Hey guys have you ever experienced people giving you prejudice on your SIGMA gear just because these guys think the SIGMA brand is a 2nd tier company?

What's your story?

My story came from last weekend at a party I was in. It was about my 530 DG Super.

People where asking my why I got the 530 instead of a speedlite. I had to justify the fact that the 530 just cost more than the speedlite 430ex and was a lot cheaper than the 580 ex.

Sure you could say that speedlites where better but right now I don't see it (I'm no pro!). ETTL metering of my sigma seems right on and the recycle time is as fast, or faster, than a 430. It also packs in for features such as wireless master and slave setup option and 2nd curtain firing.

After that presentation I think I convinced them to try the SIGMA hehe...:Evil:

personally, i dont think you need to defebd any of of your purchases to anyone.

regarding gear...its always a matter of choice...

but the more important part is - how you effectively use that 'choice' :)

Mark,

Our motto: It's the Indian, not the Pana.

Your gear is your gear. Make the most out of it...

it will all boil down to preference and budget :D i do agree with what levi said on how you effectively use the choice :D and at the same time it your budgets permits you, get the best, but if not, get the best that your budget can afford :D

personally, i do not have problems with other people saying that i should have gotten the nikkor counterparts of my 70-200 and 12-24. but i can't afford the nikkor counterparts for now, so i got them. and i've been happy with their performance, so no worries on my part.

i'd still want to get the nikkor counterparts, but maybe once i outgrow my d50 and if i have the money :D keep on shooting bro:D

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is stoned to death. - JD Vinge

At the end of the day, it all comes down to how well we photographed. regardless of how expensive or cheap our gear is.
("We" refers to newbies like me... hehehe)

I just think its plain ignorance of the brand. Other than having the QA/QC problem (where some reported copies are bad), but if you get a good copy, I don't see any reason why you should not get one.

I heard the Sigma flashes are very good. Actually, I'm considering EM-140DG (the ring flash). Unfortunately, its not available at JTPhoto. :(

i'm a happy sigma user. as levi pointed out, it's not the brand of gear, it's how you use it. as melvin pointed out, it's maybe out of brand ignorance. but for whatever reason your choice seems to be subject to prejudice, imho let your pictures speak of your skills and talent, not the brand.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oggie

My sig says it all...

I still get the best that I can afford considering that its only a hobby (a hobby that I love)

I been using a sigma flash for quite sometime now, cheaper than canon flashes. But they really do perform well, only qualm though is not having that built-in white bounce flash card so i did some improvisation for it.

I have also 2 sigma lens... so far so good for my canon 400D.... :Grin:

Mark, I think it only shows that you are smarter than those guys ;)

I own a sigma flash myself, and all i can do is it's capable of delivering more than what I need at half the price of the canon flash of the same class :D

But i think you would agree with me that the speedlite/580EX are sexier to look at than the sigmas :D I think sigma's are cheaper because they got a cheap designer hahaha

Just say "Gusto ko eh, baket?"

@david,
sobrang natawa ako sa post mo, hahaha. (i laughed my head off reading your post)
but i agree.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oggie

Just a thought...

Ordinary people can't really discriminate you using a Sigma lens/flash, simply because they don't know the difference between a Sigma or a Canon/Nikon/Pentax/etc (I mean they could read, but laypeople wouldn't know which is which right), hence those discriminators are roughly "in the know" about photography and stuff. In that case, either they haven't tried a Sigma yet, or they are posers pretending to be "in the know". :)

Just a thought...

Ordinary people can't really discriminate you using a Sigma lens/flash, simply because they don't know the difference between a Sigma or a Canon/Nikon/Pentax/etc (I mean they could read, but laypeople wouldn't know which is which right), hence those discriminators are roughly "in the know" about photography and stuff. In that case, either they haven't tried a Sigma yet, or they are posers pretending to be "in the know". :)

ditto Melvin...

Just a thought...

Ordinary people can't really discriminate you using a Sigma lens/flash, simply because they don't know the difference between a Sigma or a Canon/Nikon/Pentax/etc (I mean they could read, but laypeople wouldn't know which is which right), hence those discriminators are roughly "in the know" about photography and stuff. In that case, either they haven't tried a Sigma yet, or they are posers pretending to be "in the know". :)

amen bro :D hehehehe

I agree with all of you guys especially just saying "gusto ko eh" hehe...

at any case there was a time when I thought no one really knew the sigma brand (since it's always canon vs nikon, of course there are others but lets not make the topic any bigger or a debate will start to emerge from this:)), but that was a time when I didn't see a lot of people going into the hobby of photography.

I just posted this thread to see what ignorance you guys received from people asking you "What's SIGMA?"

In my case I like to defend my purchase and I like to educate the non-educated. That or madaldal lang talaga ako hehe...

basta bro, pag meron pa ulit nagcomment ng ganun.. pakitaan mo ng mga best shots mo.. sabay sabi.. "sigma? errr its the one that i use to take these photos.. but of course you can also get the same results with a nikon or canon.. nasa tao yan eh.. :D"

I really don't care what other say about my gear. It's mine. I have 3 sigma lenses. and one sigma flash. All works as it should. I'm even proud that these cheapos perform very well and surprises snobs once in a while.

The people whose opinion matter most (to me anyways :)) don't really care what brand you're using. Whenever I hear someone extol the virtues of their brand at the expense of another, the layperson just gives them a blank stare. Same thing happens when they try to explain their technique. Like, "yeah whatever you say mr. photograher, now let me see my pictures, do I look good or not". :Grin:

It’s who’s behind the camera, not the camera.
pero the best na sabihing "gusto ko eh!" hahhahaha
salamat david! pag may nagtanong sakin ng ganun, yun ang irereply ko!

I have 2 sigma lens, 17-70mm and 70-300mm. Gusto ko eh! :)

Sigmas aren't cheap. They are relatively cheaper than their Nikon and Canon counterparts. Hehehe...

I'm in need of a flash. Don't know if a SB600 is ok or get a Sigma one. No plans for CLS naman eh.

If someone asked me what 2nd tier manufacturer I would buy lenses from, I would answer Sigma.

i don't care who makes my stuff as long as it can do what i want it to do at a price i can afford.

OT: Someone told me there's a quality control problem with Sigma lenses??? and it's 95% possibility you'll get a good copy. But the problem is if you bought it online and never had the chance to try the lens. In my case, i don't even know how to try the lens, hehehe.

Mark, here's my take w/o any pun intended, if what they say affects you, then its you that has a problem. Why should you feel insecure, because that's what I hear here. Again, no pun intended.

Agree with Derick as well... :D Goes back to.. "Ano paki mo?" hehehe

in my personal experience, "a lot" of the people picking on gear are the ones who usually don't have them or just insecure about their stuff/gear/etc :D so the hell with them. important thing is be happy with your stuff.

in my personal experience, "a lot" of the people picking on gear are the ones who usually don't have them or just insecure about their stuff/gear/etc :D so the hell with them. important thing is be happy with your stuff.

... Or they also wanted to justify their purchase. Its like, "My lens is like 2x the price compared to yours, so it should perform 2x better..." These are just plain gearheads (not photographers) who are more concerned with the specs of their lenses rather than their output from them. :)

Mark, here's my take w/o any pun intended, if what they say affects you, then its you that has a problem. Why should you feel insecure, because that's what I hear here. Again, no pun intended.

No offence taken Derick, like i said, I just wanted to hear about your stories. As you can see a few people have something to say about it hehe...

I don't care what people think, it really is MY gear and if you're going to give me a lens / flash for X'mas, pls give me a buget your willing to spend on me then give me the lump sum in cash haha!

BTW on the thought of getting a bad copy online, you could get JT to service it since they cover international warranty.

Cheers SIGMA fans! :Grin:

It's probably a confidence thing. We derive some confidence and inspiration in the gear like it's "anting-anting" (talisman/amulet). As if it's the source of power, when really it's yourself. Some probably need to hold on to something abstract like a brand name. I confess I have no confidence using the kit lens but seeing some incredibly creative shots with it in a thread somewhere it's really humbling.

if it wasnt for the canon sale i may have gotten myself a sigma 24-70 instead

anyway, people who's dissing sigma (or 3rd parties') products are obviously narrow-minded or measurebating people

We all have our own considerations and criterias in choosing and buying our gear. This is all a matter of personal preference.

Brand choice is personal choice. This must be respected by everyone.:)

at first... i didt really like my sigma 28-70 ex... (dats the only lens i could adfford)

but after a few months of spending time with it...

im starting to know it ..make friends wid the lens =)

at the end of the day.. its still a good lens =)

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c399/djmyke/sunset1.jpg

nice shot djmyke...

one of the most respected and for me one of the best, if not the best, pro photographers in the philippines and an icon of the industry actually told me to 'throw away my sigma lens'...based on his experience he had nothing good to say about it...he told me if i were serious in my craft then i should invest in top glass like the L series of canon

well i just took it with a grain of salt...i can understand his prejudice, i mean his name and fortune is dependent on the quality of his images and if he feels that sigma cannot meet his standards then i respect that...after all he does use hassies and leicas

as for me, as a pure hobbyist who has no intentions on making a living off photography i can honestly say that i am happy with sigma...

Sigma lenses are all made of glass and steel ( I still have to see one with a plastic mounting) and it is made directly from JAPAN. As they say it is not the gear, but the person behind the gear and the person in front of the LENS that matters MOST!!!

Sigma is a great brand and the lenses that I got from them are the ones I won't be selling anytime soon. I am actually contemplating in getting their flash too.

Tokina is also another good brand, the build quality is amazing. I am yet to try a Tamron.

I'm a content sigma user too and I have no problem using it since I got a good copy.

you just have to grin and bear it 'til you can afford to buy either canon or nikon.

tactile considerations factor a lot in my decision-making process. i have tried using a sigma lens once and the controls weren't as smooth as i'd want them to be. if it doesn't feel right, i tend to not use it. it's all a matter of preference, btw. i'm just saying that it's not for me. and, yes, it was way too soft at wide open. probably a bad copy. but that happens a lot more on average with Sigma versus the other two. you actually have to test 3 or 4 copies to give you that confidence level when you finally make a buy (which is what we did on one occassion with a friend... yes, the copies were not consistent). with canon (can't say with nikon), the lenses are almost always ready to go, no copy comparisons required. not to say that L glass is perfect. i have heard stories from a couple of pros who had bad experiences with this line. but on average, L glass does live up to its guarantee of quality and performance.

i have advised friends to ditch sigma and go directly to canon IF they can afford it because i've seen it all too often... you eventually want to buy the best (it just becomes a question of when you can afford it). so i spare them the detour and tell them to go buy that L glass already. those who dilly-dallied eventually found their way knocking on canon's doorsteps.

i think sigma is all about giving people alternatives. it's a niche player and it plays it well.

if price weren't an issue, i don't think you'd even give sigma a second look.

but price is a real consideration. and we're all too happy that there's somebody out there who can give us decent quality for the money that we're willing to shelling out.

as for those snobs... well, you just have to take it with a grain of salt. i have never encountered gear snobs in this forum or elsewhere. whenever they poke fun at sigma, it's all done in an atmosphere where everyone understands and appreciates good gear, sigma included. and it's NEVER EVER personal. all in good fun, always :)

and, yes, at the end of the day, it is still about the image.

p.s. now, imagine what them leica dudes are saying against nikon AND canon ;)

just a question about sigma lenses resale value.. do they hold up? any testimonials?

just a question about sigma lenses resale value.. do they hold up? any testimonials?

I'll answer this after someone gets my 2wk old 24-70EX. Realized I should have gone a little wider. :(

...
p.s. now, imagine what them leica dudes are saying against nikon AND canon ;)

hehehehe :Grin:

hehehehe :Grin:

nyahahah.. agree.. agreee :D

Newbie poh..Tanong lang po what Sigma na Wide, Macro and Fish-eye lens ang masusuggest nyo.. yung medyo "Budget-Friendly". ahihi.. Thanks in advance..

On zoomers naman, I have my eye on nikkor 55-200 VR na.. But open pa rin for some enlightenment.. ^_^

Newbie poh..Tanong lang po what Sigma na Wide, Macro and Fish-eye lens ang masusuggest nyo.. yung medyo "Budget-Friendly". ahihi.. Thanks in advance..

On zoomers naman, I have my eye on nikkor 55-200 VR na.. But open pa rin for some enlightenment.. ^_^

Yo Steep. Sigma prices are relatively lower so almost all the line up is budget friendly.... but the nikkor 55-200VR and 18-135 at only 11K is very hard to beat at those ranges. Only go Sigma if you want constant 2.8 lenses at lower prices than Nikkor.

I personally don't have the need to justify my gear selection to anyone... there are so many factors involved... ill just be wasting time explaining... but i do make it a point to thoroughly research on a product before buying... that way i can sleep at night better... that given the different variables and constraints i made the "best buy" suited for me...

Yo Steep. Sigma prices are relatively lower so almost all the line up is budget friendly.... but the nikkor 55-200VR and 18-135 at only 11K is very hard to beat at those ranges. Only go Sigma if you want constant 2.8 lenses at lower prices than Nikkor.

Also the Sigmas 10-20 UWA is also GOOD! It has good reviews in the net. and its a bang for the buck:)

how does one test the lens so as to avoid bad copies?any tips?

take some pictures of stuff with words like magazine etc to test for sharpness. read up a few pages back for testing on focusing

found this on another thread: http://www.focustestchart.com/chart.html

Thanks Diego and Peter fo the replies.. :D

are there other branches or dealers of sigma aside from the one in makati?

meron sa hidalgo. pero JT yung is the official distro. i think they offer the best support for sigma buyers

Just say "Gusto ko eh, baket?"

hahahaha!

me i'll say, "e bakit? may 18-200 IS ba sa Canon? Patingin nga ng mga pictures mo!" (Translation: Get Lost!)

I have six Sigma Lenses (see my other posts) and I have been using them most of the time. Reasonably priced with good quality. I have not experienced anything bad about them but to be sure test a few copies before buying. Bring your camera and a laptop if possible. I am from Cebu and every opprtunity I get to be in Manila JT Photoworld has been my priority. I have several photos using Sigma lenses in www.flickr.com\photos\eil. Happy shooting everyone!

I use the Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 EX DG Macro and I'm very happy with it. In fact, it's my current walk-around lens till I get the budget for the Canon version. Sigma makes life easier. And really, you don't have to explain your purchases to anyone. Well except for your wife!

the first ever lens i bought was a Sigma 55-200mm F/4.0-5.6 for Php8500...

need i justify further? =b

I have a Sigma 50-500 EX DG HSM which is tack sharp and at 200mm even outperforms my Canon L 70-200 2.8 USM lens at f8-16. Funny this is a beast of a lens and i compensate IS/OS by using a Giottos monopod. I also have a Sigma 24-70 F2.8 EX DG Macro and its also good. Even in magazines and reviews there are Sigma lenses that excel over Canon's, re; Sigma 10-20 EX DC HSM , Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM and Sigma 120-300 F 2.8 EX DG HSM. So why the prejudice? I guess OEMs are just afraid of the aggressive marketing third party lens manufacturers do nowadays. And with the global financial crisis taking its bite and pinch on everyone Sigma reigns. LOL

It's not really prejudice but more like preconception.

Let's face it. Tamron are known for their lousy AF and plasticky feel. Sigma are known for their focusing issues. I haven't found anything wrong about Tokinas but their line-up is very limited.

BTW, I have all the brands and they're all very good alternatives.

I got a second hand Sigma 20mm F1.8 I didnt regret the purchase I'm enjoying my Sigma. I encountered some people saying sigma is no good I didn't mind them I still push through my decision :)

Now I'm one happy man shooting till my heart content .

i just picked up a 10-20mm... they say it's soft. i say it works for what i want to do. :)

i like sigma products no matter what people say. i use an ef-500 dg super flash and it works great (though it sometimes hangs, but there's a quick and simple fix to that.) I also have the 70-200 macro II and just purchased a 30mm, both of which are pleasures to use.

for those buying, just to make sure, test different copies before purchasing. haha! a few minutes now for years of beautiful output.

I have two sigma lenses.

My telephoto works really well and the pictures are crisp as they can be.

My 24-70mm EX DG MACRO though shoots soft pics. However, JT offers calibration for your sigma lenses synchronized with your body.

My sharpest pics was -7 of the 0 (should be) focal point but after the calibration its zero locked in. So now, my 24-70mm shoots consistent crisp quality pics...

The good news is, if its still in warranty, the calibration is free!!!

Sigma for me is the best alternative against the overpriced Canon L lenses.

i bought a sigma 24-60 f/2.8 DG since i dont have a budget yet for the canon 24-70L that time. but as far as my personal satisfaction is concerned, i'm quite happy using the lens. its way beyond cheaper compared to its successor 24-70 f/2.8 DG Macro. i just compensate the 10mm difference using my 70-200 f/2.8 L. besides, i'm still in the direction of getting a 24-70L soon so for the mean time, my sigma is filling the mid-zoom blank. in fact, some of my buddies like the classic feeling of it.

I have a sigma 18-125mm DC OS HSM and it's perfect! solid built, and quality is good. has better IQ (by reviews) over canon's 17-85mm IS USM.

I have the 18-50/2.8 and its really nice and sharp!

I had the 70-300 APO DG MACRO before and it also served its purpose well.

I just got one copy each of the lens and had no focusing problems (well, i think so...).

For a non-pro like me who can't justify Nikkor prices, Sigmas are heaven sent!:Grin:

I have the 18-50/2.8 and its really nice and sharp!

I had the 70-300 APO DG MACRO before and it also served its purpose well.

I just got one copy each of the lens and had no focusing problems (well, i think so...).

For a non-pro like me who can't justify Nikkor prices, Sigmas are heaven sent!:Grin:

Congrats on the new body Doc Tim.

As for me, my 18-50/2.8 and 70-200/2.8 II serve me well.
Pics are sharp and bokeh is creamy.

I miss the convenience that VR offers though.

i just picked up a 10-20mm... they say it's soft. i say it works for what i want to do. :)

you got that right! i got a 10-20mm myself. it does what i had intended for it.

I had used a Sigma 18-50 2.8 EX for more than a year. And I've taken thousands of shots with it. And I can attest that I can shoot with the Nikkors and L's without any inferiority. Image quality is right up there. One should just test out the lenses using their own DSLR bodies before buying.

I'm still using a 10-20 right now, and have no intention of replacing it. No complaints. :) Who said it's not sharp?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3364/3315393267_1294b0abb7.jpg

There's something about Sigma that makes me try out their lenses, hehehe. :Grin:

I had used a Sigma 18-50 2.8 EX for more than a year. And I've taken thousands of shots with it. And I can attest that I can shoot with the Nikkors and L's without any inferiority. Image quality is right up there. One should just test out the lenses using their own DSLR bodies before buying.

I'm still using a 10-20 right now, and have no intention of replacing it. No complaints. :) Who said it's not sharp?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3364/3315393267_1294b0abb7.jpg

There's something about Sigma that makes me try out their lenses, hehehe. :Grin:


Amen sir Peter!

I actually decided to get the sigma 18-50 2.8 after viewing the wonderful shots you made...

Of course, I'd still have to learn how to shoot like you...:):D:Grin:

@mike, thanks. Sked na tayo ng shoot!

i own 4 sigmas and they're functioning great