dmoore wrote:
Hello all,
I am a returning member of Photoforum. I am a photography professor at
Le Moyne College in Syracuse, a commercial photographer, and sometimes a
fine artist - when I have time. There's never enough time is there?
I have a question for the group about super wide zoom lenses for digital
cameras. I own a Canon EOS 40D and I am interested in buying a very wide
angle zoom lens for this camera, mostly for my fine art work but also
occasionally to use for weddings and Bar Mitzvahs.
Canon makes a 10-22mm lens which sells for about $700. Sigma makes a
10-20mm which sells for about $490. The Sigma lens is about 1/2 stop slower
but other than that I see nothing on the surface that makes the Canon a
better lens. However, I have read a couple of on line articles that really
pan Sigma lenses as being very inconsistent in quality. And then there are
Tamron and Tokina, which both make 11-18mm lenses that sell for about $580.
Does anyone have an opinion on the quality of these independent lens
manufacturers' lenses, and on the Sigma lens in particular? Thanks.
Dave Moore
Dave, I can only speak from personal experience and from past lens
purchases. If I had no money worries, I would always take the
manufacturers lens. Well, almost alway. I have used Tokina 28-85mm
f/2.8 lenses that were better than the Nikkor 35-85mm f/2.8 lenses. So,
based on my usage, I would go Tokina or manufacturer first, Tamron
second and Sigma as a last resort. Now, Sigmas may have improved a lot
in recent years and I wouldn't know. Earlier - like 20 years earlier -
we purchased and returned as unsuitable a few Sigmas. Their only merit
was being cheaper than the others. Oh, and having good advertising.
Don
