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

Comments about Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 II EX DC HSM Lens for Nikon Digital SLR:

what do you want for this price. Good lens for attaching to an entry camera for family pics, snapshots and leisure.

Comments about Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 II EX DC HSM Lens for Nikon Digital SLR:

This is my favorite lens for school plays. Great range and f2.8 for the indoor lighting. The lens is quite light compared to my 80-200mm f2.8 AFS Nikon and is very sharp just like the Nikon lens. I find the wide end useful indoors at basketball games as well. Still use the 80-200 for the football games.

Comments about Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 II EX DC HSM Lens for Nikon Digital SLR:

This is an awesome lens, but is a little too much for an amateur like me. The clarity is incredible with the f/2.8. The lens itself was too heavy and bulky. I wouldn't recommend it for an everyday lens.

Comments about Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 II EX DC HSM Lens for Nikon Digital SLR:

Some reviews note focusing problems with this lens; well, it's true. I thought I would take my chances and perhaps get a good one, but right out of the box the focus didn't work. It hunts forward and backward and never locks onto the subject, no matter how much contrast there is for it to grab onto. One reviewer said he sent his lens to Sigma and two weeks later it came back working perfectly. Mine has been gone five weeks so far, and communication from Sigma and their authorized repair center in Arizona is slow and sketchy.

I had it for a couple of days before sending it to Sigma, and used it on manual focus. The lens takes nice, sharp photos, and I love the zoom range.

It isn't back from repair yet, and no word as to when to expect it. They didn't have the part(s) in stock! This is a known problem, and they are the authorized repair center. Looks to me like someone is really asleep at the switch.

If you can afford to wait that long for a new lens to be usable, go ahead and get it, it will do you a good job. If you buy it because you actually need to shoot with it, you would do well to get something else.

Comments about Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 II EX DC HSM Lens for Nikon Digital SLR:

This lens provides a field of view equal to 75 to 225mm on a full frame camera. To get simalar performance full frame, with a constant 2.8 aperture, your choices are bigger, heavier and are much larger. Size and weight means this lens is hand holdable but, at this focal length, shake reduction would be useful. My sample has front focus issues but my d300 AF fine-tune feature solves that problem.
Overall a great professional quality lens that is compact, sharp and fast. It makes a great combo with the Sigma EX HSM 18-50mm 2.8.

Comments about Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 II EX DC HSM Lens for Nikon Digital SLR:

I bought this lens with my original purchase of a D80 with the 17-55 f2.8 from BH. After a year of use, primarily at sporting events, I can report that this lens has functioned perfectly. Focus is very fast, I haven't noticed any distortion, color is great, and it is light for it's aperture and length.
As a bonus, I have noticed no reduction in performance with the 1.4 Sigma extender!

Comments about Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 II EX DC HSM Lens for Nikon Digital SLR:

I found myself using this lense for close-ups of flowers, and sports (high school basketball). It is very sharp at all apertures and lengths, equaling my results with the Nikon 17-55. 11X14's have depth, detail and perfect color. I also appreciate the light weight, and the internal focusing. Results are similar with the Sigma 1.4 adaptor, which gives me a 305mm f4 when I need it.
Build quality is Pro. level. No complaints.

Comments about Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 II EX DC HSM Lens for Nikon Digital SLR:

First let me say that I replaced my Nikon 70-200mm VR with this lens. I know, I know, and I'm not going to compare the two together except to say that the Nikon was too heavy and much more lens than I really needed. My loss is someone else's gain!
The Sigma feels great on my D200. Balance is perfect. It produces sharp pictures throughout the range and the color & contrast is excellent. I have not noticed any light fall off and the bokeh is very nice. My only complaint is that I wished it went a little wider. I had considered the Nikon 18-200mm VR but that has more range than I was looking for and besides, I have the Nikon 17-55mm when I want to go wider.
Build quality is excellent (pro quality) focus is fast, QUIET, and true; I have yet to see it hunt in low light.
This is a great lens if you are looking for a light weight zoom in this range. I really have no complaints and I'm happy with my purchase. It's a keeper!
(I should say that the first Sigma 50-150mm B&H sent me would not auto-focus. A defect in the lens. I hope that quality control is not a problem at Sigma. The second copy is fine and the exchange process at B&H was absolutely painless.)

Comments about Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 II EX DC HSM Lens for Nikon Digital SLR:

I purchased this lens as my first 2.8 lens. I have had it about 3 weeks and have taken 300-400 pictures with it. So far the lens is excellent. It is exceptionally sharp and the bokeh is very pleasant. Focusing is good, it does hunt a little in low light. The only drawback is that sometimes it does not seat correctly on my Nikon D80 which results in the contacts not make the proper connections. The camera stops working until I give the lens a very minute twist to re-seat it.