Sigma 24-60mm f/2.8 EX DG

Sigma 24-60mm f/2.8 EX DG User Reviews

• 7 out of 10 points and recommended by laguta12 (1 reviews)
  no

  no

  no

  reviewed October 4th, 2011
• 9 out of 10 points and recommended by Tazzers (1 reviews)
  Cheap, sharp, fast, well built, zoom lock at 24mm, fast accurate focus.

  Slightly noisy focus, hood not very good.

  Introduction:
  
  This lens came as a surprise to me, I only heard about it a couple of weeks ago and when I read the reviews here and elsewhere the overall opinion of it was that it is a little know gem.
  
  Lets face it even S(t)igma have their lens legends. The original 70-200 f2.8 APO, the 100-300 f4, the 150mm f2.8 macro just to name a few and I think this one could be a candidate for that hallowed hall of fame.
  
  Concerns over quality control:
  
  I worried that I would get a 'bad copy', not sure why, I have owned many Sigma lenses and never had any focus or QC issues, and while I was a little disappointed with the IQ of my later model 70-200 f2.8 'macro' and my 120-400 OS, there was nothing actually wrong with those lenses. So when I got this I did the usual tests to make sure it behaved properly and guess what? It did and does. Of course it does but I am glad to report that the research paid off.
  
  Image quality:
  
  The IQ is superb. I own a Nikon 70-200 f2.8 G VR and this 'little' (I'll come back to that point) Sigma doesn't quite match the sharpness, contrast or colour of that lens but I can tell you that the difference isn't worlds apart. Is it soft at f2.8? Relative to f5.6 yes it is but show me a constant aperture f2.8 zoom lens nudging telephoto focal lengths and upward that isn't. Even my legendary Nikon 70-200 f2.8 is soft wide open or at least it is relative to how sharp it is at f5.6. f2.8 offers a wafer thin DoF and the longer focal lengths compound this, if you don't get your focus absolutely spot on it is always going to look soft. Its not soft, it's just slightly out of focus. Maybe. For the record though I'd say it is a tad soft a f2.8 (or it might be user error on my part) but certainly not unusable. Pretty much anywhere beyond f2.8 it is rally sharp. tack sharp by f4 and is, as expected, at it's very best at f5.6. Contrast is good though I might nudge it up a bit on my D300 but it still looks fine on my D50. I see no major colour caste issues and the out of focus elements of the frame (bokeh) rival my big Nikon zoom.
  
  Build and handling:
  
  You're supposed to either love the Sigma EX finish or loath it, me, I really don't care that much so long as it feels right overall. I did scratch one once and thought it wasn't such a good idea but generally I think it is okay. It is solid and nicely screwed together but I wish Sigma would add some degree of dust and moisture sealing to its EX range of lenses. It is compact but not small. It balances nicely on a D300 with a grip, the big front element and relatively wide barrel give it presence. The barrel extends when you zoom, the zoom ring operates in the opposite direction to Nikon lenses, it is rubberised and nicely damped. I think the focus ring is a tad small and offers no manual over-ride but operates smoothly and accurately. I like the zoom lock at the 24mm end, I think the petal hood is a bit poxy but better than a kick in the knackers.
  
  Overall I have owned a Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 EX DG and I though it was very good but I feel the 24-60mm is the better lens. So far I don't miss the 60-70mm range and I need the exercise I get by moving my fat bum to cover it anyway.
  
  In summary I think this lens is a belter, especially for the price, not perfect but everything in the photographic world is a compromise. I'd like to see an HSM version with environmental sealing, a better hood and perhaps a bigger focus ring but then they'd ask three times the going price. Overall it is spot on. Well done Sigma.

  reviewed May 11th, 2009
• 7 out of 10 points and recommended by Nikoboyd (12 reviews)
  Inexpensive f/2.8 Normal Zoom, Good Construction, Good IQ from f/4-8

  Not sharp at f/2.8 especially at 60mm. Front focus(a few mm.)

  I use a 400D. I bought this lens last week. Testing every focal length at f/2.8-11 and found that IQ at f/2.8 is not good especially at 60mm.
  
  But from f/4-8 IQ is very good. Sharpest at f/5.6-8
  
  At f/11 begins to suffer from diffraction
  
  Good quality plastic construction. The zoom ring is very stiff (can say "too stiff").
  
  AF is fast! Not quiet but fast. No problem in low light. My copy front focus a few mm. so I don't think it's a problem.
  
  My conclusion, This is a very good lens at it's price. I'm happy with it. I've tried a lot of better normal zoom but this one is the cheapest f/2.8 one I can find in the market. Please remember that the EF 24-70 f/2.8 L is about 5 time more expensive than this one.
  
  You get what you pay
  
  Update:
  After a week, the zoom ring looses quickly. When zoom somewhere between 24-28, I can hear a "click" sound. But the zoom ring still hold its position, no zoom creeping yet.
  
  I have no idea what will happen next.
  
  I still recommend this lens just because of it's price. If you're a serious user, don't buy this lens.

  reviewed March 25th, 2009 (purchased for $265)
• 9 out of 10 points and recommended by MY (3 reviews)
  IQ, cost

  too big for Canon XTI etc.

  This is a very big and same time exiting lens. Wide front and hood may be too big and heavy for small cameras. Even my Canon 40D needs a grip if shooting/focusing for too long. Talking of focusing: most of the time if focuses fine but may not be perfect in low light condition. Image is a bit soft and much vignetting is an issue on full fram DSLR such Canon 5D. However it works just fine with the higher end camera bodies.

  reviewed December 30th, 2008 (purchased for $230)
• 9 out of 10 points and recommended by HighSierra (13 reviews)
  Generally sharp, very small for a FX f/2.8 zoom, low distortion

  Just enough CA to need correction

  The value of this lens as sold by Cameta for around $200 is undeniable. Furthermore, it is very compact for an f/2.8 zoom which covers the full FX/film plane.
  
  I generally find the lens to be quite sharp, even at f/2.8. I owned the Nikkor 35-70 F2.8 at the same time, and did not find any significant difference in image quality at shared focal lengths. At f/2.8 it has just as nice a bokeh as the Nikkor, if not slightly better. It is also very sharp stopped down for landscapes.
  
  I have no real issue with the focus speed, on my D200. Despite being a screw-drive lens, it focuses faster and quieter than the Tamron 17-50 with "built-in motor" which I owned previously. It is not as quick or quiet as the ring-type HSM of the 10-20 or 50-150 Sigmas, but it certainly could be worse.
  
  I actually like the 77mm filter size, as it is easy to share with a number of other lenses that use it, as compared to a more oddball size like 72mm.

  reviewed October 7th, 2008 (purchased for $192)
• 7 out of 10 points and recommended by goldenwreckedangle (1 reviews)
  Affordable, Solid, Sharp at most apperatures

  Slow focus - Especially in low light, very noisy

  If you need 2.8 then you probably want a lens that focuses well in low light. On a Pentax K100d, this one does not. In low light it makes a ton of noise racking end to end and often can't lock at all. Even in good light it is noticeably slower and much noisier than the 18-55 Pentax kit lens. I often find myself switching to manual focus out of frustration. It's actually faster even though switching to manual on this lens is a comparatively slow process as well.
  
  I've missed several shots , scared away wildlife subjects and disturbed the low light mood in a quiet church waiting for this lens to finish whirring and clicking its way to a very, very slow and noisy focus lock. Did I mention that this lens is slow and noisy when focusing? It's like reading this overly wordy review kind of gratingly slow and noisy. It's slow and noisy.
  
  That said, the quality of the images eventually produced by this lens are crisp and clean at every F-stop beyond F 2.8, where it is soft but in a nice buttery, glowing sort of way. Basically, if you have time to manually focus your shots this lens is still a good value at the sub $200 price I paid.

  reviewed August 11th, 2008 (purchased for $199)
• 10 out of 10 points and recommended by tachyon1701 (8 reviews)
  Tack sharp, very fast, very well built, fantastic bang for buck

  Lens hood rotates on very stiffly, heavy, takes 77mm filters which can be pricey, zoom rotates the opposite way, pros outweight the cons!

  This is possibly the best $220 i've spent on a camera product. It is fantastic for low light conditions with its constant aperture f/2.8. It focuses accurately, though not terribly fast or silently. It is very well built and takes tack sharp images. For the price I paid, i couldn't possibly ask for more. If you are planning on replacing your 18-55mm kit lens, seriously consider this one. You lose a bit of wide angle (24mm vs. 18mm) but you gain way more in versatily in variable lighting conditions.

  reviewed May 13th, 2008 (purchased for $220)
• 9 out of 10 points and recommended by Gmnicholas (3 reviews)
  Fast, great image quality

  none

  I traded my Nikon "Kit" lens for this. It is my "go to " lens for everyday shots, food stock shots, candids, architecture, you name it. Fo the price you cant beat this lens. Bokeh is average, colors and contrast are great.

  reviewed November 26th, 2006
• 8 out of 10 points and recommended by keydet (5 reviews)
  24mm at the wide end, fast constant aperture

  60mm at the long end

  Serviceable pro-quality lens that handily goes to 24mm. There are better choices in this price range for a fast normal zoom (I compared this lens extensively to the Tamron 28-75 before deciding to keep the latter).
  
  Typical good build quality for a Sigma EX lens, smaller than average size for this type of lens.

  reviewed September 4th, 2006 (purchased for $350)