Are Sigma lenses a good alternative to Canon lenses on Canon cameras?
Asked 7/15/2010
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2 answers
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I’m using a Canon camera and tend to assume I should buy Canon lenses rather than third-party options. Are Sigma lenses generally comparable in quality and compatibility, or are they mostly cheaper knock-offs? I’m interested in whether Sigma can be a good choice overall, and what to watch out for when comparing a specific Sigma lens with a Canon equivalent.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
16y ago
2 Answers
23
My wife and I own three Sigma lenses: the "bigma" (50-500mm), my 17-70mm f/2.8-4, and her 30mm f/1.4 prime. We absolutely love them, for their respective strengths:
- Noone touches the Bigma for range. Yes, it's soft. Yes, it's unbelievably big and heavy. But it's a disturbingly versatile lens.
- The 30mm is incredibly sharp, and f/1.4 is something you just have to use to understand why you want it.
- My 17-70mm is a great compromise lens; it's almost always attached to my camera, and I switch off when I have a particular need.
And, quite frankly, it's tough to touch Sigma on price. As with all things, they have their good lenses and their bad lenses (just like Canon); be sure to check sites like photozone.de for quality tests before plunking down your money.
Originally by user14. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user14
16y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Sigma lenses are not simply “cheap knock-offs.” Sigma makes some very good lenses, some average ones, and some weaker ones—much like Canon. The useful comparison is lens-by-lens, not brand-wide.
From the shared experiences, several Sigma lenses are praised for strong value or unique options: the 30mm f/1.4, 17-70mm, 10-20mm, 12-24mm, and 150mm macro all get positive comments. Some Sigma lenses are described as softer or less impressive, especially certain zooms wide open, but they can still offer good performance for the price.
In general, Canon’s top professional lenses often set the benchmark, but Sigma can offer excellent image quality, useful focal lengths, and lower cost. For many photographers, Sigma is a perfectly sensible choice on a Canon body.
Best advice: research the exact lens model you’re considering, read reviews and sample images, and compare its strengths, weaknesses, and price to the Canon equivalent.
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