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Sigma EX DG APO Macro HSM II 70-200mm F2.8 Review RSS Feed

Sigma EX DG APO Macro HSM II 70-200mm F2.8

Sharpness 
 9.3
Aberrations 
 9.3
Bokeh 
 9.4
Handling 
 9.3
Value 
 9.9
Autofocus 
 9.5
Reviews Views Date of last review
42 130,549 Wed August 2, 2023
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Recommended By Average Price Average User Rating
98% of reviewers $758.09 8.98
Sigma EX DG APO Macro HSM II 70-200mm F2.8

Sigma EX DG APO Macro HSM II 70-200mm F2.8
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Sigma EX DG APO Macro HSM II 70-200mm F2.8
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Sigma EX DG APO Macro HSM II 70-200mm F2.8
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Description:
Filter Size: 77mm
f/Stop Range: 2.8-22
Minimum Focus Distance: 3.3' (1 m)
Magnification: 1:3.5
Zoom/Focus Control: Two-touch
Angle of View: 34-12.3°
Groups/Elements: 15/18
Tripod Collar: Yes (removable)
Length: 7.3" (184mm)
Maximum Diameter: 3.4" (86mm)
Weight: 3 lbs (1.370kg)
AF type: screwdrive

Discontinued. Succeeded by the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM.
Buy Lens: Buy the Sigma EX DG APO Macro HSM II 70-200mm F2.8
Price: $949
Mount Type: Pentax KAF2/KAF (screwdrive AF)
Price History:



Add Review of Sigma EX DG APO Macro HSM II 70-200mm F2.8 Buy the Sigma EX DG APO Macro HSM II 70-200mm F2.8
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Veteran Member

Registered: January, 2007
Location: St-Albert, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 330
Review Date: September 18, 2008 Recommended | Price: $900.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Sharp, great IQ, quiet and smooth focusing, low cost
Cons: Slightly heavy requiring monopod at 200mm range

I purchased the Sigma 70-200 F2.8 EX II HSM in mid September. Image quality is excellent with good color rendering. The macro function is very good for a lens this size. Focusing is very,very quiet and fast. Range and focusing rings are smooth.

After using it for a week, I definitely would say it is a keeper. Reviews were not all that favorable prior to store purchase availibility but so far my results easily exceed those achieved in their test.

The quality of construction of this lens combined with great IQ throughout its range and HSM's quiet focusing at a price under $1000 are real values for any photographer.
   
Senior Member

Registered: July, 2008
Location: San Jose, Costa Rica
Posts: 260
Review Date: March 3, 2009 Recommended | Price: $750.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Quiet, Sharp, Excellent IQ, Excellent value
Cons: haven't found yet.

I just got the HSM MACRO II version. Great value for my money. Heavy, a well built feel and ultra quiet.
I'm just starting to test it butI got the feeling I made an excellent choice and I'm really happy with my investment.
I do aerial work and some motorsports so I have yet to put this lens to the test. But as for the shots I've made so far I'm impressed with the quality and sharpness.
   
Forum Member

Registered: September, 2007
Location: Missouri
Posts: 80
Review Date: April 9, 2009 Recommended | Price: $750.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Fast focusing, great build quality, extremely sharp
Cons: CA wide open and at long focal lengths

This is a review for the 70-200mm f/2.8 II EX DG APO Macro HSM AF Lens on a K20D.

The build quality of the lens is very nice. It works as smoothly as any Pentax lens (including Limiteds) that I've used, and it has a nice heft to it while still remaining light enough for some handheld use. The included tripod collar is a nice touch and very simple to use as well. Possibly as a consequence of HSM, the focus ring can be turned at any time to tweak focus, just like a Pentax DA lens.

Focusing is very fast and very quiet. I have not used a Pentax SDM lens, so unfortunately I can't compare apples to apples, but it is a quantum leap above all of the non-SDM lenses I've used. I haven't had any problems with focus accuracy. The viewfinder image is bright and clear enough, with a shallow enough DOF, to be able to judge focus quite effectively.

I can't say enough good things about the image quality from f/4 and down. It's really on par with the finest lenses I've used from Pentax (the DA 35 macro and the DA 70 pancake), with fantastic, beautiful bokeh. The speed of the lens allows for some marvelous blurred backgrounds. The only reason my review is marked down from a 10 is that the lens shows pretty bad chromatic aberration at 200mm f/2.8. It's not possible to completely correct it from Photoshop Camera RAW, but after some tweaking, images are good and usable at 200 f/2.8, just not stunning like they are at smaller apertures. I wish I could rate the lens an 8.5 for this, but I'll round up since the image quality is so nice otherwise.

Here's a shot at 200mm f/2.8 -- note the cyan fringing along the bottom of the branch the squirrel is on. This is from a RAW that was NOT corrected for CA in Photoshop:


To see more example shots, I went out to a local park with the lens and that gallery is here: http://albums.lunelson.com/2009/2009-04-07%20Krug%20Park/index.html. EXIF info is at the bottom of each image.
   
Senior Member

Registered: September, 2008
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 106
Review Date: May 14, 2009 Recommended | Price: $800.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Very sharp, Quick focusing, turns quiet
Cons: None

I have the HSM II version. It took me a bit of time to get used to this lens. I bought Sigma DG UV and Sigma DG Circular polarizer to use with this lens. This lens is just what it should be. Not super-heavy, hand-holdable, very versatile and very sharp. I like taking pictures of kids, and my lens is absolutely brilliant at 70mm at f2.8. Couldn't be happier.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: June, 2009
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 478
Review Date: July 12, 2009 Recommended | Price: $645.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Sharpness, Autofocus Speed and Accuracy, Value
Cons: None

I can't say enough about this lens. I recently converted from Olympus (5+ years) and was apprehensive to give up the highly praised Zuiko 50-200mm. In all honesty, I have not missed it one bit. The Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 Macro HSM is a wonderful lens. It is usable wide open (although best from F3.5 on) and quick and quiet to focus. I have found the accuracy to be quite impressive.

I did have one occasion where it would not focus, but a quick 'wipe' of the contacts corrected that - hopefully just an isolated problem. I really can't think of any cons.

The size and weight balance well with the K200D and grip. Overall a very impressive lens. Great value - especially with the awesome EX build I have come to love.
   
Loyal Site Supporter

Registered: March, 2007
Location: Toowoomba, Queensland
Posts: 23,920
Review Date: September 11, 2009 Not Recommended | Price: $799.00 | Rating: 7 

 
Pros: Solid build, fast quiet AF, good colour and contrast rendition at f/5.6 onwards
Cons: Soft until f/5.6, esp. in corners, poor close focus IQ

Firstly, this lens should not be confused with the original EX non-HSM version of the Sigma 70-200, which is considered by most users as a sharp and robust performer all over.

Despite the self-appraisal of the HSM II version of the lens by Sigma on their website as optically superior, this lens fails to meet basic standards of sharpness and contrast rendition at f/2.8-5.6, which is where one who purchases this lens would want to use it.

Furthermore, Sigma's attempt at making this lens a close-focus "macro" lens falls below expectations IMO. At or near minimum focusing distance (1m), this lens produces images with strong halo effects and poor sharpness and contrast, particularly in the range of f/2.8-4. There is some correction of this by f/5.6, but images at this aperture still clearly lack the clarity and rendition of a true macro lens.

Much of my critique of this lens is posted here:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/72242-sigma-70...l-iq-test.html

Having said this, the lens does sharpen up quite nicely beyond f/5.6, especially at focusing distances beyond 2.5m or so, to what would be expected from a decent 70-200 zoom. AF was fast, mostly accurate (not so well at f/2.8-4) and whisper-quiet, even in the fast acceleration phase of focusing.

Unfortunately the HSM-capable teleconverters available work only partly well with this lens. The Tamron SP 1.4x TC in particular works fine at 70mm, but beyond 180mm or so, the lens just suffers immensely from AF hunting and an inability to lock focus at all, even in high contrast situations - a poor result, seeing as though the reason one would want to fit a TC onto a lens is to extend its long end further. The Tamron 70-200, on the other hand, had no problems focusing even in low light at 200mm with the TC fitted, and remained as fast as normal (without the TC).

So there are lots of issues with the copy I was sold from B&H, and thus have since returned the lens for a Tamron. Hence, I give a generous 7/10 for this lens but do not recommend it given the IQ issues and lack of TC compatibility.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: December, 2007
Posts: 1,079
Review Date: September 11, 2009 Recommended | Price: $599.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Great IQ, especially stopped down, great for sports, wildlife, and portraits
Cons: Heavy, slight haloing wide open (more on long end), no weather sealing

I'm no longer a pixel peeper, but even pixel peeping yields great IQ throughout the range, particularly when stopped down. Contrast seems to be pretty good, and flare is well controlled. It is a bit soft wide open, particularly at the long end, with a slight haloing, but nothing to really cry about.

I've used this lens for a wedding, some wildlife, and many portraits. I'm not afraid to shoot wide open, and the HSM is great for situations where noise is an issue. It doesn't focus particularly fast, but I hear it focuses faster than the 50-135mm; there is quite a bit of glass being moved during focusing.

Other negatives include the lens being heavy, so a monopod is recommended for extended shooting. It's also not weather sealed, which is one reason to get the 50-135mm over this.

In general, I recommend this lens, and while the Tamron purportedly has better IQ, I'm quite happy with mine and have only considered swapping to the DA* 50-135mm for the lighter weight and weather sealing.
   
Senior Member

Registered: July, 2009
Location: London
Posts: 212
Review Date: October 2, 2009 Recommended | Price: $700.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Optics - Price - Build Quality
Cons: Weight - Size - Weatherproof - Manual Focus

Considering the price I rate this lens. Optically I could not see any of the faults other reviews have mentioned. This is the mark 2 version not the original. No vignetting, no softness at f2.8, CA etc. The f2.8 allowed the camera's AF to function even into low light. However, I thought the speed of the HSM was medium speed, it did not feel very fast. Also at low light I tended to get a two step hunt before AF lock, in reasonable light and above the AF lock was first time. The HSM was also quiet.

The weight is considerable and support IS needed. When using manual focus there was in my copy some significant resistance. Making MF a bit of a chore. It is also, with the lens hood rather large.

To sum it up this is a 200mm f2.8 lens which means a lot of glass, it will be big and heavy, but well worth consideration.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: April, 2008
Location: Australia-NSW
Posts: 4,824
Review Date: November 10, 2009 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Sharp and crisp
Cons: weight ,wish for f/2

I bought this lens in Dec 08 .As discussed before the sigma TC doesn't do well,but if its a issue go buy the Sigma 100-300mm f/4(I know I will soon )Soft wide but at f/5.6 its a winner,a very usable well built solid glass.recommend to all who would consider this glass.Always a good option for portraits.

cheers
   
Junior Member

Registered: July, 2009
Location: London
Posts: 42
Review Date: November 14, 2009 Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: X
Cons: X

This is not a review, but a clarification on average rating of this lens. I don't own it...YET... but I've been researching and noticed a major oversight:

The actual current rating for the DG HSM II version should be 9.18.

At least 7 of the 19 reviews of the older, non HSM version are in fact the new HSM II as indicated in the body of the reviews. These were all 9's & 10's, so the new average comes out to 9.18. I think that's good enough for me not to keep waiting for the original non HSM example to pop up in classifieds (unless one of you wants to sell )!
   
Pentaxian

Registered: August, 2009
Location: Wandering the Streets
Posts: 1,408
Review Date: December 21, 2009 Recommended | Price: $799.00 | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Excellent IQ, fast lens, solid build, great tripod.monopod mount
Cons: Heavy

I rarely rate a lens this high but this one is definitely worth it. I bought this one specifically to use for school functions and it definitely shines in that role. But it is such a great lens that I find that I'm using it for a lot of things. When it first arrived I was a bit intimidated by the size and weight of this lens, initially deciding that I wouldn't be hauling this it out except for those special occasions. But as I've used it over the past couple of weeks I have been so impressed that I now find that I'm now using it when I might have reached for one of my primes. I have a feeling that this one will become my favorite lens. In fact, between this zoom and my Sigma 18-50 f/2.8 I am beginning to wonder if I actually need my other lenses.

I have the Mark II version and it focuses quietly and quickly, and is almost always spot on. The view through the viewfinder is amazing and the results are amazing. If you are looking for a mid-range zoom, look no further. For this price I doubt that you will find anything any better. I have ordered the Sigma 1.4x and 2x teleconverters which will extend the reach of this wonderful lens out to 400mm. I may loose some resolution but this lens definitely has plenty to spare.
   
Senior Member

Registered: May, 2009
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 110
Review Date: March 7, 2010 Recommended | Price: $800.00 | Rating: 7 

 
Pros: Per previous review, good I.Q., quite, fast autofocus
Cons: After 7 months of light use, AF stopped working today!

Good experience with lens, prior to AF failure. Tried on two different cameras; AF just stopped working. Will take to Sigma service center on my next trip to metro Atlanta. Hopefully, service will be quick and problem will be solved.

Update: Received lens back today, 3/30/10. It's working fine now. Dropped it off @ service center in Atlanta, but they were unable to fix it and sent it to Sigma/USA.
   
Veteran Member

Registered: August, 2007
Location: YMML
Posts: 1,879
Review Date: June 20, 2010 Recommended | Price: $660.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: HSM is fast and quiet, good IQ, solid lens
Cons: not really a con, but it is a bit soft wide open/at close focus

My version is the Sigma 70-200mm F2.8mm EX DG Macro HSM II and I got my copy of this lens off the marketplace here. Having owned mine for about four months already, here are my thoughts on this lens:
  • Size - as to be expected from a 70-200mm F2.8 lens, it's not small, but it's still very manageable. It's actually is the shortest of all the usual 70-200mm F2.8 suspects, but is also fatter. Goes well with a gripped K-7
  • Weight - the weight can come as a bit of a shock if you're used to kit lenses, or smaller, lighter lenses, but I got used to it really quickly. You start to feel the weight after several hours of shooting with it, but I'd still call the lens weighty, as opposed to heavy.
  • Build Quality - a Sigma EX lens, the build quality is nice and the lens feels solid. Reversible lens hood locks into place nicely, and focusing and zoom rings turn with a smooth, damped action. They don't turn like a nice Pentax M lens focusing ring, but then again, they don't make things like they used to. It isn't specified as being weather sealed but my one has survived a passing shower without any problems
  • AF - the HSM on this thing is amazing. It is fast and almost silent. Being my first HSM/SDM lens (all other lenses I had previuosly were screw-driven), I was AMAZED. I've had a chance to shoot with a D300 + Nikkor 70-200mm F2.8 VR II, and from my experiences, the K-7 + Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 HSM II combo focuses faster and has a higher focus accuracy rate
  • Sharpness - it is very acceptable at F2.8 (not a pixel peeper), I'm already happy at F4.0, and it gets sharp from F5.6 onwards.
  • Bokeh - looks okay, but is nothing special
  • Macro - I haven't done much with regards to the "macro" features of this lens (since I have a dedicated 1:1 macro lens). For me, it's more a matter of closer minimum focusing distance, which can be useful, but image quality drops just a bit at closer distances
  • Image quality - I'm happy with the overall image quality. Very good for a zoom lens and a step up from the Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4.5 and Pentax 55-300mm F4-5.8 that I also have
  • CA/Fringing - there can be a bit of fringing wide open
  • Teleconverters - I can confirm that the lens will work with a Kenko 1.5x Pz-AF Teleplus SHQ teleconverter and retain HSM focusing. Focusing does slows down a bit though

In summary, I like this lens a lot and I'm finding I'm using the 70-100mm range quite a fair bit for people shots.
   
Forum Member

Registered: November, 2007
Location: Philippines
Posts: 63
Review Date: June 23, 2010 Recommended | Price: $888.00 | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: HSM, build quality
Cons: weight, soft wide open

I have this lens for almost a year now, was contemplating before between the DA* 50-135mm, Sigma 50-150mm and this lens. What won me over this lens is the 200mm reach, and it's good compatibility with the Sigma 2x teleconverter.

Pros:
- Build quality is just excellent. It just feels solid without any loose fitting parts (including the lens hood and tripod collar). The matte finish is also a step up from the previous EX finishes which easily stains.
- The HSM works very well! Silent & fast focusing. To note, it focuses a bit faster with the K20D as compared to the K10D.
- Good IQ... but you need to stop down at least to f4 if you want your images to be sharp.

Cons:
- This lens is just heavy... period.
- Soft wide open... in my experience I need to stop down to f3.2 / 3.5 to get some usable images. Still, images taken at f2.8 is still quite usable by my standards & needs.
- Don't be fooled by the Macro designation... it isn't really designed for that. I would have given up the close focusing capability for much sharper images at wide open.

I think I also got a good copy as I only needed small focus adjustments to both the K10D & K20D. In comparison, I had a much harder time adjusting the focus of the 16-45mm.

Sample images in here:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=70-200mm&w=9112060%40N03


http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnluther/4324696967


http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnluther/4162944852
   
Junior Member

Registered: May, 2009
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Posts: 27

1 user found this helpful
Review Date: July 27, 2010 Recommended | Price: $950.00 | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Sharp, contrasty, nice bokeh
Cons: fat and heavy

My copy of this lens is sharp across the entire range and very resistant to flare and CA. Close focus performance suffers a little bit wide open on contrasty subjects, which seem to 'glow' just a little @ f2.8. Both my K-7 and K10D focus quickly and surely with this lens, even in low light.

Build quality is great. Even the hood and front cap are sturdy, purpose-built pieces. I wonder how the sparkly finish will hold up...

At Grandfather Mountain I ran across three deer in the pre-dawn light and grabbed some shots handheld. At 100% you could count their eyelashes and see my reflection in their eyes.

This is one of my very few no-regrets purchases.
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