Advantages: Excellent image sharpness, fast to focus, image stabilizer.
Disadvantages: Slight vignetting at times.

...I bought the 17-85mm EF-S IS lens because the standard kit lens, 18-55 mm left a gap of 15mm between it and the 70-300mm lens I already owned. I researched heaps of lenses thoroughly and decided the extra cost of the Canon should give me a better quality lens. It did! It is definitely heavier and more solidly constructed than the 18-55mm. It focuses accurately, is very fast, and has the advantage of an image stabilizer which allows you to hand hold the camera at slower shutter speeds (up to 3 steps). This allows you to retain sharper images in low light without them being affected by camera shake. Although the 17-85mm has a tripod sensor, the image stabilizer should be turned off if using on bulb setting. The lens can focus as close as 0.35m/1.2ft for macro photography and this is best achieved by setting to MF (manual focus... Read review

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Advantages: Works with Canon, Nikon, Minolta & Pentax DSLRs.
Disadvantages: A bit slower on AF than other lenses.

...selection of depth of field views. Focus range is excellent too at a minimum of only 49cm, with a macro ratio of 1:2.9 - this has enabled me to continue with one of my other favourite subjects, close-up work (insects, bugs, flowers etc). One other nice feature is the Zoom Lock, which does just that - it locks the zoom part of the barrel so that the lens doesn’t start poking out under its own weight (not that mine does anyway). Good if you need to keep it in a small bag as I do. Just another comfort feature, and quite useful. Length is a very compact 84mm (even smaller than the Nikon 70-300mm) and total weight is a very light 420gms (14 ounces). The construction comprises 15 elements in 13 groups, with a 62mm filter thread rounding off the mechanical attributes. With fittings for Canon, Nikon, Minolta and Pentax, this is one of the most... Read review

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Advantages: cheaper than manufactuers own flash, compatable with digital cameras
Disadvantages: basic functions

...I've had the 500 DG ST for about a month now and so far I’m impressed with it. The main reason I bought it was after upgrading to a digital SLR I found my TTL flash was incompatible with my Canon DSLR which uses E-TTL Flash technology. The canon 420EX was to expensive for the amount of use it was going to get, I found the sigma was fully compatible with canon digital SLR’s although with out the extra wireless settings of the canon for some £50 - £70 cheaper depending where you get one from the RRP of the sigma is £120 but I picked mine up for £99, The flash is also powerful, as the canon had a guide No of 42m at 105mm setting using 100 ISO material where as the Sigma has a guide No of 50m with lens/flash set at 105mm using 100 ISO. The sigma 500 DG ST is an ETTL flash for canon but is also available in Nikon and Sigma... Read review

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Advantages: Versatility, Construction, Focus speed, LCD info-display
Disadvantages: Price

...used to, having got so familiar with the Dynax 505, but it has improved the quality of my photographs (although not necessarily my choice of subject). On the down-side, it goes through batteries at a frantic pace (compared to the 505). I also had a problem with my Sigma 70-300mm lens in that it simply refused to work. I have since found out that the lens itself will need a chip upgrade in order to get it working with the Dynax-7, something that Sigma will carry out free of charge provided I can prove I actually bought the Dynax-7 (but I'll have to cover the postage). Costing anywhere between £500 and £650 for the body alone, I would say it's probably not a camera for beginners. If you're not dead-set on photography as a hobby it's a lot to get to grips with for a first camera. Combined with the lack of subject program modes makes... Read review

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Advantages: Crips, sharp, contrast full images; silent focusing; f/2.8 apature
Disadvantages: no image stabiliser

...This listing on ciao doesn't have a model number for focal length so I am going to review the Sigma APO 150mm f/2.8 Macro lens Before I purchase products I do extensive research on them; I read magazines and scour the internet looking for absolutely every bit of information I can before I buy. When deciding on buying this lens it was no differentl; I must have ready 2-3 magazines reviews and a dozen internet review sites before deciding which macro lens to purchase The reasearch I conducted showed that there two VERY good macro lenses available; the Sigma 150mm f2.8 and the Canon 100mm f/2.8. After investigating these two lenses further I found that the Canon was contiously rated as the best possible Macro lens (in the price category - there are Canon L series macro lenses which would cost 4 times the price) but the Sigma was always... Read review

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Advantages: good pictures, fast response, fast focusing, easy to operate, feels nice
Disadvantages: innacurate manual focusing

.... The fast shutter response allowed me to get some nice wildlife photos - i bought a 70-300mm lens for it. This was not an IS (image stabiliser) version so i had to use a tripod. The lens supplied is adequate - 28-90mm - though it is their basic lens. This zoom range is good for landscapes, especially the wide angle, and portraits (using the 90mm end of the zoom). For sports, or anything where you'll be far away from the subject, it's best to buy a zoom lens. The range of the standard lens is equivalent to 3x optical zoom. This is the same as your average compact camera. The 70-300mm lens that i purchased was just right. It was fine to hold and gave good results. Though a little big it was not overly heavy. In good light a tripod is not needed. There are a range of Canon lenses to suit anyones needs to fit this camera. As with any camera make sure... Read review

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Advantages: Excellent field of view
Disadvantages: none that I have found in months of use

...Sigma Wide Zoom Lens. If you want a panorama of a landscape then you should try this lens. Described as 12 - 24mm f5-5.6 EX DG Aspherical HSM Technical details first. To fit Sigma, Canon and Nikon (D) Lens construction Groups/elements 12 / 16 Angle of view (degrees) 122.0 - 84.1 Diaphragm blades 6 Minimum Aperture (wide) F22 Minimum Focus (cm/in) 28/11 Filter size (mm) Rear Mount gelatin filter Dimensions diameter x length 87/100mm / 3.4" x 3.9" Weight (g/oz) 615/21.6 Fitted with Hypersonic motor. Comes with its own carry case with a belt mounting attachment and template to make the gel filters. This is a lens designed for a digital camera. It is an ultra wide angle lens (122 degrees) at 12mm along the diagonal axis and is ideal for both indoor and landscape photography. The lens itself is made of special low... Read review

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Advantages: Fantastic zoom range, exceptional image quality
Disadvantages: Heavy to carry, difficult to hand hold at 500mm in low light.

...I recently purchased this Sigma 50-500mm f4-6.3 DG EX lens for my minolta. It is fantastic! Lets get the negative things out the way so we can focus on the bountiful positives. 1.) It is heavy. Weighing in at nearly 2Kg this is no lightweight piece of kit, but all that weight is necessary for the size and quality of optics used. If you have a good bag like a lowepro or tamrac, then it's really quite easy to trek around with it all day on your back, or hand carry it using the tripod mount/handle. 2.) Due to the aperature not being fantastic, this isn't the best lens for low light fast action photography. There are long telephoto lenses (up to ~300mm) with a wide f2.8 aperature throughout for low light and high shutter speed, but these neither have the range or flexibility of this lens. They cost a lot more too. Now... Read review

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Advantages: Superb design, value for money and professional results.
Disadvantages: None

...Sigma EX 12-24mm F4.5-5,6 DG Nikon fit AF D. This a great wide-angle zoom lens offering professional performance, results and is a joy to use. It is suitable for both digital SLR's and 35mm Film cameras and focusing can be used manually or autofocus. This my first Sigma lens as I own only quality Nikon lenses so I was unsure at first about purchasing a brand and lens unknown to me. Any doubts or fears about quality were put to rest as soon as I took the lens out of it's box. It is as well crafted as any Nikon lens and a truly remarkable piece of design. It has an unusual appearance as instead of the usual glass flat surface lens it has a "bobble" or "ball" of glass which has a very alien look to it. I'm still not used to this and I feel that as it is sticking out so much that it may be a bit vulnerable to potential damage... Read review

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Advantages: Many
Disadvantages: only 6 Mp

...An excellent camera for Pentax users moving from film to digital. This is a well built camera - perhaps a little lighter than one would expect if used to a Pentax MX, say, but comfortable and easy to use. The autofocus is fast and reliable and the viewfinder indications are easy to understand. One advantage for those with older Pentax gear is that many of the lenses produced for the more recent 35mm range also fit, and are fully functional, with this camera. (I picked up a complete 35mm kit from eBay for £60 which included a 70-300mm lens that works perfectly with the *ist DL). Another advantage is that the camera includes a hot-shoe socket for external flash and works with Pentax flash models previously produced for the analogue market. This camera produces good, sharp and clear images and is delightful to use. The only gripe I... Read review

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