Sigma 70mm f2.8 EX DG Macro Lens - Pentax Fit

Comments about Sigma 70mm f2.8 EX DG Macro Lens - Pentax Fit:

I learnt early on in my 30 year passion for photography the importance of a good lens, so I was always slightly disappointed with the kit lens that came with my Pentax K10D. When I started looking for a fast, high quality lens for portrait and close-up work, after a lot of research I opted for the Sigma 70mm EX DG over the Tamron 90mm SP DI, mainly because I prefer the slightly shorter focal length for portrait work. To my eyes the Sigma is a handsome lens and the solid, slightly rugged feel suits the character of my K10D. Itís a fairly weighty lens but it is compact and feels well balanced with the chunky Pentax body behind it. The metal lens hood is a screw-in affair and is therefore not as quick, or as satisfying, to deploy as the bayonet types I have on one of my other Sigmas.

Well so much for form; what about function? Close-up work, especially in low light, can sometimes presents a bit of a problem for autofocus so the focus limiter has proved very useful in preventing the odd journey up to the wrong end of the focus scale. Switching to manual focus means using the focus grip, which is located near the front of the lens and whilst this is wide enough I find it frustrating that, since a zoom ring does not need to be accommodated, itís not a little bit wider and closer to the camera body. I guess thatís to minimise the chance of interfering with the autofocus and possibly damaging the lens mechanism. Still in manual operation it is smooth with a nicely weighted resistance. Itís great to have a true 1:1 macro capability as well.

For portraiture, the fast f2.8 aperture combined with the medium telephoto magnification, is a dream. Used wide open, subjects seem to leap out of beautifully blurred backgrounds. Now, all lenses that are used at or near their maximum aperture experience some softening at the edges but to my unscientific scrutiny the pictures from this lens are superb even wide-open. For close-up work you really need to stop down anyway to get a workable depth of focus and so you are going to be using the kind of apertures that optimise optical performance.

Whenever friends dismissed my best photographs as the product of expensive kit I always pointed to technique and creativity but if Iím being totally honest this lens does help produce some cracking results. I highly recommend it.