Sigma 28-70mm F2.8 (ZEN) A-mount lens reviews

reviews found: 8   
reviewer#46934 date: Apr-14-2023
sharpness: 4.5
color: 5
build: 4
distortion: 3
flare control: 4
overall: 4.1
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Minolta 28-75 f2.8
Minolta 28-135 f4-4.5
price paid:€30
positive:colors actually mach nicely with the Sigma 70-200mm 2.8-3.5
negative:- rubber coating on the body, (i get why they used it since when my copy came in the lens was almost not used, and at the start it was pretty nice feeling) but once the lens gets older and more use this coating is getting sticky and pretty gross.
- strange zoom, the lens get's longer when the focal length decreases (28mm fully out and 70mm fully in)
comment:this lens was a surprise to me.
normally sigma's old lenses get criticized by its poor performance etc. but this lens does preform really well.
the reason i got this lens was because of the F2.8 arcos the whole zoom range and because i noticed some nice greenish tint across the frame with the Sigma 70-200 f2.8-3.5 wich i eventually got to like. its colours aren't true to life wich the other mentioned Minolta lenses reproduce, but i like it from time to time.
reviewer#6750 date: Jan-15-2010
sharpness: 4.5
color: 3
build: 4
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 3.9
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:I think I've owned ALL (then perhaps sold some) of the Minolta Consumer lenses by now!
price paid:$75 USD
positive:Sharp
Tough
Surprising
Wide
negative:Mine is weak in the middle (50mm) range...
comment:This lens was purchased towards the end of the lenses that I bought out of perhaps 40 Minolta lenses that I went through as I built my collection last spring and summer (2009)

And what a fun build is WAS! As many of you now know; Minolta consumer lenses are WAY undervalued and if you’re like me – you never really lose any money buying them. I sold 90% of the ones I bought for more money….

This was honestly one of the few non-Minolta lenses that I purchased. Which sort of under qualifies me here with this Sigma. The non-Minoltas that I did buy came attached to cameras. This little baby came with one of the Maxxum 9 (no less!) film cameras that I bought at the end of my binge. The company that ones lenses keep should tell us something about them, right? I had decided I wanted the best *film* camera money could buy to test the outer regions of my new lens empire. But again....I digress.

This lens was great. And I still own it, which if you’ve read my reviews means it survived some pretty tough competition!!!

It’s great wide, not so great in the middle (somehow), and great again at 70. I’m uh, not an optical engineer so I don’t know how that works exactly?! In any case; it’s just barley been beat out of my “walk around” category by my sharpest 35-105 (older 1985) because of the mid range snafu… Too bad because it’s wider and maybe more useful because of that…. But I’m sure it’ll get its shot in the future.

Excelsior,

-Shootist
reviewer#6539 date: Dec-6-2009
sharpness: 3.5
color: 4
build: 4
distortion: 3
flare control: 3
overall: 3.5
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Minolta 28mm F2.8 D & G, Minolta 28-80 Xi F4-5.6 and Minolta 28-85 RS F3.5-4.5
price paid:au $50
positive:Cheap. Not much else for a F2.8, as it is rather soft.
negative:Very soft even when stopped down. To get any degree of sharpness it needs to be well under F5.6 and as such cannot match the Minolta 28-80 F3.5-4.5 or even come near the classic Minolta 28-105.
comment:A disappointing lens, but then it was cheap when new and that was decade or two back. I picked it up in job lot that included a 700Si and a bunch of lenses. I had owned one before and sold it in the early nineties as it never was sharp enough.
reviewer#5499 date: Jun-4-2009
sharpness: 4
color: 5
build: 4
distortion: 4
flare control: 3
overall: 4
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Minolta28-75mmF2.8D
Tokina-AT-X280 AF PRO 28-80 F2.8
Sigma 28-70 F2.8 EX
price paid:350AUD (new)
positive:Great old lens
pretty cheap, even when new
negative:Not as sharp on digital as it was on film.
Rubberised coating tends to fail after about 15years.
comment:I have had this lens from new, one of my original set of AF lenses when I moved to Minolta AF gear.

I would rate its sharpness as 4.5 for film, but less than that on digital (probably better as a 4.2 rating overall). It disapoints a little on digital as does the Tokina compared to. But colour and bokeh is good. Overall the Minolta and Sigma compared to do a better job.

When new I thought the rubberised finish was great, but a couple years ago it started to deteriorate and I had a tough time removing it as it got sticky as it deteriorated. Hence the 4 build rating, otherwise a tough lens.

Also seems to have more flare issues on digital than on film, hence the 3 rating (probably should be 3.5). Needs to be used with a hood for best flare and contrast, especially on digital.
reviewer#3286 date: Feb-19-2008
sharpness: 4
color: 4
build: 3
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 3.8
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I used to own this lens
compared to:Minolta 28 2.8
Minolta 50 1.7
KM 18-70 (kit lens)
70-210 beercan
price paid:70€
positive:open at 2.8
sharpness
negative:start at 28mm
build quality (plastic)
comment:well I have been quite happy with that lens until recently

the focus mechanism seems to go dying :(

Anyway I have made great portrait so I would not take another sigma when it is really KO

The AF mecanism was broken i decided not to buy another one
reviewer#2220 date: Apr-27-2007
sharpness: 4.5
color: 5
build: 5
distortion: 5
flare control: 3
overall: 4.5
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:18-70/kit, many fixed focal lenses (24, 50, 100, 135...), beercan
price paid:
missing
positive:-sharp
-strange nice effect at 70mm when photographing objects near the camera
negative:-heavy (but this is not always negative)
-prone to flare in some situations
comment:I think this lens is great as a walkaround: pretty sharp at all apertures, it has a nice range of focals. the af is fast enough for me, sometimes not too much accurate. But it is really badly nastily prone to flare... You can live with it, anyway, expecially if you paid it as I paid mine.
reviewer#770 date: May-11-2006
sharpness: 4.5
color: 4
build: 4
distortion: 3
flare control: 4
overall: 3.9
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:lots of standard lenses
price paid:
missing
positive:sharp, solid, robust
negative:needs and update for the 7 and 7d. Older lens with slow af
comment:This my be my oldest lens. It had to be re chipped for the 7 (and 7D same rechipping). still gets regular use

EDIT it fell and died but it lived a long long life and saw a lot of work R.I.P
reviewer#695 date: Apr-17-2006
sharpness: 4
color: 5
build: 4
distortion: 4
flare control: 4
overall: 4.2
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I have experience with this lens
compared to:100 2,8 macro (my gauge); KM 17-35 2.8-4.0; KM 28-75 2,8
price paid:
missing
positive:very sharp, good colors, (almost) no distortion at 50 or 70 mm
negative:some flaring; some distortion at 28 mm
comment:Originally bought for 700si, 10 years my standard lens and for some months again with 7D, until I bought KM 28-75. Works well with AF/MF button on back of 7D.
Soft @ 28 mm 2,8; better sharpness at all lengths when closing down 1-1˝ stop; in picture quality comparable with KM 28-75 2,8.
reviews found: 8   

rating summary

lens image
  • total reviews: 8
  • sharpness: 4.19
  • color: 4.38
  • build: 4.00
  • distortion: 3.75
  • flare control: 3.63
  • overall: 3.99

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