Average Customer Review: ( 12 customer reviews )
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28 of 28 found the following review helpful:
 plastic build, light weight, surprising optics Sep 23, 2007
By E. K. Arnold
"amazon hunter"
i briefly had this lens and though i traded it in, it's actually a pretty good deal for the money. anyone expecting a pro-quality lens or a 2.8 at this price is insane.
the first thing you notice is that the build quality is super-plastic-y, even toy-like. that was a turn-off for me, but to get a better-made lens, you'll have to pay hundreds, if not thousands more -- the nikon 55-200 alternatives are also plastic, and sigma doesnt offer a 55-200 in an EX finish.
still, the sigma 55-200 does have some advantages if you're not overly concerned with name-brand snob appeal. it autofocuses very quickly due to its short barrel and excels at tracking moving subjects handheld due to its light weight. and the optics are clearer and sharper than you would think, although there is a bit of fall-off at 200mm. this lens would obviously appeal to budget-minded shooters, but it would also be a good backup lens for travel for someone who doesnt want to drag along a lot of heavy glass. and at the price it's being offered for, you could easily buy two in case one breaks.
note: unfortunately for d40 users, the sigma 55-200 has no internal motor, so your camera will not AF with it.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
A word of warning. Jan 23, 2009
By LRHouston
"Ray"
This lens is great for the money, a word of warning, it will not autofocus with the D40, D40x, or D60.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
It's okay for the $$$$$ Dec 14, 2008
By L. Aderholt
The lens is average. The zoom quality is mediocre and the edges do get a tad fuzzy. You get what you pay for. It will do what I need for the time in which I have it.
4 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 Sharpness High Price Low for this Lens Aug 21, 2005
By David Smith
There are some that slam this lens and others that praise it. You have all heard the value of the 50mm 1.8 right? This Sigma lens is close to the same value as far as cost vs sharpness. It is not as fast as a 2.8 lens but it also is not as expensive. If you can afford it get a 2.8 lens but if not then this is the lens you want. It is very sharp but does become soft at outer edges
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Excellent quality, solid lens on a budget, Recommended! Mar 10, 2009
By A. Mendez
"Elite Photo"
Update: August 20 2009, lens has major problems shooting at 200mm range, very bad blurry images, got to send it back for warranty.
I read somewhere the lens is plastic like feel, that is not true. In the contrary, to me the construction and mate finish texture what I liked the most. Have taken it to a few outdoor events and at least people who do not know about lenses ask how much I paid for it and are impressed with the price tag and over-all quality.
The reason I bought this lens is mainly for the brand, SIGMA, I got also a 30mm 1.4 Sigma that is amazing, construction quality, craftsmanship, materials, color, fonts, are all identical. To me the lens feels solid, very well made. Pictures taken with flash look realistic, no washed out colors or strange exposures.
I got the Cosina 70-210 and I think the Sigma is much better over-all with less distortion, more controlled exposures and better color quality. Mine was bought when it was for fifty something dollars.
Final verdict: I do recommend this lens to anyone looking for a lens on a budget, if you like taking a lot of low light images then get yourself a VR Nikon telephoto lens. If you have the D40, D60 expect manual focus as it has no built in lens motor drive, in a way is a good thing, less stuff the lighter it is. I use it mostly for sports so the AF is not an issue for me. Four stars for such an unbeatable price! Sigma did it again!
Update: I purchased a used D70, autofocus is very quiet, fast and smooth. No problem AF in low light as the D70 and all new DSLR have the assistant focus light.
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