Beautiful photos! I'll also be picking this up for my client work soon on L-mount. Thanks for the review.

Really beautiful photos Benj. Love the locations as well!

Absolutely love this lens. Never take it off of my FX30. Incredible video as always man!

I picked up the canon 28-70 f2 after trying it on a few commercial jobs and realizing how well it performed. The thing that really sold me even though I’m used to prime quality was the ability to work a scene and get a large verity without needing to switch up lenses or use two cameras. It’s stupid big and heavy ..and expensive. You’re right that mirrorless went in the total opposite direction from what we hoped/thought it would. Kinda disappointing I’m done ways but dispute it’s inconveniences, the images coming from my r5 and RF Lglass are a lot sharper and have less distortion then the 5D IV and EF ever gave me. It’s worth it for me and the work that I do.

Ben, I currently own this lens. I’ve had it for over a year. I initially had the 24-70mm Art and these lenses, in terms of optics are essentially the same for far less money. Light on your bank account and light on your back when it comes to carrying this lens versus the Art lens. I shoot it on the camera system it was built for, LUMIX. The S5 to be exact and I use it for photojournalism, documentary and reportage work. It’s more than sharp enough and I don’t really care about the borek. I shoot this lens between f5.6 and f11 anyway. It’s get’s the job done without question.

The dynamic range in those photos (=camera) seems to be insane. In some photos you had really bright sun, a beautiful white, gorgeous colors yet some very attractive shadows. Your presets, color balance and aesthetic choices are always on point! I don't think you're an elitist when it comes to lenses, it always about the right tool at the right time and what you feel about it. I only use primes but I wish I had a solid zoom for video on my xt4/xpro combo.

@benchew6599

Жыл бұрын

Agree. beautiful photos! you said they didn't blow you out of the water, but i thought they were unbelievable. I also know it's not just the camera--it's the photographer!

@REMY.C.

Жыл бұрын

@@benchew6599 on the contrary I said the photos were beautiful. agreed, an eye and training for good exposure takes years and we can definitely see that in his.

@PsychonautTV

Жыл бұрын

im pretty sure on those sun backlit photos, there was a white-reflector to balance shadows but i could be wrong, Sony's full frame sensors are insane nowadays

I have the Sigma 24-70 Art at work, it’s really incredible, it makes me second guess my claim of being a prime only guy. I’d love to try out the 28-70 because of size/weight though! I think the trade off could be worth it.

I’ve had my eye on this lens in L mount for a long time. Such a great value and incredible form factor! Would be pretty rad paired with the FP body in my opinion. Absolutely love my SL 24-90, but this Sigma definitely has me intrigued.

I've bought the 16-28 only a few weeks ago and it's deadly. Small, light, Sharp, Internal Zoom. I see where you're coming from on the subject of small bodies/lenses with mirrorless. I was the same when I moved in 2017. I have the Tamron 35-150 f2-2.8 and love it but it is heavy. You could try the Tamron 70-180 f2.8 Nice video!!!

Ben, I like your pictures very much!

Dude! I love how you're using Sony cameras now! I was wondering how are you liking it with your Cascade presets? Do you have to adjust it a lot?

We have also swapped from 24-70 art to 28-70 and 16-28 combo and that was a good decision 🔥Nice review

Thank you!

Those photos look incredible.

Literally just got a used Leica SL and this lens as my new stills workhorse after selling off some fuji gear. My plan is this lens for editorial/commercial work and working on a trio of Leica r lens for personal/portrait work.

First time here; Just subbed because of those beautiful shots! Bonus you’re a Sony shooter.

you should really try micro 4/3 if you want quality zoom lens with compact size. The glass for pansonic/olympus is top notch. I am a Canon baby as well but Olympus changed my life when I bought a OM-D EM1X

I do not hate zoom Lenses, I just do not like to use zoom lenses, I like to use the very best prime Lenses.

My first sigma lens I owned back from the 90s on my screw drive AF on my Nikon N90 always had terrible back focus issue. It was a 28-70 F2.8-F4. After that lens I vowed to never by a 3rd party lens again until the Sigma Art series came out and bought a 35 f1.4 art. I broke that vow and purchased it and have been very happy with it, even adapted to my Nikon Z9. I’m glad sigma has come a long way from their past.

So the full frame version of Sigma’s 18-50 f2.8. I don’t care for zoom lenses either, but love mine on the XT-4. Paired it with the Fujifilm 33mm f1.4.

I'm considering this lens or the Tamron 20-40 f2.8 as an everyday lightweight zoom lens. I can make a case for either. Had the Sigma 24-70 f2.8 and while optically great, it was just too big and heavy for me as easy to carry lens and body combo. So this is on my radar.

Hardest thing for me to do was to sell my Canon RF 28-70 F2 when I switched over to Fuji from Canon. That F2 through the entire range was fast and as as sharp as a bag full of the best primes. That’s the only lens I truly miss from my old system. I worry that the slower f2.8 speed on the lens in this video combined with the APSC sensor on my XH2S may leave me feeling a little underwhelmed after using F2 on a full frame for the last couple of years. I may give it a shot though.

I think Sigma really figured something out with this and the 18-50/2.8 APS-C zoom. There are lots of great standard zooms for folks who don’t mind big lenses. No disregard to those zooms or their fans. They just wouldn’t be ones I want to use. These are zooms for folks who value the compactness of primes, a different segment of users. Nearly as small as a kit zoom, but constant aperture 2.8 and optical stronger than the smaller zooms.

ben hi ,i have a question i was thinking about getting the voightlander 35mm 1.4 for my fujifilm XE3 , what are you thoughts on this lens. i know its all manual focus but is it worth it for the diffrent look,also will i need a adaptor or no thks

Gotta try out the new tamron 35-150mm 2.0/2.8! It’s awesome!

The Sigma APS-C 18-35 Art on my sd Quattro was hands down the best zoom lens I’ve ever used and beat a lot of my primes. It isn’t small though.

I love my sigma 24-70! They make some of the best third party lenses!🎉❤

I've owned the equivalent GM lenses from Sony for years, and recently picked up th 16-28mm, and I sold both of the GMs! Value for these are a beauty!

@gunairy

Жыл бұрын

Not to mention the MASSIVE size difference haha. GM lenses are overrated as all hell.

@FrankDavalos

Жыл бұрын

@@gunairy I mean... the lenses are great.. but when you can buy a Sigma zoom that's half the size, and 30% the price, and 85% the iQ... I really don't see why anyone would buy the GM's. They're YUGE.

@PsychonautTV

Жыл бұрын

@@FrankDavalos i would argue that the image quality isn't all that different, the sigma contemporary's basically have the same AF performance and sharpness, its just the GM's dont have as much distortion and don't have cat-eye bokeh lenses nowadays are all just so damn good lol its crazy

What grip extension are you using? It looks slimmer than the one I have.

Which grip do you use on your Sony?

I have the sigma 24-70 Art lens and I honestly have not teken it off of my A7c since I got it, that is the only lens that I will ever need on a fullframe sensor... It's (obviously) my favourite lens ever, cheaper yet absolutely on par (and sometimes even better) than Sony's competitor. This contemporary version seems to be even more practical but I often find myself at the 24mm end and I believe that the wider angle and over all better image quality justify the additional costs, I can only recommend to also consider the art lens before buying the contemporary one.

Yeah that’s some beautifully lit b roll 😎

Do you recommend this over the Sony 20-70 f4 g lens?

You mention a matching compact tele zoom - how about Tamron's 70-180mm F/2.8?

I have that lens and use it on my Leica CL.

Not sure if you've tried the Tamron 28-75 G2 and the Tamron 70-180 2.8 but you should check those out when you get the chance.

@imbrion7981

Жыл бұрын

@@arrangearrange what makes them better

@DavidStella

Жыл бұрын

No one: Tamron fanboys: have you checked out any Tamron lens yet?

@PixlByPixl

Жыл бұрын

@@imbrion7981 I don't think they are necessarily better , the autofocus tends to be Abit better but whenever people say the autofocus is better I always feel it's a negligible difference . I appreciate now how sharp Sigma lenses tend to be. I mentioned them because he asked if there was any other lenses like that he should check out I made the recommendation .

@imbrion7981

Жыл бұрын

@@DavidStella lol i was about to say and i heard sigma was slightly better

@imbrion7981

Жыл бұрын

@@PixlByPixl i agree, i wasn’t talking to you when i referred to better the guy who commented said that

I love this lens on my SL2-S.

this one is pretty solid.

I would love to see what you think about the Sigma 18-50 f2.8 available for Fuji and Sony. I think that a Fujifilm XE-4 with it and a 35 1.4 is all a person could need for light travel.

@arvidjohansson3120

Жыл бұрын

I find the 55-200mm fuji to lack reach . I don’t get it how people can settle for 75mm full frame just not long enough.

@BobbyGN268

Жыл бұрын

@@arvidjohansson3120 I mainly shoot environmental portraits when I travel so I have never needed anything longer. I also use me phone (which has a very nice telephoto) for landscapes and architecture shots so that I can share them directly in Instagram Stories. But note that I am not a photographer, I just like to have good pictures from my travels. That is why weight and ease of use are more important to me than a small increase in image quality that either way will get lost when you update to a social media platform

Any thoughts on the voightlander 35 1.5 hope you make a video on that!

@g33k3301

Жыл бұрын

Had it, it's really nice and I would get it over the Distagon ZM (had this one for three years).

Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VX would be my choice. Combine with Samyang AF 1.8/24 as a wide and either the Samyang AF 1.8/35 or 1.8/45 as a lightweight street. Total lens kit around 1.5kgs, with Sony A7RIII and peripherals and bag and carbon tripod, could get the total kit weight to under 5 kilos.

My favorite zoom is the Fujifilm XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR this covers the range of 24 to 84mm. Sharp and fast! The perfect lens to take hiking as it covers almost every scenario. If I need something longer, I take the 90 F2, which is 135 mm APC.

@itsbeaker6571

Жыл бұрын

Which body do you use? I have a xT3 and I’m wondering if it’s worth it not having IBIS. I do want a 24-70 equivalent. Been looking at the the Tamron 17-70 2.8 or Sigma 18-50 2.8. But something is telling me to stay native.

@simon359

Жыл бұрын

@@itsbeaker6571 I have the XT4. It has ibis, but I don’t care much for the autofocus. 👎 I used to have the Xpro2 and I was fine without Ibis when I was hiking in the mountains. But with ibis, it’s a major change as I don’t have to carry a tripod. The Fuji 16-55 2.8 is a very sharp lens and I recommend it wholeheartedly! I’ve been thinking about getting the XT5, but I’m starting to wonder about the quality of Fuji’s camera bodies. My pro2 viewfinder broke off and my XT4 is back in the shop twice now within a couple of years! And I’m very light on my equipment, I don’t abuse it! I think next time I get a Fuji body, I’m going to make sure I have an extended warranty! 💸💸

@itsbeaker6571

Жыл бұрын

@@simon359 thanks for the advice. I love the xT3. It’s my first mirrorless, but I’m thinking of getting another company body for work and get the Fuji for personal stuff. I use mainly manual focus lenses and old adapted lenses like Canon FD and I’m sure I’m not going to risk using those at a wedding haha. But the 16-55 2.8 looks amazing. Might test it to see if maybe just another Fuji for work is coming if it’s good! Lol

@simon359

Жыл бұрын

@@itsbeaker6571 I find the 16-55 2.8 to be as sharp as a prime lens! Other lenses I own are the 10-24 F4, the old version. The new, 18 1.4, 33 1.4 and the 90 F2. I mostly use these lenses for street photography. These lenses help the XT4 focus faster, plus if you use the focus limiter on the 90 F2 it helps quite a bit. You’ll definitely have less hunting.

Try the Fuji film 18-55, its fantastic and it has auto focus, image stabilazation and an aperture ring.

@benjhaisch

Жыл бұрын

I owned it for awhile! It really is the best kit lens available, but 2.8-4 on a crop is a lot different from 2.8 constant on FF

@prince2thethrone

Жыл бұрын

@@benjhaisch can you do a video on the Sony ZV-1? thanks

How does this compare to the Tamron 28-75mm G2 lens? Which would you choose if you could only pick one of the two?!

@Ben-AP

7 ай бұрын

I'm a little late to respond here, so I'm not sure if you still need an answer. I did quite a lot of research on sigma 28-70 vs tamron 28-75 g2 recently, as I'm looking to pick one of them up. It really comes down to what you value more. The tamron is definitely ahead in terms of image quality and sharpness, especially at 70/75mm. If that is important to you, go with the tamron. if size/weight matters more, go sigma. The tamron also has better weather sealing afaik. Personally I'll probably pick up the tamron, which I'm a little sad about because I love the size of the sigma.

I don’t hate zooms, I just don’t like using them and prefer using single focal lengths. Less is always more when it comes to my photography. I also use modern manual focus lenses (like Voigtlander) and ignore quite a lot of the features my camera has to keep it simple.

Sorry, I’m confused now. Do you use your Leicas, GFX or Sony for wedding photography? I can’t keep up.

@benjhaisch

Жыл бұрын

hahaha exactly

What is lutz? I keep hearing people talking about it, but what is it for?

@benjhaisch

Жыл бұрын

LUTs are sort of like video color/toning presets.

Ben, what about your love for Leica?

@benjhaisch

Жыл бұрын

still saving for an M11, those things are WILDLY expensive :(

I’ve used the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 a bit and even though I try to not fall prey to "more bokeh is more better" because there is such a thing as a too shallow depth of field, the f/2.8 zoom left me with a "meh, this isn’t enough" impression. Which was really unfortunate. Because even in terms of price, it would be a banger. I might have to become better as a photographer to not rely on shallow depth of field to the degree that I do at the moment...

I like this lens for the form factor and value but the barrel distortion above and under 35mm is quite drastic. I do a lot of product and architectural videos and this is a pain to work with. Chromatic aberration is also horrendous. I don’t mind it for content creation or work that doesn’t need precision with the optics. Other than that, I have no issues with photography and lifestyle work with this one. Good value for a lightweight zoom.

@benjhaisch

Жыл бұрын

I probably wouldn't use it for architectural stuff specifically, but corrections are pretty decent and it's fantastic for events.

And if you have a high MP camera, and ok by not using all of them all the time, the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN (APS-C) is even smaller and as good as this one ! 🤯

Nice Video 👍

I have it, love it, but find it too short on the long end for wedding. So I bough the Tamron 35-150. Ok I miss the weight ans the size of the sigma, but that range, that sharpness wow ! No brainer Lens IMO Now I'm gonna sell my lovely sigma to replace it by a sigma 16-28.

Lol that Ghost of Canon wants vengeance!

Zooms are fun and the Sigma line really shine. Your pictures shine. BTW, that photo at 8.25 is really bizzare. The lady in the white dress looks as if she is part of the tree.

Ben, the fact you trust this Sigma zoom for professional work says a lot.

Is it an internal extended or external?

@benjhaisch

7 ай бұрын

External

The picture are quite sharp. Perhaps sharper than normal life. I see a hint of orange in the colour. Nevertheless the pictures are quite nice actually.

I just so hate canon stoppage for 3rd party lenses now. really contemplating on selling. all my canon gears and shift to Sony!

Oh Canon, eff you.

Oh no, time for agony aunt hour, I'm going on a whiney rant - I'm the same identifying as some prime lens ponce but even though I only specialize in street work and I only carry the one lens at a time, every now and then - I get caught out - great scene or subject in front and I'm too narrow or wide. Tough. Hence why I remain curious about a tip top zoom within this focal range...but and it is a huge but. What is it with Sigma and no aperture rings?!?? - Complete deal breaker, why just the other day I hijacked their Sigma UK Tube channel to whinge and whine as to why they don't have my money as yet. Where's the ring man? I'm a manual guy, I can't be dealing with this. Right, rant over. Props to the chap below regarding the Fuji 18-55mm kit lens for the cash, particularly 2nd hand is criminally good, insane value - no way Fuji make money on it, but I get it, it's a gateway trap lens to get you hooked on their other lenses which are certainly pricier. All I want for Christmas is an assortment from Sigma with aperture rings. I'll keep wishing for now.

Love the 16-28. And as for a 70-200 or even 70-180 in L-Mount in this size… I would sell my current 70-200 😂 without taking a breath. Samyang is touting a 35-150 f/2.0-2.8 L-Mount. I would take that in SIGMA all day long… come on Sigma don’t let Samyang or Tamron beat you to this 🙏🏽

As long as you take good photos clients don't care what lens you use.

Man that’s all you need to shoot a whole wedding.

Wow, welcome to the dark side Benj. Guess I missed a few episodes. You're not shooting Leica M anymore?

So we're just gonna ignore how heavy this exact setup is? 😂.... Dude I own and love these but they're pretty heavy 😂

10:54 Look, a 70-200mm zoom! Maybe SIGMA heard your request. SIGMA 70-200MM F2.8 DG DN OS | S . . . but definitely not as compact as the 28-70mm you are reviewing here.

Been using the Sigma 28-70 and 16-28 a ton lately. They offer stellar value, and to my eye have more character compared to the Sony lenses. I might end up selling a bunch of Sony glass, including some GM.

To be fair, it is very hard to tell by the pictures that you showed how good the lens is. You really need to compare it directly with an other lens to say something senseble. Having said that, you showed nearly only pictures with plenty of light. We know however that it becomes challenging if you need to make pictures inside with poor light. f/2.8 over the whole range is certainly impressive, especially if you consider the size of the lens, but it is hard to compete with the fast prime lenses.

@benjhaisch

Жыл бұрын

Sure, I usually use primes in lower light, which is why there is a bit of a lack of images. has worked great in the times I’ve used it though.

that place ...pffff

I do not hate I like. Actually more then prime lenses.

Good enough Leica we're happy to rebadge it. Looks like a beautifully designed and constructed lens

Thanks for sharing, love your work it’s refreshing and very clean. but I’m not sure what all this fuss is about in regards to the weight? I did weddings for 15 years, average 10-14 hour days, & at that time I had the Eos 1Ds & Eos 1DX 24-70f2.8, 700-200 f2.8 and heaps of primes , everything weighed but wasn’t that bad, rather supply better image quality then skimping on lighter cheaper lenses. Even today I Liaise with a lot of female photographers and some of theme love using the newer Canon 28-70mm F2 i think it weighs 1.5 kgs? They say it’s like 3 primes in one and they love it, yes they mention it’s a bit heavy but not a real issue. I wish I had that lens in my younger days. Sorry to say this, but Maybe you should work out? Condition yourself more, because seriously if I was a client hearing my image quality is compromised because your too lazy to carry heavier lenses? I’m sorry I wouldn’t be impressed.

Why does this lens exist when sigma already makes the 24-70 f2.8 ?

@benjhaisch

Жыл бұрын

Their 24-70/2.8 is MUCH bigger.

Nah man, if you’re an elitist on lenses, you’d purchase the Sony 24-70mm GM Mark II not a 3rd party zoom. You’re practical.

You lost me at elitists. Who cares about your prime over zoom lenses? Just b/c you don't know the value of zoom lenses, don't need you thumbing your nose at me. I guess it's a good video, but didn't get past the 40 seconds. That's my zoom "elitists" opinion!