Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro Large Aperture Wide Angle Lens for Nikon SLR Cameras

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Product Description

Style: Nikon SLR Cameras
Sigma 24mm f1.8 EX DG Aspherical Macro is one of the EX Series lenses. This lens has a fast F1.8 maximum aperture with macro focusing capability of minimum focusing down to 18cm/7.1 inches (reproduction ratio 1:2.7). The iris diaphragm has 9 diaphragm blades to obtain beautiful out of focus image. It incorporates the floating focus system and uses two aspherical lens elements for minimizing distortion and spherical aberration and astigmatism. Internal focus system eliminates front lens rotation, thus allowing the use of a Perfect Hood and the easy use of polarizing filters. The lens incorporates non-vignetting optical construction, in order to obtain adequate peripheral brightness even at open aperture. This is desirable for digital cameras. The lens also incorporates dual-focus mechanism. It is easy to hold the lens, since focusing ring does not rotate during auto-focus, and yet it provides adequate focusing torque of the focusing ring during manual focusing of the lens. The lens materials used in this lens are lead and arsenic free ecological glass.
Price : $549.00

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1.8 pounds


• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)


• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.


• ASIN: B00005RKSP


• Item model number: B00005RKSP
  

Price : $549.00

Customer Reviews

I wanted a wide angle prime lens that I could take to parties where the shooting distance is always about the same and I could get higher quality pictures than with zoom lenses. Since this lens is fast, f/1.8, it focuses very quickly even in low light. It doesn't have an ultrasonic focusing mechanism, but focus speed is very fast and it has a clutch focusing ring so I can hold the lens and not interfere with the rotation of the focusing ring. The body feels very tight and well put together. The texture and feel are perfect. Picture quality is extremely good. The colors are natural and it's very sharp at 1.8 and is even better at 2.0 and above. Macro is excellent and since it has 9 curved aperature blades, the bokeh looks very pleasing. There is almost no distortion or abberation and focus is accurate. So even though this lens is a bit bigger and heavier than I would like in a prime lens like this, the benefits of brighter viewfinder (due to f/1.8), extemely sharp pictures and very good build quality makes it worthwhile purchase (especially for the price).

Let me put the light gathering abilities of the Sigma 24mm F/1.8 lens in perspective.
The Olympus 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens, at wide open aperture and set to a 24mm focal length, is an f/4.7 lens. Ouch. With the kit lens wide open and set to 24mm focal length, I need 1600 ISO to get a tripod shot of my kitchen at around 1/50th of a second. With the Sigma, I get the same shutter speed with the camera set to 200 ISO. At 1600 ISO, the Sigma shoots the same image at 1/400th of a second.
A tripod mounted test on an illuminated indoor target shoots 1/320th of a second at f/5 with the kit lens, while the Sigma set to f/5 shoots the same scene at 1/400th of a second. Another test of another target, this time at F16, has the kit lens at 1/60th of a second, the Sigma at 1/80th. I believe the Sigma has superior lens coatings and more light reaches the image sensor.
The 4/3rds mount version of this lens does not have an aperture ring. I was a little disappointed, having hopes I would be able to turn the ring in aperture priority instead of the knob on the camera. Having owned a series of film SLR's going back to the 70's, I still catch myself trying to twist a ring that isn't there!
There are a few things to consider...
1. Because the sigma is a full frame lens with a four thirds mount, its much heavier than a purpose-built 4/3rds lens. But I must say, it looks good on the front of my E-510, like what one would expect an expensive lens on a high end DSLR to look like. The lens hood is flat black, adding to the appearance.
2. It focuses fast IF you remember to disengage the manual focus ring. The user guide says you MAY damage the motor in the camera if you leave the manual focus ring engaged in auto focus. However, since our motor is in the lens, I'm not sure if this applies. The instructions don't even reference a 4/3rds mount.
3. This lens comes with a one year international warranty, automatically upgraded to FOUR by Sigma for USA purchasers of the lens from an authorized USA Sigma dealer. The extended warranty is not transferable, which is something to keep in mind if you buy the lens used.
4. On a full frame camera, this would be a wide angle lens and therefore takes a 77mm filter.
Overall, I'm very happy with this lens. Photographs, even at f/1.8, are sharp and clear. Having such a fast lens has opened up whole new areas of photography for me to explore, and the fact I no longer have to use anything over 400 ISO for existing light photographs has made a quantum leap in the quality of my photographs.
The biggest negative to the Sigma 24mm f/1.8 is I now despise the aperture of my kit lenses!