Got my firs lens (Sigma EX 17-35) yesterday!

[PekkaM]

I finally got my first lens to EOS 300D that I had received one week earlier (I have shot some test shots with my friends film EOS 300's kit lenses though).

As I have no previous experience with SLR's, I find shooting quite a challenge compared to my G1 and other point and shoots. It's nice to be able to shoot handheld indoors pics without flash but the shallow depth of field ruins my pictures quite often when I forget it.

Do you have any general guidelines for me concerning aperture values? For example when I try to shoot a general indoor pic of my apartment with lens wide open, it comes all out of focus. If I focus on an object, the object's in focus and background is nicely blurred.

[slejhamer]

For example when I try to shoot a general indoor pic of my apartment with lens wide open, it comes all out of focus. If I focus on an object, the object's in focus and background is nicely blurred.

I purchased a used 17-35 EX a few weeks ago at a very good price. My experience with it is that it's a bit soft when the aperture is wide open, and the auto-focus is slow but accurate. However, you should not be getting pics that are "all out of focus" unless you are hand-holding at very slow shutter speeds.

Try using a tripod and stopping down to f/8 or smaller, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. That lens can be very sharp and I was happy to see none of the chromatic aberration that plagues the less expensive ultra-wide lenses.

I also upgraded from G1 to DSLR (10D in my case), and all it takes is a bit of patience and practice and you'll get used to it very soon. Best of luck!

[PekkaM]

Ok, so here's sample photos shot today with f/8 and f/2.8.

http://koti.mbnet.fi/~pmm/sample/f8.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~pmm/sample/f28.jpg

Only resized from original. Should the difference be this big?

[PekkaM]

A quick correction: SOME of the pics I took with f/2.8 came out almost as sharp as the f/8 pic posted before. Maybe there's still something I haven't quite got...

[slejhamer]

:shock: Yikes!

[ rubs eyes ]

Ouch, that hurt.

I will run some tests with my lens this weekend and let you know what I find, but at first glance this does not seem right. NOTHING is in focus, as you said before.

I gotta go find some Visine now...

[PekkaM]

:shock: Yikes!

[ rubs eyes ]

Ouch, that hurt.

I will run some tests with my lens this weekend and let you know what I find, but at first glance this does not seem right. NOTHING is in focus, as you said before.

I gotta go find some Visine now...

Well as I said, it's probably my "newbieness" that causes some photos to fail. As I said, some are in focus even on 2.8 so maybe it just takes some more practice. ;)

Here's one shot at f/2.8, this has some USM done:

http://koti.mbnet.fi/~pmm/sample/mug.jpg

[PekkaM]

I wish it was sunny outside. Here are some other test shots from today, all pretty dark. At least the second one was taken at f/2.8:

http://koti.mbnet.fi/~pmm/sample/176_7698.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~pmm/sample/177_7701.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~pmm/sample/177_7721.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~pmm/sample/177_7724.jpg
http://koti.mbnet.fi/~pmm/sample/177_7731.jpg

[Lesmac]

I've had the sigma 17-35mm for around a year, and it's an excellent lens, although as mentioned it performs best at optimum apertures.
Some examples of the 17-35mm (10D) can be found in my gallery.

http://lesmclean.photoblink.com/

Les

[slejhamer]

Les, I came across your excellent gallery when I was researching that lens. It is one of the reasons I decided to buy it instead of others that I was considering. Thanks! And keep up the great work!

[Tom W]

That first 2.8 shot scared me, but it looks like you have yourself a fine lens. Nice pictures, too!

Happy Shooting.

[slejhamer]

PekkaM,

I did run some test shots this past weekend with my 17-35 lens. As expected, it is quite soft at f/2.8, but it still focuses well. Sorry, but I have not been able to replicate your out-of-focus results.

I think the lens is usable at f/5.6, and very good between f/7.1 and f/16.

Regards,

[BobbyC]

I have had the lense for quite a while and I loved it on my film camera. On my D30 and my 10D it's the worst lense in my bag. Very soft, totally unusable for groups as the faces loose any sharpness to them (except the ones in the very middle. I'm about to sell it and get the 17-40 canon or maybe the new tamron 17-35. (I've got a Tamron 90mm macro that works beautifully on both of my DSLRs)

I have seen some decent digital shots from this lense so it may just be poor quality control that film cameras seem to forgive more than digitals but it will sure keep me away from Sigma.

[PekkaM]

Funny thing, since that first day I've managed to take fine pics with all apertures. Of course they are sharper at 8 than 2.8. It just seems that in low light outdoors situation it doesn't autofocus very well.

Few question:

Should I focus manually when taking scenery photos? I think it's very difficult to see if the picture is in focus through viewfinder and even the LCD display isn't very good for that. At what distances should the infinity setting in focusing be used?

[Sam North]

PekkaM

I’m NOT an expert, but I’ve been around SLRs for almost 30 years. I am new to DLSRs, though.

Camera shake is the main cause of out-of-focus pics. If you can hold the camera very steady, here’s a rough guide:

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Camera shake happens when you choose a shutter speed too slow for the lens in use. The following rough guide shows how far you can normally go when very carefully handholding your camera. Some professionals reject this guide.

Always use a shutter speed faster than the focal length of your chosen lens. If in doubt, use a sturdy tripod or some other solid support. (Using a tripod encourages you to take time while composing your photographs, landscape and portrait.) Use a remote release or the camera's self-timer to avoid pressing down on the shutter button.

50mm l/60

100mm 1/125

135mm 1/180

200mm 1/250

300mm 1/350

600mm 1/750

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What little I know about lens construction and performance suggests that the wider a zoom goes the less acceptable image quality will be. With Canon’s top lenses this is kept to an impressive minimum, which is one reason why they cost so much.

Coincidentally, I’ve spent part of this afternoon testing my Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG DF. I gave it the brick wall test and I think you should do the same. Mount the camera on a tripod, level it both ways with a spirit level, focus manually and take a series of shots at different aperture values and at different zoom lengths. Then get the results onto your computer. This method will tell you almost all you need to know about your new lens, perhaps with the exception of fringing, if I understand the term correctly. You probably won’t be particularly impressed… But don’t worry too much – that’s only part of the story.

My zoom’s results compared to those from my 35mm prime EF lens should make me want to throw my new Sigma zoom lens in the bin – and that’s with 1.6x cropping! But I just need to think a moment: I already know from experience that zoom lenses are not supreme optical performers (more so those from independent manufacturers), so those results need to be viewed in context, with one eye firmly on image-editing techniques. I bought this lens with it’s limitations in mind. (I just can’t afford the Canon.)

Regardless of aperture, my Sigma, at 24mm especially, gets nowhere near the 35mm prime lens, but I know that I can maximise results by eliminating camera shake and shooting at f5.6 to f11. At 24mm at f11 the corners of the Sigma are sharper than at f5.6, but at f11 the centre of the frame is less sharp than at f5.6. So to maximise results I should, when possible, shoot at f5.6 to f8. Add to this quality restriction the fact that barrel and pincushion distortion are quite noticeable, especially at extreme focal lengths, and you can see that independent zoom lenses need to be assessed in context.

Forgive me for an educated guess here, but I’m sure your lens will deliver similar results. I would imagine that at wider focal lengths especially you will get soft to very soft corners at all apertures and acceptable focus at the centre of the frame at mid-apertures, say f5.6 to f8. If you can be bothered, do the test and let us know what you learn. If possible, bravely compare your zoom to a non-zoom (prime) lens.

When you have your best images on the screen, spend some time adjusting the contrast levels and the sharpening values. I’d bet you will end up with VERY good images that look acceptably sharp, taken with a lens that costs a hell of a lot less than the Canon L equivalent.

My dedicated amateur style of photography means I almost automatically maximise my zoom’s capabilities – I’m happy using a tripod and always shoot at mid-apertures, even with my 35mm EF lens. If I’m taking people shots, I will shoot at ISO 200-400 and not worry too much about corner sharpness. I’ll probably convert them to black and white too.

Don’t let the varied limitations of less expensive independent zooms stop you from taking impressive shots!

Sam

PS
I very rarely focus manually. With the 300D I auto focus, then turn it off and pick out a mid-tone and finally recompose. This is easier if you're hand-holding the camera, but you won't be able to do that in low light situations. Sounds fiddly, but it works fine and you get into the way of it. A beep will confirm you're in focus. If clouds are shifting about you may have to work fast!

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As a footnote to the above, I’ve tested the Sigma @ 70mm against the Canon EF 70-210 @ 70mm. I use this lens regularly and I’m very pleased with its results. I found that the Sigma at 70mm was almost identical to the EF lens and, in fact, tended to be sharper at the corners. I’m hoping to get a lot of test shots together on my site.

[Sam North]

Les

Seeing images like yours reminds me that I'm just fiddling about and need to work harder.

Wonderful shots and great use of colour. I am impressed!

Sam