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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Sigma Compact Hyperzoom 28-300mm F3.5-6.3???
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 11/24/2003 07:36:00 AM · #1
Anyone have or know any details about the Sigma Compact Hyperzoom 28-300mm F3.5-6.3? Auto Focus Speed, Quality of picture, etc...

I want a lens for my Digital Rebel that gives me a large range of zoom. Right now I have the 18-55mm, 35-80mm and the 70-300mm Canon lenses but am already tired of changing from one to the other when I want a different composition.

The wide range the Sigma lens gives of 28-300mm (44.8-480mm on Digital Rebel) is quit impressive I think.

Any information you guys can provide will be greatly appreciate!

Thanks!
 11/24/2003 08:41:26 AM · #2
I really want to find out about this one too!

Message edited by author 2003-11-24 08:41:35.
 11/24/2003 08:50:48 AM · #3
I'm interested in finding out more too!

11/24/2003 09:03:04 AM · #4
Popular Photography & Imaging has done a review in the last year, with a "buy" rating. If memory serves me, it was very strong at most of the focal lengths, with excellant quality up to 8x10's. I do not recall it being tested on a digital body.

The only shortfall I see on digital, is the limitation below 42mm. However with an 18-55 and the 28-300, you may have a very strong stable.

I recall reading an article by a photographer named Kepler, that 28mm is a rather important focal lenth, as it replicates the "view" of one human eye. From a photograph perspective, he felt it quite necessary to have 28mm as the minimum "wide angle" lense available to the phtographer.
 11/24/2003 09:11:11 AM · #5
Funny, I'm headed in the other direction. I started with the Canon 28-200 3.5-5.6, and have been less than thrilled. As far as I know Sigma does not publish MTF graphs on their lenses, and I have not seen one for the 28-300, but in general you give up a lot for that wide zoom range.
My 28-200, for instance, suffers from both low contrast & CA (chromatic aberration) at 200mm, and is not the sharpest lens overall, though in the middle range of focal length and stopped down to f/8, I have been pleasantly surprised by the results. So the end result is I feel very limited by this lens, exactly the opposite of my anticipation.
I'm certainly looking for a lens with (much) better specs, although unfortunately this will mean a higher price. The Canon 70-200 f/4L has great performance though, and a reasonable price (comapred to the 2.8 IS version)!
 11/24/2003 09:34:50 AM · #6
I just did a quick save on this one. It's straight out of the camera as far as color and contrast. Cropped about 1/4 all around. 162mm f11.

I have some more, but have to go to work. The lens can somtimes be surprisingly sharp.
Edit: no sharpening done on it.

Message edited by author 2003-11-24 09:41:56.
 11/24/2003 09:55:33 AM · #7
How is the AF speed on this lens?

Originally posted by pcody:
I just did a quick save on this one. It's straight out of the camera as far as color and contrast. Cropped about 1/4 all around. 162mm f11.

I have some more, but have to go to work. The lens can somtimes be surprisingly sharp.
Edit: no sharpening done on it.

 11/24/2003 10:33:12 AM · #8
Click Here
 11/24/2003 10:45:27 AM · #9
I have this lens and have had pretty good results. Nothing beats the glass of Canon/Nikon or Leica but this Sigma Hyperzoom is a great buy for the range it provides. It is currently my workhorse lens. I'd say just keep doing your research and only you know how much to spend on one. This one is priced between $250-$300.
 11/24/2003 10:48:59 AM · #10
//www.photodo.com has quality ratings on a lot of lenses, including this one. It gets a 2.7 which is pretty bad, but not surprising for something with such a huge range - there are a lot of trade-offs that have to be made in something covering such a wide range
 11/24/2003 11:48:29 AM · #11
It is probably worth noting that cameras like the 10D and 300D (the Digital Rebel) cannot autofocus when using a lens whose maxmimum aperture is smaller than f/5.6 (that is, the f-number is larger than 5.6). So unless the Sigma does something "tricky" to lie to the camera, once you reach the point in the zoom range where the maximum aperture shifts from f/5.6 to f/6.3, the autofocus will stop working, or at a minimum, work less reliably.

Note that Canon also makes "hyperzoom" lenses, like the US$1400 L-series 10X 35-350mm f/3.5-5.6L USM. As always, "you get what you pay for".

As a general rule, the more "zoom range" a lens has, the bigger the image quality trade-off (which is why non-zoom "prime" lenses have the best quality). The biggest advantage of a DSLR is interchangeable lenses. If you are already getting tired of changing lenses, then perhaps a DSLR is not the right camera for you.

Message edited by author 2003-11-24 11:53:08.
 11/24/2003 12:00:51 PM · #12
I wouldn't exactly say that this isn't the right camera for me. I used a 35mm Canon SLR for many years and love an SLR camera for the reason that you can purchase a almost endless variety of lenses.

On the other hand, I think I am hesitant sometimes because I fear getting dust and things into the CMOS on the camera and degrading picture quality. It's probably just because the camera is new to me and like everything else it will ware off and I will without thinking change lenses back and forth without even thinking that I shouldn't sneeze inside the camera when the lens is off. :-)

Thanks for the advice!

Originally posted by EddyG:
It is probably worth noting that cameras like the 10D and 300D (the Digital Rebel) cannot autofocus when using a lens whose maxmimum aperture is smaller than f/5.6 (that is, the f-number is larger than 5.6). So unless the Sigma does something "tricky" to lie to the camera, once you reach the point in the zoom range where the maximum aperture shifts from f/5.6 to f/6.3, the autofocus will stop working, or at a minimum, work less reliably.

Note that Canon also makes "hyperzoom" lenses, like the US$1400 L-series 10X 35-350mm f/3.5-5.6L USM. As always, "you get what you pay for".

As a general rule, the more "zoom range" a lens has, the bigger the image quality trade-off (which is why non-zoom "prime" lenses have the best quality). The biggest advantage of a DSLR is interchangeable lenses. If you are already getting tired of changing lenses, then perhaps a DSLR is not the right camera for you.

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