Customer Reviews

Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8-4.0 High Speed Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was searching for an inexpensive but fast 24mm or 28mm wide angle lens primarily for shots of the night sky when I found this. For about $85 including shipping, this lens turned out to be much better than the standard Canon kit lens -- sharper, working better in low light conditions and giving you a wider field of view. And this is much cheaper than a 28mm prime lens. I've gotten some fairly sharp photos from this lens and was surprised to find it allows moderately fast auto-focusing in even dim lighting. The lens also allows you to get within two feet of the subject.

There are a few drawbacks, however. This Sigma is extremely susceptible to lens flare requiring much more care than you may be used to. The lens hood is attached to the staionary lens body and isn't at all useful at the lens' widest settings where the front of the lens is at it's most the forward position within the hood. Minor drawbacks also include that when the lens hood is reversed, zoom isn't accessible. The focusing motor is also louder than my other Canon and Tamron lenses.

All in all, though, I'd say this lens is a real bargain for $85. Note that I'm using the lens with a 35mm Canon EOS Rebel Ti (non-digital).

Post script - After using the lens quite a bit over the past weeks, I've really come to appreciate its ability to work in darker locations than typical inexpensive zoom lenses. In bright sunlight, however, lens flare still remains a major problem and shielding the lens with my hand has more than once lead to fingers framing my photos.

I am very very low budget photographer at this point, where ever I can squeeze money for something bit better stuff than I have, I buy it, but I read about it first. Sigma 28-70 has not much going on review wise and I don't know why. Even with little review, I took my chance and purchased it because of a job I got. I have a Canon Rebel XT Digital and first impression with this lens, horrible (!). I took some samples compared with my 50 mm 1.8 Canon lens, 18-55 kit lens and results were not that good. I put it back into box and was ready to return. When the job day arrived, I thought I should give it a try in real life and maybe it works better in real life than tests and start shooting with it all night under fluorescent lights. Unfortunately my kit lens wasn't fast enough and 50 mm was not wide enough for the job, I basically didn't have other option.

After I got home, and saw the results, I totally changed my mind about the lens and decided to use it as my prime. With ISO 800 and around 2.8-3 stops I had pretty good shutter speed for fast moving kids around in not so lid location.

I am posting a few photos of my son that I took, and you be the judge. I think you wouldn't believe those images came from this lens. If you are not so picky and low budget, this is a companion for your 50 mm 1.8 lens... I am going to get a better lens in the future, I have my eyes on Tamron 28-75 for a very nice price but I still keep the Sigma 28-70 for all around use... and yes it has glare problems :( which can be worked out. I gave 4 stars, because honestly it does good job for the price :)

No problems so far. I received the lens surprisingly fast and in great condition. I shot an outdoor basketball game with very good results. I got some good depth of field shots at f2.8. The AF worked well, and but the motor was not as quiet as I expected. I can live with that, I'm not photographing grasshoppers. I would recommend this lens it's a good bargain.

Bought this lens back in February 2006. I am an hobbyist photographer and used this lens often. I take care of my equipment, everything is kept clean and in a Canon backpack case.

A couple months ago it started to get noisy when zooming. Now it will not zoom at all. At the time I paid 80$ for the lens, it would cost me 100$ to have the lens fixed. I have 2 other lenses that I got around the same time, a Canon and a Tamron that are still working.

Have heard from others that Sigma's have lost their build quality, will not buy another Sigma lens.

I bought this lens as a replacement to my kit lens. I use a Canon XT as a backup to my Sony Alpha so I bring it on less important photo ops. I just took it on vacation with me to Florida and took alot of great shots with it using just autofocus. It's nice lens to have when you want to take something manageable and more responsive than a compact point and shoot. I'd definitely recommend it.

I purchased this lens for the low light f/2.8 feature. I was really surprised by the focus speed. Granted it's not the best lens on the market in a 28-70mm, but it's fun to shoot with, and well worth the money. It also packs well in the newer smaller " Sling" backpack camera bags coming out.

I was hesitant to get the lens because it was so in-expensive. I've been happy with it based on how much I spent, actually I was pleasantly surprised by the results I am getting from it. It does a good job with indoor photos which I was looking for when I bought it. It does have a tendency to take hazy pictures if shooting with back light I have found. I basically needed an effective lens that gave me some zoom options but was fast enough to capture kids indoors or in low light and this has done just fine with that. It's not the same quality as more expensive lenses but it does a great job considering the price.

I bought this lens as a replacement to my kit lens. I use a Canon XT as a backup to my Sony Alpha so I bring it on less important photo ops. I just took it on vacation with me to Florida and took alot of great shots with it using just autofocus. It's nice lens to have when you want to take something manageable and more responsive than a compact point and shoot. I'd definitely recommend it.

Got this lens for Fathers Day. I love it. It is well made, and based on the other reviews I am seeing in here, mine is much quieter than others with little discernable motor noise. (At least as quiet as my Canon lenses)

As compared to the typical kit lens that comes with the Canon DSLR's, this lens is much crisper, and shoots well in much darker conditions.

This lens will be my standard lens for the majority of my shots going forward.

Great gift! I am very happy with the lens.

This lens is perfect for beginners who are looking for a good lens for cheap. The Sigma 28-70mm 2.8 gives the shot pretty good bokeh (depth of field) when at 2.8. The focal lengths are pretty good too. 28mm gets some fairly nice wider shots and the 70mm gives it a small zoom capability. The auto focus is rather quick. My only downside is that it feels a little plasticy but it does have a nice sturdy feel to it. I highly recommend.