Sigma has announced adding HSM to many of their Nikon mount Lenses

[kfoster70]

I was just on Sigmas website and noticed that they are now going to add HSM to

at least 4 more of their current Nikon mount lenses. These include the 18-50mm

f/2.8 marco, the 17-70 f/2.8-5.5 macro, the 18-50mm f/3.5-5.6, and the 55-200mm

f/4-5.6.

 

It looks like they have done this to get more D40/D40x owners to buy Sigma.

This announcement also makes the 18-50mm f/2.8 macro an even more attractable

option over the competitors as well as the Nikon 17-55mm.

 

My only question is this. If its so easy for Sigma to add HSM to these lenses

to make them more compatable with the D40/D40x, then why didnt they do this

years ago? Theyve been building HSM into Canon mount lenses to be compatable

with the EOS system, why not do it for Nikons AF-S system?

 

I personally prefer Nikon lenses, but its nice to know there is a choice. And

not everyone can afford Nikon so now they have a more affordable fully

compatable option.

[ronald_olsen]

FYI, I don't know what HSM is, so please tell us PDQ, or at least ASAP. Are they MF, and how is their IQ ? Do they have any features we don't know about, or is WYSIWYG ? I had a Sigma lens once and it was OK, but YMMV of course.

[ronald_moravec1]

Not economical before now. Nikon has started to sell many more cameras and their lenses are in short supply. Try to find a 12/24 Nikor. B&H has one i know.

 

Course Sigma can`t keep up either. Calumet has not had a 10/20 for a month now. Calumet has been out of 12/24 Nikkor for a month too.

[ShunCheung]

Actually, Sigma has had HSM lenses for a number of years. I did a quick count on B&H's web site a few weeks ago and I found like 15 or so of them in the Nikon F mount.

[kfoster70]

Shun, your right. I guess I didnt realize that there were that many that had HSM. But my real point was that every lens that is made for canon mount by Sigma is compatable with the EOS system, but they keep bringing out new lenses like the 18-50mm f/2.8 and the shorter focal length macros (50mm, 70mm and 105mm) none of which included the HSM. I understand that they arent going to add it to lenses that were designed before the advent of AF-S by Nikon, but surely any new lens should have it. The 18-50mm f/2.8 macro is Sigmas first wide angle f/2.8 that has this feature. All others in this categorie are slower variable apeture lenses.

[peter_mounier]

I agree with ronald... The point of these forums is to learn, educate or at least

communicate.

If you talk in acronyms, for many people trying to learn, it's like talking in a different

language.

So do you mean...

Hierarchical Storage Management?

High-Speed Memory?

Hardware Specific Module?

Hardened Silo Missile?

 

Just trying to figure it out.

Peter

[sampson]

Sigma has really been cleaver with their product development over the past few years. I suppose its a question of convincing hard liners that the image quality is as good as the name brand glass. Really, if you look at the focal lengths of the lenses they offer, they are leading the class.

 

I believe they were the first for 35mm frame 28-200/300 (consumer grades) which have directly spawned things like the 18-200mm for APS-C. They were the first to have ultra-wide zooms, 12-24mm, and for a time were the only option for ultrawide in the digital medium, I'm sure lots of pros had one before the Nikon version came out.

 

They have a 50-150mm f/2.8 which many Nikon users (myself included) wished Nikon could produce.

 

Many of their Pro lenses (70-200mm) aren't even priced much lower than first party products suggesting they still move enough units without a price point advantage. To me, this signals that people are starting to accept this brand as a viable alternative.

 

I don't want to sound Pro-Sigma, but it really seems like they are listening to the calls of photographers and trying to secure customers by the utility and innovation of their products. Think about the Sigma DP1 (the APS-C sized sensor, quality lens) as what most pros are requesting in a P&S. Think about how they are trying to use the Fovean sensors.

 

This is what a company in a technology field needs to do. Useful innovations that respond to real user demands.

[james_c._turner]

Hyper-Sonic Motor like Nikons AF-S

[jvf]

Just hate abbreviations!

 

Here is a link to Sigma?s.

[andrew_cale]

Is there any indication what the price bump will be to the 18-50mm f/2.8 when they throw HSM onto it?

[dgfassett]

Peter. Perhaps no one knows!

[craig_gillette]

I don't know if they'll bump it, especially if already HSM in other mounts. They didn't drop the price on the nonHSM versions of lenses like the 70-200/2.8 in the Maxxum mounts.