photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
lightrules | profile | guestbook | all galleries | recent
Type your message and click Add Comment
It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest.
Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help private comment
Thunderbird 16-Apr-2009 13:36
Thanks a lot for wonderful tests! But I think you should use lens in different conditions, may be somewhere inside, with lack of light. Any lens, cheap or expensive, are good when the sun is shinig and the objects are steady. Why don't you use different conditions, Lightrules?
AndreaOrko 05-Apr-2009 14:41
Hello..
many thanks for yours reviews.
After reading your review of the Sigma 18-200 OS, i've bought it and i'm really happy!
Now i'm thinking about a TC to try to get some natural pictures without taking a "L" lens... my budget is small. I have a Canon 450D. First question: whic is the best with my lens the Tamron 1.4X or a Kenko?? And between the Kenko is better the 1.4x or the less expensive 1.5X??? The 1.4x cost the double of the 1.5x... i don't think it deliveres the double of the quality! Another choice could be a 70-300... i'm looking for a Tamron or a Sigma... but they are not stabilazed.. Last question: is better the 18-200+TC and OS or a 70-300 without but more "fast" (f5.6)???
Thank you in advance for your reply....
Andrea.
lightrules 26-Mar-2009 22:58
Check out Feisol or Slik, they have some good carbon fiber tpods that should work well for you. Manfrotto might also have something that won't break the bank or back.
Pauls248 26-Mar-2009 15:30
Many thanks for the excellent reviews. I have spent many hours on the net trying to decide what to purchase next and invariably come back to your site. I know this is a little off topic but have you any suggestions for tripods that don't break the bank or your back when carrying. I have a 400D and the biggest lens (for a good while) will be either a 70-200 f4L or the Sigma 50-150 f2.8 - when I can get off the fence and decide.
SUHAS 21-Aug-2008 11:00
HI, WITCH IS THE BEST LENCE FOR PORTRAIT PHOTOS ? CAN YOU RECOMENDED SIGMA 50-150/2.8 PLESE ADVICED ME .
lightrules 16-May-2008 15:25
Hi Kavin, thanks for the comments. As for the travel section, I apologize but that section remains "protected" for personal and family use. Again, thanks for the interest and comments.
kavin 16-May-2008 07:37
well done on an very informative site, I appreciate the test must have taken alot of work. is there any way to access the travel section, it looks again very interesting
Bang Truong 10-Feb-2008 03:50
Just wana say u have done the excellent job by sharing all kind of technical experienceies here.
lightrules 27-Dec-2007 16:12
Adam no password is necessary in the main lens test galleries. Enjoy.
Barry Moore 14-May-2007 11:13
Enjoyed the visit to your galleries and the lens comparisions. Added you to my favorites to come back and browse some more.

Regards Barry
Guest 05-Sep-2006 04:55
hi jojo! weird, suddenly all your galleries are password-protected. i guess you're performing maintenance of some sort... will just go back in a few hours. thanks!
Rock225 24-Mar-2006 18:11
Thanks for a Great Site with alot of info to alot of asked questions in the great world of capturing Photons as an Image
Alistair 24-Mar-2006 14:32
Please could I too have a password to read the 17-70 review. Thanks.
LIN 22-Mar-2006 15:23
I like to read your lens reviews,it help me a lot .
could you send me the password?
Thx!!
falconhg 22-Mar-2006 12:50
can you give me your password, i want to see test of sigma 80-400mm
Joseph Leh 21-Mar-2006 12:39
Hi Jojo, your site has been a valuable resource for a lot of people including me, would you be so kind as to email me the password? Thanks a lot!
Guest 21-Mar-2006 07:05
Hi,please send me password. I choose between Sigma 18-50 and 17-70. Your site is very helping. Thanks.
riccardo 20-Mar-2006 18:53
Hi,could you send me the password?

Thx
Guest 20-Mar-2006 09:49
I want to buy the sigma 17-70, can I have the pass please?
Lukas 20-Mar-2006 02:36
Hi, I'm conssidernig to buy sigma 24-70 ex as propobly most people looking here... heh, i already decided to buy one, but would be nice to look at few good pics, can i have a pass please
Nico de Bruin 19-Mar-2006 22:41
Hi Fstopjojo

i always enjoyed reading your lens reviews and was quite confused to find it protected now. Could I kindly ask for the password please.

Kind regards,
Nico
Randy Kodama 19-Mar-2006 15:30
Hey Fstopjojo,

When you get a chance, please email me a password.

Thanks.
Randy Kodama, Los Angeles
Whizzy 19-Mar-2006 13:48
Hi jojo,

Could you email me the password please? About to get the Sigma 17-70 but wanted to read your review of it to make sure. Keep up the great work :)

Thanks
Anastase Raftopoulos 19-Mar-2006 07:44
same request as everybody else:password.You surely have a popular site and you got us by surprise.Thanks for a great effort to help fellow photographers!
55 wolf 18-Mar-2006 16:10
Hi jojo' I'm purchasing an xt350d and would sure like to browse your reviews. Having a tough time deciding on lens'. Would you be kind enough to send me your password?

Thank -you
Alan 18-Mar-2006 12:58
Hi Jojo, I've asked for a pasword few days back,but didn't get :(
Please,send it to me, I find your reviews very helpfull, i really need them :)
Regards!!!

Alan, UK(London)
Morgan 18-Mar-2006 08:10
Hi fstopjojo i need your reviews! they're playing a huge part in me deciding what lenses to buy for my new Canon 30D
thanks, Morgan
smoog 17-Mar-2006 21:55
Hi

Could you send me the password?

Thx
Alex Z 17-Mar-2006 19:46
Hi Jojo, would you please be so kind as to send me the password when you have time? I like your reviews!!!

Thanks.

Alex
Erik 17-Mar-2006 14:32
Hey there,

here's another poor sap in need of your password.

Thanks.

Erik
kmr 17-Mar-2006 08:44
would you mind telling me the password since i frequently browse your lens testing reviews which are really useful for me as a reference.
Roni 17-Mar-2006 06:49
Jojo, please send me the password. I need some hands on reviewer with some pictures to decide upon...
JP from Belguim 17-Mar-2006 01:06
Jojo, could you please send me a password to enter your site, i'm in need of some good revieuws.

Thanks for all the good work in the past.
Guest 16-Mar-2006 23:44
Hi Jojo. Thanks for all the reviews! But i need a password now.
Could you please send it to me.
Michi
Francesco 16-Mar-2006 21:54
Can I have the password?
Chip Mason 16-Mar-2006 19:22
Jojo: I have relied on your work over the last few weeks to make up my mind on a lens purchase. Please send my the password, and please! keep up the great work!
Duarte 16-Mar-2006 18:45
love your gallery need the password
Best regards
Geoff 16-Mar-2006 16:39
You have an excellent web site. I visit it often. Please send me the password
omar e. 16-Mar-2006 14:58
hello, please give me a password please, your reviews are very good and I need some help.
Alan 16-Mar-2006 12:39
Hi Jojo, I'm visiting your web page almost every day to see if there are any new revies.
I'm about to buy telephoto zoom and when i need some helpful info, i know where to go. I'm talking about your web page :)
I want to read your review about sigma 70-200 F2.8 and Canon 70-200 F4
Could I have the password please?
lanbert 16-Mar-2006 10:06
Hi Jojo,
May I have the passworld ? I usually visit the site and get more infor about lens.
James Michaels 16-Mar-2006 09:31
Hi Jojo,

I have found your lens tests of great help to me in the past, thank you. Could I also ask for the password, please.
Tomas 16-Mar-2006 05:48
Hi,please send me password. I choose between Sigma 18-50 and 17-70. Your site is very helping. Thanks.
adamt001 16-Mar-2006 05:23
Hi jojo. Could I have the password? Thanks for your great work!
Guest 15-Mar-2006 15:58
May I have a password to your site? Based on your review of thr Sigma 1770, I just ordered one from Adorama. Thanks for the review!
Andrea 15-Mar-2006 15:53
Hi!

Could you send me the password to your site?

Thank you very much for the tests!

Andrea
kungas 15-Mar-2006 10:58
I would like to get the password too

thanks for the great tests!
Lor 15-Mar-2006 09:02
Hi!

Could you send me the password to your site?

Thanks for the test :)

Laury
Jan Ojala 15-Mar-2006 07:55
How come your lens review page is password protected now?
jojk 15-Mar-2006 07:53
How do I get a password to your site?
lightrules 15-Mar-2006 02:03
Yeah, lots of "lurkers" that pass through the night here ;) No problem with that at all. Thanks for the kind words. The Sigma 150mm f2.8 is one of Sigma's very best lenses, period. Enjoy it to the fullest.
jgberg 15-Mar-2006 01:50
I want to say thanks for your dedicated commitment to lens comparisons and this web-site. I must admit to being a lurker. Your testing convinced me to buy a Sigma 150 F2.8 Macro. Great review, you gave me alot of confidence to buy my first non-Canon lens. I could not be happier with my choise. I expect my next buy will be a Sigma 70-200 F2.8.
Keep up the good work.
maxim_me 15-Mar-2006 01:16
Hi
Your site was most valuable and considerable weight to my purchase of SIGMA lens in general, specifically the SIGMA 24-70 F2.8 which i found later to be on par with canon24-70f2.8 ( 2x the price ).

Sorry to hear of your troubles with some trolls.

Keep up the good work, if i have some time ( and the money) this is exactly what i would be doing too :))
SM 14-Mar-2006 23:16
Thanks for your great site. It convinced me to buy the 18-50 2.8 EX. Just wondering why I can't no longer get to the review galleries... Was there a problem?

lightrules 13-Mar-2006 21:29
Thanks for the kind words, Paul. I'm glad my site has been useful to you. Enjoy your lenses and especially the images you'll take with them. As the photographer, you're the most important component to great pictures and memories! Jojo
Paul 13-Mar-2006 19:20
Just wanted to thank you for such an informative site. Especially for a novice photographer such as myself. I have owned a Canon Rebel XT since it was introduced. I did not enjoy the lens that came with the camera (no suprise!), and spoke with a sales person at a camrea store who recommended that I try the Tamron 28-300 F3.5-6.3 XR DI. I purchased the lens and enjoyed it until I found that taking photos of my daughter while playing field hockey and soccer at dusk was not what this lens was built to do. I did a little research and looked at Canons 70-200 F2.8 as well as Sigmas 70-200 F2.8 EX series lens. It was obvious just by the price that I should purchase the Sigma, which I did. I have enjoyed it quite a bit. I am now purchasing the Sigma 24-70 F2.8 EX Asph DG macro for those low light closer shots because of your testing and review of the lens. I am also considering the Sigma 20MM F1.8 EX for my architectural and landscape work. Because of your website and confidence in feeling that you know what you are writing about, I will more than likely round out all of my lens needs by using your site as a reference first. In the near future I will be trading up from my Rebel XT to the 20D and will count on the information that you can provide for that move up! Thank you for your website.
lightrules 28-Feb-2006 16:42
Enjoy your new gear, Steve. The 70300IS is an excellent choice. Now go get some good shots! Enjoy the light, Jojo.
Stephen Ball 28-Feb-2006 14:43
Thank you for your excellent reviews. I have recently puchased (after 5 years without an SLR) a Canon 20D. I took the kit option sith the 18-55 cheapo canon lens, but its OK. I originally bought the Canon EF USM f4.5-5.6 75-300 III, but really didnt like it or the build quality or quality of picture. after reading your reviews I have swapped out the original 75-300 and replaced it with the EF USM f4-5.6 70-300IS, which i am happy to say is fantastic. Thanks for your hard work. regards...steve
Brian 21-Dec-2005 23:17
Found your site while investigating 3rd party lens options for my 20D. Convinced me to get the 24-70 EX DG Macro. Just got it today and wanted to thank you for your time in doing the leg work of comparisons and testing. This lens is a beauty, feels and looks like a quality piece of equipment. Is a steal at the price! I'll post my 2 cents about this lens after I have some time with it. Enjoyed the many test photos you provided as well as showing different views of each lens on and off the camera, hood - no hood, etc. Again thanks for your site and the time you put in supplying useful straighforward info.
lightrules 27-Nov-2005 16:27
Thanks very much for your kind words. I'm mostly at DPR and POTN these days. Best wishes to you on your photo endeavors, and keep on enjoying the light. Jojo
lightrules 12-Nov-2005 06:01
Glad to hear about your 2470EX. As with every lens, there are some bad apples, but for the most part, this Sigma EX lens is an extremely good lens and IMO the primary alternative to the 2470L. Enjoy.
Christopher F 12-Nov-2005 02:57
Thanks for your tests on the Sigma EX lenses. You convinced to go with the
24-70 EX and I love it. Its the sharpest lens I have ever used. I know I have a good copy
because I am a sharpness freak and my copy is sharp at all focal lengths and aperatures. Very pleased !!

Regards
lightrules 15-Oct-2005 19:08
You're very welcome, LC. You can feel free to ask questions on this site, or as most have done, via email. Best wishes and enjoy the light. fStopJojo
Guest 15-Oct-2005 18:48
Thanks so much for all of your testing and photos. When I think of lenses, I check your site to see whether you've test a particular lens. I have a Canon 28-70 f/3.5-4.5 II that I got real cheap and thought was a piece of junk. Boy, was I wrong! I suppose every lens has its use and it's up to the photog to find that niche. Until yesterday, I was going to give this lens away. There are a lot of questions I'd like to ask you, but first I'll just say "thanks for being there."
lightrules 12-Oct-2005 02:00
Hi Steve, first off, the 70-200EX is an EX-cellent lens; great choice and pro-grade in every way. As for TCs, it doesn't matter which TC you use, image quality is going to go down slightly with the 1.4x and more so with the 2x. I'd recommend stopping down 1 with the 1.4x and stopping down 2 with the 2x as a general rule. Lastly, IMO the Kenko "Pro 300 DG" (be it 1.4x or 2x) is the one you want to get as it offers practically the same IQ as the Canon but fits more lenses and leaves you some spare change for a few nice meals. Enjoy the light.
Steve 12-Oct-2005 01:25
I have a question regarding your experience with teleconverters. I own a Sigma 70-200 2.8 and was interested in adding either the 1.4X or the 2X. I know that I lose 1 F stop with one and 2 with the other. People swear by the 1.4X teleconverter in comparison to the 2X made by canon. Is that the same for the Sigma? Are all the aspects of image quality going to degrade with using one over the other? Do you plan on reviewing the teleconverters made by Sigma any time soon? BTW, great job on the website.
lightrules 29-Sep-2005 03:17
To check your 20D firmware, press "menu" and scroll until you see it. It's easy to find. Best wishes.
Ras 29-Sep-2005 00:32
Ordered online Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 in BandHPhotoVideo. Initial shipment was not pleasant. Got one in the box with the wrong manual. Within 10 mins after attaching to the camera, the auto focus was completly going banana. The AF is out of sync. I can't even do the zoom using the ring. Went to the store on Sunday and exchange with the same one. So far so good. Thanks for the advice.
How do I check the firmware for EOS 20D?
lightrules 21-Sep-2005 00:07
Yes, the 18-50EX has the AF/MF switch at the base of the lens, just like every current Sigma AF lens. AF speed is slower than USM or HSM models but it is fast enough. AF noise is minimal. It's a very good lens, I recommend it highly.
Ras 20-Sep-2005 23:49
Jojo,
Got question on Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8
Is it autofocus? What I meant is, like in Canon 28-70mm f/2.8, it has auto and manual lock. Does Sigma has it?
Also, if autofocus, how is the speed and noise?
lightrules 07-Sep-2005 14:31
Jazzy you're very welcome. Glad this site has been of some use to you. Enjoy the light...
Jazzy 07-Sep-2005 07:18
Hi fstopjojo

Wanted to post in your guestbook to say thanks for the two times you have always given your two cents worth to lens shoppers like me. You have always been helpful making the time to answer questions. Thanks too for the posts you make to this pbase. They have been very helpful.
lightrules 13-Jul-2005 22:04
Rob, I'm glad the link was helpful, but it isn't my site. It is not my work, only a link for you to see. Just wanted to make that clear; I won't take credit for what is not mine. But I use the 20D and the Bigma and it's excellent. You'll be very pleased! As for your site, good work; the Bigma will really give you some keepers as well. Best wishes.
Guest 13-Jul-2005 16:25
Got your message about the "Bigma" from the steves digicams forum. Talk about EXACTLY what I needed to hear, and see. Thanks for that. Not only did your surfing shots from HB look great, but I see in your album here on pbase that you actually have the exact set up that I'm looking to buy - the Canon 20D with the Sigma 50-500mm. For someone on my budget this is a pretty big investment, but one I have to make if I'm to take some good surf shots.

Have a look at my album if you like to see what I've done so far.

http://www.pbase.com/surferob/san_diego_surfers

Thanks again for the Sigma advice.
Andreas 31-May-2005 21:42
Hi fstopjojo,
I found your post at dpreview.com. was a month ago though. Sorry, I was moving and found it just today. You asked about the experience with the Sigma 24-60 2,8.
Two thinks to share:
1) Great lens. Color, sharpness, contrast could not be better (well advanced amateur, don't know what Pros would think, but they don't use it anyway). I simply love this lens. The weight is ok to make it my all day carry around lens. What I love is the sharpness, it is like a razorblade. narrow DOF, great pictures. Almost no distortion (complete different league compared to Kit lens). What I particularly like is the zoom range. 24 is wide enough for me (if I really need 18 I use the Kit lens once in a while), and 60 is tele enough. I am totally satisfied with the range and it prevents me from taking all this stupid point and shoot pictures with the wideangle ON and the brain OFF. Price and size are just right.
2) Autofocus. My version has a problem with it. I will have to send it to service. The failure is so small that I noticed it after 3 weeks using it for 500 shots. It front focuses when focusing from near to far. The other way round it works just fine. And it is not alays the case. Took me a while to figure it out like I said. Blamed my shaky hands due to the small body of the 350D in the beginning.

Conclusion:
I think it is a great lens that for a unknown reason does not get the full attention it deserves. I think most people simply look which lens has more range to one side. Bt they do not think of what they really need. Not to offend anyone. Just my opinion.
But Sigma has to address the quality issues regarding the autofocus accuracy (noise and speed are absolutely OK).
A test in a German magazine side by side with Canon 28-70 revealed results that are so close that the prise difference is only acceptable if the service will not fix my problem.
Have fun shooting, love the summer....
Dan short 30-Apr-2005 09:00
A great little site, Jam packed with usefull info! Keep up the great work.
lightrules 10-Apr-2005 04:04
No problem, glad they are of use to you. All 3 lenses are very good in their own right. My strong preference though is for the Canon L and/or Sigma EX because of their superior build, AF speed, and 24mm ability. Enjoy whichever you end up with though.
Stixbri 09-Apr-2005 22:22
Many thanks for putting your lens test online for all to view, I'm currently considering a Canon 24 - 70 L, Sigma 24 - 70 EX and the Tamron 28 - 75 XR Di. Your comments and photos have provided very useful info.

Cheers,

Stixbri
Loesje 31-Dec-2004 15:54
Tx for the examples of the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro . I'm convinced now that this is a great lens for its price!!!

Loesje :-)