it is razor sharp.
I need to ding it one point for a couple of really minor issues:
Zoom range isn't great -- I'd love a little more on both the wide end and the long end. But again, for the price I shouldn't complain. Lenses that meet that need are out there but they cost a bundle.
and
My copy has a front-focusing tendency that is correctable using the K20D focus adjustment menu item, but I need to dial in -9 out of possible -10, which doesn't inspire confidence.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: May, 2008 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 1,725 | | Review Date: November 13, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Sharp and well made | | Cons: | Soft at f2.8 | |
I wanted the Pentax 16-50 F2.8 but I couldn't afford it. This lens is a really good alternative. It took me sometime to get used to it for some reason but now it rocks. Get this lens!!
Amazon.com has it for $200.
Update: still works well but I've only had some success using it for concerts and other dark locations. Just not as sharp (or well focusing) as it should be in low light.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: January, 2008 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 2,703 | | Review Date: December 7, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Price, price price; wide-open performance; price! | | Cons: | None that I can think of | |
I've been touting this lens since the day I got it. This is my most used lens and probably my favorite, even though I have a few highly regarded lenses in my kit.
It very sharp wide-open and extremely sharp when stopped down a bit. It compares favorably to the DA*50-135 which I use as the companion lens to the Sigma. The transition between the two lenses is seamless. Although not a macro, it focuses closely enough to shoot flowers as well as any lens I own. This is a very good lens which yields images that hold up very well to heavy cropping.
Here's a link to a thread with some early images from this lens:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/35721-sigma-ex...-60mm-wow.html | | | | | Inactive Account Registered: December, 2008 Location: Denmark Posts: 1 | | Review Date: December 9, 2008 | Recommended | Price: $320.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Image quality, Big constant aperture, good build quality | | Cons: | heavy | |
Great lens for low light use, and also with studio light. 24mm may not be too wide on a dslr but it is good enough for me | | | | | Senior Member Registered: September, 2008 Location: Quezon City, Philippines Posts: 168 | | Review Date: January 5, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $239.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | warm colors, sharp, large constant aperture. well balanced with my K100D | | Cons: | none i can think of yet | |
very happy with it. would recommend it to anyone. i'm glad i chose it instead of getting a kit lens. it is much more vivid than my other lens which is a tokina 20-35/3.5-4.5
| | | | | Senior Member Registered: June, 2008 Location: Tustin, CA Posts: 206 | | Review Date: January 31, 2009 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | fast, sharp, contrasty, decent bokeh, IF | | Cons: | focus ring rotates during AF, and short throw | |
This is a great zoom lens. It has pretty fast AF, and I think it's pretty sharp even wide open. Considering its f2.8, it's not too heavy either.
I only have a few gripes. Compared to my 28mm f1.8, the focus ring and distance scales are a big step down; it rotates during AF, and the distance scale isn't in a window (this is just nitpicking).
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: May, 2007 Location: steel city / rust belt Posts: 2,043 | | Review Date: May 13, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 9 |
|
not a review - some pictures of the lens, just in case
gallery w/ some "brick walls" (shoot wide open)
http://foto.ixbt.com/?id=album:19697
 | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: April, 2008 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 915 | | Review Date: September 21, 2009 | Recommended | Price: $190.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | build quality, sharpness, colors, contrast | | Cons: | big and heavy | |
I really wanted to give it a 10, but I think 9 is more appropriate.
The lens feels substantial when attached to the camera, which can be both a positive and a negative. It feels like quality, but it's pretty heavy. From my test shots I saw nice crisp contrast and great color, and very good sharpness even wide open.
I now am using this as my go to lens for everything off the tripod. I don't use it on the tripod since mine isn't very good and the weight of this lens causes some issues.
Overall image quality from this lens has been fantastic, and at $190, it has been a fantastic value and I feel it's worth much more than that. If you see one in the marketplace...do not hesitate...it's worth every penny.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: July, 2009 Posts: 1,291 | | Review Date: March 26, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $300.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Extremely well priced, fast, size for a fast lens, pretty well built, overall sharpness | | Cons: | Body sucks in a little dust, not great at 24mm (still OK), chromatic aberrations at f/2.8, zoom creep | |
This has been by far my most used lens for about a year. I got it as a standard fast zoom. Some people maybe prefer a 16,17 or 18-50mm range instead. I probably would too, but this lens was amazingly well priced compared to later 24-70 and the 18-50 models. It was literally 1/3 price of the latest 24-70. I chose it over the now 2nd generation 24-70, as it was meant to outperform it.
Compared to other f/2.8 zooms in this range it's decently compact. Not sealed or HSM but seems pretty well built. However, over a year of use I've found that the lens has sucked in a bit on dust I can see behind the front element, and it can exhibit some small front/back-focusing at different focal lengths. Zoom creeps, if you point it down it will go straight out to 60mm. Has a lock but only at 24mm. Have found focus speed pretty decent.
Bokeh is usually pretty good for a zoom too, but can get a bit average and busy, especially at 60mm. Quite a bit of chromatic aberration at f/2.8, mostly gone half a stop down. Lens is overall very sharp. Not so good at 24mm or f/2.8, but still pretty good. Still seems good at 60mm. Extremely sharp at its peak.
Overall a pretty damn good lens. Price to performance ratio is unmatched from any fast zoom I know of. Can outperform much more expensive options, although the best zooms in the range will probably outperform this one optically to a small degree.
Very useful lens with overall very good performance. Highly recommended.
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