PHIDONG.COM . 5.0

Welcome to the Party.

In the world of photography there is a party stirring in the shadows and everybody on a budget is invited. While the attendees are enjoying themselves, there is a negative stigma hovering above the party that dissuades newcomers from joining in on the fun. While a small portion of the negative criticism can be considered to be deserving, a lot of the negative vibe is being generated from elitist, brand loyal individuals who are too short-sighted and close-minded to see beyond a name.

The appeal of third party equipment, namely lenses, is obvious. They're cheap, relatively speaking. When the alternatives presented are less than half the cost, while producing nearly the same optical quality and performance, it is difficult to ignore the option. For the price, third party equipment can provide an incredible value for the photographer who is not rolling in cash. The choice almost seems clear-cut, but it's not.

All lenses are not created equal .
There is a lot more to a lens than its name or the color of its ring near the front element. While third party alternatives may often have similar if not identical focal length ranges and apertures, these numbers do not nearly tell the entire tale.

Focusing Motor: HSM vs USM - Advantage Canon

The focusing motor found in lens will have an impact on how fast the lens is to lock focus on a subject as well as the level of noise that the motor produces as it adjusts focus. Sigma's quiet focusing motor is called hypersonic motor. Canon uses USM, ultrasonic motor. This isn't a simple coincidence. The two are similar (depending on which type of USM you're talking about).

The problem is that a lot of Sigma lenses don't even have HSM, which gives a strong advantage to Canon. For the lenses that do have HSM, users will find that HSM has a hissing noise that is noisier than USM and many photographers claim that USM snaps into focus much quicker than HSM can.

Quality Control - Draw

Quality control is a process in which "bad" lenses are removed from the manufacturing process. While both companies make a strong effort to calibrate lenses to spec before shipping them out, some lemons inevitably slip through. The good news is that the problems can be corrected. Both Sigma and Canon will recalibrate lenses under warranty and both have exceptional service. While Sigma appears to have worse quality control than Canon, they do offer 4 year warranties while Canon offers 1 year warranties. If it breaks, we'll fix it!

Weather sealing - Advantage Canon

While Sigma lenses are rugged, they don't offer environmental sealing like many of the Canon L lenses (not all!). The advantage is clear.

Price/Value - Advantage Sigma

This article only covers Sigma EX (pro line) lenses, but many other third party manufacturers offer exceptional value per dollar. Tamron and Tokina have several lenses that perform well if not outperform their Canon equivalents per dollar (and sometimes overall!)

Resale Value - Draw

Elitists will tell you that Canon L glass holds its value much better than Sigma or any third party lenses do. The elitists are wrong. Third party lenses, for the most part, hold their own ground compared to their bigger brothers. Compared to market value, Sigma pro lenses hold approximately the same if not more than Canon pro lenses. The only difference is that the Sigma lenses cost significantly less to begin with, so the net loss is much less. One unique aspect that is never really discussed is the fact that sometimes third party lenses will increase in value during their life cycle (The Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 or Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 are examples). The Tamron used to sell for just a but above 300 and now it can be found for just a bit under 400. The reason less to do with inflation and more to do with hype though, so don't expect to be making money here. The professor's recommendation either way is to purchase used if possible. Buy below market value, sell above market value!

If the choice had to be made between Sigma and Canon with lenses in the same range, with the same aperture, and if money were no object, the winner every time would be Canon. Canon lenses (most of the time) outperform their oponents both in the optical and performance aspects. So everyone should shoot with Canon, right? Not so fast.

Two assumptions have to be made for Canon to win 100% of the time. The first is that we are comparing lenses of equal range and aperture and second that money is not considered. The latter can be an important factor for many photographers, but the first is often overlooked as well. There are a lot of third party lenses that fill in unique ranges that have no first party equivalents. There are also a handful of third party lenses that outperform their Canon equivalents.

So now, on to the question.

hey phi, i've always wanted to know why you choose sigma lenses over canon...

I actually don't own only Sigma lenses. I own a combination of both Sigma and Canon lenses. I won't go into the reasons of why I own Canon lenses, it should be obvious enough. However, I will list my third party lenses and explain why I own them and why I have chosen them over Canon equivalent.

Sigma 8mm f/4 EX Fisheye
This fisheye is a unique lens. Canon doesn't have a circular fisheye and on 1.6x crop bodies (D60, 10D, 20D, 30D, 300D, 350D, etc) the lens is as close to a real fisheye as you can get. The lens also allows me to create 360 degree panoramas using a 6+2 shot method (6 shots in a cylinder and one on top and one on bottom)

Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX Fisheye
On the 20D, this 15mm f/2.8 fisheye is close to 13mm rectilinear and the amount of curvature from the "fishiness" is not overpowering. I mainly use this lens as a wide angle lens when my 20mm is too long. Keep in mind I don't have any wide or midrange zooms, so the 15mm fisheye is important. The reason I picked the Sigma over the Canon is that both fisheyes produce very similar results. The Canon is slightly more prone to flare and costs almost twice as much though!

Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX
The 20mm f/1.8 is my walk around lens. It is sharp, fast, and most of all cheap ($322). It uses a 82mm front filter like the 100-300mm f/4. Filters are expensive, but it's a small price to pay for protection. The wide nature of the lens ensures fast, snappy focus. f/1.8 is fast enough for low light (fast enough to get ~1/8s exposures). On the other hand, the Canon version is a 20mm f/2.8 . It is much slower, not as sharp, and more expensive. That was an easy decision.

Sigma 100-300mm f/4 EX
Like the 8mm fisheye, the 100-300 f/4 is a unique lens. Canon does not have a equivalent lens, the closest is maybe the 70-200 f/4L, but it's 100mm shorter and much more expensive. The 100-300mm is my workhorse for track events when telephoto range is important.

Note : This article should not be supplemented for research. You should try out lenses or do research before making a purchase. If in doubt, ask the professor!

Some notable third party lenses:

Tokina
14mm f/3.5 Rectilinear
12-24mm f/4

Tamron
11-18mm f/4.5-5.6
17-35mm f/2.8-4
28-75mm f/2.8* - Great lens!
90mm f/2.8 MACRO*
180mm f/3.5 MACRO

Sigma
8mm f/4 fisheye*
16mm f/2.8 fisheye*
20mm f/1.8 *
30mm f/1.4
70-200 f/2.8
100-300 f/4 *
120-300 f/2.8

Zenitar
16mm f/2.8 fisheye * - great value

Key: * itallics - I own/owned it

Bottom line : The beauty of photography is the options that you are presented with. There isn't a clear concrete path leading you to your destination. You are the engineer of your own path. You decide how you reach the end of the road and you dictate what will lie there when you arrive. For the photographer, this journey is sometimes as important if not more important than the destination. To bystanders photography is more of a path independent function. The results are all that matters and if you're getting good results with "subpar" equipment, who cares?

I've gone through a plethora of equipment line-ups. I started with one zoom lens, and progressed through an all zoom line-up to a mixed line-up to the one I have now. I introduced pieces into the equation that I ended up selling because of lack of use and at the same time have fallen in love with other lenses. As the engineer, you have the difficult decision of deciding what will best suit you . The key word being you . I'm not here to persuade you to join the party, rather to inform you that there is a party and that you are welcome to join.

Maybe the price appeals you to more, or maybe some of the lenses appeal to you. Whatever the case, it is important that you evaluate what choice would be best for you and to act on your decision. If you make the wrong choice, sell. If you make the right choice, congratulations.