24-70mm f2.8 Canon or Sigma?

nt627

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I am thinking buying a 24-70mm f2.8

Is the Canon worth the extra £350 over the Sigma?

Your thoughts please
 
Have you considered Tamron 28-75. Canon is huge and can make smaller cameras front heavy.
 
I've got the tamron and find it quite ok, I think it was £300 only. It is a bit soft at 2.8 though.
 
The Tamron copy I had was very good, considering its price. Upgrading it to Canon 24-70L was a bit disappointing. Apart from a bit faster AF and slightly better colours it was not all that different, it was still softish wide open, although the build quality is impeccable.
 
Canon is very capable and well built, but your body and lens need to be perfectly calibrated together. It is sharp, and the colours are amazing.

Sigma 24-70 EX DG is the worst doorstop I have ever seen. I would just use a brick instead. It is that bad. HSM version might be slightly improved, as long as you don't get severe focus shift. They lose value pretty well too.
 
Dunno why you'd want to use this lens on a crop body, on full frame yes but not on a crop, not for me anyway, I'd much rather have a quality 17-50mm f2.8, actually I'd rather have a prime but that's just me.
 
Dunno why you'd want to use this lens on a crop body, on full frame yes but not on a crop, not for me anyway, I'd much rather have a quality 17-50mm f2.8, actually I'd rather have a prime but that's just me.

I went along that line and bought the 17-55 Nikon...but I did debate the 24/28-70mm Nikon also, as it's not restricted to use across DX/FX formats like the standard lenses mostly are.

And yes, I also prefer primes lenses, but alas we appear to be in a minority, and it's a whole different discussion all together lol
 
Dunno why you'd want to use this lens on a crop body, on full frame yes but not on a crop, not for me anyway

Well, not everybody shoots the same stuff as you do. I'm seriously thinking of this lens for shooting indoor equestrian. For that the focal length is just about right and f2.8 is essential.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys, off to the shops tomorrow to have a closer look. Will keep you posted.

Daugirdas - Can you recommend any camera clubs in Bristol?
 
Canon is very capable and well built, but your body and lens need to be perfectly calibrated together. It is sharp, and the colours are amazing.

Sigma 24-70 EX DG is the worst doorstop I have ever seen. I would just use a brick instead. It is that bad. HSM version might be slightly improved, as long as you don't get severe focus shift. They lose value pretty well too.

The HSM is a massive improvement.
 
Thanks Dean I was talking to someone today who told me the same. Sigma is looking favourite
 
Do make sure you get a good one though. ;)
 
Did you make a final decision this weekend?

I'm wondering over the same two lenses, never thought about the Tamron
 
Was using the Tamron 28-75 on a 350D this evening indoors. It seemed to focus a bit quicker on that body than on the 5D for some reason (not that it's slow on the 5).
 
Well decided to save some money and give the Tamron a try. Arrived this morning and have had a quick play. Seems OK but too early really to comment. Kids party next weekend should give it a good tryout. Will keep you posted.
 
I had the Sigma HSM (Nikon mount) and thought it was OK until my friend lent me his Nikon lens. If one has the money go for the Nikon/Canon lenses
 
I am thinking buying a 24-70mm f2.8

Is the Canon worth the extra £350 over the Sigma?

Your thoughts please

In a word - YES. Unless they change the mount you KNOW the Canon lens will work with the next Cannon body and the next and the next. Just look at the history of Sigma lenses not working properly with new body's that come out.
Re sale value, reliability and repair-ability throughout the life of the lens, excellent with the Canon, not so good with Sigma especially as it gets older. IQ consistency across the frame and zoom rainge.......

"The price is forgotten long after the quality remains".
Good luck.
 
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...and repair-ability throughout the life of the lens, excellent with the Canon, not so good with Sigma especially as it gets older.

Don't Sigma have a better warranty? I believe that Canon only give one year but I'm pretty sure that Sigma give three years if you register with them.
 
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Don't Sigma have a better warranty? I believe that Canon only give one year but I'm pretty sure that Sigma give three years if you register with them.

May be, but I'm talking about, say, ten years and more from now. How many more model changes will the Sigma have gone through, compared to how old is the Canon? When a model has such a long run without any changes, even if Canon stop making parts or doing repairs on that model today, there will always be some independent repairer willing to work on it with a good chance of fixing it. I don't have the same confidence of a Sigma or other make being fixed. Especially by the importers! (Oh more than five years old, sorry Sir, that model no longer serviced!)

But thats only one consideration of course and for you, others might be more important. For me, Reliability, longevity and repair-ability are very important issues with such an expense.

Any way I wouldn't go for the 24-70. I'd recommend a 24-105mm and/or 24 f1.4! (Ohhh that 1.4 II!! Reminds me of a certain Super Angulon? with Compur shutter on a whole plate ......Hmm. Old mans memories) :thumbs:
 
As far as I know Canon offer a one year warranty and Sigma offer an extended warranty of 1 year + 2 if you register. After sales service should be something that we all consider although to be honest I normally just buy what I see as the best product, for example my most recent purchase was the Siggy 50mm f1.4 which seems to be better than the Canon, and worry about warranties later.

As for compatibility issues, as far as I'm aware the only problems are with lenses designed in the days of film, not the latest digital lenses.

Do you know of any specific current or looming future issues or are you just speculating?

As for the future, Sigma will be bound to support the products they bring to market under the same legislation that binds Canon. Whether either company provides support beyond that required by legislation I just don't know but past performance is no guarantee of future performance for either company. Of course future compatibility wont count for much if Canon doing something drastic like changing their lens mount.

Just want to make it clear that I'm not a Sigma fanboy but neither am I a Canon fanboy either and statements like “and repair-ability throughout the life of the lens, excellent with the Canon, not so good with Sigma especially as it gets older” really should be given careful thought before being posted, IMVHO.

My own dealings with Sigma in the past have been hassle free, less so with Canon. Maybe it's a case of mileage may vary.
 
pretty much what alan said, i havent heard of any recent compatibility issues regarding sigma or any other 3rd party lens. there were some issues with the REALLY old lenses but from what i read its a simple case of rechipping the electronics.

as for the repair-ability of sigmas, they often get some of the less common parts shipped in from HK so id say its just as likely they can repair a lens as canon can.

my sig 70-200 is coming up for must be easily 6 years old and its AF and IQ are just as consistant as they were new.
 
a very sweeping statement, not all "offical" manufacturer lenses are the best available option.

i have the Siggy 24-70 f2.8 DG EX and have had no problems with it .. i will get the nikkor one when i can afford it !. i think from what i have read on here it is hit and miss with Sigma lenses..
 
Woof woof, mileages do vary, and I do take the time to consider my humble comments probably just as much as you do yours. In the end its just personal opinions based on observations.

Both my and my real (As opposed to Inter web type) friends experiences have been of some new model Sigmas braking and taking many, many months to be repaired while waiting for parts. Of repeat send backs till they finally get it repaired right with new models, and of mid-range lenses out of production for only a few (3,4,5) years not being able to be repaired "Because they don't make the parts any more". I and no body I know, has had a Canon lens break (YET), but "Reports" don't mention any none repairs due to lack of parts or experience with that model, do they? The longer a model is in production for without change, the more likely repairers will know how to fix them, and parts be in stock. Independent lens manufacturers make major model changes far more often than Canon, Nikon et-al.

Sigma have over the recent (5-10) years had many "Reported", compatibility problems with their lenses and some new cameras (All digital) particularly from Canon. Lenses which spring to my mind are 300mm f2.8, 80?-200mm f2.8, 80-400 OIS and some mid range, mid priced zooms. It may have only been one batch of each, it may have only been for the first few months of a new body's production, and they may have only needed "Re-chipping". And thats with out going back to film days. I've never heard of ANY Canon or Pentax or Nikon lenses having ANY compatibility issues with ANY of their respective body's have you?

Sigma may have improved a lot over the last five years, and yes some of the current lenses seem very interesting. But to ME, a company's past poor performance takes many many years (Decades even)to over come. And to ME, past performance IS some indication of future performance. And I know of no laws which force any company to provide parts and repairs for any length of time after production ends, is there any?

I MAY be tempted to buy a Sigma in the next few years, and I HAVE recently bought a Tamron for the lad, but that was cheep second hand. Cheep enough to take a chance, if it cant be repaired in five years, theres not a lot to loose. But with a NEW, DECENT priced type lens, hmm different story. I expect to be using a top of the range lens many decades into the future, and if (When) it breaks, I expect to be able to get it repaired. Perhaps its because I'm old (Fashioned). Things built to a quality standard not an in built replacement time code. "A thing of beauty is a joy forever" and all that.

At the end of the day its, my experiences, my opinions, my money, my choice. Yours might be very different, and good that it is! If all our shots came out looking the same it wouldn't be a very interesting life would it?

Just MHO and my addition to the chat FWIW. Another evening gone forever! Time to go back to photography - TTFN
 
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HTML tags no worky matey ;) click the BBCode option on the flickr sharing options
 
Hi I'm a pro photographer,I have a 24 70 2.8 lens,it worth the extra money,locks on to subjects very fash,in the past I have found non cannon lenses struggle with auto focus,plus cannon lens are better with cannon flash guns and lock on the subject at the speed of sound.
Hope this helps Lee
 
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