Sigma 24-70

condyk wrote:
It's Love Al ... and love is blind to reason!

This can be true, but not necessarily. If one is going deeper into a bad debt situation or shorting the family of needed items or being selfish with them or if one wants the "L" lens just because it's the "L" lens then perhaps this is true. I really feel that the 24-70ish third party lenses are very good, maybe even very, very good. There are too many members that really like their third party lenses in this focal range for that not to be the case. I also really feel that if one wants the absolute very best in a 24-70ish lens and is willing/able to comfortably afford it that Canon's 24-70L is it.

Hell, most of the people I hang out with, I could write a red L on it and they'd think it was a legitamit canon L glass :P

What is the difference between the DG and the non-DG version?

Allegedly DG versions have coatings to help with Dig SLRs - but most people don't seem to notice much difference.

I'm a BIG fan of the Sigma 24-70 EX, but I'd basically agree with this. Ring USM, FTM, weathersealing, and guaranteed future compatibility are good things.

I love my Sigma 24-70... It's the sharpest lens I own.

You have to take your budget into account. I have owned a digital camera for about 4 years, and have never used it in the rain, so (at least for me) it was not worth saving the additional funds just to have the weather sealing. I don't shoot sports so I don't need the speed of USM. When I consider these things, and the difference in price, the Sigma was the best deal. I had to send mine back for re-calibration, but now it a great lens. If you choose the Sigma over the Canon, you will not be disappointed in the performance of the Sigma. The only thing that I have to get used to is the weight of the lens.

Happy new year!

The Sigma 24-70mm sounds to receive far more good comments than complaints. The thing I concern most is still compatibility with cameras, because some people complained of Err 99 messages with this lens on. Is this because of older firmware in the cameras (or in the lens)? Focus shift is also a problem, but this happens on Canon lenses too. It's a matter of luck and quality control.

(1) Take complaints of a given lens on ANY online forum with a grain of salt. Point being that there are way more complaints posted generally than praises of a given lens, relative to how many own a given lens.

(2) Plenty lenses give error codes of all sorts, including canon lenses on canon bodies. i can tell you i've had A WHOLE LOT OF SIGMA LENSES and not one gave me any error, ever. i've actually had more error codes with my canon lenses, specifically my 70-200IS and 501.4.

(3) bottom line is that the sigma 24-70 f2.8 is one of the best deals going and especially considering its price, it's almost a no-brainer in this focal range. and for those worried about resale, i bought mine for $360 and it sold for $480. [YMMV]

This may should be #1.

I think you mean "spending" rather than than "saving".

There are more differences between the Sigma and Canon lenses than the two you point out.

The Canon is no lightweight either! Nearly just as heavy as the Sigma, I would imagine.

I didn't mean he should sell it. I just meant that if he wanted to sell it later on a get the L, he could.

As I stated in another thread, I experienced (2) Err 99 messages and (1) no error lockup that required removing the battery to reset the camera. This happened during the first 2 times I used the lens. Since then, I have probably taken 300+ pictures with no error. I did not change the camera firmware either.

My Sigma 24-70mm did have a front focus issue and Sigma has the lens right now for repair. They loaned me a 24-70mm non-macro version for the holidays while they fix mine. Long story short, I sent it to the Sigma authorized facility in GA and after two weeks they were still "waiting on a part". I e-mailed Sigma to see if they could get the part to them and they said they instructed the authorized repair center to send it to Sigma for repair. They also sent the loaner lens to me 2nd Day FedEx so I would have it for the holidays. This lens appears to be very sharp so I look forward to getting my "real" lens back.

fStopJojo wrote:
(1) Take complaints of a given lens on ANY online forum with a grain of salt. Point being that there are way more complaints posted generally than praises of a given lens, relative to how many own a given lens.

(2) Plenty lenses give error codes of all sorts, including canon lenses on canon bodies. i can tell you i've had A WHOLE LOT OF SIGMA LENSES and not one gave me any error, ever. i've actually had more error codes with my canon lenses, specifically my 70-200IS and 501.4.

(3) bottom line is that the sigma 24-70 f2.8 is one of the best deals going and especially considering its price, it's almost a no-brainer in this focal range. and for those worried about resale, i bought mine for $360 and it sold for $480. [YMMV]

how many sigma lenses have you owned and how many had to be sent it for calibration or rechipping.

also, what was the outcome on the 18-50...were you happy with it when it returned from sigma and do you still own it?

TIA,

ed rader

fStopJojo wrote:
(3) bottom line is that the sigma 24-70 f2.8 is one of the best deals going and especially considering its price, it's almost a no-brainer in this focal range. and for those worried about resale, i bought mine for $360 and it sold for $480. [YMMV]

I guess I am just curious. Why did you sell it?