SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Practical Review

As you probably noticed, I am somewhat biased concerning Canon gear when it comes to photography. Canon DSLR's, Canon point and shoots, Canon lenses and everything Canon including knock off Canon lens coffee mugs fill my ChadSorianoPhotoBlog. This obsession does not make me blind to other brands especially when it comes to budget alternatives to Canon products. So, I picked up from my friends at North Tampa Photography the SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM standard zoom lens which has a street price of $899 for a practical lens review.



Just like my previous SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Practical Review, I wanted to give this SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM standard zoom lens real time use out in the field for my practical review. "Real time" meaning capturing life's moments of my family one picture at a time. Nothing fancy or scientific but actual pictures to look at and inspect for yourself.



Why would you even consider the SIGMA brand with Canon? Value and limited selection.
Considered Canon's workhorse, the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM standard zoom lens is no doubt the ultimate in color, sharpness and focus speed. Unfortunately, it has a street price of $1400 and definitely not for the budget conscious. The closest focal and aperture equivalent to this "L" lens with compatibility for full frame and crop sensor cameras is the SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM lens.
"L" stature for $1400 or SIGMA "stigma" for $500 less? Read on.



The SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM verdict? The SIGMA is quite impressive. The standard zoom lens has the color, sharpness and dreamy bokeh of an "L" lens at all focal lengths. It definitely has that "pop". The SIGMA is not heavy and it is compact for such a fast lens even with the included hood attached. Vignetting at the widest focal length is barely noticeable on the 5D Mark II and can be tweaked in post. Overall, lens quality is just about equal to "L" stature.



Just like in my previous SIGMA 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Practical Review, the SIGMA auto focus is slow and inaccurate in low light situations when compared to the Canon brand. My "OOF" shots declined in number only in very bright situations. The SIGMA AF is definitely not Canon "L" quality especially in low light. It is ironic that a fast aperture lens tailored for low light shooting has inconsistent AF in dark situations. Definitely, a "stigma" in my opinion.



This AF "stigma" is not a problem for landscape photography. If portraits are not your staple, the SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM standard zoom lens is perfectly fine. The SIGMA at 24mm is nice and clean for wide shots. Even in low light landscape situations such as "twilight" shots can be manually focused for critical focus. You can use the $500 savings for a nice inexpensive prime such as the Canon EF 35mm f/2 or the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM for portraits.



If you are looking for the ultimate "walk around" lens for your 5D Mark II that does just about everything flawlessly, save your coin for the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens. If landscapes or still life are your fancy, the SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM is just fine and you save $500 as well.



You can view comparison images shot with identical settings and focal lengths with the SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM and the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lenses in my SIGMA 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Lens Review Gallery.



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Babies "R" Us

I would like to welcome Kyle Aviles to the world. No, the new arrival is not mine but a close friend of my family. The stork landed on Saturday at 11:30am with a cute round face and pointy head.



Kyle is number 3 for their family. I can only imagine their kickstart back into infant preparedness. Formula, diapers, burping, and the never ending poop. All I can remember from my kids at this age was the constant flowing vanilla and chocolate swirl soft serve. Just like the machine at The Golden Corral Buffet with the sticky handle.



Kyle will appreciate his legacy lives on the internet. All I got at my birth was a Kodak Pocket Instamatic with the dynamic range of 110 film. This was followed by prints archived in a degrading glue contact sheet page. Oh, the memories!



I photographed Kyle's arrival with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV with the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 L lens. There is something dreamy about the 35mm lens. Maybe it is the ability to compose the shot with a wide angle of view with little depth of field. All I know is the pictures have dreamy bokeh.



You can view more in The Kyle Aviles Photo Gallery shot with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 L lens.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Review

As expected, Canon introduces another "L" lens that does not disappoint even the most critical of camera gear junkies. The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM arrived at North Tampa Photography and with a quick wipe of my drooling face I acquired my next piece of camera gear to evaluate on my PhotoBlog. You probably noticed in the picture above I placed Canon's original workhorse EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM version I next to the revised version II to physically see the difference in these lens monsters.



Let us review the obvious differences quickly.
It is more expensive. Not just a little bit, but almost 30 percent of the price of version I. A quick Google Search of prices online yielded $2499 for version II and around $1799 for version I. The difference is not double but it is a significant amount of coin to spend on something else.



The noticeable physical changes are minimal but easily seen to my critical eye. The rubber focus ring is wider for a better grip. The extra fluorite element makes the fore end of the lens barrel slightly wider but does not increase the filter size of 77mm. This of course makes it about 2 ounces heavier and reduces the overall length by mere centimeters. These small variances are overshadowed by the sheer size of this glass. I have used version I extensively and a couple ounces and centimeters will not matter. Bulky is still bulky, but I sacrifice my shoulder for optical excellence.



The Lens Hood ET-87 is a welcome change. The days of the finger print prone Lens Hood ET-86 of version I are history. The Lens Hood ET-87 has a better shape and a quicker push button release mechanism for a smooth mount and dismount. The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM in the picture above is mounted on a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV. I used this camera for the duration of this lens review.



Before I get into the meat of my lens review, I want to give a brief background history of the Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM version I. Canon's lens workhorse was introduced in parallel in 2001 with the 4 megapixel Canon EOS 1D. The original 1D combined the professional film body with digital capabilities. It also introduced the APS-H 1.3 crop factor sensor to the photographic digital world.
9 years is a long production life for a lens. Technology over those years has exponentially increased megapixels, sensor size and overall image quality. Digital image quality have surpassed conventional 35mm film. The version I of this lens was engineered and targeted for the APS-H sensor and not intended for the unforeseen high resolution full frame digital cameras of today. Canon is slowly on a lens revision campaign for its emerging resolution demanding hardware.



So the ultimate question remains unanswered. Does the version II live up to its price and improvements compared to the venerable version I? It seems version I has satisfied the professional photographic community for over 9 years and I have a permanent place for it in my collection. Too be honest, I was very skeptical when a lens of this stature prompted replacement. How can they improve on the best and for that price point? Let me give examples of the version I at work.



Great color, contrast and optically sound. What else could you ask for? I used version I at my nephew's ranch farm birthday party and with amazing results. I prefer portraits with a combination of ambient and back lighting. It gives my subjects separation from the background as well as a good hair light. You can view more examples of version I and you can view original files for all the pixel peepers out there in this Gallery.



Focus characteristics of version I does not let me down. As a born again youth sports photographer with my kids, AI Servo tracking is critical to get the shot. The picture above was located a local park with a water playground. I had my kids run towards me in the water spray to freeze their expression and sprinting action. You can view all the water park pictures in this gallery.



Now for examples of the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II (version II). Believe me, you are not going to be upset or disappointed with the results and you are not going to blown away with amazement either. I put version II through my normal paces this weekend to justify the improved lens claims and extra expense. I turned the AI Servo on to see the new and improved focusing algorithm by Canon in version II. As you can see in the challenging bird tracking image above, the algorithm worked well.



I am not Rob Galbraith. I do not have Olympic hopefuls as my test subjects shot with massive white L lenses. I just have my kids. You can view more Lido Beach images in this Gallery. Again, the focus did not fail as expected. Impressive but not astonished.



So for 30% more money, does one receive 30% improvement of version II over version I? Yes, you get substantial improvement such as better optical resolution catered to full frame sensors with the addition of more elements, better focusing algorithm for faster Mark IV cameras and a couple of centimeters of shorter focusing distance for versatility.
A big NO on value for the money, especially if you have already a version I workhorse in your camera bag. That 30% is a big difference in my opinion. For current version I owners, the monetary disparity over the version II improvements is a personal decision. Canon made a great lens greater in my lens evaluation.



My PhotoBlog would not be complete with a HD DSLR video to finish off my lens review of the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II. I used version II in the production of this Beach Days Are Back Again HD video shot on location in Lido Beach, FL.

You can view more images and videos in my Canon EOS 1D Mark IV and Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II Gallery

Easter Egg Hunting!

Eggs and more eggs filled with melted chocolate. I have to give the most improved award to my son for egg hunting. Compared to last year's egg hunt, my son gathered the candy filled plastic eggs like a jack rabbit.



My daughter was a close second in her egg hording abilities. She had extensive training in her youth soccer games to run fast and hard. She probably knew it was a race against time before the spring day sun melts the chocolate gold inside the plastic treasures.



The usual suspects. I am impressed the kids sat in one place for any specified amount of time. It was enough time to take this photo without too much duress.



Do not count your Easter eggs before they are hatched because this post is only a preview to my next Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens review and test. The Version II of Canon's original fast zoom workhorse will be evaluated in my next PhotoBlog post.



I did not shoot video from this year's egg hunt but I did last year. I assure everybody the egg frenzy was the same as last year as you can see in the video. My kids and their cousins are younger in the Canon EOS 5D Mark II video above. I was still mastering my HD video gathering skills at this point and learning the full auto exposure workarounds before the full manual exposure firmware was released. Enjoy!

Check out more pictures of the egg hunt in my Easter 2010 Gallery.

Beach Days Are Back Again!

My family cannot resist the lure of the sandy seashore. Floridians rejoice with the warmer weather despite the cold snap that plagued the sunshine state in January. What would kick off Easter better than a trip to the coast.



The weather was perfect. Eighty two degrees,no clouds and a slight breeze were the ideal ingredients for the splendid day at the beach. Warm enough to swim and cool enough not to pass out from heat stroke.



It is ironic that I enjoy the beach so much now. When I was in middle school, I could care less about the beach. I grew up surrounded by water on all three sides and I did not even notice the ocean paradise.



Enter Lido Beach in Sarasota, FL. An hour drive south of Tampa, FL leads you to St. Armand's Circle, an exclusive collection of shops and restaurants adjacent to Lido Beach.



Do not think for a moment that there would be no camera gear review or test. This is only one of three PhotoBlog posts evaluating the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM. If you have not already noticed or read, the version II of the Canon lens workhorse (EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM) is more expensive and heavier than its predecessor and I will give my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens review and test in an upcoming PhotoBlog post. Stay tuned!



A trip to the beach would not be complete without a brief HD video and a Lido Beach Photo Gallery. Check it out and stay tuned for my practical Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM review and test.



Here is a blast from the past. My fascination for the ocean began almost 9 years ago. Check out my Hawaii video above. Yes, that is my daughter in the video and the video is 4:3 standard defintion. Sacrilege! How time quickly dwindles away and your kids grow up right in front of your eyes.



Here is one more fabulous beach video shot with the Canon EOS Rebel T1i. I used Nikon AF-D prime lenses with a Fotodiox lens adapter as a workaround to defeat the full auto exposure function. AF-D lenses are wonderful because they still have the aperture ring to manually adjust the f-stop. The current Nikon "G" lenses have the aperture ring missing.

Check out the Canon EOS Rebel T1i Gallery.