Sigma 70-210mm F2.8 APO A-mount lens reviews
reviews found: 15
 beeton#44464 date: Feb-5-2020 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.3 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | G 70-300 (4.5), FE 24-240 but shoot off has not yet occurred. |
| price paid: | 100 cdn used |
| positive: | Very sharp throughout and good to the edges (which is a surprise). |
| negative: | Heavy bugger. Occasionally miss focus. But I have had missed shots with the G 70-300 (via laea4) and 24-240 as well. |
| comment: | I purchased this as-is with a case of the Sigma stickies,optics unknown. As I was not expecting to use this too much, having a G 70-300 and FE 24-240 but I wanted the 2.8 so figured $100 CDN all-in not too large a risk. I un-stickied the body, removing most of the graphics in the process,found the focus ring a bit growly when pointing upwards and on one occasion, the focus seemed to bind. Not wanting to damage my la-ea4, I figured I would dive in for a look. I could not find much on disassembly and even Sigma does not have a schematic, this is the ZEN version, so I got in as far as I could, blew off some dust and removed the front barrel to check out the drive ring. Looked fine so oiled a bit and seems much smoother. I believe I see a very, very faint hint of haze on the inner element, front facing, but I can't figure out how to get that section separated. Front and rear elements are clean. Aligning the helicoil (sp?) was a pita but got that done and set the front group to infinity. Prior to this, I was shooting with a micro focus adjust of +10 or so. Now, no adjust is required and infinity is perfect. Sharpness is great though the range and even wide open. Not as sharp as my RX10M3 BUT the FF sensor shows details the 1" just will not bring out. Contrast is slightly less than ideal, perhaps the haze? A bit of processing with DX011 and improvements are very good. DX011 identifies the lens as a Sigma 70-200 f2.8, a Minolta 70-200 f2.8 and occasionally as a Minolta 70-210 f4. Overall, very pleased....except for the weight. I have to do a shoot-off with all 3 lenses at similar focal lengths and determine which 2 I will be keeping. The 24-240 seems safe due to convenience but the other 2.... no, I will probably keep them both. |
; 36MP| frozenpuck#11377 date: Oct-8-2013 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.2 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sigma 70-300 APO DG Sigma 18-50 DG EX |
| price paid: | 400 CDN |
| positive: | Well Built Cheap 2.8 throughout Internal zoom Good results |
| negative: | Heavy Soft at 2.8 and max focus Achromatic aberration present in most pics |
| comment: | Great lens for the price. Used mainly on my A700 but also works great on my A100. Large heavy lens so fits better on the A700. This is also a Vivitar Series 1 10th anniversary edition. Same build from what I'm told as the Sigma. Unfortunately soft at 2.8 and at the end of the focal length, if stepped down, very sharp but still quite usable at 2.8. Chromatic aberration is much worse than my Sigma 70-300 APO DG, expected and accepted. Took some Autumn wedding pics last weekend with overcast skies, dropped the lens to f4, f5.6 and the results were spectacular. Capable of cropping with very good detail. Well worth the money spent. This lens did not come with a flare cover, having a very hard time finding one online. Overall, great lens, very impressed. |
| kevfinger#11150 date: May-31-2013 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.7 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sigma 18-125mm F3.5 Sigma 70-300mm F4 Minolta 75-300mm F4.5 |
| price paid: | £299 Second Hand |
| positive: | Relatively cheap F2.8. Sturdy, Internal focusing, Sharp, Nice colours. Great for low light. While the focusing was slow there was very little hunting. In fact very rarely. |
| negative: | Heavy, Slow focusing. |
| comment: | Lens was advertised as an used Vivitar Series 1, 70-210mm F2.8 APO Zoom Lens. I did a little bit of research, but I couldn't find any details or mention anywhere. But I decided to buy it anyway, because in the distant past I used Vivitar lenses and accessories and always was impressed with them. They never let me down. (I still have my "old" Konica 35mm SLR kits with its collection of Konica and Vivitar lens, etc.). Along with this lens I bought a Vivitar 2x Converter. This was the time between KonicaMinolta leaving the photographic market and Sony entering the DSLR market. Prices couldn't be lower. Bargains were to be had. The first thing about this lens was the size and the weight. Anyway, I tried it on my KM 5D and everything seemed to function. The next step was to carry out some field work. I found that if the extreme long length of the lens was used, passed 180mm the quality dropped off. Provided I kept to this limit, it does the job for me. (Earlier I had given my Sigma 70-300mm lens to my daughter), so I was stuck at 180mm, but I had the 2x Converter to fall back on. Funny enough, the focusing didn't seem to be affected with the converter, the same slow rate. This lens is the Sigma 70-210mm F2.8 APO lens (the pictures and illustrations are identical). It also works fully with my A450 and A37. There would appear to be some problems with some STL cameras and some Sigma lenses, but in this case there were none. Perhaps, I was lucky. I don't use this lens with the A37 as the camera body is rather small and light, and it is rather difficult to hold. Last year, while on holiday, I purchased an old style Minolta 75-300mm lens to compliment the KM 5D. I use the 70-200mm lens mainly with the A450. They make a nice piece of kit together. |
| clockwork247#11021 date: Apr-7-2013 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minota 70-210 f/4 Sigma 75-200 f/2.8-3.5 tamron 28-300 canon 55-250 IS Mark 1 |
| price paid: | 60 used |
| positive: | Cheap f/2.8 Well built |
| negative: | Heavy not as sharp as it's siblings |
| comment: | I paid very very little for this lens in mint condition (from an online retailer, I think it was a pricing error). Came with tripod collard, but no hood, picked up a rubber hood for 5 bucks and I'm good to go. Mine is a vivitar series 1 version, but it's the exact same lens. I struggled with this lens, it just wasn't sharp, I figured with all these telephotos I just go at it at full zoom (210mm) and it is a pro lens after all, there's no reason why it's not sharp wide open, at one point I was considering selling it back, because both my beercan and the sigma 70-200 2.8-3.5 was sharper, and this sucka doesn't even get sharp stopped down at 210mm. Then I read a review on here and it said to back the dam thing off 200, well I backed it off and test it, and low and behold, it's sharp at around 180-190 wide open, at full zoom it's just a mess. So I've decided to keep it, 180-190 2.8 for 60 bucks works for me. There's a teeny tiny bit of CA. The color is a little strong on yellow and doesn't pop like Minolta color, it's very typical of sigma of this age, I got a few sigma, I can confirm on this particular topic. Fixable in PP. The built is good though, all metal and glass, a real tank. The focus speed isn't gonna win any contest, but it's fast enough and accurate on my A37. If you find this for cheap, nab it up, other wise go for the more modern 70-200 2.8, those tend to perform better, and focus faster, they usually go for just around 400-600 for tamron/sigma models. |
| kfantec#9917 date: Feb-11-2012 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.2 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | missing |
| price paid: | under 400 USD |
| positive: | I love this lens for indoor rodeo. Bad lighting, dirt, dust and dark livestock makes shooting a challange. However I can get them coming out of the shoot. f2.8 and high ISO. Sony A65, AF & MF smooth |
| negative: | Sony A200, the AF & MF were sticky |
| comment: | Has been quite the workhorse for Rodeo's and Weddings. Not quite ready to upgrade. |
| Deasy#5282 date: Apr-23-2009 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.2 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sony SAL 70-300 G |
| price paid: | Ł500 |
| positive: | Good value Easy focusing in low light Shallow DOF very useful Good sharpness stopped down |
| negative: | Heavy sluggish AF AF prone to hunting |
| comment: | This has been my 'long zoom' since I bought it new in 1998. It exhbits very good PQ when stopped down to f4.5 and below. Inevitably wide open the results are a little soft but it does a superb job at isolating your subject from the background at the longer focal lengths and f2.8. Recently I bought a Sony 70-300 G and planned to sell the big Sigma on ebay but decided to keep it as it nicely complements the smaller Sony. AF performance depends on the body it's attached to, works well on my Dynax 7 though not so good on my old Dynax 800. |
| cruiser#4930 date: Feb-27-2009 | |
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sharpness: 3.5 color: 3 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.1 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | Beercan 70-210 1:4 Minolta 75-300 mmm (new) |
| price paid: | 170 € (used) |
| positive: | Excellent build, tripod ring |
| negative: | not sharp at all, heavy, not usable wide open |
| comment: | I think this lens is overrated. I compared it to the Beercan. The Beercan was sharper in every aspect and the colors of the Sigma were terrible. What is the use of a fast lens if you have to stop it down for reasonable quality. And even then the pictures were dull. I sold it and kept the Beercan. Even the Minolta 75-300mm performed better. Now, I ended up with the Minolta 100-300mm 1:4.5-5.6 APO D lens, which I consider the best of these. Beercan is a great lens but too long and heavy for my taste. |
| peypay#4300 date: Oct-29-2008 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.4 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | beer can sigma 70-210 f4-5.6 tamron 28-105 f2.8 |
| price paid: | 425 usd used |
| positive: | inexpensive fast lens great range durrable internal focus |
| negative: | heavy slower focus hunts in low light/contrast bit soft wide open |
| comment: | the fastest lens in this range I own. colors on this lens are OK not as rich as the beercan but can be bumped up in PP. Hunts quite a bit in low light and in low contrast. a bit soft wide open, but acceptable in most situations I've used it stopped down to f4-5.6 is great. fantastic with good light. AF is slow on a100 but the a700 brought this up to a great fast action lens. May not be the lens for catching birds on the wing but for subjects that move slow or still, it works good. When I purchased this lens the barrell was loose, had it repaired and it has taken the abuse of being carried none to politely in my bag since with no problems. will post some pictures to show what it can do. PS> my version is labeled as a vivitar series 1...only one I have ever seen with this labeling. |
| JimA#3404 date: Mar-26-2008 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.7 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | missing |
| price paid: | Ł200 |
| positive: | price Build |
| negative: | a little soft wide open |
| comment: | OK so its not a G lens but at around 1/8th of the cost of a new G lens that isn't a surprise A little soft wide open but that isn't a problem with candid portraits or on stage shots which I use it for Coupled with in body stabilisation it's a great low light lens for a reasonable price |
| kaisal0#3403 date: Mar-25-2008 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.6 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | 2,8 / 100 Macro RS 1,8 / 135 Zeiss 1,4 / 85 G 2,8 / 80-200 G |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Price |
| negative: | Image Quality, Slow AF |
| comment: | You get what you pay for. This is a cheap 2,8 Telezoom. But you can´t compare it with the quality of the lenses mentioned above. There are worlds between them..... |
| laguire#2692 date: Sep-3-2007 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | minolta beercan, minolta 80-200hs, 85/1.4, tamron 90/2.8, sigma 70-200ex, sigma 100-300/4 |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Very sharp losing just a bit at 200 wide open. Great build quality |
| negative: | Autofocus is slower compared to the EX versions. Colors and contrast not quite as good as the minolta G lenses. |
| comment: | Great cheap alternative to the later models or minolta 2.8's. Autofocus does not have a switch/clutch so it turns the ring -- makes it louder and a touch slower than the later models. |
| prognathous#2661 date: Aug-27-2007 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.2 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Tokina 100-300/4.0 ATX Minolta 75-300/4.5-5.6 D |
| price paid: | Traded gear for it |
| positive: | - Constant f/2.8 - When focus is correct, very usable wide-open, sharp from f/4.0 and on. - Looks nice |
| negative: | - AF is hit or miss - Focusing ring gets in the way - Zoom ring placed too far to the back of the lens - Sigma says the lens isn't supposed to support my 7D and that re-chipping is no longer offered. It turns out it works just fine (except for the AF misses) - ZEN coating is sticky rubbish - Slow AF on the 7D - Heavy |
| comment: | Very nice lens. Well worth the Benbo 2 tripod and Sigma 75-300 APO lens I traded for it (the latter isn't compatible on Minolta DSLR's). This Sigma is a far better lens than Minolta 75-300/4.5-5.6 D, but I'd say it trails the Tokina 100-300/4.0 ATX - both optically, and in terms of build quality. Both lenses are on the heavy side though. |
| AlexDynax#2387 date: May-28-2007 | |
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sharpness: 3.5 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 3.9 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Tokina 2,8/80-200 AT-X |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | non |
| negative: | can't say anything good about this lens - checked it against the Tokina 2,8/80-200 AT-X and the Sigma was worst ! |
| comment: | can't say anything good about this lens |
| Mike7D#1070 date: Aug-7-2006 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.9 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 100-300APO |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Good image quality, smooth zoom action, solid/heavy but a good balance with 7D. |
| negative: | Very slow focusing on 7 and 7D, noisy focusing. Lacking a little "punch" in images. Rechipping needed for 7. |
| comment: | I like using it as much as possible on the 7D except on fast moving subjects (slow focus) but gives very sharp images but they lack that certain wow factor. Good second hand purchase but check it works with 7 and 7D as they use the old chip. Mine was rechipped free of charge by Sigma. |
| Radeon#272 date: Dec-10-2005 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | Sigma 70-300 Super Macro 2 APO Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 EX DG Sigma 18-125 Canon 24-70L Canon 70-200 f/4 L |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Very sharp on the 5D. AF is accurate, build quality |
| negative: | Heavy, large but its f/2.8 |
| comment: | I cant believe how beatiful this lens works on my new 5D. I bought this lens off EBAY and I am in utter amazement. Its so sharp and AF is accurate. I am also happy to report that AF is not as slow as people report at least on the 5D. Its built like a tank and is 7.5" long but its beautifully crafted. This has to be one of the best bargain zooms out there. I can confirm sharpness at f/2.8 all the way down. Compared to my Sigma 70-300 APO, they are worlds apart in every way except price. I recently shot a musical in the dark mostly at 210mm, f/2.8, 800-1600 ISO with Anti Shake and the combination is formidable. |
reviews found: 15
rating summary
- total reviews: 15
- sharpness: 4.23
- color: 4.20
- build: 4.73
- distortion: 4.67
- flare control: 4.40
- overall: 4.45
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