Sigma 2470mm F2.8 EX DG Macro Aspherical Large Aperture Standard Zoom

This lense is a total boss!! I only wish I had purchased it sooner!! It's incredible!! So easy to use! I only had small trouble focusing it one time on a macro ring shot that I didn't pack a shorter lens for. It was my first time actually using it on a shoot. But it did amazing with everything else! I definitely recommend it, it is well worth it's price tag.

A good value.

Of course the "gold standard" for a lens in the 24-70mm range is the Canon 24-70mm f2.8 Series II but for some of us it's price is prohibitive.The Sigma 24mm-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical IF EX DG HSM Lens for Canon is a viable choice as are the samples from Tamron and Tokina. The Tamron, in my opinion, is also too expensive for what it is. The debatable advantage of the feature 'image stabilization' is marginal. Plus that increases the cost. And the price is the driving factor for buying this level of lens as opposed to the Canon.I have read other reviews that the Siggy was soft and not as sharp. I found that to not be the case in the one I bought. Is is as good as the Canon? No it is not, but than again it is less than half the cost.Is it good? Yes, it is and in ... MoreOf course the "gold standard" for a lens in the 24-70mm range is the Canon 24-70mm f2.8 Series II but for some of us it's price is prohibitive.The Sigma 24mm-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical IF EX DG HSM Lens for Canon is a viable choice as are the samples from Tamron and Tokina. The Tamron, in my opinion, is also too expensive for what it is. The debatable advantage of the feature 'image stabilization' is marginal. Plus that increases the cost. And the price is the driving factor for buying this level of lens as opposed to the Canon.I have read other reviews that the Siggy was soft and not as sharp. I found that to not be the case in the one I bought. Is is as good as the Canon? No it is not, but than again it is less than half the cost.Is it good? Yes, it is and in real world photography, in all but the most critical circumstances, you may never notice the difference.It is not weather sealed. It is heavy. It requires 82mm filters. It comes with a nice carrying case and a lens hood.On my copy the auto focus is quick and silent. It is spot on as it came out of the box on my 1D Mk III.The Siggy is a valid alternative to the Canon for most of us and a better lens than the Tokina and a better value than the Tamron.

Better then what I expected

Its an excelent lens, purchased for a good price. At first I felt a little hard to move the zoom, but with some use it got better. works perfectly for me.

Dang good lens for the cost!

This particular Sigma 24-70 lens take some absolutely phenomenal photos! The clarity is every bit as good as a Canon, with the only drawback being a tiny bit more weight. I will say that this particular model is best used for still photos over video as it does not have vibration control or stabilizers. But if you're looking to go out and get some gorgeous shots, landscape, portrait or macro; this is the lens for you!

Great lens

This is a great all round lens. It is fast at F/2.8 at all focal lengths which is handy for darker situations. It is really sharp under studio lighting. I really can't think of anything negative to say about this lens. It is well worth buying. The photo attached was taken with this lens

Has some good features but poor wide open.

I'm not entirely blown away by this lens. It can be sharp, but definitely not at f2.8, or, I suspect, at slower speeds. It is very also heavy for a wide angle, which can introduce camera shake at lower speeds. Colour is good and edge to edge stability is also good, with relatively low CAs. It may take some time to learn how to get the best out go the lens.

Sharp, Sharp Sharp

I received this yesterday just before heading out to a live indoor music event, and it pretty much stayed attached to my 50D for an entire evening of jumping, strumming, and jamming. This is the fourth Sigma lens I have owned, and despite numerous reviews about quality control, each one (especially the 24-70) has had good sharp image results. Maybe I am just lucky, but I have never had a quality issue with a Sigma lens.As to ruggedness, it is tougher than my nose is after getting slammed by an impromptu mosh pit started in the vicinity of where I was situated, and the blood also wiped off pretty easily (not really).On the down side, I did discover that autofocus does not work too well in low light...I had to switch over to manual for the majority of the event. ... MoreI received this yesterday just before heading out to a live indoor music event, and it pretty much stayed attached to my 50D for an entire evening of jumping, strumming, and jamming. This is the fourth Sigma lens I have owned, and despite numerous reviews about quality control, each one (especially the 24-70) has had good sharp image results. Maybe I am just lucky, but I have never had a quality issue with a Sigma lens.As to ruggedness, it is tougher than my nose is after getting slammed by an impromptu mosh pit started in the vicinity of where I was situated, and the blood also wiped off pretty easily (not really).On the down side, I did discover that autofocus does not work too well in low light...I had to switch over to manual for the majority of the event. This is not really criticism; I doubt any lens would have been able to use AF in the dimly lit corner of the club where I was shooting.My sharpest shots seemed to occur in the f/5.6 range, although results were still good wide open at f/2.8. I shoot with a cropped sensor (1.6x), so vignetting is not an issue I usually have to deal with. I definitely recommend this Sigma lens to anyone who needs a good, fast intermediate range solution that can not afford the price of a Canon or Nikon equivalent. You should not be disappointed.

Sigma delivers great value

I bought this lens because I was lacking the focal range and wanted to compliment a 70-200vr w/o breaking the bank. I really wanted the nikon 24-70 but could not justify the price. I've been using it as a portrait lens, action shots for wide angle and general walking around glass. Feels solid. Certainly not a pro-level metal lens, but as mentioned - those cost lots more.Getting good results. I wish it wasn't a telescoping lens, but on the other hand it makes it more portable when walking around. The 82mm lens means I have to purchase another ND filter.All in all, I think it's a great lens for the price. The only thing I haven't been able to do with it yet is getting a decent starburst. It does give more flare than I'd hoped.I'd recommend this lens.

Simply Exceptional, Great Pro Wide Zoom

As a wedding and event photographer, I spend most of my time in dark churches, reception halls and concert venues. So, it's essential to have fast, accurate lenses in my lineup. I purchased this lens in summer 2010 to replace my Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 non-USM version. Once I put this lens on my Canon 5D, it instantly became my favorite lens. It's very sharp wide open, and has quick, accurate autofocus. It does have vignetting from f/2.8-3.5, but I tend to accentuate that anyway in my photos, so it's actually an advantage for me. Vignetting is totally gone when you're shooting landscapes at f/10-16. I have read reviews by other photographers about this Sigma lens, and while I'm not going to refute their opinions and experiences with Sigma, I will say this lens is every ... MoreAs a wedding and event photographer, I spend most of my time in dark churches, reception halls and concert venues. So, it's essential to have fast, accurate lenses in my lineup. I purchased this lens in summer 2010 to replace my Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 non-USM version. Once I put this lens on my Canon 5D, it instantly became my favorite lens. It's very sharp wide open, and has quick, accurate autofocus. It does have vignetting from f/2.8-3.5, but I tend to accentuate that anyway in my photos, so it's actually an advantage for me. Vignetting is totally gone when you're shooting landscapes at f/10-16. I have read reviews by other photographers about this Sigma lens, and while I'm not going to refute their opinions and experiences with Sigma, I will say this lens is every bit as good as the Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L. It actually rivals my Canon 70-200 f/4L IS in sharpness and detail. To be honest, I have purchased other Sigma lenses in the past and had to return them because of front/back focusing issues, but this time I got a 'good one' right off the bat and it's on my camera 70% of the time. It's perfect for indoor use, landscapes and portraiture. I listed weight as a negative, but it's really not too cumbersome. Can't complain. It has a very sturdy feel to it, which I prefer.

Wouldn't buy this particular lens again. Nothing against Sigma

I bought this lens to use on my Nikon D300s for sport photography. I wanted a lens that I could use to shoot in low light situations. Although this lens gave me the ability to shoot in low light, it's sharpness is questionable at best. Even in sunshine with a fast focusing camera, every picture came out soft. NOT blurry, but soft. I also have a 55-200mm Nikon "kit" lens and it's sharpness and focus are miles ahead of this lens. Maybe it was just a poor choice for my particular camera, but it's really not useful to me at all since I shoot mostly action shots.