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Sigma 24-70 f2.8 vs Sony Zeiss 24-70 f2.8 ssm comprehensive test

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ddk

Guest
I can't read the text to know if the images at the bottom of the page are their test shots, but whatever they are they sure have some excellent photographers on this site. Sure would like to know more them than any lens test!

Clicking on each image takes to another sea of fantastic images, what a great site, thanks for the link Mike.
 

edwardkaraa

New member
A pretty comprehensive test of the Siggy against the Sony Zeiss. They previously tested the Siggy against both the Canon 24-70 and 24-105 as well as the Nikon 24-70. The verdict here: siggy wins at 24, Sony at 70 and in between they are very close.

http://review.fengniao.com/113/1134071.html

Mike
Well, Mike, I really don't care what and how the Chinese got their hands on an exceptional copy of the Sigma. The truth is, your copy sucks, as will the copy of most buyers be. :ROTFL:
 

docmaas

Member
Well, Mike, I really don't care what and how the Chinese got their hands on an exceptional copy of the Sigma. The truth is, your copy sucks, as will the copy of most buyers be. :ROTFL:
Sheesh Edward, pull in the claws. The copy I have is decentered but aside from that the quality is not that bad. I will be returning it but getting another in the future is not out of the question. I went back and took some 24-85 images and while the microcontrast is still significantly better there isn't much difference between the sharpness. Thing is most lens tests don't deal with the microcontrast.

I'd like to see more images from someone who can test the lenses in more than just the standard mtf context. One thing that I really appreciate from the zeiss lenses is their ability to reproduce fine texture like sandstone, or carved stone. The sigma didn't do as well on the slumpblock walls in my tests as did the Zeiss. I'd lke to do a better controlled test though where noise is completely absent. I don't have much confidence Sigma will really compete but on the other hand the number of people that shoot at f11 and lose all the microconstrast to diffraction is an indication that most really don't appreciate that aspect of reproduction.

Given that, the Sigma may be a better match for those folks than the zeiss.

Mike
 

edwardkaraa

New member
Mike, I was just kidding around :) The fact is there are so many sample variations around, Sigma might be the champion, but even Sony/Zeiss are not immune, and I personally had to return my 16-35 which was very sharp on one side but less sharp on the other. The new copy is better balanced, but the old copy was sharper (well just on one side :D) So for me all these tests are meaningless, because they depend on the sample variations and the subject matter as well. It is not unusual to get better results from one lens over another for one scaene, just to get the opposite results on the next scene. I myself don't care much about sharpness (as in pixel peeping). I have adopted since many years the Zeiss glass for 3 reasons, sharpness is not one of them. In order of importance, they're color, micro-contrast, and 3D. That's what one really sees in a photograph, and that's why I don't use Sigma, or Canon, or Nikon glass (well, I use 2 Sony lenses, but only because I really need to :D). It may very well be sharper than Zeiss equivalent, but it lacks the above qualities that I really appreciate.
 

docmaas

Member
Understood Edward,

I share your enthusiasm for Zeiss but I hope Sigma will at some point step up to the line and try to get to the next level of lenses like zeiss and leica. I think it is more a case of will than ability.

Their qa leaves a lot to be desired and the more comments you see about having to send back their lenses multiple times to get a good one the more it becomes the defacto description of their products. You rarely see the same comments about other aftermarket lens producers. They are shooting themselves in the foot by having the poor qa they do.

I'm afraid that they are an excellent example of a family owned company that feels they can somewhat ignore the marketplace because they don't have a stock price to keep up. Likewise they probably lack some outside voices that might help them understand their shortcomings more easily.

Mike

Mike, I was just kidding around :) The fact is there are so many sample variations around, Sigma might be the champion, but even Sony/Zeiss are not immune, and I personally had to return my 16-35 which was very sharp on one side but less sharp on the other. The new copy is better balanced, but the old copy was sharper (well just on one side :D) So for me all these tests are meaningless, because they depend on the sample variations and the subject matter as well. It is not unusual to get better results from one lens over another for one scaene, just to get the opposite results on the next scene. I myself don't care much about sharpness (as in pixel peeping). I have adopted since many years the Zeiss glass for 3 reasons, sharpness is not one of them. In order of importance, they're color, micro-contrast, and 3D. That's what one really sees in a photograph, and that's why I don't use Sigma, or Canon, or Nikon glass (well, I use 2 Sony lenses, but only because I really need to :D). It may very well be sharper than Zeiss equivalent, but it lacks the above qualities that I really appreciate.
 

kuau

Workshop Member
I tried the new sigma 24-70mm 2.8 HSM on my A900. Yes it was very sharp but it had horrible CA, so I returned it. I just got a used CZ 24-70 for a pretty good deal looking forward to try it out.
Question besides taking a picture of a brick wall is there any other "simple" way to see if my lens are performing well?
Thanks
Steven
 

kuau

Workshop Member

fotografz

Well-known member
I have to agree, these images are spectacular. especially the lanscapes. wow i wish I can capture images like that.

Steven
Shows how tastes differ. I get nothing from the landscapes except a lot of what I've seen before technique wise and emotionally. The sample people shots on the other hand are pretty inventive in technique.

I see a lot of the same thing going on with Russian photography ... very inventive ... with our own forum member Irakly being one of them.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
I tried the new sigma 24-70mm 2.8 HSM on my A900. Yes it was very sharp but it had horrible CA, so I returned it. I just got a used CZ 24-70 for a pretty good deal looking forward to try it out.
Question besides taking a picture of a brick wall is there any other "simple" way to see if my lens are performing well?
Thanks
Steven
Yeah, shoot what you usually shoot and see if you like what you see. We aren't lens testers, were photographers ... either for pleasure or money or both.

I shoot weddings with DSLRs. It's my benchmark of any DSLR system. I can initially test a lens for basic stuff ... like, does it focus correctly, and so on. But ultimately what counts is how it performs on what I shoot.

For example, I had an excellent copy of the Sigma 50/1.4 in F mount, everything was up to snuff except I discovered a roughish halation around specular highlights and any white lettering on a dark surface ... which the new Nikon 50/1.4 D eliminated while retaining excellent bokeh.

Another example is the Zeiss 85/1.4 which displays CA in certain conditions ... which turns out to be somewhat of a non-issue for how I use a 85/1.4 at weddings. The other aspects of the Z85's performance far outweigh the CA when compared to other 85s I've used.
 

Mark K

New member
Fengniao is almost the largest photo web site of China and yet, the lens and camera reviews remain much to be desired. This Sigma lens had already been compared with Canon and Nikon's version. I do believe many of the findings but of all Sigma lenses I have ( some ten) all suffer from one single problem: quality control. Unless desperate in budget third party lenses are best to avoid in long run.
 
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