Have any of you used a Sigma Mini Wide 28mm f2.8?

[FITBMX]

I have been looking for a good cheap low light lens. I was think of something like a 50mm f1.4, but I came across a Sigma Mini wide 28mm f2.8. It is around $30 after shipping and looks like a nice lens.
Have any of you used one before, and if you have what did you think? Or if you know of a lens that would be a good choice please let me know!

 

[pixmedic]

I actually had one of those years ago! it was manual focus.
If yours is manual as well, and you can get over the grind of focusing manually...which I hate now,
it was a really nice little lens for the money. i think i paid $30-$40 for mine.
Optics are good, and i didn't notice anything unusual with the pictures it produced.

 

[FITBMX]

I actually had one of those years ago! it was manual focus.
If yours is manual as well, and you can get over the grind of focusing manually...which I hate now,
it was a really nice little lens for the money. i think i paid $30-$40 for mine.
Optics are good, and i didn't notice anything unusual with the pictures it produced.

Thanks!
Manual focus isn't a problem for me. Ever since I got my camera I decided that auto focus was no fun, and I haven't switched my lenses off manual since!

 

[pixmedic]

I actually had one of those years ago! it was manual focus.
If yours is manual as well, and you can get over the grind of focusing manually...which I hate now,
it was a really nice little lens for the money. i think i paid $30-$40 for mine.
Optics are good, and i didn't notice anything unusual with the pictures it produced.

Thanks!
Manual focus isn't a problem for me. Ever since I got my camera I decided that auto focus was no fun, and I haven't switched my lenses off manual since!

then you can get a TON...i mean, probably a literal metric ton...of really nice legacy glass for cheaps.
theres also a lot of third party glass thats really nice too. Ive given away all of mine, i think, since i dont care for manual focus.... what do you shoot?

 

[480sparky]

I have the MiniWide II. It's a great deal sharper than my Nikkor 28mm AF-D, especially in the corners. It's part of my film (Nikon FM2n) 4-prime lens kit, and is the one that's usually mounted on the camera.

For $30, it's well worth it. And as an added bonus, it can also be used in reverse for close-ups.


My 10 28mm f 2.8 steal deal Photography Forum

 

[FITBMX]

I actually had one of those years ago! it was manual focus.
If yours is manual as well, and you can get over the grind of focusing manually...which I hate now,
it was a really nice little lens for the money. i think i paid $30-$40 for mine.
Optics are good, and i didn't notice anything unusual with the pictures it produced.

Thanks!
Manual focus isn't a problem for me. Ever since I got my camera I decided that auto focus was no fun, and I haven't switched my lenses off manual since!

then you can get a TON...i mean, probably a literal metric ton...of really nice legacy glass for cheaps.
theres also a lot of third party glass thats really nice too. Ive given away all of mine, i think, since i dont care for manual focus.... what do you shoot?

I mostly shoot landscapes and nature, but mostly because that's what I am in the middle of.
I would like to find a lens that would work good for portraits. I only have two kit lenses now, so I am wanting to build up my lens selection a little.

 

[FITBMX]

I have the MiniWide II. It's a great deal sharper than my Nikkor 28mm AF-D, especially in the corners. It's part of my film (Nikon FM2n) 4-prime lens kit, and is the one that's usually mounted on the camera.

For $30, it's well worth it. And as an added bonus, it can also be used in reverse for close-ups.


My 10 28mm f 2.8 steal deal Photography Forum

I had not thought of reversing the lens, good idea!
$10 was a great deal on your lens! I don't have any camera shops near me, so I am stuck with eBay.
I have also been reading up on cleaning dust and fungus out of lenses, and how to repair them. I am thinking I can probably get better deals, if I buy stuff that needs work.

 

[dxqcanada]

umm, you really should avoid lenses with fungus.

 

[FITBMX]

umm, you really should avoid lenses with fungus.

I have heard it can be removed, even if it came back, if it was really cheap it would give me a good year of use.

 

[dxqcanada]

Sometimes it can just be wiped off, but most of the time it has etched too far into the coatings.
Haze can also be a challenge.
I know both of these ... I have tried restoring many lenses, and experimented with many substances to try cleaning this stuff.

 

[480sparky]

Usually, the fungus is inside the lens. When it is, you need to disassemble the lens to clean it, and even then you may not be able to clean it all so it will just grow back. And etching of the coating is unrepairable.

Fungus (or evidence of it) = pass.

 

[FITBMX]

Usually, the fungus is inside the lens. When it is, you need to disassemble the lens to clean it, and even then you may not be able to clean it all so it will just grow back. And etching of the coating is unrepairable.

Fungus (or evidence of it) = pass.

Sometimes it can just be wiped off, but most of the time it has etched too far into the coatings.
Haze can also be a challenge.
I know both of these ... I have tried restoring many lenses, and experimented with many substances to try cleaning this stuff.

Thanks, I will steer clear of fungus!

 

[480sparky]

Here's what fungus etching looks like:

It was only visible if you held it just right, and the light would suddenly make it jump out. At any other angle, it was invisible.

This etching was on the back of the front element. The result of something like this will be lower contrast and, if shooting into bright lights, a ton of halos.

Fortunately, the ebay seller had a 100% money-back guarantee, and I didn't even have to pay for return shipping. I found another copy a month later for a mere $60 more.



BTW, take your lenses out of their cases and remove the caps. Let them sit in the sunlight for a day or two every 4-6 months. The UV light will kill off any fungus that might have gotten started.

 

[AKUK]

I had the Sigma 28mm f/2.8 Mini Wide II about 5 years ago. A nice little lens for the money. I had quite a few 28mm lenses at the time and settled on the Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 Ai-s, which is just fantastically sharp and close focuses down to 20cm. It's also great for macro when reversed. For $30 it's certainly good value.

As for fungus, it is something to be concerned with when buying lenses. I have a few old lenses with fungus damage but, they are mainly fringes round the edge on the front element and the other doesn't seem to cause any problems, as it's just a small speck that hasn't grown in the past few years. If the fungus is web-like and completely covering the surface of a lens element, then I would pass on it. When it's reached this stage, it's etched into the coatings as others have mentioned.

It will kill sharpness, contrast and you'll be left with a hazy, flat image as a result. It may be difficult to accurately focus too. The odd bit of dust, small fungus spot and even light scratches aren't anything to worry about, especially if located at the front of the lens. The element to be most concerned with is the rear one, as any defects are more likely to be detected due to the proximity to the sensor.

 

[FITBMX]

Here's what fungus etching looks like:

It was only visible if you held it just right, and the light would suddenly make it jump out. At any other angle, it was invisible.

This etching was on the back of the front element. The result of something like this will be lower contrast and, if shooting into bright lights, a ton of halos.

Fortunately, the ebay seller had a 100% money-back guarantee, and I didn't even have to pay for return shipping. I found another copy a month later for a mere $60 more.



BTW, take your lenses out of their cases and remove the caps. Let them sit in the sunlight for a day or two every 4-6 months. The UV light will kill off any fungus that might have gotten started.

I watched a 50mm f1.4 with "moderate" fungus sell for $15 less than the same lens that is completely clean, now that was stupid!

Thanks for the advice on using sun light to kill fungus, I hadn't thought of that!

I had the Sigma 28mm f/2.8 Mini Wide II about 5 years ago. A nice little lens for the money. I had quite a few 28mm lenses at the time and settled on the Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 Ai-s, which is just fantastically sharp and close focuses down to 20cm. It's also great for macro when reversed. For $30 it's certainly good value.

As for fungus, it is something to be concerned with when buying lenses. I have a few old lenses with fungus damage but, they are mainly fringes round the edge on the front element and the other doesn't seem to cause any problems, as it's just a small speck that hasn't grown in the past few years. If the fungus is web-like and completely covering the surface of a lens element, then I would pass on it. When it's reached this stage, it's etched into the coatings as others have mentioned.

It will kill sharpness, contrast and you'll be left with a hazy, flat image as a result. It may be difficult to accurately focus too. The odd bit of dust, small fungus spot and even light scratches aren't anything to worry about, especially if located at the front of the lens. The element to be most concerned with is the rear one, as any defects are more likely to be detected due to the proximity to the sensor.

Thanks, I was wondering how how you know when fungus has gone to far.
And I will keep a eye out for a Nikkor 28mm f/2.8!