Online reviews do not seem to be to friendly to this lens, but I was pleasantly surprised. Compared to some other Sigma lenses I reviewed, this one came out pretty good. It is very possible that this lens is from the moment in time where Sigma finally made the step from a cheap low quality lens manufacturer, to the high quality optics creator it is today.
The lens is made from plastic, but does not feel "cheap" or flimsy. The focus barrel has a nice rubber grip and a smooth action, and the aperture ring work nice, but could be just a thatch smoother. The range ring is smooth, but could be a little wider for easier handing. And with a matched hood, it does have the looks, but is not flaunting with it.
As stated, image quality is much better then I expected, and is reviewed by others online. My experience was rather good with nice colors, excellent sharpness across the frame when stopped down a step or two, and no noticeable color aberration. I was actually pretty impressed with the quality of some of the pictures.
I think it's a keeper. A nice all-rounder with the 28 to 70mm range. And a very light lens compared to some newer lenses of that range today. Can't go wrong when you grab this lens for a quick step outside.
Lens Specification:
Focal Length: 28mm-70mm
Maximum Aperture: F3.5-4.5
Minimum Aperture: F22
Image Format: 35mm
Lens Mount: MD (Minolta)
Optics: unknown
Blades: 6 blades
Focussing: Manual
Minimum Focus: 0.5m
Filter Size: 52mm
Weight: ?g
Length: 68-86mm
Production: unknown
Serial Number: unknown
UC: Ultra Compact lens design, reducing weight and size of the lens.
More information on: Sigma Corporation
Samples:
 |
| 1/400 sec - ISO3200 - Handheld |
 |
| 1/400 sec - ISO200 - Handheld |
 |
| 1/400 sec - ISO6400 - Handheld |
 |
| 1/400 sec - ISO400 - Handheld |
 |
| 1/400 sec - ISO400 - Handheld |
 |
| 1/400 sec - ISO250 - Handheld |
 |
| 1/400 sec - ISO125 - Handheld |
 |
| 1/4000 sec - ISO20 - Handheld |
Sources:
https://www.pentaxforums.com
I also have a copy of this lens and I agree with your assessment of it. Maybe other reviews are referring to other Sigma incarnations of this focal range, because I love the results I can get with mine.
ReplyDeleteI use mine mounted to an old Olympus Pen 1 Micro Four Thirds (12.3 Megapixel) camera via a Fotasy MD Lens adapter, so I totally adhere to your philosophy that you can obtain very good results with decent quality older gear.
My camera is set up on a tripod about 3 feet away from a small 15”x24” home-brew light-box that I use for photographing small items. I find that it's amazing what can be achieved using a little variable intensity 3-point lighting and this lens. The 28-70mm focal range is absolutely perfect for framing the figurines and other items that fit in the light-box. The clarity and color is outstanding and has a flattering and rich quality that is very pleasing to the eye and belies the fugal nature of my little setup. I routinely obtain results that would be good enough for anything from magazine covers to up to 24”x36” posters.
I bought my lens from well known camera dealer fairly cheaply because the rubber grip had started to deteriorate and some of the lettering had worn off, but that was not a problem for me. With my little setup, I can just manually focus and fine-tune the aperture setting until it looks good on the Pen's LCD view screen and click away!
I like this particular lens so well, that I bought another one recently that is a Canon mount model in pristine condition. It works so well for me, that I really wanted to have a spare around and these older lenses tend to impart their own unique “personality” qualities that add a film-like character to the images they produce, but are sometimes considered flaws in today's world of modern clinically pristine lenses. They old saying “they don't make them like they used to” has never been truer and in the case of lenses like this one, it makes for some wonderful visual adventures!
Thanks for the comments!
ReplyDelete