Photo Review Reviews section

Sigma 85mm f/1.4 EX DG Lens

8.8 Rating

A large aperture medium telephoto lens that is ideal for portraiture and low light photography. Sigma’s new 85mm f/1.4 EX DG HSM lens is designed for use with full frame digital cameras but can also be suitable for cameras with smaller APS-C sized sensors. On the Nikon D7000 body we used for our tests, it provided the 35mm focal length equivalent of 127.5mm. On a Canon APS-C body, the equivalent is 136mm. Slightly longer and 130 grams heavier than Nikon’s similarly-specified equivalent, it is also roughly $500 cheaper.

Sigma AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM Lens

8.5 Rating

A large aperture, standard zoom lens with image stabilisation for DSLR cameras with APS-C sized sensors.Sigma’s 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM lens is an upgrade to the AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro lens released in 2006. Designed for the smaller imaging circle of cameras with APS-C sized sensors, it is slightly larger and heavier than its predecessor and has a more complex optical construction. It also includes Sigma’s Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) technology for fast and quiet autofocusing.

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG OS Lens

9 Rating

An affordable telephoto zoom lens with optical stabilisation for 35mm SLR cameras and DSLRs.Sigma’s 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DG OS telephoto zoom lens is targeted at amateur photographers who require an affordable long-zoom lens to complement, say, an 18-55mm or 18-85mm kit lens on their DSLR. Usable with both 35mm cameras (and ‘full-frame’ DSLRs) and DSLRs with APS-C sized sensors, this lens can be used for subjects as diverse as portraiture, sports, wildlife and travel photography.

Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 APO EX DG OS Lens

9 Rating

A fast, stabilised, medium-telephoto lens that can be used with ‘full frame’ and APS-C sensor DSLR cameras and supports hand-held shooting in low light situations.Sigma has been producing fast tele zoom lenses for hand-held photography since the late 1980s and, although the new 70-200mm f/2.8 APO EX DG OS lens claims to be a second generation model, we estimate it’s the sixth in a line that reaches back to the original AF 70-210mm f/2.8, which was designed for 35mm film SLR cameras. Interestingly, the main difference between the new lens and its immediate predecessor is the addition of the company’s Optical Stabilisation (OS) system.

Sigma 50mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Lens

8.5 Rating

An affordable, high-performing macro lens that is also ideal for copying.Sigma’s 50mm f/2.8 EX DG has the shortest focal length and lowest price of the four macro lenses in the company’s current line-up. Designed for use with full frame digital SLR cameras, it can also be fitted to DSLRs with smaller APS-C size sensors, where it covers a similar field of view to a 75mm lens in 35mm format with Nikon, Pentax and Sony cameras or 80mm with Canon cameras.

Sigma 180mm f/3.5 APO EX DG HSM Macro Lens

8.5 Rating

A capable and value-priced macro lens with a good working distance for close-ups of invertebrates and other small subjects.Sigma’s 180mm f/3.5 APO EX DG HSM Macro is the only lens in its macro range with an HSM autofocusing motor – but only on the Sigma, Nikon-D and Canon mounts. Designed for use on full frame digital SLR cameras, but can also be fitted to DSLRs with smaller APS-C size sensors, where it covers a similar field of view to a 270mm lens when fitted to Nikon, Pentax and Sony cameras with 1.5x crop factors or 288mm with Canon DSLRs.

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Lens

8.8 Rating

An affordably-priced true macro lens with an ideal focal length for portraiture.The 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro sits in the middle of Sigma’s range of 1:1 true macro lenses. Keenly priced, it is designed for use with full frame digital SLR cameras, but can also be fitted to DSLRs with smaller APS-C size sensors. It covers a similar field of view to a 158mm lens in 35mm format when fitted to Nikon, Pentax and Sony cameras with 1.5x crop factors or 168mm with Canon DSLRs.

Sigma DP2s

8 Rating

A compact, advanced digital camera with a large Foveon X3 Direct Image Sensor and few automated functions.There’s very little difference between the Sigma DP2, which was released in April 2009 and the DP2s, which was announced in February 2010. The sensor and lens in the new camera are the same as the earlier model and the rather quirky user interface is unchanged. According to a company press release, there’s a new AF algorithm for faster autofocusing and a Power Save mode to enable more shots per charge. The rear panel buttons are more clearly labelled, and the camera ships with the latest raw file processing software.

Sigma 10-20mm 1:3.5 DX USM Lens

8.5 Rating

A fast, almost silent wide-angle zoom lens that is well-built and relatively flare-resistant.Sigma’s new 10-20mm 1:3.5 EX DC HSM replaces an earlier, slower ultra-wide zoom lens that was released late in 2004. Designed specifically for DSLR cameras with ‘APS-C format’ sensors, it is offered in mounts to suit Sigma, Nikon, Canon, Sony and Pentax models. As well as having a wider maximum aperture, this lens is distinguished from the earlier model by providing a maximum aperture of f/3.5 throughout the entire zoom range.

Sanyo Xacti VPC-J4

[ia] Available in orange, black or silver, Sanyo’s VPC-J4 has a dual Basic/Expert shooting menu system and talking navigation guide that announces the selected mode when the camera is switched on. A vertical slider selects between stills, video and playback. The flash button doubles as an erase button in playback mode. The arrow pad adjusts exposure and focus modes.