Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM FLD Large Aperture Standard Zoom Lens for Canon Digital DSLR Camera

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So far I am very very happy with this lens. I purchased the lens last week Jan 2019. I was concerned about the focus issues some have reported. Auto Focus: I have ZERO focus issues at the long or short end of this lens (Whoo Hoo!)...Tested with focal chart, Tripod, and halogen shop lights for light source. I tested on both my new EOS LS2 and 77D (Christmas 2018). There is a "slight" front focus at minimum distance to target, at 17mm, and I do mean "s l i g h t". Maybe a 1/64th? So slight, I cant tell if its the lens or me shaking the tripod (AKA my technique). Sigma Dock NOT compatible yet: This lens is NOT compatible with the Sigma Lens Dock (at least not yet), which I bought at the same time as this lens. So, if you have focus issues with your copy, I guess you will have to return the lens to Amazon for refund, of send in to Sigma. Fortunately, my copy is working great with both of my new cameras. Based on this, I will probably be ordering more Sigma lenses in the future so, I will just hang on to the dock. And hopefully the dock will support this lens in the future. The 2.8 Aperture is a huge difference over the canon 18-55 kit lens for background blur (you know, the "B" word). Manual Focus: Works great for me and I actually prefer the shorter focus ring travel distance of this lens when manually focusing. Colors look very good on my canon bodies and the lens is as sharp or sharper that the canon at 2.8/17mm than the canon is at 4.0/18mm and improves from there. I dont know if it is from the glass quality, the coatings, or the physical larger size of the glass in the Sigma, but it is awesomeness! Motor is louder that the canon STM lens, obviously...But I shoot photos and not video, so this is a non-issue for me. Zoom Ring Lock: Has this at the 17mm position...I like this, though the lens does not seem to walk when held vertically. But I would rather have it than not. Auto focus works good in live view or through the optical view finders. Image stabilization does work, but the canon system may be a slight bit better here....again, not huge for me since the Sigma OS does work very well on my copy. I will have to do some real world testing to wring this feature out. Build quality is very good for this price point...I am very pleased. Comes with nice carrying pouch....Nice touch! Comes with Lens hood! Canon does not, and that irritates me...I would rather they included it, and upped the price. CONS maybecscart_ Focus ring, as others have noted, is always coupled to the motor when AF switch is engaged. You have to keep your hand off of it when Auto Focusing...and if you force it or turn it with the AF switch one, Sigma says you could damage your lens. So dont do that. LOL I just simply modified my had position and on I went....no big deal to me. Longevity: We will have to wait and see. Summary: I am very pleased, and if this lens holds up, it will definitely be replacing my 18-55 Kit lens, EF 40mm 2.8 pancake, and my EF-S 24 2.8 pancake, as a single everyday/walk-around/portrait lens. Still keeping the EF 50mm 1.8 though. LOL

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I have owned this for 3 years and it stays on my Camara 90% of the time. No complaints, works great and have taken thousands of pics. While I have never dropped it, this lens has spent some serious hours slung over my shoulder and as a result has taken some abuse. Despite that, and a couple of minor scratches on the lens (that arent bad enough to be noticed), the lens still performs as good as it did on the first day. Pros.. No issues with lens creep Durable Quick focus Descent lens flare Inner focus which is great for a polarized filtter Lens hood is durable Noticeably better than stock canon 18-55. Cons Lens can be a little soft at lower apertures and 2 Focusing is Noisy for video. If something happened to my lens, I would gladly buy a new one.

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This lens didnt impress me as much as I had hoped. Its basically the image quality of an upgraded kit lens but with a shorter zoom range and a constant f/2.8 aperture, which is, to be sure, awesome. The sharpness is pretty good throughout. It seemed to be a little soft in the usual spots (wide open at either end of the zoom range), but overall its sharp enough for most peoples uses. What Im taking off a star for though is the overall build quality seemed slightly worse than Nikons midrange, plastic and metal lenses, and I found that some shots had some awkward contrast to them. Im sure this lens would serve somebody well, but Id recommend to somebody looking to upgrade their kit lens to try a prime lens instead. Then youll really get an appreciation for improved image quality and wide aperture. For Nikon owners the 35mm 1.8 dx lens would be a great option here. And if you want an upgraded zoom, the Nikon 16-85 and the 18-140 will both give up the aperture of this lens but offer similar image quality and a really convenient zoom range. Im sure there are similar combos for Canon users. Its a little unfortunate this lens doesnt quite live up to expectations. Nikons 17-55 f/2.8 is pretty outdated and overpriced at this point. Theres a rumor theyre going to make a faster 16-80mm dx lens, but until that comes out it feels to me like the dx system is being overlooked in this pretty crucial upgraded standard zoom lens category. My understanding is Canon is doing a little better with theirs but only to the extent that their 17-55 f/2.8 is a little less overpriced. So that all said, if youre really committed to this zoom range in a faster lens, then for Nikon users this is likely the lens for you, unless youre really willing to pay for the tank-level build quality of Nikons alternative. Id buy it used though to save some funds for something else. For Canon users it may be more of a tossup. I used my friends Canon 17-55 f/2.8 a few times and I did like it better than this. The build is a little better and the focus accuracy seemed a little better (I know Im comparing across different bodies, but I like to think Ive used enough lenses and bodies to comment). The image quality is about the same. The Sigma might be a little sharper but I liked the contrast and colors of the Canon better (and yes, I shot raw on both).

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Ive been looking for about three years for a short zoom at a reasonable price to be used for portraiture and wide angle shots with my Nikon D7000. Bought this one after seeing some excellent reviews. The reviews have been accurate, this is a very sharp (for a zoom) lens with a very smooth action and feels like an excellent build. The results Im getting are just what Id hoped for. The sharpness at f/2.8 is very good and the focus is fast enough for the type of shooting I use this lens for (portraiture, wide-angle and general walk-around). This is a hefty lens, but not so heavy that you cannot carry it all day. I just returned from a trip to Cambodia visiting the Angkor Wat temples and used this lens exclusively. I was very happy with the results, it was exactly what I needed for these shots. Originally, my plan was to find a good quality 18-85mm zoom, but I have not been able to find anything with a constant f/2.8 of good quality for a reasonable price (Ive got an ancient Tamron 18-105mm I bought used many years ago, but the quality of that lens has never been great). Im glad I decided to go with this lens; 50mm with an APS-C (24mm) sensor works great for portraiture shots. If you want to pull things in closer you will be disappointed, but for people shots, indoor or outdoor, and the types of shots like those I was getting with the temple walks in Cambodia, this was a great lens choice!

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Im not a professional photographer by any means but I do know a bit about shooting. The low light performance being a fixed 2.8 aperture is great. It can get a pretty nice bokeh effect with the right settings. I bought the lens used and saved a few dollars. Couldnt be happier. I took some pictures for a family members wedding yesterday with it and was able to really test it out. Honestly it was the only lens I needed. The crispness of the pics straight from the camera were bounds better than my older kit lens. I have an older Nikon D5100 and have to rely on the autofocus on the lens itself rather than the camera body, and I find it is far faster and more accurate than my kit lens. Its quite a bit bigger and heavier, it makes the kit lens look like a toy in comparison. Wonderful step out of the kit lens realm. I cant recommend it enough.

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This lens was recommended to me by more than one review and person so Ive always wondered about it. Ive tried most of the various Nikon kit lenses to death and I figured it was time for a fast zoom, and the Sigma does not disappoint. First and foremost the lens is very sharp. It needs -6 adjustment on my D7000, dont know who to blame the camera or the lens. Anyway once adjusted I try to shoot at f/4, which is noticeably sharper than 2.8. Most tests tell you 2.8 is not that sharp but actually it is not disappointing at all. At equal f-stops it compares well to the Nikon 35mm 1.8G DX lens, my 50mm 1.4G beats it handily but that is to be expected. Up to around 24mm seems to be its strong point, 35mm there is some sharpness falloff and then back at 50mm the lens is super sharp. I shoot it mostly around 50mm so this works for me. I have used it for landscape shots, family photos and kids running amok. There is some evident CA which goes away in a button press so I dont know why this is a big deal at this price point. The Sigma has above average build quality, it feels a bit heavy which is expected. I would compare to the Nikon 18-200mm which is nicely built. The Nikon 16-85 has a bit nicer quality feel but not by a whole lot. Here is the one fault Ive found with the Sigma - focus acquisition is on the poor side. It does not snap into focus well in AF-C mode and in AF-S its still slower than I would like. I have caught it hunting around for focus with fast-moving subjects in less than ideal light. In good light it doesnt have this problem. I am not blaming the camera on this one because I shot it side-by-side with my 80-200 2.8 AF-D and the Nikon never missed a shot. The Sigma really struggles in tough light. Yes the zoom direction is backwards. If you shoot Nikon your muscle memory may cause you to twist the zoom the wrong way but, this isnt too tough to overcome with time. Stabilization seems to work as advertised. You can really hear it chirp when it activates, its quite a bit more audible than Nikon VR but at least you know its working. Its pretty well known you can buy this lens at a steep discount directly from Japan, which is where I got it from a certain auction site. Im glad I didnt pay US retail for it, but at the eBay price this lens is a steal. I cannot give it 5 stars due to the slow AF. But at the import price point this lens is a no-brainer if you shoot a crop camera and need a 2.8 zoom. Stellar sharpness from this lens - Sigma has really done a nice job with it.

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I purchased it lightly used with all the original accessories. I use it on a Canon 80D and the photos are, for the most part, accurate & beautiful. It living up to its review(s). However one very important point: It DOES NOT HAVE FULL TIME MANUAL FOCUS.. This has pose a problem on some occasion when I wanted to perform final focus adjustments. There are many reviews written about this lens. You should read them before you purchase. Im happy with the lens and will probably live a happy life on my Canon 80D. Its a Keeper and I can live with the issue I mentioned

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My lens just arrived yesterday. Everything works great except the nikon mount isnt toleranced correctly, and its grinding whenever I mount it on my camera. I called sigma about it, rattled off my serial number, and they told me its an international lens and is not covered under warranty. I will be returning this through amazon and ordering elsewhere, but buyer beware!! this page is misleading and it looks like not all lenses are US versions like some reviewers have commented.

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She is a beaut! I am a semi professional photographer and this lens is my go-to when I am not using my Tamron 70-200 2.8. The IQ is off the charts for a lens in this price bracket. It just about matches my Tamron. Edge to edge sharpness across all apertures throughout the entire zoom range. The bokeh is buttery smooth and it handles well. The motor is quiet, accurate and fast. It is head & shoulders above the Pentax SDM autofocus system. It handles flares great but it takes a couple of times to get it to focus when shooting a backlit subject into the sun. I dont take any points off for this bc this is a hard task for any lens. This lens is on a different level than the kit lens and is on par with the Pentax 16-50, albeit without WR. I also got this lens used for $280 on here and it was in pristine condition. I sold my DA 40 HD Limited to finance it and have not looked back since. The IQ is on that same level. This is one of the great steals in the lens market today. Just get one and you wont look back. The only thing to watch out for with this lens copy variation. Sigmas QC on their older lenses is not what it is now so if you receive a copy that has less than STELLAR IQ across the frame, send it back and get a new one!

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If you own any version of the Canon 18-55mm IS kit lens, then this is the best upgrade option for you. The aperture of f/2.8 will immediately expand your photo composition options. Throughout the entire focal range (17-50 mm), the lens provides image sharpness comparable to Canon "L" series lenses (not equal to, but close enough). This makes it easily the best "value for money" lens for your APS-C mount camera. A constant aperture f/2.8 standard zoom lens is a necessity for any photographer who is genuinely interested in expanding his/her photography skills. 7/21/15 UPDATE Having used the lens consistently for a year now, I would like to state a view other observations. I downgraded the rating from 5 stars to 4 stars. Everything I said originally still stands. However there are flaws. The biggest issue with this lens is the manual focus ring. The travel of the ring is so short, I am unable to accurately manually focus. This causes a limitation in landscape photography, when you have your camera mounted on a tripod and go into live view to attempt to tweak the focus. This action is not practical with this lens. The second issue is also in regards to the focus ring. When autofocus is enabled, the focus ring is mechanically engaged to the autofocus motor. The focus ring physically moves when the autofocus is engaged. If something creates resistance on the focus ring (like an errantly placed finger on the barrel), you can hear the focus motor squeal and strain to move the ring. I imagine this has the potential of damaging the focus motor. The real risk though is when someone else gets ahold of your camera and tries to manually move the focus ring while autofocus is engaged (either the person mistaking it for the zoom ring, or thinking the need to adjust focus manually). This action will force the autofocus motor to move potentially damaging the gears connecting it to the focus ring. Finally, I have found 50mm on the long end to be a bit short for my purpose. Even on a Canon crop sensor which makes this effectively 80mm, I find more times than not wanting a bit more reach (closer to 105mm). But this is a personal preference. So you need to be mindful of these issues if you want to use this lens in the long term. They are not deal breakers for me, but they are flaws that render this lens less-than-perfect.

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