Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM
I and Sigma certainly started off on the right foot with the 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC which was the whole reason I bought a DSLR. Good, reliable, and cheap - a trinity that few companies can manage.
24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM
Fast normal zoom lens for FX sensors
- Specifications
- Image stabilization
- No
- Focus motor
- Yes
- Weight
- 790 g
- Focal length
- Actual
- 24-70 mm
- Aperture
- Min
- f/2.8
- Max
- f/22
A lot of full-frame low-light shooting bang for a few bucks. (5/5)
As I switched to full frame I had to upgrade my lenses as well. The Irix 15mm f/2.4 Firefly replaced the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC, and the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM became the obvious replacement for the Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 EX DC OS. There was, however, no obvious full-frame equivalent for the Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS: something that covered the 24mm to 70mm "normal-ish" range with a fixed aperture of 2.8 or better and which didn't cost a lot.
I was going to use it to photograph dance, so image stabilization was not all that important as most blur at these focal lengths come from movement and not camera shake.
Enter the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8. Less than $1000, and much less if you can get a used one. It checked all my boxes. No image stabilization, but I figured I could do without.
1. The Lens
The lens is fairly compact, but like all lenses with a lot of glass in them a bit on the heavy side. I don't bring this one unless I need its low-light capabilities and beyond a few test photos right after buying it used, I've used it exclusively for dance.
When it comes to that usage, though, it excels at cramped spaces or whole-group photos.
Autofocus is fast and accurate. Sharpness is definitely good enough that I got my 24 megapixels worth. See, for example, the upside down photo of Therese below - it is a landscape crop from a portrait-orientation photo.
2. Samples
2018-10-05 18:54
Layali Show Group[a]
Choreography: Layali Show Group
Layali Dance Academy Student Show, Autumn 2018
2018-12-11 19:12
Belly Dance level 3 / Isis wings
Music: Entrance of the stars + tabla solo
Choreography: Agnes Gagge
Layali Dance Academy Student Show, Spring 2022
2022-05-24 19:41
3. Summary
A lot of full-frame low-light shooting bang for a few bucks. The weight of the lens however makes it something you only bring for special occasions when its strengths come fully into play.
4. Important Note
On my Nikon D600 the lens will only autofocus with firmware C 1.02[a]. Sigma support tells me that the lens can be upgraded to support later firmwares for the cost of transport, but I have not yet tried this since I need the lens at the moment. Test the lens on your camera before buying.
Links
https://download.nikonimglib.com/archive1/PLaTK00Ty06u01h95HM14SE1oh12/F-D600-V102W.exe |