I was given as gift for my PhD graduation a lens, the Sigma 18-35 f1.8. I was asked to consult several options, and this was the one I like the most, but it was quite expensive, I did not expect to receive it at all. It was a real surprise for me !
This lens is amazing. It can be used as a macro lens (we need to be close to the subject though), a wide angle lens for landscape picture, a portrait lens (again, need to be close to the subject). It has all the focal lengths for daily use, and it is a high quality for serious-amateur photography. It is designed for APS-C sensor, so the real focal length is around 30-55 on my Canon 500D, and it covers all my need. It is heavy, give a good feeling for handling, especially considering that Canon 500D is made of plastic and very light.
Apparently, this lens has a focus problem, a small portion of my pictures are out of focus, and on the Internet others also reported this problem. Besides, it doesn’t have IS, meaning that a good picture without tripod for me requires an exposure time of at most 1:30, but it has a very wide aperture, so even in low light, it is possible to find a good compromise. Again, this is an APS-C lens, hence it could not be used in case of an possible “upgrade” to full-frame devices, however, such possibility is quite low, I have made up my mind and chosen to be extremely happy with my current gears, because they satisfy very well my need and my capacity as photographer, and a full-frame gears (lenses + bodies) would be at the same time too expensive and too heavy for my capacity.
I would like, when I have a house for myself (at 30 and I still live a student life in collocation 🙂 ), to print some of my best pictures to decorate my library, and I find that the current quality can be printed in big format (60 cm x 80 cm), and I am happy with that.
Here are the two pictures during my first trip using the Sigma 18-35 f1.8 with my old Canon 500D. A macro and a landscape. Thank you for reading.
Nguyễn Đăng Tùng 