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Sigma 18-35/1.8 DC HSM Coming Soon


c_watson1

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<p>Its true it isn't a wide lens, but to me it seems like a nice people/event focal range. I often use a 35-70mm on FF and I actually enjoy that range, I don't need 24mm for people photography. I also really enjoy f1.8's in my primes, so I see the appeal of a f1.8 in a zoom. I bet they will sell a bunch of these.</p>
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<p>18-35mm on DX is like 27-54mm on FX as far as angle of view goes. As an event, wedding, indoor available-light type f1.8 lens, the wide end is fine, but 54mm is way too short. f1.8 is mainly for low-light photography, but in these days people buy into FX for that purpose. An FX body with a 24-70mm/f2.8 would be a far more useful combo indoors than this Sigma 18-35mm/f1.8 on DX, but if it is the Nikon 24-70mm/f2.8, it would cost a lot more.</p>

<p>Another issue is that as a camera category, high-end DX DSLRs doesn't exist any more, at least for Nikon. The most expensive Nikon DX body is now the $1200 D7100, compared to the $5000 D1 and D2 bodies when Nikon introduced the expensive 17-55mm/f2.8 DX AF-S a decade ago. Expensive DX lenses will be a tough sell, as most people who own DX bodies have consumer bodies and are not into $1000+ lenses. Nikon learned that from the 18-300mm AF-S DX they introduced last year, at $1000. In less than a year Nikon was giving $300 rebates back in April (and continues to do so on and off).</p>

<p>I think Sigma is pricing this 18-35mm/f1.8 wisely.</p>

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<p>I have to admit that this lens is cheaper than I expected. But then Sigma's 24-70 f/2.8 is a lot cheaper than the Nikkor, so maybe that's expected. I'll be interested in how good it turns out to be.<br />

<br />

For amusement value, it strikes me that it ought to be possible to put a 1.4x teleconverter on this and get a 25-50mm f/2.5 FX lens. Probably with awful optics, but I'd love to see someone try it...</p>

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<p>This lens covers the most needed fast wide angle focal lengths for indoor available light photography of people; it can be augmented in the long end by 50mm and/or 85mm primes. I would normally be using primes a lot in these kinds of situations so a 2x zoom is not a problem at all. For many applications of wider lenses, such as architectural interiors and landscape, f/1.8 is probably not of much use, as a lot of depth of field is usually preferred for those subjects. A Tokina 11-16mm or such lens could be used for wider focal lengths if desired. </p>

<p><em>Nikon's 17-55 is a DX lens; in other words it works as 25-82, 2.8.</em></p>

<p>I'm not sure what you're trying to say. The 18-35/1.8 Sigma and the 17-55/2.8 Nikon are both DX lenses that cover the sensor area of DX cameras. In any case irrespective of whether a lens is DX or not, it behaves the same way as FX lenses of similar focal lengths when used on DX cameras.</p>

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<p>Add a Tokina 11-16 for the wide end and Tokina 60mm f2 as your portrait/ macro lens<br>

you got the majority of shots covered. With the 18-35 at f1.8 fixed DX cameras can <br>

lower the EV in low light one stop and get reduced noise as if they were FF lenses.<br>

I wonder if this new lens will cover the FX circle at any FL. Maybe FX guys will use<br>

DX or 5:4 crops just to use this lens.</p>

<p>To think we all thought this lens would cost $1000-1200 and now they say<br>

street price in the $800 range. A no brainer of a bargain, and since we have seen <br>

plenty of samples, we know that Sigma designers continue to lead with this Art series<br>

lenses.</p>

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<blockquote>Also looks like it has usb dock for firmware updates ... read, autofocus fine tune (and more) without 'charts and graphs' ... Nikon Nikon, where are youuuu?</blockquote>

 

<p>Huh? The dock will no doubt have some interesting features (presumably not just "lets us fix the lens then next time Nikon messes with their protocol"), but you still need to AF tune it specific to the camera. To do that, you still need to point it at a focus target.</p>

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Great, now we can have even more fussy gear for fussing with the gear we already have. I'd rather they calibrate the

lenses well enough at the factory that a few point plus or minus on the camera's fine tune is all that's needed instead of

making it the customer's job.

 

But anyway. I'm with Shun on this. An 18-35 lens on DX doesn't seem that exciting to me. You can have speed but only

at wide angles - I guess there are uses for this, and people who like to do things like shoot in nightclubs with available

light would love it, but it seems like it's more for the wow factor of having a 1.8 zoom. I'd probably take the 17-50 if given a

choice. Nikon used to make zooms in lengths like 28-50 and 24-45 and I guess that was pretty cool back when zooms

were less accessible but I wouldn't want one now.

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<p>Andrew: Yes ... 'point the camera at a focus target' ... but w/o the mostly current de rigeur, involved, hocus pocus (focus)... sorry, couldn't resist that one... awhile back, on dpr, there was a long, and excellent thread started by "Horshack" on 'dot tune' fine tune ... think he made it into a You Tube piece ... usb dock would essentially automate it, and accomplish the job in minutes, or, possibly less. Would give the link, but, we are in the air, and getting the cxxp bounced out of us right now ... I NEED stabilization ...;-) </p>
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<blockquote>

<p>18-35mm on DX is like 27-54mm on FX as far as angle of view goes. As an event, wedding, indoor available-light type f1.8 lens, the wide end is fine, but 54mm is way too short.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I knew someone would do the math for us ; )<br>

Clearly the trade is focal range for aperture and that will appeal to some people. How many? Thats for Sigma to worry about. I think its an interesting lens.</p>

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<p>The dock lets you set different fine tune values depending on distance, which would be a crucial improvement if available for a number of fast Nikkors that have significant distance dependency of focus offset that cannot be set from the camera since it allows only only one value per lens and camera to be stored. It's quite a pain actually to have to adjust the fine tune based on distance to the subject, as I have to do with more than a few lenses to get the best results. I'm very happy that at least Sigma is on track here. Perhaps Nikon will let you set the fine tune as a distance- and focal length dependent correction in the future as well. </p>
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<p>Ilkka: <i>Oh.</i> Okay, I take it back then. Of course, it could do with being built into the body. Along with a completely automatic fine tuning mechanism, given that the camera has a perfectly functioning contrast-detect mechanism with which to calibrate the phase detect. Do I remember there also being something about focus shift on stopping down in modern lenses?<br />

<br />

Bruce: I commend your efforts at educating me! I'll have a hunt for the YouTube entry.</p>

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<p>Andrew: We are down at last (by choice) ... shooting a race tomorrow am billed as the 'World's Fastest 4miles' and we have wangled a place 12 feet from the Start Line , and the Finish Line 100 yards away... found the link ... here:<a href="
...if you can also get the original thread on DPR (it is quite long) it is also worth reading ... I <em>think "</em>Horshak" works for, or is, a testing lab ... in the thread, I recall, he was in consult with a fellow named HOGAN ... not "Hulk"...the other one, the photo one.</p>
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