Site Supporter Registered: July, 2020 Posts: 122 | | Review Date: October 13, 2020 | Not Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 3 |
| Pros: | Range, weight | | Cons: | Poor IQ (vignetting, softness, colour), lens separation | | Sharpness: 3
Aberrations: 5
Bokeh: 5
Handling: 6
Value: 1
Camera Used: Various film bodies
Autofocus: 6
New Or Used: New
| |
This is a lens worth avoiding.
It was one of the few lenses I bought new (several years ago obviously) and before I knew any better.
At one point I had this and a 28-80 kit lens, I forget exactly which.
IQ was broadly similar. But this one had the worst vignetting I've ever seen.
Being the days of film it was not simple to determine that what I saw in the images was not the hood.
When I took a photography course and started taking more control of my images I realised how poor this was.
Even stopping down it was all too easy to get flat images, lacking detail and contrast and corners were certainly mush at the long end.
When I added a 50mm to my kit I came to my senses and started buying more capable lenses.
The other thing to add after 4-5 years I started seeing a few white spots behind the front element. When I investigated I learnt this was a sign of lens separation which I believe is reasonably common in some Sigma models from this era.
Of course if a copy has survived it might be a bit better in regard to vignetting and soft corners but I would be surprised if you cannot do better.
| |
New Member Registered: November, 2013 Posts: 14 | | Review Date: August 30, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $100.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | in the center sharp lens, big zoom range | | Cons: | unfortunately visible CA's | | Sharpness: 6
Aberrations: 4
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 8
Value: 7
Camera Used: K-X K-s1, k200d
Autofocus: 8
New Or Used: New
| |
Overvaluated lens
+/O stopped down good sharpnes
+ good colors and contrast if stopped a few down
O some flare wide open
O/- sometimes strong visible purple fringung /CA's 
-/O wide open not so sharp in the corners
7 points
| |
Pentaxian Registered: May, 2010 Location: now 1 hour north of PDX Posts: 3,897 | | Review Date: June 20, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $25.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | small & light, quick AF, sharp as my HD55-300, close focus 1:4 | | Cons: | some color fringing @ 200mm, 'reverse' zoom twist | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-5
Autofocus: 9
| |
I am reviewing a copy of the lens marked "Aspherical IF" on the zoom ring, "Sigma Compact Hyperzoom" on the front, with aperture ring, red nose-ring and no DG labeling.
This lens is quite small for its 'hyperzoom' type. At first blush it takes images comparable to my HD 55-300 but with less bulk and much faster (and closer) focus.
I can see some red-violet fringing at 200mm wide open, pretty much gone by f/8. Wider shots I didn't see the fringing.
This could become my 2-lens hiking kit along with an ultrawide, and 18-55wr as the poor-weather option. Leaving the 55-300 home seems silly, but for closeups and about 100g less it's a temptation!
Closeup - uncropped image
KEH outlet markdown 'BGN' but looks like new!  | |
Junior Member Registered: July, 2010 Location: Piermont, NH Posts: 40 | | Review Date: July 23, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Easy to mount to my camera, good controls. | | Cons: | Somewhat noisey when motor operates. | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 9
Handling: 9
Value: 9
| |
After buying this lens I hardly take it off my camera. I've found so many uses for it from portraits to landscapes. I've owned it for 2 years and love it. It shoots close up photos and fast enough to capture insects at work and good enough to capture details of the moon.
| |
