…has arrived, the big “popeye” Sigma 12-24mm zoom. It’s a full-frame 35mm lens, though on my digi its range is 19-38mm. Ran a bunch of shots through it right away, anxious about reports that some copies were soft in the corners. Not this one! It performed well for every aperture, with a minimum of barrel distortion too.
At last, a proper wide angle view for the DSLR. I am so digging it. But the size — yeow!
The 300D with the twin batteries and the Sigma weighs in at 1630 grams — compared to the Contax G2+21mm which is just barely coat-pocketable (if you take off the accessory finder) at around 700 grams. A different animal, I know, I know. And it’s less weight than a Nikon F5 (a little). Kinda of the same feel when it’s strapped on your hand, though. It could be a camera, or it could be a cudgel. It sure isn’t going into any coat pocket I own.
In fact I can’t get it into my camera bag, either. On its side, it’s 2/3 the length of my Domke F6 and too tall nose-down to fit. I can’t believe I’m going to have to bring back the big lunking Domke F2 bag, which I’d put away, to accomodate just one lens and body (okay, I should be able to squeeze a strobe and another lens in there too). I will not buy another bag just to house this thing!
Biggest difference between photography, live-action filmmaking, and computer graphics:
in CGI, no schlepping.
I swapped-in the infamous Russian hack firmware for the 300D last week – ISO 3200, 1-shot focus, Flash Exposure Compensation, and a working Av-mode flash (10D-style custom function, locks the shutter at 1/200)… what’s not to like?
Three rolls TMax 100, 6 mins in Rodinal 1+25. Maybe a little thin. One dated back to December.