sigma 28mm lens

s.johnson · Oct 10, 2006

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=005&item=150042216881&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&rd=1

Hey... i was looking on ebay for lenses, and on a whim i snatched this lens up for 20 bucks.. which seemed like good luck to me.. but then i got to thinking.. if I got this lens for 20bucks, is it even worth my money at all?

So now I'm kind of concerned that I should have perhaps spent a little more money... I'm new to photography, using a Pentax K1000.. I figured at this stage I'd be better off with something less pricey, and spending the rest on film.. but if this lens is terrible, I'd like to know, so i can keep that in mind for the future.

thanks

Don Simon · Oct 11, 2006

Hi there. It's unlikely to be terrible, it's just that it's not going to be as good as a nice Pentax lens. It'll do the job though, and if you didn't already have a 28mm lens then at least now you have one. As you suggested however it's really a $20 lens, rather than a lens for which $20 is a bargain. Excellent lenses can be bought for relatively little cash; the key is to keep looking and wait for one to turn up. My advice would be to look mainly for Pentax lenses. You should still consider Sigma lenses, as well as ones labelled Tamron, Cosina, Chinon, Vivitar, Ricoh, Tokina and probably a few others - but before you buy, research. Find reviews, user comments, sample pictures, and find out how much they usually sell for. Then you'll have a better idea of whether you're getting good value for money before you bid.

What I said before still stands though - that lens will do the job. Attach it to your camera, shoot a few rolls and look at the results. If the prints look good to you, then the lens obviously isn't terrible and the money has been reasonably well spent.

fmw · Oct 11, 2006

You never know. It might be excellent. I've been a Nikon user for over 40 years and the only really good 28mm Nikkor lens I've ever tested was the specialized perspective control lens. The others have been pretty poor compared to the 24's and 35's. If your camera were a Nikon, I'd say you probably have a better lens, if not mechanically, then at least optically.