| Author: | | Senior Member Registered: July, 2009 Location: High Desert, California Posts: 231
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: October 30, 2011 | Recommended | Price: $159.00
| Rating: 8 |
| Pros: | Decent build, decent IQ, decent AF&OS, inexpensive | | Cons: | Betteries wear down quicker than normal | |
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
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: October, 2012 Location: Liverpool Posts: 14
3 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: January 17, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $158.35
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Price, Weight, Size, IQ, OS, Colour Rendition, Finish | | Cons: | Battery life reduced when OS is in use | |
It is very difficult to mark this lens much short of perfect. For the price (I paid GBP £99.00 new delivered) it was an absolute revelation once it was mounted to my K-5. The exterior lens coating is of an anti-slip type and has a nice tactile feel. Once mounted, I popped up the flash and selected F/8 and took a series of test shots. What I saw was nothing short of amazing. The IQ was top draw (it's close to prime grade and top-shelf optics costing 6x or 7x as much). Hardly any noticeable barrel or pincushion distortions of any note, colour rendition is vibrant, sharpness is excellent, the OS works a treat (you don't even know it's working as there is no noise or any indication in the viewfinder unless you turn off, focus and turn on . . then you see the in-lens OS working). Focus is smooth, silent and quite quick, which was another surprise as I really hate anything that slows down AF speed (SSM/HSM/USD), but this is the first lens that I found that worked 'normally', though with the OS on, it will drain battery life quite quickly, so a vertical grip might be the order of the day or be selective with it's use (turn it off when not using or use with in-body IS if you're restricted to a single battery which may defeat the object, but if needs be . . 
Sigma (UK) is offering a free 3 year warranty on all their models when registered on their website, so there's 36 months peace of mind right there gratis, plus the ridiculous purchase price makes this lens an absolute winner in the intermediate tele-zoom range (my USD $ purchase price is based on the XE.com online currency exchange rate as of 17 Jan 2013).
I've used a lot of lenses over the years on multiple mounts, heck, I even had this lens when I was starting out, though it was just the basic DC version and TBH, I wasn't expecting much from the DC OS HSM version, but how pleasantly surprised I was.
This is a very easy recommendation. I really do like this little pocket rocket.
| | | | | New Member Registered: April, 2013 Posts: 3 | | Review Date: August 26, 2013 | Not Recommended | Price: $200.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Colour rendition, contrast, bokeh | | Cons: | Weight, sharpness | |
Great at short focussing distances (5-20m) and stopped down to about 5.6. OS not great and eats the batteries. It's too heavy for me so am passing it on.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: October, 2013 Posts: 32
1 user found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 18, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $80.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | cost..relatively quiet..good (not great but well above average) IQ | | Cons: | a little heavy but not to its detriment..with its weight adding to its good usability | |
for $80 (£60) I cannot complain. it focusses quicker and is significantly quieter than a similarly sized/priced pentax lens and adequately competes with the pentax for IQ. it trounces the pentax for build quality. it's available at a cost that is generally the same as the 50-200mm pentax (wr aside) and you are (I believe) getting MORE for your money...thus begging the WHY? question (of pentax)
| | | | | | | New Member Registered: April, 2013 Posts: 20
2 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: May 19, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $90.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Good value, well built, excellent OS, dependable AF, Good IQ | | Cons: | AF a little slow, OS reduces battery life | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 7
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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Prior to owning the Sigma i had four DA 50-200, one being the WR version. The WR aside, all were disappointing with IQ below what i hoped for (even in a kit lens). The WR version was good and shouldn't have sold it. But decided to replace it with the SIgma 50-200 OS HSM.
A bit apprehensive about the Sigma. Wasn't expecting much considering the price and what it packed in for that lowly price. But unlike the Pentax DA 50-200, i was pleasantly surprised.
Build - really nice. Feels solid, tight and well put together. I like the Sigma finish, i know others don't but i do. Looks good on the camera too. And a nice hood supplied which fits securely.
Features - absolutely superb for the money. Internal focusing, non-rotating front element, HSM silent AF and Sigma's OS (arguably lens based stabilisation is superior and the Sigma system is highly rated)
Operation - both the zoom and focus rings operate with just the right amount of resistance. There's a very short throw on the manual focus ring, which i find just right. The OS drains the battery but not horrendously. More importantly its highly effective. The AF is silent but not particularly quick, a minor grumble. However the AF is accurate, done some fast paced motorsport with the lens and it kept up no problem, didn't hunt once.
Optics - i have found them to be on a par with the DA 50-200 WR, which was respectable. Needs stopping down for good results, as you would expect for a budget lens. It forms part of my landscape outfit as well. Teamed up with the Pentax DA16-45. The Sigma works well when i need a tighter crop, stopped down to F11 it really turns in a nice image. And the non-rotating front element means no problems with a polariser.
And the end of the day this is a cheap as chips lens. Its feature packed with HSM, OS, internal focusing, decent build, decent hood and good optics when stopped down a bit. Some may deem the OS irrelevant with SR built into the camera but all the reviews i've seen say Sigma OS outperfoms Pentax SR, so even that's a bonus.
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