Great detailed review! Thank you. I will buy this lens in a couple years, as soon as there are some available on the used market for $450 or thereabouts. The capability that interests me is the 0.50 : 1 magnification ratio, as my primary usage will be for photographing frogs, geckos, salamanders, toads, lizards, etc. I will be using this lens most at 50mm and at or very near minimum focus distance. I have concerns about the edges of the frame when using in this way, as shown at 30:56. I mean, when I am at 50mm, and filling the frame with a tiny gecko that is half the size of my pinky finger, and I have the image composed so that the gecko's eye is near the corner of the frame, I sure want the highly detailed iris to be captured very sharp and clearly. If I am forced to zoom in to 100mm to get the deep edge real sharp, that changes everything about my background and the amount of the gecko's habitat that I am able to include in the composition. I just hope these deep corners aren't really as terrible as this video shows when shooting at MFD and at 50mm.
There's definitely a huge difference between this lens and it's predecessor - the 70-300mm. But there's also no question that the corners at 50mm do remain the weakest aspect of performance...but yes, my tests are designed to really highlight flaws, and they won't be as pronounced in real world shots.
I love the Coyote color as well its just classic looking inhave 3 of the slide wide straps their super nice comfortable and extremely useful. I just ordered the Coyote! Yes cant wait to receive it. Thanks Dustin.
I recently tested and have been using this lens with my Fujifilm X-T5 using a Fringer electronic adapter, maintaining full AF and functions capabilities, for wildlife and landscapes. At F4 the lens is somewhat soft but definitely noticeable, especially if your subject is further away, but by no means unusable, you can 100% clean it in post beautifully. At F5.6 it is tack sharp corner to corner with zero vignette or distortion and you can get some incredible results even on Fuji's hyper-demanding 40mp APSC sensor. The AF is a bit sluggish with the outdated HSM motors, but I have no run into AF locking and precision issues that aren't on par with other Fuji lenses and Fuji's own sub-par AF experience as a whole (particularly with AF-C). You do however get the equivalent of 750mm of reach which coupled with the bright aperture of F4, it is by far the best super telephoto prime you could possibly get out there, for the money, on the used market these go for around $2500, which for such a bright tele prime? That's just an outstanding bargain, compared if you were to adapt any of Nikon or Canon's own primes in the same range and aperture. On Fujifilm, I'd give it a solid 9/10 in every regard. Maybe this helps some of you looking to adapt this to other bodies and sensor sizes!
Just when you think "there have been some reviews about these two lenses (which look improved compared to the first 3) but they are no Dustin Abbott level of reliability, surely he will come out with a review soon", et voila, there is the review we've been waiting for, thank you. And my first impression got confirmed here, they are definitely more interesting than the first 3. I think 16mm and 75mm are also more niche focal lengths where you accept a bit of a compromise to spend less, as they get used less than a 23mm or a 33mm. Compared to their direct competitors (Sigma 16mm & Viltrox 75mm), they are lighter, especially the 75mm is a lot lighter than that Viltrox monster, so very interested in how these two compare. One question, how does the sharpness compare to the Sigma 16mm? You said fringing is better here which is great to hear, is sharpness comparable at 1.4?
It's hard for me to make a final judgment call on that, as I reviewed the Sigma on a 24MP Sony body, and I've reviewed this on the MUCH higher resolution Fuji 40MP body...and Fuji's sensors are a little different when it comes to sharpening, too. I would really need to evaluate the Sigma on the Fuji body to make that call.
That is a pretty unbeatable price for the level of quality these lenses bring. I've already sunk a fair bit of change into my XF 16 1.4 (repairing a misaligned focus), but still make use of its benefits (aperture ring, close focus, weather resistance). Thanks for the review Dustin!
Big fan of the lineup. For my L mount. I have the 17,24,45,50,90 i series lenses. They all offer great consistent quality amongst the line up. Sigma really hit this one out of the park. I wonder why Canon or Nikon refuse to come out with a similar type of lenses. Even my expensive L glass for my Canon feels cheap compared to these and of course huge. Canon lost me for the DSLR to Mirrorless and I chose Lumix instead. These are great "Reportage" glass. (24/50/90) my Trifecta for carry.
This "iSeries" is definitely a nice one. Not everyone will "get" these lenses when looking at the basic specs and price, but they are very premium in real world use...and the price makes much more sense when you hold and use them.
In 2024 can anyone advise if this is still a great lens? I know that’s not much of a question to work with but I would greatly appreciate an opinion. I currently have a Canon R7 and understand it won’t be a true 24-105 due to the APS-C sensor but this is my second camera and based on performance and specifications it was within my budget range and I love it! Thank you for a great review video too! Sterling job on the explanation! 👏
@@DustinAbbottTWIthank you, this has helped me to make my decision, it’s currently £1,349 with £300 off and £100 cash back so I think I’ll be buying this for sure! Thank you once again 🙏
Thanks for the review! While I shoot on Canon, I wanted to see how this lens does on a high MP camera to estimate how this will do on my R7. Lens looks excellent on 26 MP, but only good on 40 MP. Can't wait to see you test this lens on the 32.5 MP Canon R7 once it is released!
Unfortunately I don't own an R7, so I'm unlikely to test it on that camera. My only option for reviewing RF-S type lenses is in the APS-C mode on my EOS R5, so that's going to be much lower resolution. There's nothing higher at the moment than X-mount where I've already tested it. The main thing I'll be testing on RF is how effective autofocus is and overall functionality.
The entire Sigma I series impresses me and has become my workhorse line for my L mount cameras. My canon L lenses feel cheap compared these Sigmas 😂 I they release this line for Canon DSLRs I would jump on that in a split second.
It's true that the build quality is much better than a lot of other lenses. These lenses will never be released on DSLR's, though, as optical designs for mirrorless are not at all compatible with DSLRs
Can't wait for this lens to be available in Z mount! This seems like a great budget option for butterflies from a distance. Any idea how long it will take for Tamron to announce the Nikon Z mount version?
It would be interesting if this lens will eventually be released for the Fuji X mount with its 40 megapixel sensor. I recently obtained Fuji's new 16-50mm 2.8-4.8 "kit lens" which is designed for Fuji's 40 megapixel sensors. The shapness of this lens on my X-H2 camera is very impressive!
🤣😂 I said to myself: "I can't believe I'm going to click on this lawnmower review on a channel I go to for camera gear reviews," but the comments alone have been worth it. I'm surprised you didn't attach a camera to it for LAWNMOWER'S POV.
Would this be a good lens to get pics of a high school band member on a football field? I have a Sony a6100 and would like to get away from the kit lenses. The 55-210 is not that great.
It will definitely give you some reach. A superzoom lens like this isn't as sharp as some lenses with smaller zoom ranges, but the image quality should definitely at least match the 55-210 while giving you much more flexibility in the focal lengths.
Great review. I have a Sony Zeiss 24mm f1.8 for photo only, do you think the picture quality is way better on this Viltrox lens? Is it worth to upgrade? Thanks
@@DustinAbbottTWI Don't get me wrong, I like your channel and the content you do, but I would have liked to see a good photo with this lens, best regards!
Thank you for an interesting comparison. I bought the TTArtisans a couple of months ago for my a6700. The Viltrox was then not available for the e-mount. Not sure which one I'd choose after this review for I have a preference for smaller lenses. More importantly: - I am able to mount the lens hood over the lens cup, so is it really not possible to use filters with this lens? I wouldn't know because I can't be bothered to use filters. - Comparing autofocus on a Fuji body is relevant to Fuji shooters only. Sony's latest autofocus, like in the a6700, is in a different league. I have lenses that were to so flash on the a6500 and now they have sparked back to life on the a6700. All in all, happy with my TTArtisans so far.
You are right that autofocus is fairly primitive on Fuji by comparison, but as that is the mount that both of these companies sent me samples in, that's what I've compared.
@@DustinAbbottTWI I was trying to make a point, clumsily perhaps, that autofocus performance of a given lens that is made for various mounts can depend on the camera body more than on the lens itself.
Another excellent review. Dustin’s reviews have been the best resource for us Fuji X-H2 users since you’ve begun testing X mount gear. One suggestion for your detailed review section, despite the age of Fuji lenses, they’re still the OEM reference, perhaps consider adding how the lens(or lenses) in review, a short compare to the closest equivalent Fuji counterpart. Not to add length of the detailed section, but just providing a quick reference point will make the already excellent reviews even better. Thank you for your efforts.
Thanks Dustin, really appreciate this comparison! Quite interesting how similar they are, but still with some pretty big differences as they trade blows. I would say that while the Viltrox has much more consistent image quality and better sharpness, the magnification and close up performance could be a dealbreaker for this focal length. But thanks for your time and effort, a great review as always.
As usual, an excellent review of 2 top value for money choices. Having, some time ago invested in the excellent Sigma 56 1.4, that's where I'm staying.
I am very happy with my Sony Zeiss Sonnar 55mm 1.8 T* ZA Lens, of which I saw several used at my local store for $US 360 taxes included in very good condition, there was also one a bit beaten for $US 180 taxes included.
An amazing job you did there. I still can't decide between Sigma 24-70 II and Tamron 28-75 G2. I've watched quite a few tests and Tamron seems to be better in all aspects. I mostly shoot indoors with no flash. I need sharpness and quick AF. What do you recommend?
Both lenses focus very quickly now, and are both quite sharp. I suspect you would be happy with either. I'll break it down this way: if you have 24mm covered some other way, the Tamron is a pretty safe choice because it is an excellent lens, cheaper, and doesn't really have any significant flaws. The Sigma is probably your better choice if you need to cover 24mm, as that extra width can really make a difference.
@@DustinAbbottTWI Thanks for a speedy reply. To be honest, I have nothing to cover 24mm, hence I'm tempeted to buy the Sigma, but it seems to be too big/heavy for me, size-wise. If I went for the Tamron, what prime lens 24mm f1.8 would you recommend, an inexpensive/budget one? The same requirements, that is, sharp and quick AF in low light. To be frank, I need to buy a camera too. Now, I'm using D5300 + Sigma 17-50 f2.8, but the Sigma is dying because of some inner strap wearing out. So I need to buy a new lens, and a camera too, as it looks like I need to switch to a mirrorless system. I love the Nikon, and wanted to buy Z5 or Z6II, but I've watched tens of tests and older Sony A7 III seems to be the best choice as for AF in low light/indoors.
Hi Dustin! I've read that the Tamron has a better autofocus hit rate than the Sigma. Not in speed, but in accuracy, more images became sharp with the Tamron. Is this true? I would switch from Tamron G1 to Sigma, I work with it, accuracy is important, but I don't have money for Gm II. Thank you very much
Fantastic comparison. Thanks ! I’ve chosen Sigma few months ago and can confirm everything you have said (I am a prime guy but wanted versatility from time to time ;) )
I can't say when that will happen. I'm so busy with reviews that I've already got months of content between finished videos and gear I already have on hand for testing.
