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Sigma 21-35mm f/3.5-4.2 experiences (samples added)
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:01 am    Post subject: Sigma 21-35mm f/3.5-4.2 experiences (samples added) Reply with quote

Yesterday I got a box full of lenses for virtually nothing. Among them I found a nice Sigma 21-35mm with Pentax KA mount. Is this lens worth keeping? I have made a few test shots at night and these came out sharp on a 6MP camera, but I do not know how this will work out on a 15MP SLR.

It's quite a solid, heavy, well-built lens.

(Never mind the awful products shots. Even I have the right to take crappy photos Very Happy )





And the results with this lenss. The first three are with the Pentax *ist DS (6MP APS-C camera). This includes a shot directly into the sun to see how it performs in difficult conditions:







The following three are with the lens on the Canon 5D, so the lens is used fullframe. I used Alex' PK to EOS adapter. It does not work as-is on the 5D because the camera has a problem with the light baffles on K mount lenses (and probably also the diaphragm lever). So I just held the lens to the adapter (already fitted to the camera) and that worked, even up to infinity. I'll try to remove the light baffle from the Sigma (it's fastened with three screws so it could be done).







Last edited by Spotmatic on Fri Jul 03, 2009 6:07 am; edited 2 times in total


PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

nice lens!

it's a sigma alpha lens, so it was top of the Sigma range at that time (although that does not mean anything ... Laughing )

Did you try to put it on your 5D?

And ... don't get rid of it that fast ... i want to try Smile


PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

hk300 wrote:
nice lens!

it's a sigma alpha lens, so it was top of the Sigma range at that time (although that does not mean anything ... Laughing )

Did you try to put it on your 5D?

And ... don't get rid of it that fast ... i want to try Smile


Why did I know that you would be the first to react? Laughing

I'll try to put it on the 5D but the camera does not like the K mount adapter too well.


PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 12:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hk300 wrote:
It's a sigma alpha lens, so it was top of the Sigma range at that time (although that does not mean anything ... Laughing )


The alpha, beta, ... name on sigma lenses did not mean top of range but it was just a way to name the type of lens

At that period it was NO Sigma top of range classification (as Ex now) but higher specs or lower specs lenses (this one was a higher specs of course !)

This particular lens is the second and last version of sigma 21-35
The first one was the 21-35 3.5/4 2 touchs
the second (your lens) is one-touch and is (as far as i know) the ONLY one-touche wide angle lens sold

I have got both versions (my 2nd version for om is for sale)
Quality ok


ps : the boats pictures is slightly out of focus



PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 12:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the nice examples! Looks like a decent performer. Were these made on a cropped body or shot on film?


PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 12:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

PBFACTS wrote:


The alpha, beta, ... name on sigma lenses did not mean top of range but it was just a way to name the type of lens

At that period it was NO Sigma top of range classification (as Ex now) but higher specs or lower specs lenses (this one was a higher specs of course !)

This particular lens is the second and last version of sigma 21-35
The first one was the 21-35 3.5/4 2 touchs
the second (your lens) is one-touch and is (as far as i know) the ONLY one-touche wide angle lens sold

I have got both versions (my 2nd version for om is for sale)
Quality ok


Thanks for the valuable info!


PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 2:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had the AF version (Nikon) of this lens and I really liked it at my dad's Fuji S2 pro. There are some problems with flares and some CAs, but otherwise it's fine.
And I have read in an old magazine that the MF version is even better than the AF lens.
You should definitely try it!


PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 2:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

LucisPictor wrote:
I had the AF version (Nikon) of this lens and I really liked it at my dad's Fuji S2 pro. There are some problems with flares and some CAs, but otherwise it's fine.
And I have read in an old magazine that the MF version is even better than the AF lens.
You should definitely try it!


Thanks for the information, Carsten! I will try it out tonight and post the results here.


PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 2:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Spotmatic wrote:
Thanks for the nice examples! Looks like a decent performer. Were these made on a cropped body or shot on film?


shot on film + scanned


PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 2:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

LucisPictor wrote:
There are some problems with flares and some CAs, but otherwise it's fine.


Flare not perfect but not too bad :


PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 6:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here are some older shots. Taken withe the Nikon D100.


Nikon 18-35 @f4.5


Nikon 18-35 @f11



Sigma AF 21-35 @f4.2


Sigma AF 21-35 @f11

But OK, this was really a nasty situation for any lens. Still, the Nikkor did better than the Sigma, at least wide open.


PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 8:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the examples, guys! Very interesting!

I have updated my first post in this thread with my own samples, shot with the Pentax *ist DS and the Canon 5D. I think the Sigma is a decent performer although I need to test it more... For now I think it has a bit weak corners on fullframe.


PostPosted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 9:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have the AF version of this lens in Nikon mount. It's very sharp on my D70s but does suffer from flare & some CA. The AF version has a non-removable hood...According to photodo.com's mtf tests, the AF is a better performer than the MF version...


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 4:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have this lens in the 67mm filter size and it the flare is worse than yours,
I carried it along a Minolta 35-70mm F3.5 (the alleged leica brother) and it falls short to it.


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tonight I cut off the tab that protects the diaphragm lever on the Sigma 21-35. This tab serves no other purpose, so I got rid of it. The end result is that I have now a lens that works perfectly on any Pentax DSLR or film body, as well as my Canon 5D (with the help of the PK to EOS adapter I got from Alex, HK300). There are *no* infinity issues that I can see on the 5D body, as the back element stays in place while focusing.


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The lens seems nicely sharp but the flare in the original Spotmatic's picture is probably the worst I have seen in quite some time (sorry!)


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No need to feel sorry though, as I completely agree with you. Fortunately, I almost never shoot in such adverse conditions, so I think I can live with it. Easily, as the lens only cost me somewhere along the line of 10 euros Very Happy


PostPosted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 4:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Got a Sigma 21-35/3.5-4.0 zoom lens for Nikon. Looks different, but IQ and bokeh looks the same. Great lens, i was impressed but the performance.


PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2012 5:56 am    Post subject: sigma 21-35mm/f3.5-4.2 minolta md mount Reply with quote

Just found this wide zoom lens after i had my one and only af 14-54mk2, it seems a nice result lens


PostPosted: Tue Apr 09, 2019 7:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry to bring up such an old topic, but I got myself one of these (zoom-y II).
I managed to open the rear group and clean all elements, but I've got one very moldy front element and I can't figure out how to open the front.
I removed the name ring/plate, the hood support then the front element seems to be held by a large ring, I have the correct tool for that, but it won't move. Do you guys think they would glue this ring in place like P67 lenses?


PostPosted: Wed Apr 10, 2019 12:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

coisasdavida wrote:
Do you guys think they would glue this ring in place like P67 lenses?


It's a Japanese lens. You could encounter glue, aka thread lock, anywhere in the lens.

It's a sore subject for me. I love MF lenses; but I have encountered locked threads in lenses needing service FAR too often and it really spoils my fun. Sometimes you can break the darn stuff with solvent. Other times, especially when the locked element is deep within a larger lens, you end up defeated. The solvent itself is trouble for me because my lens bench is indoors and it's not always practical, where I live, to open windows. Bottom line, I hate use of thread lock in MF lenses; so annoying.


PostPosted: Wed Apr 10, 2019 7:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, Guardian, I'll give a solvent a try.


PostPosted: Wed Apr 10, 2019 10:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I found sigma 21-35mm 3.5-4.0 for sale, any idea if it would it be fairly similar to this model? I can't really find any info on the f4.0 model, just the 4.2


PostPosted: Wed Apr 10, 2019 10:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kawana87 wrote:
I found sigma 21-35mm 3.5-4.0 for sale, any idea if it would it be fairly similar to this model? I can't really find any info on the f4.0 model, just the 4.2

I think the f/4 (like I've got) is the earlier model, two-touch zoom/focus and built-in lens hood. Mine's in M42 mount. I've had mine (probably) since the 70's and was always happy with the results on film. Not used it so much with the advent of APS-C digital and the ubiquitous 18-55mm "kit-lens", but I wouldn't sell it unless I was really pushed Wink

See https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/sigma-21-35mm-f35-4.html if that helps.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 4:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

guardian wrote:
coisasdavida wrote:
Do you guys think they would glue this ring in place like P67 lenses?

It's a Japanese lens. You could encounter glue, aka thread lock, anywhere in the lens.


OK, so here is what happened.
I went to a friend's, he has more experience than me in this matter.
We tried solvent but the front ring still wouldn't move.

We then removed the rubber from the focus ring and found a piece of silver tape, we removed that too. And then 4 very small screws.
The entire front of the lens came out and we were able to clean the dirty element very easily.
When putting everything together we had to adjust the focus scale.

Much easier than I ever thought.