Forum Member Registered: March, 2020 Posts: 70 | | Review Date: June 13, 2022 | Recommended | Price: $9.00
| Rating: 7 |
| Pros: | Faster than modern telezooms, sharpness throughout focal range, useable wide open, creamy and very smooth vintage bokeh | | Cons: | Fringing in the highlights, 1.5m MFD, glares and veils easily leading to loss of contrast, AF hunts in low-contrast situations | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 6
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 5
Value: 10
Camera Used: APS-C, FF
Autofocus: 5
New Or Used: Used
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The immediate predecessor to the 70-210mm F3.5-4.5 APO Macro, for which an entry already exists. To my understanding, this was Sigma’s first entry into the higher-end telephoto market back in 1986, so it’s a first-generation AF push-puller. It’s big and large and quite heavy at ~700 grams but does seem well-built. No zoom creep on my copy after all those years.
I found this lens to be quite usable wide open and sharp throughout the focal range, but stopping down a little does of course help with sharpness and better overall IQ. At F8, I’d rate IQ to be very good for a design of this age, be it on APS-C or FF. I didn’t specifically check for center vs. corner sharpness, however the discrepancy couldn’t have been that large given that I didn’t notice anything amiss. There was some vignetting at wider apertures; nothing too distracting though. Close-up performance was hampered by the 1.5 MFD and not quite as good, but the Sigma made up for it by rendering very smooth, creamy and vintage-looking push-pull bokeh. I’d rate it certainly quite a ways above average. You can certainly achieve some pleasing results on APS-C in particular. While I don’t have any accessories, the 70-210mm APO originally came bundled with an achromatic macro lens for close-up photography plus a deep round screw-in 52mm lens hood.
Colors and contrast were to my satisfaction… well, usually. Having the sun anywhere near the front element immediately lead to veiling, glare and severe loss of contrast. Sometimes in a pleasing way compared to other lenses that could add to the composition. Lots of veiling, just not in an ugly way if that makes sense. Little hard to describe in words. Anyway, ugly green and purple fringing were noticeable around highlights and high-contrast edges when the Sigma was pushed very hard, but not something to worry about in everyday shots. We’re talking about blinding light sources in or just outside the frame together with much darker subjects in the middle.
Screw-drive AF was not the fastest or most accurate especially on sunny days for reasons already explained. Low contrast = lots of hunting even with the center AF point. Annoying! Long focus throw allowed for relatively accurate MF, though.
Conclusion time then. Nice vintage lens from the early AF era with in my experience rather typical advantages as well as drawbacks. Probably a little too quaint and compromised to serve as a workhorse these days, but could certainly be worth a try if you can find one reasonably priced.
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