Hin's Photo Corner

I am the idiot who sold the Lady Queen in Pentax FA 31mm f/1.8 limited and replaced the Lady Queen with two lens with very different functionality in Sigma 28mm f/1.8 II and Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 1:1 macro. I bought the Sigma for its fast speed use and the I got my Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 1:1 macro limited with a good bargain price new with Prodigal2000. Do I miss the Lady Queen. Hell Yes unfortunately. I don't think either of the two replacements can replace the IQ in the 31mm limited. But darn it, I feel much easier in taking out my lens and shoot the lens as a tool as an equal partner and I don't want to give any of my lens any special treatment like others do. I could imagine some of my Pentaxian friends will have a shrink with lock to protect their 31mm limited and they would have a difficult time to take out the lens in traveling. I will always question why one buys a lens that they will worry in scratching and leaving marks rather than enjoy it for what it is good for -- taking pictures. Though I truly miss my Lady Queen for its enormous image quality and superb color, I do find significant comfort and ease of usage with my competent replacements for the 31mm limited

I don't use my Sigma 28mm f/1.8 II quite often as I would love to as I have a tendency to stay with zooms in outings in the weekends and vacation. I busted my prime with 28mm this weekend with Mid-Autumn festival with lanterns and moon cake and a visit to Don Edwards SF Bay Wildlife Refuge for its Shark Day event.











Impressions & Notes

• Though the lens maximum aperture was stated i f/1.8, all shots wide open in my K20D reported as f/1.7
• The lens is not big and has a 58mm filter size. It is not the same as the latest DG or EX Sigma lens, build is all plastic and not of the same quality as in DG and DC Ex lens lineup
• Lens is easy to handle like a 50mm in size. Close up is found decent on flowers but I don't think it has magnification ratio greater than 1:4, likely 1:6.
  
• Flare is noted in extreme lighting when my neighbor lighting shined through the front of my lens. It was possible that I forgot to mount the lens hood.
  
• An overall budget fast prime that do reasonably well at night but nothing in sharpness and color that would stand out like the 31mm limited. Color rendering is better in Pentax 35mm limited and the 31mm limited lenses.
  

Related:

• Sigma 28mm f/1.8 II initial test shots
• Don Edwards SF Bay Wildlife Refuge -- Flickr Set
  
• Pentax FA 31mm f/1.8 limited Purchage
• Pentax FA 31mm f/1.8 limited Test Shots
• Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 1:1 macro limited
• Sigma 105mm Ex DG 1:1 macro
• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 macro
  
• Hin's Camera Gear
  

All pictures were shot in South Lake Tahoe in a beach far from the the fireworks. I cropped most of the pictures to get much closer. I used tripod but forget to stabilize the tripod with more weight in the center hook provided with my tripod. I should have been more aware of the weight and steady issues in the shooting. Overall, I can't complain much about the travel lens with Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5. It did the job fine for me in the Labor day long weekend trip with my family.






Impressions & Notes

• I used manual mode in f/5.6, iso 400 and shutter speed among 1/3, 1/4 and 1/2 seconds.
  
• Tripod was used along with my wireless F remote, I forgot to stabilize the tripod with added weight. Since I shot the entire series in a sandy beach location, the added weight would have prevented minor movement
  
• Some shots have overexposure clipping highlight in the core of the fireworks, less seen in my previous trial with Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 and Pentax DA 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 fisheye.
• I should have attempted smaller apertures as in f/8.0 and smaller and see for a difference
  

Related:

• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5
  
• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 as walk-around lens
• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 in weekend travel
• Travel Shots in Emerald Bay, South Lake Tahoe
  
• Pentax DA 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 on Fireworks
• Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 on Fireworks
• Hin's Camera Gear
  

I always like to use my Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 as walk-around lens when my family goes out for family trip to places in weekends and holidays. It has the wide angle that I can use for landscape pictures. It has the best macro that I can ask for in a zoom with macro ratio in 1:2.3. Its range and macro capability easily rival my best zoom in that range with Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. In terms of IQ and best for portrait, I prefer the Tamron. But in terms of usefulness for walk-around with emphasis on close up on flowers and landscape shots, the Sigma with its lighter weight is my choice to bring along. Its vari-focal apertures is a concern for others and the constant aperture f/2.8 in Tamron will make it a favor among many loyal users. But I like to share with others not to think less of the Sigma as it has a better close up ratio and its useful focal range makes it a better well rounded walk-around lens that are unique over the Tamron.










Impressions & Notes

• The close up in 1:2.3 ratio along with its 17-70mm focal range makes the Sigma an uniquely outstanding walk-around lens
• Variable focal aperture and speed is its weakness and I would prefer it for outdoor use.
  
• Weight is lighter and build is great. The zoom lock is useful.
• Focus throw is too short for manual focusing
• As far as I recall IQ and sharpness are better than Pentax FA 28-105mm f/3.2-4.5 especially when stopped down.
• I have used another good lens with Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8. Though it has better speed, I prefer the Sigma due to its good close up ratio and better focal range for walk-around.
  
• Its focal range makes it quite versatile that can be used as one single lens in a trip for landscape, close up, candid, and portraits.
• I highly recommend it for walk-around purpose

Related:

• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 Macro
• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 On Fireworks
• Pentax 1-lens choices
  
• Flickr Set in Phipph's Ranch
• Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 in Japanese Tea Garden
• Travel report in Emerald Bay in South Lake Tahoe
  
• Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II
  
• Pentax FA 28-105mm f/3.2-4.5
• Tamron SP 28-135mm f/3.5-4.5 adaptall-2 (28A)
  
• Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8
• Pentax 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 fisheye
• Hin's Camera Gear

I told my boys that I ran into the biggest number of spiders that I have ever seen. Sure enough, I took three of my macro lens to the same spot close to my workplace along a hiking path. I saw hundreds if not close to a thousand around trees and shorter bushes area scattered around the area. In quick look up for images on the web for Black Widows, those spiders that I have taken shots may be related to Black Widows. I assumed those with the big belly are the females.


I wouldn't use my Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 1:1 macro as I would be too close to the spiders. I should have tried my Vivitar 135mm f/2.8 1:2 close focusing from Komine later when I manage to find the time to take more shots. All shots are done hand-held and post processed quickly with b&w in Picasa.






Impressions & Notes

• I really don't want to get too close to the subjects and hence I will prefer a longer minimum focusing distance.
  
• The Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 1:1 macro limited would be suitable to get a wider view of the spider web but I would not use it up close to the Black Widows and their male counterparts
• I used manual focusing and up ISO to 400 and 640 for the shooting in late afternoon for hand-holding the shots, I would attempt tripod and an external flash to open up the DOF when time allows.
  
• My quick post processing with Picasa "I am feeling lucky" may have pushed the image and background unnatural.
  

Related:

• Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG 1:1 Macro
• Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 1:1 macro limited
• Vivitar 135mm f/2.8 1:2 close focusing from Komine
• Picasa B&W
• Picasa "I am feeling lucky"
  
• Hin's Camera Gear

I took the Sigma lens out for a family trip in Japanese Tea Garden. The sigma satisfy my occasional need for wide angle and it is a great family outing zoom lens covering the most critical focal length in one lens and with a 1:2.3 close up. I call it my best walk-around lens.

After I sold my Tamron 90mm f/2.8 1:1 non-Di Macro, I am now down to 1 macro lens that does 1:1. The Tamron is just as decent as Sigma but I finally pick the Sigma to stay as I have Pentax FA 77mm f/1.8 that is closer in focal range to the Tamron 90mm. Had I not had Pentax FA 77mm f/1.8, I would have picked the Tamron to stay for the dual purpose lens for macro and occasionaly portrait lens.

I compared the two macro lens on both flowers and portraits, both do well in my book neck to neck for performance, value, and ease of use. I prefer both Macro lens over my experience with Lester A Dine 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Dental Macro. The Lester has better color but I find both the Tamron and Sigma serving me better with AF and the addition of focus limiter making the macro lens well rounded lens for both macro shots as well as for portraits, street shooting and candid shots.

I took out my Sigma this morning shooting out on trees with interesting bark and tree sap. The Sigma has beautiful bokeh and color. I find a tendency of underexposure again but it is all good in my book with +0.3 Ev.














Impressions & Notes

• I prefer Sigma and Tamron macro over the old faithful in Lester A Dine 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Dental Macro.
  
• Though the Lester A Dine has better color, I don't favor the lens due to absense of focus limiter and the difficulty to achieve 1:1 with long focus throw. Perhaps, a good macro and lighting set up would have altered my not-so-impressive experience before with Lester A Dine
• I picked Sigma over Tamron solely based on my focal range too close to FA 77mm
  
• The Sigma and Tamron will be toss for me, I can take any one and I will be just as happy
• Sigma has a tendency of underexposure with Pentax K20D.
  

Related:

• Sigma 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Flower Test Shots
• Sigma 105mm f/2.8 Portrait Test Shots
• Sigma 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Ex DG Macro On Spiders
• Tamron 90mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro non-Di
• Tamron 90mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro non-Di On Portraits
  
• Lester A Dine 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro
• Pentax FA 77mm f/1.8
  
• Pentax K 100mm f/4.0 1:2 Macro
  
• Pentax A 50mm f/2.8 1:2 Macro
• Vivitar 135mm f/2.8 1:2 Close Focusing from Komine
• Kenko 2x Teleplus 1:1 Macro Teleconverter
  
• Hin's Camera Gear

I have another photo session with my wife who is helping me to see if the Sigma can serve well in portraits as good as the Tamron. Perhaps the location is differenent with more space, the extra 15mm actually comes in handy. It is really a toss between the two macro lens, I am flip flopping between the two on which one can serve me better. At this moment, flipping a coin is not a bad idea. I need to train my eyes to see the subtle differences on sharpness and contrast. And it can boil down to plain intuition on ease of handling in operation. Testing lens is fun but deciding on similar good lens is not fun at all. At the end of the photos session, I told my wife that I love both lens and I gestured to her that I have serious problems in letting one to go, keeping two is just as difficult with the continuous self blaming to no ends.


I used mostly iso 200 in f/4.0 to f/5.6 settings due to cloudy morning. Plain jpg in K20D with no post processing. It seems the Sigma can serve well in portraits though a bit longer in focal length than the Tamron


Related

• Sigma 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Ex DG Macro
• Sigma 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Ex DG Macro On Flowers
• Sigma 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Ex DG Macro On Spiders
• Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro (non-Di) on Flowers
• Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro (non-Di) on Portraits
  
• Hin's Camera Gear

Earlier today, I tried the Sigma 105mm f/2.8 1:1 Ex DG Macro on the same flowers that I tested Tamron but in different brighter afternoon lighting instead of morning softer lighting when tested the Tamron. The Sigma AF hunts more than the Tamron in close up and I have to turn to MF for few of the shots. Color seems to pop more in the Tamron and I have added some minor tuning in the set. A few test shots on flowers with the Sigma lens