Sigma 17-70 mm f/2.8-4.0 DC Macro OS HSM

[ozzfan]

The kit lens (Nikkor 18-55 VR) which came along with the Nikon D5000 is a good lens for most shooting conditions. It is an easy lens to walk around with and in good lighting conditions it is capable of taking photos with very good sharpness and colour reproduction. It obviously has drawbacks and most us will look for replacements as we try out different shooting techniques and shooting in different lighting conditions.
I listed out certain needs of mine and the qualities I would prefer:

1) I needed a bit more focal range than the 18-55, somewhere around 16 to 80 mm. Regarding the telephoto end, I rather go closer to the subject than try to take shots from far away.
2) It should allow me to shoot in fairly low light.
3) It should be light enough so it's easier to walk around with and the smaller the size of the lens, the better.
4) The lens should produce images which are acceptably sharp, have good contrast and colour reproduction.
5) Of course it should be affordable.

I should also mention that in the meantime I had bought the Tokina 11-16 F2.8 and a Nikkor 70-300 VR so I was on the lookout for something to fill the gap. I wouldn't mind too much if there would be an overlap or a slight gap in the focal range.
Then in 2010 I read that the Sigma 17-70 mm f/2.8-4.0 DC Macro OS HSM had won the TIPA Awards in the Best Entry Level Lens category. The feature set of the lens was exciting and it fulfilled my requirements adequately. No lens is perfect of course and this lens does have minor niggles but what's important is that the feature set, quality and value for money was just perfect for me. So after reading reviews on the net and being convinced that I could invest in it, I bought it from www.smartshoppers.in which I pretty much trust quite highly.
For a good detailed and reliable review of the lens, please click here.


Some immediate samples clicked as I received the lens:

[adc]

Congrats! This is a great lens. Very good colour reproduction. Do post some pictures taken with adequate sunlight and some macro images as possible from this lens.

I bet many would be interested in this lens soon!!

[omega]

How are the products of this site? Prices seem tempting. Any catches?

Why did you not go for something more wide like 10 mm starting?

[ozzfan]

The products from Smartshoppers are first rate. They provide very good customer support and respond to queries within a day or two. I did go for a wider lens because I already have a Tokina 11-16 which is a very good lens.

[Paglaghora]

Your Sigma looks doing ggod job ozzfan.