Sigma 24mm f/2.8

From my post at my previous blog.
Post is here.
Dated 15 Aug 2008
Slightly edited.

I got this lens a few months back. A few weeks after I sold my Nikon 18-135 away. Somehow, I’m missing the Nikon 18-135′s reach. But that’s another story.Anyway, I got this lens and the images it produce are warmer than my Nikon lenses. I like Warm.

Auto-focus is slow on my D80 and is almost the same on the D300. This is because the focus ring is longer . The ring is exactly half a round around the lens. To compare it with my Nikon 50mm 1.8, this lens focus travels about 3/8 round of the lens. A shorter distance traveled.

The Sigma 24mm also has 1:4 macro achievable at 0.18m. Quite useful to have sometimes when you don’t have a macro lens around. I, however, don’t even have a macro lens.. Yet. ( Own the Tamron 90mm now)

The Sigma 24mm is also built for 35mm so you can use it for your Full-Frame (FX) cameras. It also has a SOLID all Metal built. One can feel the difference between this and the Nikon 50mm 1.8 in weight and feel. However, the Sigma 24mm has the same problem that plagues most sigma lenses, the coat peeling issue. Since mine is used, the coating has peeled, but the optics are still good.

Update 7 May 2009
After using more of this lens, i can say that it is handy when you want to travel light.
Image quality is acceptable, a little soft wide open (as with most lenses) but ok once you step one stop down.
I have also used this on my Nikon FG, a film SLR. Mounts and focuses well.
Image quality is good, typical prime lens standard at a fraction of the price of a nikon 24mm 2.8.

Update 15 June 2009
I’ve taped up the lens to cover the unsightly exterior. Now it has a matt black feel to it.
Tested on F5, focus speed was still not very fast, but it was faster than any other camera. I think that was the fastest this lens can ever focus.

Some techinical infomation