Sigma 17-35mm f/2.8-4 D Aspherical EX

“LENS MADE IN JAPAN”

With a lot of manufacturing moving to less-labor-costly countries, it is nice to see that some camera equipment are still made in Japan. That is exactly what I saw when I read the front label of the Sigma 17-35mm f/2.8-4 D Asperical EX zoom lens. Like the rest of Sigma’s EX-line of profession lens, this one has a solid build, a cool and rugged finish, a non-rotating front, a metal lens mount, and is very heavy. The front filter thread is 82mm. It is huge and made me wish that I had standardized on 82mm filters, rather than 77mm.

I really looked forward to using this wide-angle zoom lens. It is 3mm wider and half-stop faster than the one I already have: Tokina 20-35mm f/3.5-4.5 II. I was quite satisfied with the Tokina lens when I was still using my 35mm film camera. But ever since I switch to my Canon D30 digital camera with the 1.6x magnification factor, the 20mm focal length is just not all that impressive any more. So I was really eager to give this Sigma wide-angle zoom a try and see how it compares to the Tokina.

Although this Sigma 17-35mm f/3.5-4 D Aspherical EX wide-angle zoom lens has a Nikon lens mount, I was able to use it on my Canon EOS D30 with my Novoflex Nikon Lens to Canon EOS Body Adapter. The combination rendered the auto-focus non-operational, but with the large depth-of-field (DOF) of a wide-angle lens, manual focus is not much of an issue. And the manual focus ring makes a nice crispy gear sound that makes the manual focus a joy to use. The focal length ring is tight and smooth, inspiring confidence that the focal length will not change through vibration and shooting up or downward.

The aperture ring is really thin, indented, and right next to the camera body. Therefore, it might be hard to get to for someone with large fingers. I was able to adjust it using the side of my thumb and index finger. The aperture ring is easy to turn and each setting is notchy, so that there is no question which aperture the lens has been set to. All of the aperture indicators are white, exception for f/32 in red. It indicates that when the lens is set to f/32, the aperture ring can be locked with a small switch on the aperture ring. I suspect that some Nikon SLR cameras can set the aperture electronically through the camera body. What is surprising, though, is that the lens locks it at the smallest aperture, rather than wide-open. It makes me wonder if the Nikon cameras have to waste electrical energy to keep the aperture wide-open for viewing through the viewfinder and for focusing. Another strange thing is that there are two rows of duplicated aperture indicators on the lens. I have to wonder what is the second set of indicator used for.

The front lens element also has provision for attachment of a matching lens hood. I did not get a chance to use this lens hood yet. But I believe a lens hood is necessary to reduce flare for any wide-angle lens.

Comments & Discussion >>

Comparison


Sigma @ 17mm	Tokina @ 20mm	Sigma @ 20mm

The three extra millimeters of focal length widens the perspective quite a bit. The magnification between the two lenses is basically the same when both lenses are set to 20mm. (Yes, I have seen lenses that had different magnification at the same focal length before.)

Comments & Discussion >>

Sigma 17-35mm f/2.8-4 D Aspherical EX

Comparison

Related Links