Lens finder
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC MACRO
APS-C sized imageLenses that create APS-C sized image are designed for digital only. They cannot be used on cameras that have image sensor larger than the APS-C format. These lenses are not suitable for film cameras either. No Ultrasonic AFLenses with ultrasonic focusing mechanism tend to be quiter and faster than traditionally focusing lenses. One or more Low Dispersion lens element is usedLow Dispersion lens elements help to reduce chromatic aberration. Not stabilizedImage stabilization helps to reduce blur caused by hand shake, especially at high focal length or in low light situations. Image stabilization can give 1 to 3 stop advantage over none stabilized lens, based on the reciprocal rule. Metal mountCheaper lenses are usually equipped with plastic mount, while more expensive, professional lenses have metal mount. In general, metal mounts are more durable, and a good thing to have when lenses are changed a lot. When a camera is used mainly with one lens, the material of the lens mount is not that important. Internal FocusingInternally focusing lenses don't change their size while setting focus. The front lens is fixedThe fixed front lens is not rotating during zoom and/or focusing. This allows the photographer to use petal shaped lens hood. Fixed front lenses also make the use of polarization filters a lot easier. No drop-in filter supportDrop-in filters are used in those lenses where either the front lens is too large, or the field of view doesn't permit the use of traditional filters at the front of the lens. Usually bright tele and ultra-wide angle lenses support this filter type. |
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It can be used with wide variety of subjects and it is an ideal large aperture standard zoom lens for digital SLR cameras featuring APS-C size image sensor. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 20cm throughout the entire zoom range. Maximum magnification of 1:2.3 enables close-up photography like a macro lens. The new lens design and multi layer lens coating reduce flare and ghosting, which is a common problem with digital cameras. A Special Low Dispersion (SLD) lens and two aspherical lens elements provide excellent correction for all types of aberrations and produce a high level of optical performance throughout the entire zoom range. The lens design incorporates an inner focusing system, which ensures fast AF speed as well as prevents the front of the lens rotating, making it particularly suitable for use with circular polarizing filters and petal shaped lens hoods. This lens is also equipped with Zoom Lock Switch that eliminates «Zoom Creep» during transportation
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Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC MACRO Specification
| Available mount(s) | Canon EF, Nikon F, Pentax K, Sony / Minolta A, Sigma |
| Application(s) | Portrait, Closeup, Landscape, Architecture |
| Category(s) | Standard zoom, Macro |
| Multiplier | 1.5× |
| Stabilizer | no |
| Focal length | 17 - 70 mm (4.10× zoom) |
| Lens construction | 15 elements in 12 groups |
| Angle of view |
35mm: N/A digital: 74.4-20.2° |
| Number of blades | 7 |
| Maximum aperture | wide: f/2.8 tele: f/4.5 |
| Minimum aperture | wide: f/22 tele: N/A |
| Minimum focusing distance | 20 cm |
| Magnification | 0.43× |
| Filter size | 72 mm |
| Size | ∅ 79 × 82.5 mm |
| Weight | 455 g |
| Notes |
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| AF speed | 0.5 sec. (from close up to infinity) |
| AF sound | |
| Internal focusing | yes |
| Internal zoom | N/A |
| Fix front lens | yes |
| Mount type | metal |
| Weather sealed | N/A |
| Drop in filter | no |
| Ultrasonic AF | no |
| APS-C sized circle | yes |
| Low dispersion lens element | yes |
| Hard case | N/A |
| Soft case | N/A |
| Lens hood |
LH780-04 printable lens hood |
| Tripod adapter | N/A |
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC MACRO Reviews
Other reviews
- Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC MACRO review at www.ephotozine.com (English)
- Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC MACRO review at www.slo-foto.net (Slovenian)
- Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC MACRO review at www.fotopolis.pl (Polish)
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC MACRO Owner Reviews
Most useful owner reviews from Amazon
Sharp, smooth, good colour
Dec 16, 2006
Obviously I was luckier than the previous reviewer: my first copy was, and is, fine.
I use my Sigma with a Canon 400D (XTi in the US). I also have a Canon 50mm lens that's supposed to be really sharp. Maybe I have a bad copy of that, because the Sigma is definitely sharper. In fact I was disappointed with the camera until I bought this Sigma lens.
Now I get images that are sharp and colourful, yet with that smooth SLR look that was evading me when using the Canon lens. I'm very pleased with it.
One thing that surprised me was how big and heavy it is though. People look at me as though I have a long zoom (it extends quite a way at 70mm), even though it's really not.
But, you get used to it pretty soon.
I guess it had to be big to get the f/2.8. Trouble is, at about 20mm you lose the f/2.8, so it's not quite as good as it sounds. This lens loses out on that score to the constant f/2.8 17-50 lenses from Tamron and Sigma.
The compensation is that you get a bit of extra reach, which makes it more of an everyday lens.
And the trump card is that you can get really close with this lens. Minimum focus distance is 20cm. Doesn't sound that great, but that's 20cm from the sensor, not the end of the lens. Zoom all the way to 70mm and you can focus on stuff that's almost touching the glass!
I like the feel of the lens. It's very solid and attractively finished, feels expensive.
You get a lens hood in the box, unlike when you buy a Canon lens.
The only thing I don't like is that the focus ring moves in auto focus and I find it often catches on my hand. No big deal.
All in all, a great lens.
Exactly what I needed... given my budget.
Apr 13, 2007
I own an XT and 3 lenses: this one, the ef 70-200 f/4 and the 50mm f/1.8. I use them all about equally. This one is versatile in terms of focal length (solidly wide angle to short tele) and it has a pseudo-macro close focus ability that is great for closeups (flowers, large bugs, frogs etc...). While it is not particularly sharp wide open, it is definitely acceptable to me and essentially matches my other two lenses when stopped down. I can't speak to the possibility of "bad copies" that may be "floating around"... mine is satisfactory. There are clearly trade-offs that come with buying a cheaper lens that does several things, but I found this lens to be quite balanced in that respect. Overall I find this lens of good quality and its versatility to be indispensable... until I save up enough to get the ef 100 2.8 macro and the 17-55 2.8IS.
If you are considering buying this as your first lens instead of getting the kit, I unreservedly recommend doing that (especially if it will be your only lens for a while). I owned the kit with my first XT (lost to a break-in) and frequently chafed at its limitations (slowness, minimum focus distance, short focal length) and I think you would find that the modest improvements in these attributes that come with this lens will greatly increase your enjoyment of your camera.
Offers versatility not found elsewhere
Feb 13, 2007
Sigma's 17-70mm offers digital SLR users a versatility not found elsewhere. Many small sensor SLR's (that magnify the lens image) cause the standard 35 or 50mm lens sizes to increase to the point that it is impractical to use them on an everyday basis. For example, to photograph people indoors and include their full bodies, using a 50mm lens requires you to stand so far back that you are out of flash range. Anyone with an older Canon SLR will be very familiar with the disappointment od discovering that the EF-S 18-55 won't fit their cameras without a warranty-voiding alteration to the mount.
The lens offers good clarity, and although does distort straight lines a little at it's widest (most wide zooms do), it also is very fast for a lens of it's cost. For the layperson, the speed of a lens is related to the "f" number, which describes how wide the lens will allow the aperture to open. The smaller the number, the more light the lens will allow in, and the higher the shutter speed you'll be able to use (hence, the faster the lens). This enables the lens to be used in lower light situations, without flash, more easily; although the use of a tripod is still the best way to get sharp images.
The Sigma 17-70 is for you if you have had these problems, and it won't break the bank. It would be an exceptionally good choice for photography students and hobbyists.
Good third party ultra wide angle lens
Feb 25, 2007
I bought this lens about 3 months ago and I honestly like it but it's not the best lens you could buy. For the money though, you can't beat the focal range, build quality, and picture quality. I've not really noticed any real problems with this lens, however, the auto focus is noisy and sometimes a little slow (compared to my L lens). Sigma could have made this better by building it to the same specs as their EX series with the HSM autofocusing motor too. Still, I've been happy with the lens, it's built like a tank and I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a wide angle zoom lens that won't break your piggy bank. I am planning on selling it in the future for the Canon 17-40L or the 24-105L. No time soon though. It's still serving it's purpose as a great walk around lens.
So far so good
Aug 21, 2007
I've had this lens for a few weeks now, and have been experimenting with it since I've gotten it. I absolutely love the macro feature, as I've been taking all sorts of wonderful closeup shots of my wife's flowers, and have been very pleased with the results. I've also been doing a variety of landscape photos out at a local beach, and again, the results have exceeded my expectations, especially given this lens' price! I bought this to replace the pretty useless 18-55mm kit lens my Rebel XT came with, and I haven't regretted this in the slightest. I looked up an awful lot of reviews, and most regarding this lens were very positive (which was good ... but I also did find that for everyone who loves a particular lens, there's someone out there who hates it, so take every review with a grain of salt), but the clincher was the price. I do not have the kind of money necessary to buy Canon L lenses, and I doubt I ever will (food, mortgage, home repairs, etc. are a bit higher on my list), so this lens was a compromise, one that I've found to be very satisfactory. I may be just a weekend photographer, but I still want good quality for my limited budget, and this fits the bill.
worth the money!!!
Nov 19, 2006
I was looking for a lense that would replace my nikkor 18-55mm lens. I wanted somthing around the same zoom range, and mabe with a little more reach if possible. I spent hours looking up reviews and asking questions all over the internet! I fnially came up on the sigma 17-70mm lense, which is the perfect range!! 17mm is pretty wide-angle and its great for pretty much anything like family group shots or senic shots. and the 70mm is great for macro photos of flowers, plants and bugs all the way down to portrait close up shots. and to make the lense even better, its macro!! you will not believe how close you can focus with this lense! it will blow you away!! it will also open up a new and different world of photography for you! the lense is also very very sharp, which was the most important thing for me in finding a lens.
Overall, i highly reccomend this lens!! its an awsome all-around lens thats well worth the money!! you will not regret spending aound $300 for it. once you try it, you will fully understand what im talking about! BUY IT!!
It is fantastic
Nov 5, 2007
No matter what I say about this lens, it is not enough to give it as much credit as it deserve. Really, I read a lot about this sigma lens before I bought it, and when it did arrive it is totally different. Check my macro shots in my flickr www.flickr.com/photos/engineeroo
Great value, sharp lens
Jan 20, 2008
This lens is an excellent lens for wide angle shots, general macro work, in addition to being solid as a general zoom lens. Great contrast, tack sharp focus and a smooth zoom. Internal focus allows for use of a Circular PL filter, drop-ins etc. Some vignetting at 17mm with attached, non-wide angle filters...not enough an issue for me to rush out for the wide angle drop-in filter adapter. After shooting with one for six months, I've bought one for my wife's D70s rig.
Very good "walk around" lens
Aug 2, 2007
Better than the standard kit lens for a few reasons; it's a little faster, a little wider and much longer, good macro capability. It's effectively a 28-105mm zoom (35mm equiv.), great for general purpose wide angle work, and a decent portrait lens at the tele end. Nice and sharp. You can get more pure speed by looking at the 16-50 2.8 constant aperture lens Sigma makes, but you'd be giving up a lot of zoom and paying somewhere around a 40% premium to do so. You can get more tele reach with the 17-125 that Sigma makes, or that monster 18-250mm, but you're giving up speed and close focusing. So just buy it already, along with a good long tele zoom (say, 55-200?) and a fast normal prime (say, the lovely Pentax 50mm f1.4).
Complements my K100D well
Mar 11, 2007
I replaced the kit lens on my Pentax K100D with this. I really like this lens as a general purpose indoor lens. I use it mainly for family photos and have been pleased with the results.
Excellent zoom that is as sharp as my prime lens
Dec 14, 2007
I have a Pentax K10D and a Pentax SMC-FA 35/f2.0AL lens. I bought the sigma 17-70 lens to meet my basic walkaround needs based on the recommendations given by various folks on the Pentax SLR forum at dpreview. I received this lens and I am thrilled with the quality of the photos even wide open. While the 2.8 wide aperture is only valid from 17-21mm, the lens is really sharp in the entire range.
I have compared the performance of this lens with my 35mm prime at equal 35mm and equal apertures and the photographs are just as sharp with more pleasing (warmer) colors. The sigma lens is also made in Japan and the construction quality looks really good. The only two downsides are 1. The lens does not balance well on the camera (even with the BG2 grip on) so one has to place the camera LCD side down. 2. The zoom is a little stiff and one has to turn in the other way (counter-clockwise) to extend the focal length (unlike my 18-70 Nikon zoom)
Vey highly recommended. 47th street also delivered in a timely fashion and with excellent packaging.
Nice walk around lens, excellent color
Jan 23, 2008
I got this lens about a month ago and it has been on my Pentax K10D for most of the time. The lens produces sharp pictures with nice colour and contrast in daylight and covers a good range from wide angle to medium telephoto. The only issue is that f2.8 is only available till 21 mm. Not the best choice if you want to shoot in low light.
Defective?
Jan 27, 2008
I used the 17-70 for a little over a week before coming to the conclusion that mine must be defective. Where other people rave about how it focuses on a dime even in low-light levels, mine could barely be persuaded to focus on the best of days in perfect light. Very few of my pictures taken with it were what you could call crisp and none "tack sharp." Plus, it's very heavy, which made it difficult for me to handhold w/o some motion blur which only added to my problems. My father owns this lens and swears by it and his pictures ARE tack sharp with no vignetting or chromatic aberrations, so that was ultimately what lead me to conclude it defective. I returned it to 47th Street Photo, who still have yet to give me my refund, despite having had the lens since the 11th of january, and even though there will be no re-stocking as they will be sending it back to the manufacturer, they are charging me an exorbitant $50 "re-stocking" fee as I decided I didn't want another one of these behemoth lenses in my camera bag.
Terrific Value
Sep 3, 2007
I recently got this lens for my Minolta 7D, but wish I had made the investment a long time ago! I'm always stepping back, stepping back, oops, my back is against the wall, trying to get more interior architecture in the frame. That is, until I got this lens! I have a 28-80 lens for a Minolta film 35mm camera that just isn't wide enough, epecially with the crop factor working against me. The versatility of the Sigma 17-70 now allows me to get everything I need in the frame and with very high quality -- plus the additional macro ability is something I didn't think I would use much, but have found the extreme close-up option really fun to experiment with. I don't see myself changing lenses much ever again!
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC MACRO Sample Photos
Canon EOS-400D + 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC MACRO
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC MACRO Accessories
72 mm Filters
72 mm Polarizer Filters
- B + W Snap-On Lens Cap for Filters, for Lenses with Inside Diameter of 52mm 4.80 USD
- Digital Concepts 72mm Circular Polarizing Filter 7.47 USD
- Canon XH-A1, XH-G1 - 72mm High Resolution 3-piece Filter Set (UV, Fluorescent, Polarizer) (Not Canon Brand) 9.49 USD
- Canon XH-A1, XH-G1 - 72mm High Resolution 3-piece Filter Set (UV, Fluorescent, Polarizer) - (Not Canon Brand) 11.28 USD
- 72mm 3 FILTER Kit POLARIZER+UV HAZE LOOK NEW 12.38 USD
- 72MM UV FLD POLARIZER HD FILTER SET FOR SONY HDR-FX1 12.68 USD
- 72mm 3 FILTER Kit POLARIZER+UV HAZE LOOK 13.88 USD
- Digital Concepts 72mm Video Filter Kit with UV Protection, Polarizer, & Fluorescent Daylight Filters and Filter Carrying Case 13.90 USD
- TG72CPL Black 72MM Circular Polarizer Filter 13.95 USD
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20K FZ20 - 72mm High Resolution 3-piece Filter Set (UV, Fluorescent, Polarizer) - Not Panasonic Brand 15.53 USD
72 mm UV Filters
- 72mm multi-coated UV filters Canon Ef 50mm 1.4 Sigma 2.65 USD
- MERKURY 72MM UV FILTER 3.44 USD
- 72mm 72 mm UV filter For Nikon CANON PANASONIC lens 4.49 USD
- Digital Concepts 72mm UV Filter 4.89 USD
- Sunpak 72mm Ultra Violet (UV) Glass Filter 4.99 USD
- Sunpak CF7037UV 72mm UV Lens Filter 5.99 USD
- Zeikos Precision Photographic 72mm Professional Glass UV Filter 6.99 USD
- Tiffen 72mm UV Protection Filter 0.00
- HOYA FILTER UV GREEN 72MM UV 8.81 USD
- New 72mm Multi Coated UV Filter 72 mm UV Lens Protector 8.95 USD
72 mm Skylight Filters
- Tiffen 72mm UV Protection Filter 0.00
- Quantaray - 72mm 1A Skylight Filter 24.98 USD
- HOYA 72mm Skylight 1B Warming Filter 11.32 USD
- Hoya 72SKY 72MM Skylight Filter for Camera Lens 17.15 USD
- Tiffen 72MM 1A Skylight Filter for Camera Lens 0.00
- Quantaray - 72mm Skylight 1A Multi-Coated Filter 29.99 USD
- PROMASTER 72MM SKYLIGHT 1A FILTER 39.99 USD
- Heliopan 72mm Skylight Filter (KR 1.5) #707215 63.00 USD
- B + W 72mm Skylight 1A Slim Mount Wide Angle Multi Coated Glass Filter (KR1.5) 115.08 USD
72 mm Lens Caps
- Snap on Lens Cap 72mm 3.99 USD
- Olympus CAP LENS 72mm LC-72 4.29 USD
- B + W Snap-On Lens Cap for Filters, for Lenses with Inside Diameter of 52mm 4.80 USD
- Center pinch 72mm snap-on lens cap with keeper 4.95 USD
- Bower 72mm Plastic Lens Cap 4.99 USD
- Mennon Pro Center Pinch 72mm Snap-On Lens Cap with Leash 5.95 USD
- HAKUBA USA INC 72mm Lens Cap for Camera Lens 5.99 USD
- Plastic Snap-In 72mm Lens Cap 6.39 USD
- Zeikos Precision Photographic 72mm Lens Cap 6.99 USD
- B + W Slip-On Lens Cap for Filters, Size 72mm (75mm Outside Diameter) 7.20 USD