Sigma 18-35 F/1.8 just announced?!

[ahsanford]

When I saw a rumor listing for an F/1.8 zoom lens, I giggled and assumed it was the hoax du jour, late April fool's, etc.

Now I am not so sure:
http://photorumors.com/2013/04/18/sigma-18-35mm-f1-8-dc-hsm-lens-officially-announced/

And now I am sort of overwhelmed:
http://www.sigma-global.com/en/lenses/cas/product/art/a_18_35_18/

So Sigma has the nerve to make a faster than F/2.8 zoom and they make it for APS-C?!.

Someone help me understand the market target for such a lens. After all, I thought the people buying high end glass for their APS-C rigs are 7D users buying long primes for birding. What APS-C users have been lamenting that their 17-55 F/2.8 IS isn't quick enough? I would argue that as cool as such a new lens might be to use, this can't be a massive gap in the APS-C users' bag, right?

So so so confused. Help me make sense of this, thx.

- A

 

[wickidwombat]

i had an erection until i read it was for APS-C :'(

 

[dr croubie]

So it's 18-35 f/1.8 for APS-C, making at a FF-equivalent of 29-56 f/2.9
Comparing, say, a 7D + this Sigma 18-35 f/1.8 to an FF, say 5D3 + 24-70 f/2.8, you get a lot more at the long end, and a bit more at the wide end.
Not sure which one would combo will deliver better IQ (especially seeing how good the new 24-70 II is, it'll be hard to beat), but I can tell you which combo is going to be a lot lighter on the wallet...

 

[Canon-F1]

MTF looks good.. and it´s a real beauty.

 

[Albi86]

Someone help me understand the market target for such a lens. After all, I thought the people buying high end glass for their APS-C rigs are 7D users buying long primes for birding. What APS-C users have been lamenting that their 17-55 F/2.8 IS isn't quick enough? I would argue that as cool as such a new lens might be to use, this can't be a massive gap in the APS-C users' bag, right?

So so so confused. Help me make sense of this, thx.

- A

A lot will depend on the price point and actual IQ of course.

I see it as a travel lens. While there are many good standard zooms on APSC, many times I felt like I needed a fast prime too for portraits and subject isolation. This lens kind of fills that gap - please also note the 28cm MFD.

 

[Malte_P]

excuse my ignorance.... but why all the world on the net is talking about this lens to be equal to a f2.7 (f2.9) FF lens?

f1.8 is f1.8.... ?

here too:

So it's 18-35 f/1.8 for APS-C, making at a FF-equivalent of 29-56 f/2.9

i mean when i put a 50mm f1.8 on FF or APS-C it´s an f1.8 lens.
exposure does not change.

 

[Albi86]

excuse my ignorance.... but why all the world on the net is talking about this lens to be equal to a f2.7 (f2.9) FF lens?

f1.8 is f1.8.... ?

here too:

So it's 18-35 f/1.8 for APS-C, making at a FF-equivalent of 29-56 f/2.9

i mean when i put a 50mm f1.8 on FF or APS-C it´s an f1.8 lens.

In terms of DoF

 

[Malte_P]

excuse my ignorance.... but why all the world on the net is talking about this lens to be equal to a f2.7 (f2.9) FF lens?

f1.8 is f1.8.... ?

here too:

So it's 18-35 f/1.8 for APS-C, making at a FF-equivalent of 29-56 f/2.9

i mean when i put a 50mm f1.8 on FF or APS-C it´s an f1.8 lens.

In terms of DoF

then they have to write that. :
because DOF is not everything.

in terms of speed it´s an f1.8 lens.