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Archive for July 25th, 2007

I might be obsessing, I’ll admit that. But I finally found some decent information on this new Sigma lens and some test photos taken with it. Why my persistent interest? As I mentioned, I’m very keen on getting this lens as a general purpose walk around lens. When taking a simple day trip I would prefer just to have one lens and not a whole backpack full. I want something that has plenty of zoom as well as Stabilization since taking shots at 200mm is going to be tricky without a tripod.

And why Sigma? I already have a couple of Sigma lenses and like working with them. They give me plenty of image quality without the heft price of the Canon lenses. I keep bringing this lens up because I want it, but I want to make sure it’s worth the money.

There is a really good thread on DPReview about the lens starting at:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1029&message=23907538

That is the start of the thread, there is plenty of information and comparisons in there.

For test shots you can look here:

http://www.pbase.com/gustabod/sigma_18200_os

And for more detailed information on the lens itself you can go here. You can also see the lens as attached to the camera and some side by side comparisons to other lenses.

http://www.pbase.com/lightrules/sigma18200os

IN CONCLUSION, while the new Sigma 18-200 OS has its limitations, IMO it is the BEST GENERAL WALKAROUND ZOOM CURRENTLY AVAILABLE for APS-C. Its price-point is about right at $530 USD. It gives a 35mm equivalent FOV of 29mm-320mm WITH image stabilization. Canon currently has NOTHING TO MATCH IT. If you like fast glass with fast AF, this ISN’T the lens for you or your walkaround needs. The VF gets DARK VERY QUICKLY as you move toward the tele end. This lens loves light (similar to the Bigma). But if you want something with INCOMPARABLE RANGE mated to an EXCELLENT OS device, it’s HARD TO BEAT this new Sigma offering. It can deliver crisp images with nice contrast (though don’t expect to be blown away; it is an 11x zoom afterall). It’s the perfect answer for the common “What lens for Disneyland?!” question that is asked on every forum, everyday. Ultimately I DON’T see this lens as a direct competitor to the 1755 IS, even though both are “walkaround” zooms. They really are VERY different lenses. IMO an OPTIMAL and COMPACT two-lens combination for APS-C is mating the Sigma 18-200 OS to the Sigma 30 f1.4 (or similar fast prime). You will be impressed ESPECIALLY with its BUILD QUALITY, FOCAL RANGE, and OPTICAL STABILIZATION. I recommend this lens WITHOUT RESERVATIONS for those who want a “jack of all trades, king of none” walkaround lens. Going to Disney World soon? This is your lens.

Finally, if there wasn’t enough speculation about the Canon 40D, there is also rumor Canon will release their own 18-200mm IS lens to coincide with the release of the 40D. But that’s just all rumor and heresay, right??

Though the company officially does not confirm the information about preparation of a product to entering the market, some sources insist that saw the camera in the list of the products having received PictBridge certification. This list has been published on site Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA).

http://www.gadget-madness.net/devices/112

Canon fans, you can semi-officially start getting a little hyped about the EOS 40D that everyone was yelling about back in February. The DSLR’s model number was uncovered on a CIPA (Camera Imaging Products Association) PictBridge certification list, thus adding fuel to the fire that the long-rumored 40D is about the make an appearance.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/18/canons-eos-40d-appears-on-cipa-list/

When ePHOTOzine checked, the Canon 40D, claimed to appear on the list, wasn’t there. Either it never existed in the first place, or it has subsequently been removed.

Various sites such as PhotographyBlog and Engadget reported the much anticipated follow up to the 30D, citing the CIPA document as their source, but when the claims were investigated, there was no evidence to suggest the claims may be valid. Sorry guys.

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Canon-40D-claims-questionable-1

Who knows if the camera will really make an appearance and when. But it’s certainly fun to speculate! And of course all the hype is working better than any advertising campaign ever could!