Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 too soft?

[IronMaskDuval]

So I ended up getting a D90 anyway, and I bought the sigma for it. Have a look at these photos. I can't seem to get sharp images with the Sigma. Is it just me? The first image is taken with the sigma. The second was taken a year ago on a different D90 that I had owned using the cheapo Nikon 55-300. Did I goofed buying the Sigma, or should I not expect better performance out of the D90? Sure, I'm nitpicking, but the price on the Sigma should allow me to cry a little. I use to own a Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4.5, and it nailed focus every time and was Ginsu sharp. Of course, that was shooting out of the D7100.

 

[IronMaskDuval]

Well, now that I look at them again, the Sigma is sharper, but comparing side by side with the f/2.8-4.5, it doesn't hold a candle. I'm sad.

 

[goodguy]

Does the D90 have fine tuning ?
If it does then try to fine tune the Sigma, if it doesnt and you feel the lens is soft then go to Sigma and ask them to calibrate this lens.
Sigma isnt as sharp as the Nikon and Tamron 24-70mm 2.8 but it is plenty sharp, sharper then any kit lens so I think you should work on it till you figure out what is wrong.

 

[Mach0]

Does the D90 have fine tuning ?
If it does then try to fine tune the Sigma, if it doesnt and you feel the lens is soft then go to Sigma and ask them to calibrate this lens.
Sigma isnt as sharp as the Nikon and Tamron 24-70mm 2.8 but it is plenty sharp, sharper then any kit lens so I think you should work on it till you figure out what is wrong.

It doesn't.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[goodguy]

Does the D90 have fine tuning ?
If it does then try to fine tune the Sigma, if it doesnt and you feel the lens is soft then go to Sigma and ask them to calibrate this lens.
Sigma isnt as sharp as the Nikon and Tamron 24-70mm 2.8 but it is plenty sharp, sharper then any kit lens so I think you should work on it till you figure out what is wrong.

It doesn't.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Then going to Sigma is the best solution.

 

[jaomul]

I have read a few reviews on the sigma 24-70. Many reviews say it's soft

 

[Derrel]

The shot of the boy looks like insufficient depth of field to me...his teeth appear just ever so slightly in front of the plane of focus...his shirt might also be a couple inches in front of the plane of focus, but it's hard to tell. This is not egregiously OOF, but again, the teeth look...OOF. If the lens consistently misses the desired focus by even a few inches, at closer ranges, that is enough to make many shots appear soft. Even with a short focal length lens, accurate focus is a big deal, especially at close ranges. Oftentimes, wider apertures just do not have enough depth of field to render a person sharply from nearest to farther parts of their body.

Not sure which 24-70mm Sigma you have...the older ones were not really known as "sharp" lenses, and were rather cheaply-engineered, kind of shoddy lenses designed to be sold at very low price points; however, since the time the older 24-70 was released,Sigma has gone on a really major program of updating their lens quality, and jacking up their prices. The "old" Sigma 24-70 was...a cheap lens...the newer Sigma 24-70 model came out at a vastly elevated price point. With a body that has no focus microadjustment, a lens that doesn't focus right is a major PITA,so I dunno what to tell you to do. I suppose Sigma could calibrate the lens to that, specific D90 is they had the lens and the camera shipped to them, but not sure it's even worth that much fuss.

 

[IronMaskDuval]

Thanks for chiming in. That's the other issue that I am having with the lens is that it is constantly missing focus, and regardless of what f stop I was using, I couldn't get his teeth to not look like that. I bought the lens used for $500 from KEH, so I can return it. That's exactly what I am doing and will be going back to my trusty Sigma 17-70 f/2.8-4.5. I thought buying a 2.8 constant short of going Nikon would give me great results compared to my variable aperture. Guess I was wrong. Sigh

 

[IronMaskDuval]

Anyone have thoughts or experience with this one?

TAMRON 28-75MM F/2.8 XR ASPHERICAL MACRO DI IF LD

 

[goodguy]

I still think with proper service the Sigma could have been a nice lens but I do agree if you got the chance to return it then you did the right thing.

In regards to the Tamron 28-75 here is a thread just posted few days ago about this lens.
From what I understand its a very good lens

Tamron 28-75 on d7100 Photography Forum

 

[IronMaskDuval]

So I made some adjustments right before returning the lens, and now, I am very happy with it. It is nowhere as sharp as my 60mm Micro, but it's definitely sharp-- especially for being on my D90 truck camera...excuse his antlers. I was test shooting and disregarded almost everything