Paulie Loc: NW IL

I was interested in this lens for a while, read different reviews, seen tons of sample photos. Pretty much all reviewers complained about the focus issues which according to them were unacceptable.
But on the other hand lot of people say that this particular lens may be the sharpest piece of glass available for the DX cameras. (I think they meant sharpest zoom lens)
I guess you never know for sure how good some piece of equipment is unless you test it by yourself.
So I did it!
Got a used one in like new condition from Amazon for what I thought was pretty good price and now it keeps me busy and very excited - zoom lens with f1.8 through the whole range? Heck yeah!
Straight out of the box one could say that the focus was all over the place.
Having Sigma USB dock sitting on the shelf helped a lot. I did two rounds of calibration and so far so good. At this point it seems to perform well. All I need now is to take a bunch of pictures, review them carefully and see if it needs any fine tuning.
I really want to like this lens.
It is sharper than any other lens I owned so far. Also it feels very well built. Movement of the zoom and focus rings feels that very well too. And it's fast!! The only question I have is how often it will missfocus in "normal conditions" (if there is such criteria)
Amazon gives us an extended return window now around the holidays so hopefully I'll be able to test it enough (which shouldn't be a problem with plenty of occasions in upcoming two weeks) and decide whether this thing is a keeper or not.

Please excuse my poor English if I'm not always expressing myself clearly, I just felt like sharing my excitement.

Will follow up with some samples and new experiences when I can.

BTW does anyone have any experience with this lens they would like to share here?

Thanks...

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Err.... Try taking a capture wide open, shortest length. Now using the SAME settings and use the Longest length. Now compare the two.

1.8? Really? How about the darkening in the later image? (forget ;looking at the histograms they will be different.)

Paulie Loc: NW IL

IMHO histograms may be different unless I take enough steps back so those two images are as close to identical as possible. But wouldn't the bokeh look different if two same images are taken from different distances?
About the darkening - I have to take some test shots to be able to anwer that. Unfortunately my camera is not traveling with me this week...

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Bokeh is different too as at the longer reach perspective compression enters into play.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Sounds like a great portrait lens for the crop cameras, unfortunately that lens is not made for full frame cameras... Hope you enjoy it, I am sure that it is a fine lens, Sigma has made great strides of late.

Paulie Loc: NW IL

Yes, you're right, it's dedicated to crop bodies.
D5500 is my only camera, and I'm not expecting to go FF anytime soon.
Fast lens was missing in my lineup with an exception of the 35mm which does not give me any reach for let's say some sport action so I was looking for a decent, more affordable alternative to 70-200 since the new Nikon's cost is somewhere around $2700 (no way) and I'm not so convinced about the Tamron.
The zoom range is not great, but not the worst either. With sharp images it promises to produce I can afford to crop tighter so I don't feel like I'm missing much.
Some say that this lens works as 50, 85 an 100mm primes in one + for the price of one. What's there to lose? :-)

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Sigma lenses are beneath most people here on the Hog - just sayin' ......(not me or you though ! ) 8-)

Paulie Loc: NW IL

We're not most people - are we?



Who else makes comparable lens for comparable price? I think it's good to know that there are different options...

Thanks for stopping by!

Paulie Loc: NW IL

So far I'm very pleased, which leads to another $600 (GAS) problem -18-35mm Art...

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

I’ve recently upgraded my 24, 50 & 85mm primes to the ART lenses. I am extremely impressed and satisfied with them. Good stuff! I have found focus to be fast and accurate.

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

I had never considered a Sigma lens, but started seeing articles/comments about the new Artisan line and did some reading. Eventually, I walked into Murphy's Camera in Louisville with my D610 and asked if I could mount the 50mm ART. He told me I surely could, so I took several photos out the window and in the store. Then, I asked to see the 24mm and the 85mm. They were equally impressive. I bought the 50mm that day, and have since acquired the 24mm and 85mm. I'm so very impressed with what these lenses do. Time will tell whether they are durable, but right now, I find myself leaving my zoom lenses in the bag.

There have been reports of AF problems, but I've not experienced them with any of these lenses. Just because there is a dock available to do AF adjustments doesn't mean they need it.

I'd buy them all over again.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Paulie Loc: NW IL

Glad you've found something that works for you!
Even more glad that it works for me too


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