As you can see from the previous articles on my trip to Hakone, I have recently been carrying the Lumix G99 instead of the Pentax K-3III when I go on trips. In addition to the motive of making my luggage as light and small as possible, the G99 has a reliable standard zoom lens, the Leica DG12-60, as a partner, which saves me the complexity of changing lenses during the trip and makes it easier.
There are times when I enjoy changing lenses, but I appreciate the fact that I can use only single lens for a variety of situations when I have many restrictions on my travels.
My K-3III used to have a partner DA16-85, a standard zoom lens with solid performance.
However, for some reasons, I don’t have it on hand at the moment, and the DA20-40Limited is filling that role. It is a lens with good looks, light weight, and excellent performance, but its narrow zoom range of 20-40mm means that it tends to be used interchangeably with other lenses for both wide-angle and telephoto shots, and this can easily reduce its mobility.
The bottom line is that I wanted a usable “full-time” standard zoom for the K-3III, even if it is not specifically for travel. Sorry for the long preamble.
Naturally, the obvious thing to do would be to get the genuine DA16-85 again, which is known to have good qualities, but I thought it was too straightforward and not interesting. After considering what else I could try, the lens of the title, the SIGMA 17-70, surfaced.
Advantages of this lens over the DA16-85
About 0.5 stops brighter across the entire zoom range
Minimum focusing distance of 22cm and a half-macro magnification of 0.36x (genuine 35cm/0.26x)
Lightweight and compact with a weight of 465g and an overall length of 82mm (genuine 488g/94mm)
Some users say that the bokeh effect is soft and good for a zoom lens.
Inferior points
Slightly narrow zoom range
No dustproof and drip-proof
No quick shift focus
Barrel distortion at wide-angle side and pincushion distortion at telephoto side cannot be corrected by the camera
Some users say sweet/flowing peripheral rendering
The few complaints I had with the DA16-85 were that it felt a bit heavy and the bokeh was not expressive enough because of dark f-value. So I have expectation with Sigma17-70 to be lighter and brighter partner. The genuine lens can get close, but Sigma being able to get even closer is a big attraction.
I am curious to know the extent to which the “peripheral rendering is not good enough”. I don’t know about this kind of thing even if I look at examples on the Internet.
However, PENTAX Forum has a detailed review of the lens at the time of its release (2013), and although it does not mention a comparison with the DA16-85 released in 2014, it is evaluated as having better peripheral resolution than the DA18-135, another genuine zoom. So, it is not fatally bad, I would think.
Perhaps it is not as sharp as the DA16-85, but it has the advantage of being able to get close and having soft bokeh. That’s the kind of lens it is.
When I think back, my first SLR camera was the K-70, and I had a hard time deciding what lens to use with this camera body, and I chose the DA16-85 because of its dustproof and drip-proof characteristics. The situation has changed since then, as I now have several splash-proof lenses such as the DA20-40 in case of emergency.
Another change from those days is that the SIGMA17-70 is now a discontinued product. You have to either get lucky and find a stock in circulation or look for a used one. I think I should choose a genuine lens from the beginning rather than regret grabbing a used SIGMA. I had been using it comfortably without any major complaints to begin with, so there was no need to venture out…
While I was wondering, at the right time I found an unused outlet SIGMA 17-70 for less than half the price of the DA16-85 on Yaotomi’s website, fortunately or unfortunately. I was pushed by an invisible force, and I popped it in without thinking… As usual, I am easily influenced by the situation and the price.
The actual product arrived and I took a picture of it attached to my K-3III with my FUJIFILM XF10.
It’s pretty cool, isn’t it? It’s hard to believe that this lens was made a generation ago. And even though it’s an outlet product, it feels good to be brand new. I also like that it feels light in my hand.
This zoom lens was part of Sigma’s very early “Contemporary” lineup. I wonder how well it will let me take pictures. I am looking forward to seeing it, although I do not want to have excessive expectations.
If now you are suspicious that the latest HD PENTAX-DA*16-50mm F2.8 ED PLM AW was not mentioned from the beginning to the end at all, you are the one who is perceptive. That is a story for another time.
