Sigma 24-70 2.8 hsm vs Canon L

[4jphotography]

My trusty Canon 24-70l has finally succumbed to my abuse. Wondering if anyone has much real life experience with the Sigma HSM version?  Would love to save a few $ if comparable, but can't afford to sacrifice too much IQ.

[Flake]

A lot of us help high hopes for this lens, but alas it has failed to deliver.  On the Photozone test vignetting was so bad it was even apparant at f/8! Resolution fall off at the borders & corners is also particularly bad, even the Bokeh was criticised.

The Canon version is by no means perfect, with its field curvature issues, and especially with a new one rumoured for so long.

By far the worst part of the Sigma offering is the price at £650 it just doesn't offer enough of a saving over the £1000 the Canon costs, and then there's the second user market where prices are quite a bit less.

If you can get another 6 months out of the current lens then I'd say it'd be better than trying to make a choice at the present time.

[gferdinandsen]

A lot of us help high hopes for this lens, but alas it has failed to deliver.  On the Photozone test vignetting was so bad it was even apparant at f/8! Resolution fall off at the borders & corners is also particularly bad, even the Bokeh was criticised.

The Canon version is by no means perfect, with its field curvature issues, and especially with a new one rumoured for so long.

By far the worst part of the Sigma offering is the price at £650 it just doesn't offer enough of a saving over the £1000 the Canon costs, and then there's the second user market where prices are quite a bit less.

If you can get another 6 months out of the current lens then I'd say it'd be better than trying to make a choice at the present time.

1000 Pounds, I think it sells in the states for about USD $1,300

[MK5GTI]

thats not what i see from dpreview forum, they had a link from a chinese photo site (with translation) comparing the HSM, the 24-70L and the 24-105L

The HSM perform better and out resolve both L at any F number. However, that test did not show vignetting or light fall off. (or maybe i can't find it)

my only concern is it use 82mm filter, where my ND and CPL are all 77mm, so i need to buy another set.

[awinphoto]

Sigma also has some sample to sample issues such as some lenses have been shown to be sharper on one side than the other, and CA (purple fringing) leaves some to be desired at the edges.  With that said, prices especially for canon lenses have risen to the MSRP since the earthquake in japan and in some stores, there are also backorders.  As flake said, if you can wait, at least until maybe the fall when the fall/winter rebates start rolling out and production gets fully up to speed for canon, that may be the best situation all around. 

[bvukich]

my only concern is it use 82mm filter, where my ND and CPL are all 77mm, so i need to buy another set.

That's another thing to seriously take into consideration.  What does a decent 82mm CPL run these days, $200-250?  And probably $50-75each for NDs.

There went any cost savings plus some.

[Flake]

Just buy a step down ring 82 - 77mm isn't a massive difference and £2 finding out if 24mm vignettes (which it does anyway - lots!)

[awinphoto]

For the best comparison of these two lenses, go to the the-digital-picture.com  You can in the 12233 chart put the two lenses side by side and look at sharpness and such... the 24-70L outpreforms it, especially in the corners, on all focal lengths... center sharpness tends to be a wash/maybe even a slight edge at times with the sigma, but the corners fall apart.  Lastly, on their summary of the lenses, they said if sigma was the same price as canon, NOBODY would buy the sigma, however since it's half the price, it's something to consider.  It also mentioned if you get flare, even a little flare, you lose a ton of contrast in your entire image.

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Just buy a step down ring 82 - 77mm isn't a massive difference and £2 finding out if 24mm vignettes (which it does anyway - lots!)

Don't you first have to buy the 82mm filters to use a step down ring, unless you mean a step up ring?

[awinphoto]

Just buy a step down ring 82 - 77mm isn't a massive difference and £2 finding out if 24mm vignettes (which it does anyway - lots!)

Don't you first have to buy the 82mm filters to use a step down ring, unless you mean a step up ring?

I believe that's what he meant... I would be nervous on vignetting on the wide end but if it work, then great.. 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Just buy a step down ring 82 - 77mm isn't a massive difference and £2 finding out if 24mm vignettes (which it does anyway - lots!)

Don't you first have to buy the 82mm filters to use a step down ring, unless you mean a step up ring?

I believe that's what he meant... I would be nervous on vignetting on the wide end but if it work, then great..

Yes, they put that huge piece of glass there for a purpose, not just a freebe.

[neuroanatomist]

I'm going to guess that Flake means using a 77mm filter on the 82mm-threaded lens (whether you call that a step up or a step down is semantic, in that different manufacturers would name it differently). 

Looking at the front of the lens, it does seem that there's a bit of room to spare.  That's true in many cases, for example, mounting a macro flash on the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS or the EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro lenses requires a Macrolite adapter, which is essentially a 67→58mm or 72→58mm step-down ring, respectively. 

The Sigma lens already suffers from a fair bit of optical vignetting, but a loss of 5mm might not add any mechanical vignetting to that.

[Flake]

Just buy a step down ring 82 - 77mm isn't a massive difference and £2 finding out if 24mm vignettes (which it does anyway - lots!)

Don't you first have to buy the 82mm filters to use a step down ring, unless you mean a step up ring?

I believe that's what he meant... I would be nervous on vignetting on the wide end but if it work, then great..

Yes, they put that huge piece of glass there for a purpose, not just a freebe.

No it's a step down ring, the Sigma is 82mm thread and the Canon standard 77mm for which he has the filters so therefore you use an 82mm - 77mm step down ring and then you can use the filters.

As for the 'huge piece of glass' I'm afraid the diameter of a lens isn't goverened by its entry element and this one has a fair bit of redundant plastic holding the lens in place at least .5cm all round, and maybe as much as a full cm.  It's certainly worth trying, regarding vignetting, the lens is pretty bad for this but I doubt the filters would make it worse.

Oh & by the way it's she! lol.

[Flake]

I'm going to guess that Flake means using a 77mm filter on the 82mm-threaded lens (whether you call that a step up or a step down is semantic, in that different manufacturers would name it differently). 

Looking at the front of the lens, it does seem that there's a bit of room to spare.  That's true in many cases, for example, mounting a macro flash on the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS or the EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro lenses requires a Macrolite adapter, which is essentially a 67→58mm or 72→58mm step-down ring, respectively. 

The Sigma lens already suffers from a fair bit of optical vignetting, but a loss of 5mm might not add any mechanical vignetting to that.

Sums it up I guess!  although the 5mm is a diameter loss so it means a loss of 2.5mm on each side

[awinphoto]

I'm going to guess that Flake means using a 77mm filter on the 82mm-threaded lens (whether you call that a step up or a step down is semantic, in that different manufacturers would name it differently). 

Looking at the front of the lens, it does seem that there's a bit of room to spare.  That's true in many cases, for example, mounting a macro flash on the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS or the EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro lenses requires a Macrolite adapter, which is essentially a 67→58mm or 72→58mm step-down ring, respectively. 

The Sigma lens already suffers from a fair bit of optical vignetting, but a loss of 5mm might not add any mechanical vignetting to that.

Sums it up I guess!  although the 5mm is a diameter loss so it means a loss of 2.5mm on each side

It varies from lens to lens I suppose... for instance there are some lenses which i've heard can give vignetting just putting on a regular filter, hence why they sell low profile filters... I dont have much experience with this lens in question... while adding a step down ring may not add much to mechanical vignetting, adding a filter, or two or three (depending on what you are adding) may become a problem... Regarding the macro rings... since there is a sense of telephoto in those zooms, I think they may either add a fraction more glass so it's more consistent edge to edge but you can also easily utilize such attachments.  I think (going off assumption) it may be more of a marketing and engineering factor with "macro lenses" or else they would have to utilize another style of adapter.  Perhaps someone who has this sigma lens can try it out for the benefit of this forum and we will be eternally grateful.