24-70mm Nikon vrs Sigma

[Aayria]

I am working towards purchasing my next lens.. And decided on the 24-70mm Nikon, followed by the 70-200mm Nikon lenses. (it might be awhile before I can afford the second, after the first one breaks the bank)

I came across a 24-70mm from SIGMA that's less than half the cost of the Nikon lens and it's got me wondering. Does anybody have experience with these two lenses? The Sigma one is also macro capable..which could be fun down the road. Or did I miss something and the Nikon lens is also?

In reading reviews, people seemed to say that the sigma lens tends to be more soft than the nikon version.. can anyone verify this? And if so, how noticable/annoying is it? Is it just a bit that could easily be sharpened in editing?

 

[tirediron]

There's a reason you pay $2000ish for the Nikon and $1000ish for the Sigma. The question that you really need to answer is: Is the sharpness worth the extra $1000? There's nothing wrong with the Sigma lens (I've not used it personally, but I have seen the work it produces) and at f4 or better, you're going to have a tough time telling the difference. The area where the difference is the most significant is build-quality. You put the Nikon in one hand and the Sigma in the other, there's NO doubt which is which. If you can afford it, go for the Nikon, you'll never regret it, but if money's a concern, ask the hard question.

Don't however rely on post-processing.