Customer Reviews

Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM II Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

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

 

 

I switched to this since my Nikno 70-200 was really getting heavy for a day of wedding photography. What i like: Very light, good working distance, nice easy zoom, fairly good images. What i dislike, a little soft at F2.8. Much better at F4.5. Not as vibrant colors...slighly cooler. Can easily flare...make sure you use the hood. No VR means you better shoot at fast shutter speeds or have really steady hands. Overall, a keeper for me. I now use this more than my 70-200. :-)

This lens made me regret leaving the DX format. It's about 1/2 the size and weight of the comparable FX format 70-200 f/2.8, and is perfect for portraits, SPORTS, candids, and general walking around.

If you're only going to buy one lens to take pictures of your kids football games, this is it.

THE PROS:
* Fast CONSTANT aperture for low light, fast action (and yes, chasing a three year old round the house is FAST ACTION!)

* Set your camera to aperture priority, set the aperture to f3.5 or f/4.0 and leave your flash at home, you'll have super sharp shots you can blow up to poster size

* Light weight and small... Oh so light and small. This lens, and those like it is why the DX format will be around for a LONG LONG time. You can pack so much more capable glass into a smaller package. I'm not replacing mine with a comparable 70-200, way too big way too heavy... I might just buy a cheaper body just for sports.

* HSM - Super-Duper fast focusing. Perfect for action or candid photography. You want to take a picture of a groom sneaking a kiss, without a flash running the moment, or of your kid getting the winning basket. You want a fast constant aperture lens with HSM (or AF-S in Nikon-speak). I looked at the Tokina 50-135 which I really wanted because it was built like a tank, but it focused WAY-TOO-SLOW for sports.

THE CONS:

I will parrot the other reviewer's cons, but with my own comments:

* No VR/OS - Yes, though I don't see where that matters, VR is for taking pictures of STILL objects hand-held rather than using a tripod. It doesn't really help when you're shooting moving objects. The purpose for buying a FAST constant aperture lens like this is to shoot action or low-light (usually both low-light & action like in a gym).

* Lack of sharpness at f2.8 - True. But NO LENS is sharp at its maximum aperture. Top sharpness comes at 1.5 to 2 stops from wide open (on this lens f/3.5-f/4.0)

* Lens Flair and such: I've not noticed that with the APO glass update, Of course I'm usually shooting INDOORS and in LOW-LIGHT where there is very little chance of getting sun-flare.

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SUMMARY:

DO NOT buy this lens specifically for nature, scenic, architecture, or still object photography. You don't need the fast aperture (and you wont be using it, you'll want more death of field). That's not to say that this lens wouldn't also be good at these tasks, just that you can get a lens more suitable for these duties for 1/4 the price (and look for one with VR/OS to free you from your tripod).

Use this lens for Sports, Action, Candid, Indoor photography. Or as a carry around all purpose lens on vacation, when conditions might be uncertain (packing a 14-24 for wide shots in your pocket). The fast constant aperture and HSM make this the only lens worth owning in the category.

A well built lens by Sigma. Those who are not used to (inexperienced) in focusing properly will realize that this lens is very sensitive. Two objects sitting next to each other but one is slightly farther away from the camera (say 1-2") will show noticeable difference in the sharpness level. So be very careful with pointing at the right object. Otherwise practice will bring you closer and closer to great results.

Very light for its size and capability compared to the Nikkor 70-300mm or 18-200mm VR or not. Well-priced ($600-$700). Fast built-in motor (HSM) and very very quiet.

The best part is the f/2.8. Able to capture images in low light settings, indoor, fast movements, way faster and way sharper than 70-300mm or 18-200mm (f/3.5 or f/5).

Highly recommended.

Ok, I'm going to simply list pros and cons on this one:

PROS:

* Light weight
* Focus is very accurate, super fast and hypersilent. Some times you don't even know if the lens is working, it is just because the image is in focus that you note the lens focused.
* Construction quality is really good. The lens is inner focus and inner zoom, so there are no moving parts outside, in the open.
* I can't see a better fast, tele prosumer lens out there at this time.
* Price point

CONS

* Flare, but this is a fast lens for shooting in low light, so if you use it for is intended purpose, then there is no problem.

When I received this lens I took several test shots at F/2.8 on up to f/16 to test for sharpness (tripod mounted) at a distance of 5-6 feet. My lens was suprisingly soft at f/2.8 to f/5.6 or so, even compared to other telephoto lenses (e.g., Nikon 70-300mm)at comparable apertures. I called Sigma technical support but they were not much help so I sent it back. I was really hoping I would like this lens since it is much lighter than my (full frame) 70-200 f/2.8. I received a full refund from Amazon so at least the experience did not cost me any $$.

This was my first Sigma purchase in over 35 years. It came highly rated by Popular Photography. I was impressed when I took it out of the box. The build quality is excellent. It yeilds excellent photos at any f/stop. I seldom shoot below f/5.6. It is vastly smaller than the 70-200mm f/2.8 I borrowed. It fits comfortably in my shoulder bag. The 67mm filter size and lighter weight are important. I would recommend this lens to anyone.

Professional photographers wouldn't be without their $2,500 70-200 f/2.8 zoom for theater and sports, and this is the DX version (equivalent to FX 75-225 mm) at a fraction of the price and weight. Focusing is quick, quiet and accurate (I've had none of the problems reported by some reviewers), there is a motor in the lens so it works on all current Nikon DX DSLRs, with instant focus override, though the focus ring is reversed compared with Nikon lenses. No VR, which might be a disadvantage for some but would be no point for sports where the subject is moving. Easily hand-held, and its smaller size and weight compared with the FX equivalent mean that it needs no inconvenient tripod foot. Seems well-made and robust, and in informal comparisons with the Nikon 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 it seems to hold its own. I also have the Sigma 1.4x converter that makes it a 70-210 f/4 lens, and that perfoms well too. Don't know why it's discontinued, or why Nikon don't make their own DX version - it just seems the perfect solution for low-light and action photography. Even though the latest sensors mean that aperture is less important, f/2.8 still counts for brightness in the viewfinder, speed and accuracy of autofocus, and controlling depth of field.

While many lustfully wish for a 70-200 2.8 but not it's price tag--getting such overlooks a big advantage of the DX format -- SIZE. A large aperture tele-zoom is a bear to carry around, and the price means one must be at the very least, very committed to photography. This lens finally addresses DX users and provides an effective 35mm focal length of 75-225 at a constant f/2.8. This allows for low light use, portability, and great shallow depth of field. It is identical in size to the Nikon 70-300 VRII f4.5-5.6, and comparing the two, the sigma is equally as sharp to 150. Yes, at f/2.8 the sigma does have some edge softness, but this is by no means a weakness of the lens, and merely a product of large aperture.

Other than size, the other DX specific advantage is the focal length, starting at 50 on the wide end is much more useful than 70 on DX. This allows it to remain on the camera much longer, as being limited to 70 significantly cuts down on usability indoors or tight spaces.

The HSM motor works flawlessly, and this lens focuses faster than any other lens I have in my DX collection. No front/back focus issues (none in the last 6 sigma lenses I have tried for that matter), no build quality issues like with most Sigma EX lenses.

The bokeh on this lens is fantastic. It is better than the Nikon 85 1.8, with less haloing and more round out of focus highlights. They do not become significantly polygonal until closer to f8, whereas the 85 is such at 2.8. It is certainly not the 85 1.4, but is incredibly usable.

As for the cons, there are few. There is no OS. This is not as big of a deal considering the 2.8 aperture. Since it is 1.5-2 stops faster than the variable aperture zooms, you can freeze not only your hand motion (as VR/OS can do) but also your subject motion (which VR/OS cannot do). Though it would be nice to have, for the price and size premium that one has to pay for it with, I would rather not unless shooting video (for which it immensely helpful when not using a tripod).

The other minor issues are contrast at minimum focusing distance--it is reduced up close. But to be fair the lens actually allows you to focus closer than the advertised MFD, however it is there that the contrast is reduced. It is still no less usable as a macro (which is not very usable) than competing zooms.

Lastly, the resolution at 150mm is slightly reduced at 2.8, though 4 and above it is fine. In live view on the D7000 it focuses up to 125mm or so on mine, as I am told sigma can re-flash the chips on these (or re-chip them) to resolve live view focusing issues but that's something I don't use often at those focal lengths so not an issue for me.

This is a fantastic lens. You get 90% of the performance of the 70-200, at less than 50% of the price, and equally important, at less than 50% of the size. Great quality is useless if you're not going to carry it around. It likely won't replace the 70-200 for the working photographer but for everyone else this is a much more practical lens to have.

The 50-150 range is an effective 70-225 range on the aps-c sensor. That range is really great for portraits, photojournalism, and live music. The constant 2.8 aperature makes the lens super fast, even when zoomed all the way in to 150mm. This lens has wonderful optics and produces a beautiful bokeh. Compared to the nikon 70-200, this is a steal. To get nit picky, it could really benefit from VR. Other than that it is a fantastic low light performer.