Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Sony/Minolta AF

Comments about Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Sony/Minolta AF:

At one time I own a Sony Carl Zeiss 24-70mm F/2.8 lens. Is the Sigma as good as the CZ lens? No but I would say it's 90% as good. Half the price of the CZ lens. My copy of the Sigma is very sharp at all settings and contrast and resolution is perfect. The HSM is quite and fast. This lens stays on my Sony a-850 almost all the time. It's a little on the heavy side but you get used to it. I like the constant F/2.8. I've herd some people complain about Sigma QC. All I can say is over the years I've had several Sigma lenses and they were all good . If you need a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens consider this one. You won't go wrong.

Comments about Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Sony/Minolta AF:

For general use: portraits, landscaping, etc.
Pros: Sturdy and well constructed, not loose or cheap feel.
Cons: big, huge (and expensive) filter.

Comments about Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Sony/Minolta AF:

I bought this lens as the "carry" lens on my new Sony A850. So far I have been very impressed with how sharp & versatile the lens is. It is heavy but remember this is a subsatial piece of glass. As a serious hobbyist I couldn't justify the extra cost for the Zeiss 24-70, so saw this lens as a viable alternative. I was not disappointed - excellant value for money. Very well constructed and a good solid feel. So far I have shot some great landscapes and a few good portraits, some ion low light. I am very happy with the results this lens produces.

Comments about Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Sony/Minolta AF:

I have two 24-70 lenses, and this one is my backup but.... The resolution on corners is not good on f2.8, gets better on f5.6 and up, that's the reason why I put just 3 stars on this lens. Because optically is not so good even in the center of the images. It feels good on your hand. it has fast Auto Focus even in dark conditions but when you see the images are not so sharp. Obviously I compare this lens with Sal24-70Z, a more expensive lens but... I compared images too with the sigma 24-70 f/2.8 Macro. is the version before this one and the images are almost as the Sony 24-70 in resolution and sharpness. I don't know what happened with Sigma and the resolution of this lens.

Comments about Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Sony/Minolta AF:

I use this for candid/organic photography, in home, studio, and on site on a Sony Alpha; and this lens is superior.

It's ultra-quiet and fast to focus. In low light, I've had it hunt for focus, but that's a limitation of my body more than anything else.

This glass is sharp! At f8.0 I didn't feel the need to sharpen images in post; and the quality of the bokeh is very pleasing. Also, I enjoy how near the minimum focus distance is to the subject. The manual focusing was very smooth.

If I had to give it a con, it would be the weight. The weight doesn't bother me much at all, but my arms do realize the weight after an hour and a half.

The lens hood is large and well constructed. It also comes with a nylon case, which I wasn't expecting. I couldn't be happier!

Comments about Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Sony/Minolta AF:

I'm using this lens as a general purpose walk around and for events on the Sony A850. Lens seems sharp wide open and I find the colors and bokeh to be very pleasing. At the current price this lens is a deal compared to other options for FF in Alpha Mount.

Comments about Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Sony/Minolta AF:

The HSM makes all the difference. This is my first Sigma Lens, and naturally HSM one, and I am still trying to get used to its blazing AF.

The lens IQ is great, even wide open, although I do have a limited use of the lens since I got it recently.

It is still a pricey lens, but it delivers great performance for the price compared to the Zeiss.

Comments about Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Sony/Minolta AF:

Sharp even from f/2.8 in the center at 24mm. Not as sharp at 70mm but still passable and with greater contrast than I expected. It is large and heavy however. And those 82mm filters it requires aren't cheap. Bought to go with my new A900 since I couldn't afford the Zeiss 24-70/2.8. Cost being equal or even close, I would probably have gone for the Zeiss but that's the advantage of the Sigma. It's able to produce 90% of the image quality of the CZ at 60% of the cost ([$] versus $1600 USD). There's a fair amount of distortion at 24mm, more than the Minolta 24/2.8 but the light falloff at f/2.8 isn't as great in the Sigma as there is in the Minolta 24/2.8.The build quality is good overall. The zoom ring on mine gets stiff and jerky when it gets cold (below 35 degrees). Hopefully that'll loosen up as the lens gets worked in more. The focus ring was very stiff too when the lens was just out of the box but that's been worked out with use.

Comments about Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Sony/Minolta AF:

Just recently got the lens. Took a bunch of pictures this weekend and along with my newly acquired Sony A850, I felt just great. My pictures are clear and crisp. Both the lens and camera are worth the price!

Comments about Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Sony/Minolta AF:

I ordered this lens for my Sony A850. I returned it, semi-remorsefully. I believe it was a perfect copy. I returned it for two reasons: Soft wide open, and HSM though "fast" is nowhere near as fast as SSM. For me, if I am only going to shoot stationary objects, this lens would be great. But...I demand absolute sharpness at f/2.8 and milisecond AF speed, so I'm going with Zeiss. But to anyone who doesn't have the option, this is truely an amazing lens, built like a tank and very excellent resolving power. I might consider owning this lens again in the future...

Comments about Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Sony/Minolta AF:

This is a fantastic lens. It is super fast, very sharp, and so true to color. I think food actually tastes better now that I have this lens. I started using it on my a200, then my a700. I takes great pictures with both, though I did notice it was a bit faster on the a700. It's all about the lens, put it on any ol cheap body you got, and you'll be able to turn out pro quality stuff.

Comments about Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Sony/Minolta AF:

This is a very nice lens. It has a big front element for minimal vignetting and is nice and quiet to focus (fast too).

The only real negative is that the zoom ring is a but heavy but that may lighten up with use and is also probably because of the sheer size of glass being moved.

This is the lens I leave on my camera when it's in the bag.

Comments about Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Sony/Minolta AF:

Excellent lense and very fast focusing. Only issue I have is the HSM does not like to work on very high temperature. I checked this problem online and it is a very common problem.[...]