New Sigma lens 24-60 f2.8.

[roanjohn]

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0405/04051202sigma2460.asp

I wonder why they didn't just go ahead and extended it to 70.

In any case, just a heads up to everybody.

Ro1

[EXA1a]

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0405/04051202sigma2460.asp

I wonder why they didn't just go ahead and extended it to 70.

In any case, just a heads up to everybody.

Ro1

With the 24-60/2.8 Sigma has two selling arguments vs. the Canon 24-70/2.8L:
1. it's considerably cheaper (I don't know the exact price yet but maybe half the price)
2. it's significantly lighter (560g vs. 950g) which makes it a real standard walkaround lens


--Jens--

[Olegis]

I wonder how the new Sigma would compare to my Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 in terms of optical quality (and price of course ...)

[Tom W]

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0405/04051202sigma2460.asp

I wonder why they didn't just go ahead and extended it to 70.

In any case, just a heads up to everybody.

Ro1

Because they can save a ton of expense by chopping that extra 10 mm off the top end. Zooms are quite a compromise of diverging goals. In this case, you're going from an ultrawide to a short tele/normal zoom. It takes considerable complexity to get a lens that will do all of these things and do them well.

Look at Canon's zoom scheme for the 24-70 - you have not one lens group but several that reposition themselves in different directions as you zoom through the range (see EF Lensworks III, page 174, figure 11). Shortening the range reduces that complexity, as will allowing a variable aperture. Moving the range so that it is all telephoto or all wide reduces the complexity as well, since in a telephoto, the width of the lens is primarily aperture-related while in a wide lens, it is primarily angle-of-field related.

This will probably be a pretty sharp lens - it will be considerably less expensive and lighter than the Canon due partly to that shorter long end, and will likely have a slightly warm color to the images due to less sophisticated glass elements. But it will be a great competitor to the 24-70L.


Thanks for the link, BTW.

[Tom W]

I wonder how the new Sigma would compare to my Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 in terms of optical quality (and price of course ...)

I'm guessing that it will - plus, it'll go down to 24 mm. That 4 mm at the wide end is considerably more useful to those of us with the 1.6X sensor than the 15 mm at the long end. IMHO, of course.

[roanjohn]

If its as sharp as the Canon (which I doubt), then this lens would be a hit.

I actually really like that it goes down to 24. The 28 on my Tamron is sometimes not wide enough for me.

Ro1

[Tom W]

If its as sharp as the Canon (which I doubt), then this lens would be a hit.

I actually really like that it goes down to 24. The 28 on my Tamron is sometimes not wide enough for me.

Ro1

I think (just guessing here) that it's going to be of a similar build and image quality to the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 HX - that is, very good and competitive with Canon, if very slightly less sharp and a slightly warmer image color. If I were going to bet on price, I'd put it at $550-600 US.

[slin100]

At least the zoom and focus rings rotate in the right direction!

[Belmondo]

If this lens is any good at all, it should be very popular. I intend to try it along with my 70-300DO as a lightweight walkaround kit with the 20D. I'll have coverage from 24mm to 300 missing only the little bit between 60mm & 70mm.

According to Sigma, the 24-60 is about 20% smaller and lighter than the 24-70, and based on the one magazine review I read, has better image quality. It sure sounds like a winner to me.

I'll know in a couple days......I'll keep you posted.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Sigma's foray into the 28-70mm EX was a bit disappointing when compared to the much better Canon and excellent Tamron.

The fact that Sigma has introduced this lens so shortly after the 28-70mm f/2.8 EX.. well,. I would hope that they would be doing so with the intention of improving on the 28-70mm.

[Belmondo]

The review (Popular Photography) said the lens performed much better than the 24-70. I guess we'll know as soon as B&H decides to ship it.