Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art Lens for Canon

First and foremost this is not a 3,000.00 dollar lens. I do not expect it to have the same exact performance as a high priced Nikkor lens etc. I fully understood the aperture limitations on the wide end. If I had wanted or needed a 2.8 wide range telephoto lens I would have hocked a kidney...sold some blood and one of my children for one. However I did not and so I accept what a lens at this price can and should do. Many people have reviewed this lens so to, yet again, give my two cents worth mostly would be much repetition. I will just hit some points. This lens has the potential to be nice and sharp. Seems many copies including mine have a slight front/rear focus error. I easily fixed this in the D750 AF adjustment...took -3 to nail the 400mm length nice and sharp. Long term fix and to insure spot on at various lengths and apertures I got the USB dock for the lens. It is not expensive and I got mine used...get one. The max potential seems to be with the dock if you need to fine tune the AF to the anal retentive level. The auto focus works fine on my D750. Works as expected...almost never hunts or missed focus and when it does it has mostly been do to the scene or using the incorrect AF metering for the shot. But this was rare. Again its not a 3 grand lens. The OS works fine...seems to add a few stops but then again at 400mm handheld there is limitations to any OS if you want tack sharp especially cropped. Put it on a tripod....simple. The lens is dark yes...but that is obvious...it is clearly stated the max aperture at 400m. If this won't work drop a kidney and a liver on the black market and get a 2.8 lens. Personally I value my kidney and liver and can't afford that so I learn to shoot with it. It does fairly well in moderate light....crank up ISO a bit and a tripod I have no issues. Handheld at f11 or smaller in anything other than sunlight well who's not performing? The lens or the person behind the camera..? The ability to set the C1 and C2 settings via the dock is nice. Helps in different situations to have a quick ability to change OS or AF priority etc. Overall its a fine lens at the price....not perfect but again at this price I do not have any complaints. if I had spent several grand and up then I could talk about a few but I spent under $800 so...keep it in perspective. Last there are always bad or defective copies....happens to all manufacturers even your favorite manufacturer...I have had bad copies of cameras etc from several top brands...it happens. Sometimes it may just not be your cup of tea....if so...drink coffee and be happy.

Before I get into this, let me tell you that I'm just starting to do photography professionally and I've really only just begun purchasing higher end equipment. I'm using a Canon R6 with a Viltrox adapter. Since I'm just starting this business, I'm keeping my costs down by going with some non-Canon gear and so far, I'm really impressed with the quality of Sigma's lenses. My daughter is on her high school dance team so I wound up purchasing the Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 to get some on-field performances and just purchased this 24-70mm 2.8 for when her team hits the competition circuit indoors (high school gymnasiums). The Sigma pairs well with the Viltrox adapter and although the adapter has a slight gap to the camera, everything works perfectly. Images are crisp and the auto focus is very fast. I don't have a Canon lens to compare but I can't imagine it could be any better. This is a serious piece of glass that allow me to keep my shutter speed up and my ISO fairly low indoors under some crappy florescent lighting. I was able to keep my settings at f2.8, 1/800 second with an ISO of 2000. I've also started playing around with some long exposure photography with an ND filter. I'm very pleased with the results I'm getting. Most of my professional photography will be centered on portraits and sports so I'll likely be using my 70-200mm or my 100mm macro but when I'm indoors and close to my subjects, the 24-70mm is going to be a great option. It's definitely going to be a great vacation lens as well. If you're looking to save a couple bucks, you won't be disappointed with the Sigma. I'd love to have the RF Canon lens but with a cost of more than double the Sigma, I'll take that extra cash and get some other equipment or put it towards our next vacation and enjoy capturing some new scenery.

Prior to this, I purchased the 30mm Sigma EX (APS-C lens) and the 18-250mm Sigma DC OS. Like many, I had the litany of focusing issues that not even a -20 Micro focus adjustment on my Canon 7D could correct all the way (though it came close). I was a skeptic like most others when the NEW line came out, but after reading several reviews ( Digital Picture, DP Review - Gold Award, Amazon, Adorama, BHPhoto, Amazon) I said "Ok I'm in" To date my personal reference for prime glass is my trusty old Tamron 90mm Macro - the 172E. Yes. The 14 year old original, slow as molasses focusing 172E. If you're shooting close up portraits, who cares how fast it is. But the image quality and sharpness is sublime. HELLO Sigma 35mm ART! Sweet Lord does this thing deliver. And though I'm still playing a bit, I haven't felt like I've need to move my 7D Micro Focus adjust off one tick. However, the USB adapter was JUST released yesterday for these new Sigmas, so if adjustment is a must, voila! No need to send it off with your body. Center sharpness is tack on wide open at 1.4 and can yield amazing bokeh results in front and behind your target at close range. Stop it down to 2.8 or 4 and the entire field opens up. So far as lenses go, this SHOULD be your prime, no hesitation. Build quality is solid. Put a quality B&W MRC UV filter in front of this and you'll knock your own socks off. Gear: Canon 7D. Tamron SP 90mm Macro, Tokina 11-16mm ProDx, Tamron SP 70-300mm Di VC USD, Sigma 35mm ART. B&W MRC Filters UPDATE: 10/25/2013 I have since added a Canon 85mm f1.8 Prime and a Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS Mk II to my line up. I am now firing this tele for closeup portraits and using the 35mm Sig for full body. It really makes for a gorgeous and highly versatile portrait duo. Although the Canon 85mm is still after 20 years a damn near unbeatable fast prime for next to nothing in terms of cost. I do use it with the 35mm sometime when I need to be less obnoxious than the air traffic controlling 70-200

As a filmmaker/photographer I shoot most of my projects on my Canon 5D Mark III. While traditionally it is best go for lenses that offer full control (full time manual iris and focus) I personally find it best to search for lenses that can accommodate both cinematography and photography. I need manual focus for shooting video but I also want auto focus for photos. This lens does it all. The build quality is fantastic. It's metal body gives a sense of sturdiness that's hard to find in most other lenses. It's enough of a step up from say the Canon 35mm 1.4 L lens (which feels more like plastic) to make you forget that the lens isn't weather sealed. Then again nether is the Canon L lens so it's not really an issue for me. The auto focus system is quick and silent. It's so quiet that you might even forget that it's on. Also, the switch from AF to MF has a fool little white indicator when it is in Auto. The picture quality is very beautiful. The colors are lovely and kind of contrasty, the sharpness is great and even the bokeh is buttery smooth. Given that the lens has a nine blade iris this is to be expected. Image quality remains stunning even all the way open at 1.4 with pretty much no issues like chromatic aberration, ghosting or other such things that come with shooting wide open. And even if they do appear they are easily fixed in post. Even when shooting video with this lens I was very impressed with the quality that the glass was putting on my sensor. It gives the video a kind of expensive look as if you were shooting with a Zeiss or even a Cooke lens. I can't recommend this lens enough. Rather you do photos and video as a hobby or as a pro this lens is a must own. And for the price it is most defiantly worth it.

Later edit: I also bought the Sigma 150-600 Contemporary because it is not much more expensive than the 100-400mm and the extra reach seems to be always useful. The weight difference between the two lenses did not seem like a lot initially, but then I went on a full day trip to Point Pelee National Park for birding, and boy did my hands start hurting after an 1-2 hours of operating the 150-600m. In the end, I had to switch to the 100-400 because my arms fatigued after a while, and I just couldn't handle the 150-600 well without a tripod. I will return the 150-600, and will keep the 100-400 lens. I also tried the 1.4x TC 1401 with the 100-400, and in a bright enough environment, autofocus works well on my D500 at f/9 without any real drop in image quality (to my eyes). After customizing the OS and AF of this lens with the USB dock, things seem to be working a lot better. I changed the OS mode to "moderate" which resulted in noticeably more stable viewfinder images over the "standard" mode that the lens comes programmed in. The "dynamic" mode gives the most stable viewfinder, but is jumpy when you move the lens around (this can also be seen on Sigma's videos on lens customizations). The performance with changes is exactly as described in the Sigma videos. I am consequently updating the review to 5 stars. I changed the autofocus mode so that is focuses faster. I still think the Nikkor focus is marginally better in low contrast situations, but this does not bother me as much. To my eyes this lens is sharper on my D500 than the Nikkor 70-300 IF-ED. Also the minimum focus distance seems smaller than 1.6m if you adjust it manually, which is a plus! ................................................... Original review: This is a short initial review for a potential buyer. This lens is sharp (for my purposes) at all focal lengths, especially at 400mm. I recommend purchasing this lens with the Sigma USB dock. While the in body Optical Stabilization (OS) on this lens is great, the viewfinder with stabilization turned on is surprisingly jumpy compared to the Nikkor 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 IF ED. I can often not tell the difference (in the viewfinder) between OS on and OS off. It seems that this can be rectified by choosing a different OS mode ("dynamic" or "moderate") with the USB dock. However, to get more viewfinder stabilization, one might have to sacrifice a little bit of in body image stabilization according to a Sigma rep I spoke with over the phone. Note I purchased this lens WITHOUT the Sigma dock, and am thinking of purchasing the latter soon. With the initial shock of jumpy viewfinder stabilization having passed, I am now slowly getting used to the OS on this lens. Despite the jumpiness in viewfinder, my actual images come out quite sharp, even at 1/20-1/10s. The rep also said that the lens is safe to put on a tripod even although there is no tripod collar. I am deciding between the Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 and this Sigma, and I will probably keep the latter because the extra reach seems quite useful to me. This lens also feels quite a bit heavier than the Nikkor 70-300mm, but the weight makes handling the lens easier than the Nikkor. The lens is also beautifully designed, and I am really appreciating the push-pull mechanism to adjust the focal length. It gives me less arm fatigue than having to turn the focal length ring. Sigma 100-400 is quiet compared to the Nikkor 70-300, especially while autofocusing and when VR turns on, which may be a bonus when photographing wildlife. However, it does seem that the Nikkor focuses a little bit faster than this Sigma at times. Again, I was told that the AF can also be adjusted with the dock, so perhaps even the AF acquisition can be improved with the dock. For what it's worth, I am attaching some sample images taken with this lens on a Nikon D500. They were all taken at 400mm, in a not particularly bright environment from my balcony. The shot of the moon is handheld. I don't know if it uploads as a sharp image on Amazon, but it was surprisingly sharp for me!

Like most photographers who have been paying attention for a while, I was a little nervous about buying a Sigma lens. I needn't have been. This new Sigma seems to be the real deal and this lens is their star performer. I'm using it mounted on a Canon 7D. That's a crop sensor camera, so the lens performs as a slightly narrow standard, a critical niche to fill. While the 7D is a crop (APS-C) sensor camera, it is a large one, so the weight and size of the lens matches very well, providing a balanced package. I have had no trouble with focus accuracy or performance compared to Canon lenses. It is quick and quiet and no more likely to misfocus on my body than the Canon lenses I own (including a couple of the premium "L"s). I only have a couple minor complaints. I was a little surprised at the degree of vignetting at f/1.4 considering the sweet-spot effect of the crop sensor. That said, it is still very minor, easy to correct for, and can be hard to spot or desirable depending on the condition. But do be aware that when shooting wide open a significant portion of the field will be a tiny, but noticeable, bit darker than you might have expected. I'm not sure any lens would do better, though, as wide lenses all suffer from this. Longitudinal chromatic aberration (bokeh fringing) is also fairly severe at f/1.4. If you shoot a bright white object on a dark background (such as a cat's whisker in the sun against black fur) even slightly out of focus (easy to do at f/1.4) there will be a very noticeable purple or green fringe. You can get the same thing (though harder to spot) shooting a dark object like a tree branch against bright sky. This is usually something you can correct for and is, again, a general feature of large aperture lenses. On the petty side, while the lens cap and end cap are perfectly functional, they don't live up, aesthetically, to the standard of the rest of the lens. The rest of the lens is gorgeous, including the hood and case that come with it. So, in short, don't expect miracles, but this is every bit the great lens people have been saying it is, and it works great mounted on a Canon 7D.

I tried a friends sigma lens and really loved the quality, so I decided to order the 35 mm lens for portrait photography. I immediately loved the quality of the lens and photos it takes. It’s exactly what I’ve needed. It doesn’t stretch the image, so it’s perfect for people photography. It has great autofocus and it’s sharp! *****update***** I purchased this lens in June and it stopped working by October. I sent it in to Sigma and was told that this company is not authorized to sell Sigma products and in order to for them to fix it I had to pay a few hundred dollars. I called 6 ave electronics and their customer service is horrible. They made me feel as though they don't care. I only have one email from them and that's because I asked for it. They told me to send it in for repair (never telling me that they don't do repairs, even though it was suppose to have 1 year warranty.) I sent it in November and it's now March and haven't received an update in a form of a call, email or anything. I finally called them to ask what was going on, the person who helped me seemed to not really care which is so frustrating. She said she would call the next day when she tracked down the repair company?! I called the next day and they still hadn't tracked it and asked for the manager after they informed me that they don't do repairs and had to send it to another repair company. The manager Regina at 6ave argued that the claim was put in January and not November when I sent it in. This company is a true mess and regret buying electronics from Amazon, which doesn't even know who is authorized to sell. At this point I consider my lens a total loss and don't expect to ever get it back. MAKE SURE BUSINESSES ARE AUTHORIZED TO SELL BEFORE YOU BUY!!!!!

Okay, I assume that if you're reading my review you've already read just about everything out there and you're trying to get a last few opinions. First off, I'm not a professional photographer, but I consider myself a serious enthusiast. The biggest selling point is the price! It compares to the best that Nikon and Canon lens and is still 500-700 dollars less! Not only that, but it beats them in most optical tests! This is probably something too good to be true, and alas, I discovered one weakness. Sigma tends to have some minor quality issues. I don't know what their testing is like, but I ended up receiving a dud. The auto-focus died on me after a day of testing. If I were a professional photographer I would need equipment that I can absolutely rely on, and this left me with a bad taste in my mouth. The more I read about the lens, it seems to be a common problem with a handful of people. It's like a lottery, where a good handful will get a lemon and you'd have to end up returning it for a new one until you feel confident. Either way, it's a beautiful lens and it feels very nice in the hands. Here's a quick breakdown of why you should choose Sigma over the rest: -Amazing sharpness - bar none -Very well built. Feels very solid. -Quick internal focusing, just about as fast as USM and maybe quieter. -You can make minor setting adjustments using their USB adapter (sold separately) -It's under $1000 for a brand new lens, that comes with a 5 year warranty. No other brand can match that. I gave it 4 stars for the minor quality issues.