Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC First Impression By DPreview

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM
Get notified when it is in stock at B&H

dpreview posted a first impression review of Sigma’s UFO (Unbelievable F-stop Object), the amazing Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC. The lens delivers constant f/1.8 through the zoom range and is the first zoom lens for APS-C DSLRs with this property. As dpreview writes, the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC “offers APS-C DSLR users access to some of the depth-of-field and low light capabilities that full frame shooters get from their F2.8 zooms”.

Overall the Sigma seems extremely promising and I’ve been pretty pleased with the results[…] Its range means it’s unlikely to be the ‘one lens to rule them all’ for many people, but if I were an owner of an APS-C DSLR that I liked, this might help dispel the idea that APS-C is somehow just a stepping-stone to the quasi-mythically ‘optimal’ full-frame format (an idea Nikon and Canon have no incentive to challenge). The fact remains that APS-C is by far the most widely-used format in the DSLR era, and this lens could help strengthen the cost/size/flexibility proposition that it offers.

The updated sample pics gallery is here.

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8

Product description (from B&H’s product page):

Click here to open the rest of the article

Canon PowerShot SX280 HS Review (ephotozine) and Firmware Update

SX280 HS

User Newtown grafitti on flickr
Another review of Canon’s WiFi and GPS-enabled Powershot SX280 HS. ephotozine reviewed the camera. In the conclusion they write:
The Canon Powershot SX280 HS offers a lot of optical zoom in a compact camera body and has a number of features that the traveller will find appealing including both GPS and Wi-Fi. Image quality is very good with excellent colours and good levels of detail. The 14fps high speed shooting mode will also appeal, although it would be nice if it was available in all of the modes, and could have been used for an automatic HDR mode. It would have also been nice to see an auto-stitching panoramic mode built in. One of the biggest issues with the SX280 is the very short battery life, which will be even shorter when using GPS and Wi-Fi. However, if you are looking for excellent image quality in a compact camera, with a lot of zoom, then the Canon Powershot SX280 HS is recommended.
The camera gets 4/4 stars and “delivers impressive image quality“. As usual with ephotozine‘s professional reviews, the review comes with lots of sample images, test charts etc. The SX280 is prices $329/€290.
A firmware update for the SX280 is available for download.

Firmware Version 1.0.2.0 incorporates the following fixes and improvements:

1. Increases the duration of movie shooting by 20% in cases where the optical zoom is used compared to cameras running Firmware Version 1.0.0.0 or Firmware Version 1.0.1.0 through a reduction in the power consumption of the optical zoom.

2. Fixes a phenomenon with cameras running firmware version 1.0.0.0, in which the low battery level warning is prematurely displayed while shooting in movie mode.

Canon PowerShot SX280 HS price check: B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA
SX280 HS

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Lens Reviews (performance is impressive)

Sigma 18-35mm

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM
Get notified when it is in stock at B&H

The world fastest zoom lens (for APS-C sensors) with a fixed aperture, the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM got reviewed. The lens, part of Sigma’s “Art” line-up, caused some hype when it was announced. Sigma called it UFO (Unbelievable F-stop Object). Some hands-on here and here.

Focus Numerique (google translated) tested a pre-production model, and writes:

The results of the new Sigma zoom are impressive and worthy of a professional optical 24×36 mm that opens to f / 2.8 constant! Of course, the best results are obtained with medium apertures between f / 5,6 and f / 8, though the sharpness is present in larger openings also. However there was a decrease of sharpness between the center and edges of images with larger apertures and f / 1,8 particularly.

Digifoto (no translation from Flemish) writes:

We were surprised again after seeing the test photos. You expect from a zoom lens at fully open aperture somewhat lesser performance in the corners. The Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 however scored exceptionally well, even at the 18mm f/1.8 corner tightened remains very good. The bokeh of the lens looks very stylish, and distortion remains well within bounds.

Image samples of the Sigma 18-35mm can be seen at Dpreview.

[via SAR]

Canon Rebel SL1 (EOS 100D) Review (ephotozine)

Rebel SL1

Canon Rebel SL1 (EOS 100D)
B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

Specifications:

  • 18.0MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • DIGIC 5 Image Processor
  • 3.0″ Clear View II Touchscreen LCD
  • ISO 100-12800, Expandable to 25600
  • Full HD 1080 Video with Continuous AF
  • 4.0 fps Continuous Shooting
  • 9-Point AF System
  • Scene Intelligent Auto Mode
  • Compact and Lightweight; Weighs 0.8 lb
  • EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens

ephotozine reviewed the Canon Rebel SL1 (EOS 100D in EU), the world’s smallest DSLR. They liked:

  • Excellent image quality
  • Excellent colour
  • Excellent noise performance
  • Very good build quality and design
  • Optical viewfinder
  • Q-button gives quick access
  • Smallest DSLR available
  • Great touchscreen
  • Improved live view focus speeds

The Canon EOS Rebel SL1 kit with 18-55mm EF-S IS STM and EF-S 55-250mm IS II lenses is $950 (click here) on Amazon ($148 off) for a limited time.

Canon PowerShot SX50 HS Review (Imaging Resource)

PowerShot SX50

Canon PowerShot SX50 HS
B&H Photo, Adorama, Amazon USA, Amazon Canada, Canon Canada, Canon USA

Imaging resource reviewed the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS. The cam features a whooping 50x zoom, equivalent to 24-1200mm, and Canon’s Intelligent IS optical image stabilization technology. The reviewer

was extremely happy with the quality of the 12-megapixel images I took with the Canon SX50 HS, especially those I captured at ISO 400 and below. For the most part, the photos — even at full 50x zoom — were pretty sharp and dynamic.

In the conclusion they write:

In most ways the Canon SX50 HS proved to be the long-reaching camera I had longed to use for capturing images of Spring Training baseball. And I strongly suspect it would be as perfect for shooting daytime travel, street, architecture, landscape and wildlife photography as it was for capturing the sights and action of a sunny ballgame.

It was also an equally impressive travel companion in terms of its size, simplicity to use and shooting flexibility. […] The Canon SX50 HS proved to have ample image quality and advanced features to make it a great second or travel camera for serious shooters, and plenty of flexibility to make it a great primary camera for beginning and casual photographers.

The review comes with many sample shots, test charts etc. Specifications (taken from Adorama’s product page):

  • World’s first 50x Optical Zoom (24-1200mm) and 24mm Wide-Angle lens with Optical Image Stabilizer delivers magnificent images whether you are up close or far away
  • 12.1 Megapixel High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor combined with a DIGIC 5 Image Processor creates the Canon HS SYSTEM for improved low-light performance up to ISO 6400 and enhanced image quality
  • Capture stunning 1080p Full HD video in stereo sound with a dedicated movie button; zoom while shooting and play back videos on an HDTV via the HDMI output
  • High Speed AF greatly improves focus speed and High-Speed Burst HQ allows for continuous capture at a maximum of 10 frames while maintaining superb image quality
  • Intelligent IS automatically chooses from six different modes to optimize image stabilization for the shooting condition
  • Bright 2.8-inch Vari-angle LCD with 461,000 dots for shooting at a variety of angles, plus an Electronic Viewfinder
  • Smart AUTO intelligently selects the proper camera settings based on 58 predefined shooting situations and the Face ID function adjusts focus and exposure priority based on pre-registered faces
  • Full range of shooting and recording modes including RAW+JPEG for the ultimate creative control
  • Built-in hot shoe allows compatibility with optional Speedlite flashes for additional lighting options