After selling Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 which I highly recommend as a dual zoom lens to go with Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, I thought I am ready to stop buying zooms in Pentax. But what do you know when I see a lightly used Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 up for sale. Though it is not as fast as the Tamron zoom, its reputation as a walk around lens as well as its close focus lens make it an ideal candidate for my LBA appetite for overlapping lens.
The lens in 17-70 overlap a big portion with my Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 but I pick this lens for the wide angle. While I like the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8, this lens give me the extra range in 50 to 70mm and hence it will enable me as a good walk around requiring less lens change. For portraits, I will go with Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8, for wide angle landscape and close up shot, I will go with this zoom.
Impressions & Notes
- I love the versatility on this lens. Though the overlap with my Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8, its wide angle can match quite well with the better performed Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8.
- Sharpness is good but not as outstanding as Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8, I feel that the Tamron zooms are better in terms of sharpness
- The extra gain in 50 to 70mm allow me to use this lens with less lens change. The broader focal range from wide to portrait is key to me. The range is more useful than the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8.
- I am more likely to use flash to fill in the slower speed in portrait range on this lens.
- The close up is very good at 1:2.3 and I like the flower shots that I have tested so far.
- MFD is about 0.65 feet which is quite good with flowers.
- Bokeh is decent but I may yield the bokeh to Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8
- Filter size is big at 72mm and aperture ring is absent in the lens
- Overall, I find this a great lens to use and fill in the shoe in the wide angle to portrait range needs as a dual with DA* 50-135mm
- For portraits with ambient light, I will choose the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 ove this zoom. With flash, it will be a toss of coin between the two.
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