Best third-party lenses

[D.Sim]

Thing about Zeiss is its a totally different market from the others though... Most third party options are there to be the cheaper, budget alternative, with accordingly lower build quality (generally) and less IQ (generally)

Zeiss, on the other hand, is a pricy option for high quality glass.... Usually on the wide angle end

I'm generalizing a bit, yes, but thats what it is

 

[wickidwombat]

I absolutely love my Sigma 85mm f1.4
f2 is super sharp, noticably sharper than the 70-200 f2.8 IS II is at 85mm and f2.8

I chose it over the canon f1.2L due to considerably faster AF

Thats actually something I've been considering - How much better is it over the 50mm 1.4?

Also, more importantly, how sharp is it at f/1.4 and f/1.8? If its soft there will I be better off with the Canon 1.8?

at f1.4 it is about as sharp as the 70-200 f2.8 ISII is at f2.8
at f2 it's in another league

 

[D.Sim]

I absolutely love my Sigma 85mm f1.4
f2 is super sharp, noticably sharper than the 70-200 f2.8 IS II is at 85mm and f2.8

I chose it over the canon f1.2L due to considerably faster AF

Thats actually something I've been considering - How much better is it over the 50mm 1.4?

Also, more importantly, how sharp is it at f/1.4 and f/1.8? If its soft there will I be better off with the Canon 1.8?

at f1.4 it is about as sharp as the 70-200 f2.8 ISII is at f2.8
at f2 it's in another league

Thats interesting... the people I shoot with here have been advising me against it, saying its soft... And I should be going for the Canon 1.8 instead. Pity there aren't copies available for me to test... =(

Thanks, Wombat

 

[wickidwombat]

ha soft.
I just posted some raws in the thread about 5Dmk3 AF and sensor improvements
both with the sigma and one with each body

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php/topic,4678.30.html

 

[D.Sim]

ha soft.
I just posted some raws in the thread about 5Dmk3 AF and sensor improvements
both with the sigma and one with each body

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php/topic,4678.30.html

Do you have a good copy or are the new copies all generally like that? =)
Not that I don't trust you, mind, just would like to get as much information as I can before I place an order on something I won't get to even try until I pay for it...

Also: Any AF issues? bad focusing, etc

 

[wickidwombat]

ha soft.
I just posted some raws in the thread about 5Dmk3 AF and sensor improvements
both with the sigma and one with each body

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php/topic,4678.30.html

Do you have a good copy or are the new copies all generally like that? =)
Not that I don't trust you, mind, just would like to get as much information as I can before I place an order on something I won't get to even try until I pay for it...

Also: Any AF issues? bad focusing, etc

Yes mine was heavily front focusing when i got it, needed +13 microadjust to get it in line
I sent it back and sigma reprogrammed it and now its pretty good still needs a little micro adjust but so do some of my canons but not that much though.

As far as AF speed and accuracy its spot on. the speed is at least 3 times faster than the canon 85 1.2 which is why i chose the sigma over the canon (it also happened to be 2.5 times cheaper ) I would recommend buying it from a bricks and mortar store you can go back to if anything is off in the AF department. Its one of my favourite lenses, (cant decide bewteen this and the 16-35 f2.8 II) i love them both but for different reasons.

It also has 9 circular apertutre blades which gives it really nice blur and bokeh
Build quality is really top notch and the MF ring is super smooth and firm (no slop or play in it so has nice control)

 

[te4o]

Jayden, you set the topic as "best" 3rd party lenses. What is that? Best price? Best IQ or AF? Very general.
I must add to the comments about Zeiss that I found them best for my photography style: and dangerous for my bank account.

 

[wickidwombat]

if zeiss made AF lenses my bank account would be screaming in pain :-[

 

[D.Sim]

ha soft.
I just posted some raws in the thread about 5Dmk3 AF and sensor improvements
both with the sigma and one with each body

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php/topic,4678.30.html

Do you have a good copy or are the new copies all generally like that? =)
Not that I don't trust you, mind, just would like to get as much information as I can before I place an order on something I won't get to even try until I pay for it...

Also: Any AF issues? bad focusing, etc

Yes mine was heavily front focusing when i got it, needed +13 microadjust to get it in line
I sent it back and sigma reprogrammed it and now its pretty good still needs a little micro adjust but so do some of my canons but not that much though.

As far as AF speed and accuracy its spot on. the speed is at least 3 times faster than the canon 85 1.2 which is why i chose the sigma over the canon (it also happened to be 2.5 times cheaper ) I would recommend buying it from a bricks and mortar store you can go back to if anything is off in the AF department. Its one of my favourite lenses, (cant decide bewteen this and the 16-35 f2.8 II) i love them both but for different reasons.

It also has 9 circular apertutre blades which gives it really nice blur and bokeh
Build quality is really top notch and the MF ring is super smooth and firm (no slop or play in it so has nice control)

Ah, so your initial one was a bit off and needed some microadjustment, but after it was checked by Sigma it was okay? Did you send your body in with it, or was it just the lens?

I'd go to a bricks and mortar store if I could - problem for me is where I live there are no stores that carry these in stock - indeed, very few lenses are ever carried in stock, they have to order them in. Which is a real pity, really. Pretty much the equivalent of being in Horsham/Mildura I guess? Bigger city maybe, but more or less what you can get down in those areas down in VIC...

That said, one of the local websites has it on sale, and the 50 1.4 Sigma is too, so I'm really tempted by both... Wonder if anyone local has it so I can test i out... :-\

Of course, theres the Canon 1.8 as well, which is even cheaper...

*thinks*

 

[wickidwombat]

just sent the lens in I didnt want it matched to a boday as I have 4 bodies and my parents havea 600D my brother has a 550D and those bodies dont have micro adjust so i wanted it set as neutral as possible, i was happy to need to compensate my bodies with a micro adjust a little I just was worried about having to push it as far out as 13.

 

[D.Sim]

that makes sense...

Cheers mate. helps a bit in the decision making

 

[Enthusiast]

Just some more experience with the sigmas

I do have several Sigma primes from fisheye to 105 macro.
The elder types have a bit of a crappy usablity because you have to switch to pieces for autofocus/manual changing but the HSM pieces are all very good. The 85mm 1.4 is the best lens I had ever on a camera, even better than the Canon 85mm 1.2 L. The L hase a very nice and a bit dreamy IQ but you have 30-50% scrap in your pictures because people moving out of focus before the focus finished. The Sigma is much faster, that makes it much easier, even in low light.
The autofocus in spot on at all apertures (not like the 50 1,4 witch is fine at 1.4 and >2.0). I bought one of the first lenses came to Germany, it could not be an improvement later in the production.

 

[Jemlnlx]

Im sure they've been mentioned but Im a big fan of the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro and the 17-50mm f/2.8 for Crop Sensors. Ive have owned both in the past and loved them both. The 90mm is super sharp and the 17-50 really sharp as well. It has a crop equivalent of about 24-75 and is about half the price of Canon's 24-70mm.

 

[John Thomas]

Tokina AT-X PRO FX 16-28mm F/2.8

A very good UWA for FF sensors. Very sharp. Top notch image quality, much better than Canon 17-40 F/4 L. Tokina is better at F/2.8 compared with Canon at F/4. The price is very affordable - cheaper than Canon 17-40 and approx. one 3rd from Canon 16-36 F/2.8 L. The focus is very very quick and accurate. The build quality is impressive.

Drawbacks are:
- heavy
- (normally) doesn't take filters, but one can put Lee's filters on it.

Generally, I'm very pleased with this lens.

 

[pwp]

The OP was asking about primes in particular. I have waded through a raft of 50mm glass over the years and have settled pretty comfortably with a Sigma 50 f/1.4. As I shoot people and like to include action, AF is very important to me. However if I was inclined towards more static subjects, and had ultra IQ as a very high priority, then a Zeiss manual focus lens would be appealing.

For general shooting, Sigma seems to have a very strong range of viable alternative glass to the Canon/Nikon offerings.

Paul Wright

 

[wickidwombat]

The OP was asking about primes in particular. I have waded through a raft of 50mm glass over the years and have settled pretty comfortably with a Sigma 50 f/1.4. As I shoot people and like to include action, AF is very important to me. However if I was inclined towards more static subjects, and had ultra IQ as a very high priority, then a Zeiss manual focus lens would be appealing.

For general shooting, Sigma seems to have a very strong range of viable alternative glass to the Canon/Nikon offerings.

Paul Wright

What is your opinion of the sigma 1.4 vs the canon 1.4 especially at f1.4 to f2
I've been wondering if the 50 siggy is as good as the 85, the 50 is an older design though isnt it?
I wonder if sigma will update the 50 to the same level as the 85, if they did that i'd find it hard to resist getting one.
I find the canon not so good wide open but once its down to f2 its improving and its very sharp by f2.8
I'm really hoping for an update

 

[Enthusiast]

My expirience with the Sigma 50mm 1.4:
It´s very good at 1.4 and 2.0 in comparision to the Canon it´s a bit sharper wide open.
At 1.6 and 1.8 they are not exact in focus both due to focus movement.

Bad: it´s bigger and havier than the Canon

Nice:
- 77mm Filter, same as nearly all my other lenses
- less vingetting
- fast and silent focus

 

[RichATL]

Loving my Sigma 70-200 2.8 (non-OS)...
Super sharp, silent, and inexpensive.

 

[skitron]

I've been wondering if the 50 siggy is as good as the 85, the 50 is an older design though isnt it?
I wonder if sigma will update the 50 to the same level as the 85, if they did that i'd find it hard to resist getting one.

Rumor has it the "new finish" had optical updates as well. I have a "new finish" 50 and it doesn't have anywhere near the focus shift displayed in reviews of early ones. Mine has pretty much the same shift as displayed on photozone.de for the Sigma 85. All to say worth a try if buying where you can return if needed.

 

[ruuneos]

Till 30.4 local store got deal offer for Canon 50mm F1.4 30% sale so which one to get Sigma 50mm or Canon 50mm f1.4?
Canon is smaller and bit less weight than Sigma and it's pretty sharp on f5.6 and Sigma is sharpest in f?
Sigma got big plus for inc. lens hood

Which one to get?