Are Sigma Lenses Decent?

[roboman]

I see quite a few Nikon DSLRs being bundled in with Sigma lenses. Are these good optics?

[Wildman]

The answer is... "yes and no". Some Sigmas are great and others aren't. If somebody on the Web are offering deals that sound unbelievable, they probably are... unbelievable.

There are great Sigmas and poopy Canons. Your best bet is to do some research that goes well beyond brand name.

"should I buy a GM car?" Chevy or Caddy?

Please excuse if I say... not a good question.

[Dave Chrismer]

The question is a good and valid question. There are some excellent Sigmas and some poor and mediocre ones. The same can be said of Canon, Nikon, Tamron and proably any other manufacturer. Generally, you get what you pay for, though sometimes the difference between a good lens and an excellent lens is very minimal except for the price. I would agree with the advice to research any particular lens before purchasing. There are a lot of lens review web sites and a lot of people here can probably give some advice based on actual experience.

[roboman]

Well excuse me for asking a general question about a company.

Wildman wrote:

The answer is... "yes and no". Some Sigmas are great and others aren't. If somebody on the Web are offering deals that sound unbelievable, they probably are... unbelievable.

There are great Sigmas and poopy Canons. Your best bet is to do some research that goes well beyond brand name.

"should I buy a GM car?" Chevy or Caddy?

Please excuse if I say... not a good question.

[roboman]

How about these two Sigma Lenses:

- Sigma 28-80mm Autofocus Lens
- Sigma 70-300mm Autofocus Lens

Which are included as part of this EBAY auction I found as an example.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

[Dave Chrismer]

I don't have any personal experience with either of the 2 lenses. I do have a Sigma 28-300, which is pretty much good for a paper weight. I also have a Sigma 50-500 that I use constantly and would recommend to anyone looking for a super long zoom. Purchased separately from the kit that you mention, the 28-80 can be purchased for around $75 and the 80-300 for around $175. My first advice would be for sure don't buy the kit if it is more than $250 more than just buying the camera body. If you are tight on funds (as most of us are) you could start with these lenses, knowing that you will replace them later, and there is no doubt that you will. They would serve to get you started, but you won't be happy with them for long. Below are some links to actual user reviews.

http://www.photographyreview.com/cat...8_3128crx.aspx

http://www.photographyreview.com/cat...0_3128crx.aspx

[Dave Chrismer]

Checked the prices at Ritz Camera which is apparently running the auction that you referenced and it looks like you could buy thew camera and both lenses separately for around $50 less than the "Buy Now" price.

[NHL]

roboman wrote:

How about these two Sigma Lenses:

- Sigma 28-80mm Autofocus Lens
- Sigma 70-300mm Autofocus Lens

Well none of the Sigma 28-80mm is any good... (and it won't be wide enough on the D70)

The 70-300mm APO is good, but the other regular 70-300 (i.e. not "APO") that Sigma also makes is not, they don't say which one is in the AD so be cautious!