Photoclubalpha

Hi All

I'm after a lost cost wide zoom lens for my a350, the widest lens I have now is a 50/1.7,

has anyone used either of these.

http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-17-35mm-Asp ... 681&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-17-70mm-2-8 ... 36&sr=1-65

or used the supplier?

Cheers, Stephen

I'm sure someone will reply with an opinion about the lenses you mentioned. You didn't say how low a price you are looking for. The Sigma 18-50mm f3.5-5.6 is probably about the lowest price $119.95 for a lens in that general range:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/3 ... _D_DC.html

and liked it quite a bit. I paid just over $200 through keh.com, but sold them a Pentax lens so it cost a lot less in net terms. After a bit of agonizing, I re-sold it to finance an 18-250 -- if B&H is selling one in their used section, it's probably my old one and in great shape. DK has used a version of that lens on an A900 with great results; I think his was the Minolta.

The Sigma 17-70mm DC is by far the best wide-zoom bargain around. I found it tack sharp past f/4 and it's diminutive size and focus speed are great pluses. f/2.8 is overrated IMO.

lattiboy wrote:The Sigma 17-70mm DC is by far the best wide-zoom bargain around. I found it tack sharp past f/4 and it's diminutive size and focus speed are great pluses. f/2.8 is overrated IMO.

Hi Lattiboy , what body are you using it on?

I tried the tokina 18-35, but returned it after 2 days , needed to be stopped down to f11 to get any sort of shapness and I did not like the colors I got out of it. I'll take a look at the two sigma models you and bakubo/alphaPDX mentioned

stevecim wrote:

lattiboy wrote:I tried the tokina 18-35, but returned it after 2 days , needed to be stopped down to f11 to get any sort of shapness and I did not like the colors I got out of it. I'll take a look at the two sigma models you and bakubo/alphaPDX mentioned

Note that the lens I mentioned wasn't a recommendation. I have no idea whether it is good or bad. You mentioned cost being an issue though and that lens is low priced. Also, of course, there is the Sony/KM 18-70mm kit lens.

Hi All

One of my local camera stores have a Konica Minolta AF 17-35 F2.8-4 D (old stock) for AUD$449.00,(around US$300) I've seen some US online store selling it for US$489.00 , online review seem OK, does anyone here have this lens?

Cheers, Stephen

stevecim wrote:
One of my local camera stores have a Konica Minolta AF 17-35 F2.8-4 D (old stock) for AUD$449.00,(around US$300) I've seen some US online store selling it for US$489.00 , online review seem OK, does anyone here have this lens?

I purchased one of these about 6-7 weeks ago (New Old Stock) at a very attractive price, for use on my 7D. I did so mainly because the only lens I have wider than 24mm (36mm equivalent) is the 18-70mm that I bought with the 7D. I happen to have been fortunate enough to get one of the good copies of the 18-70mm lens, but I have occasionally desired a faster wide angle lens, so I bought the 17-35D.

My personal experience with the 17-35D is very limited so far, and I could easily be either too critical or too complementary in my opinion of it. From the few casual family photos that I have taken with this lens, I have the impression that it is a decent but not exceptional lens. I think that I am seeing indications of a front-focus issue with my copy, but that might be due to subject movement, as I was shooting indoors at 1/30 second, f:5.6, and ISO 800 in natural light. (I attempt to avoid flash if practical - just my personal preference.) At the present time I have less than a dozen shots with this lens, all just casual family photos, so my comments are definitely not authoritative.

One reason that I think it is possible I am overly critical of the 17-35D is that I keep comparing it to the KM 28-75mm f:2.8 D lens that I bought at the same time - also NOS at a price I could not resist. (I paid a total of $425 for both lenses.) I am really, really happy with the images I am getting with the 28-75D, and it has joined my list of favorites. (The others are the 50mm f:1.7, the 135mm f:2.8, the 28-135mm f:4.0-4.5, and the 70-210mm f:4.0.)

With best wishes,
- Tom -

stevecim wrote:Hi All

One of my local camera stores have a Konica Minolta AF 17-35 F2.8-4 D (old stock) for AUD$449.00,(around US$300) I've seen some US online store selling it for US$489.00 , online review seem OK, does anyone here have this lens?

Cheers, Stephen

Yes, I have the lens. It was disappointing on the D7D - always appeared to be soft - and not much better on the A100, so it did not get much use, also the range of a bit restricted on APS-C. However on the A700 and A900 the lens is transformed, and I suspect the reason is the f/2.8 central AF sensor. It presumably switches out by around 22mm, but at the 17mm end should be working, giving twice the focus accuracy compared to the other focus points. This is vital with sub-20mm lenses, and also why Sony is making a 16-35mm f2.8 not an f4 smaller lens. They need the f2.8 to get perfect focusing.

You can see plenty of examples of the 17mm shots on my pBase gallery for the A900:

http://www.pbase.com/davidkilpatrick/sony_alpha_900" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

David

Hi Stevecim

FWIW my current favourite wide for landscapes is the Sigma 10-20 f4-5.6 EX DC.

I bought it after extensive preview trawling here and it was voted best of the bunch in Digital Photo magazine.

I bought it new for £200 (US$ 350?) so I'm not sure if this is within your budget and it might be a bit too wide, but hey

Brian

Op must have had a bad Tokina 19-35mm, I know loads of people with that lens, on various mounts..
Available as a vivitar, tamron, and probably a few others. It's about the only real WA super budget lens out there..

I would be tempted to look at the 17-50mm from tamron for APS cameras, the sigma is good, just cannot get my head around the lens body material..don't like it. Not a bad lens though..decent

David Kilpatrick wrote: Yes, I have the lens. .... However on the A700 and A900 the lens is transformed.....
David

David, can you please try your Konica Minolta AF 17-35 F2.8-4 D on your a350 I would be interested in your feed back, reviews online tend to say it much better than the Sony kit , but it's almost double the price. At AUD$450 it's still out of my price range but I can put it on laybuy and pay it off over 6 months

Cheers, Stephen

Hi All

I ended up going with the Sigma 18-50mm f3.5-5.6 DC, found a local camera store that had 1 in a damaged box from their old Minolta AF stock, still has the full 1 year warranty for only $160.00 (Australian) around US$100.00, so far it's seems heaps better than the Tolkina 19-35 I tried and $40.00 cheaper It's will do for family pic's now I have some change left over for little toys like a wireless shutter release, T-mount etc

Ah, shoot. I missed a thread to chime in about the Tamron. Oh well. It isn't exactly a low-cost option once the 18-50 is thrown in the mix. If you saved up for the Tamron, though, I'd recommend keep on going until you get to the Zeiss 16-80...and then we're not talking "low cost" by anybody's standards.