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Navigation

1. Briefly about the review
2. Briefly about the lens
3. History
4. Main Specifications
5. Assembly
6. Focusing
7. Image quality
8. Sample Photos
9. My experience
10. Similar lenses from Nikon
11. Results
12. User Comments
13. Add your review or question on the lens

Abbreviated SIGMA UC ZOOM 28-70mm 1: 3.5-4.5 MULTI-COATED I will call in the review Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5.

Briefly about the lens

The Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 is a very compact and versatile lens for film cameras. At the time of announcement, it was one of the most compact of its kind. On modern full-frame digital cameras, it allows you to use a range of focal lengths from wide-angle to short telephoto range. This set of focal lengths is very convenient and practical. On Nikon cameras, the DX can act as a street lens. Nowadays Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 is not of particular interest, but it can serve as a very, very cheap alternative for modern counterparts.

In general, Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 is functionally very similar to the original Nikon 28-70mm 1: 3.5-4.5 AF Nikkor (MKI).

History

Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 presented February 10 1989 and is the second such autofocus lens from Sigma to replace the older one SIGMA ZOOM-E AF-E 1: 3.5-4.5 f = 28-70mm MULTI-COATED AUTO FOCUS MACRO.

Main technical characteristics of Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5:

Review Instance Name	Inscription near the front lens: 'SIGMA UC ZOOM 28-70mm 1: 3.5-4.5 MULTI-COATED LENS MADE IN JAPAN ø52', lettering on the case 'SIGMA AUTO FOCUS'
Basic properties	the lens is designed for full-frame SLR cameras, in this case it's an analogue of 'Nikon fx' MULTI COATED - multi-coated optics the presence of the aperture control ring, analog Nikon NON-G lens AUTO FOCUS - support for automatic focusing by means of a camera motor, analog Nikon AF the lens does not transmit the focusing distance to the camera, analog Nikon 'NON-D' UC (Ultra Compact) - ultra compact body, light weight Important: a third-party lens that imposes some restrictions on its practical use
Front Filter Diameter	52 mm
Focal length	28-70 mm EGF for Nikon DX cameras is 42-105 mm
Zoom ratio	2.5 x
Designed by	for film cameras (produced in versions for other systems)
Number of aperture blades	6 straight petals, form a fairly regular hole on slightly covered diaphragms
Tags	focusing distance in meters and feet focal lengths for 28, 35, 50, 70 mm DOF scale with F / 16 for 70 mm focal length (T), F / 11 for 28 mm (W) R tags for infrared operation for 28 and 70 mm focal length some versions have a red 'P' mark on the aperture ring for automatic programmed aperture control from the camera
Diaphragm	28mm - F / 3.5-F / 22 35mm - F / 3.8-F / 22 50mm - F / 4.2-F / 25 70mm - F / 4.5-F / 29 On some Nikon cameras at 28mm focal length the camera sees the lens as '28 mm F / 3.8 'and at 70mm as '70 mm F / 4.8'. The lens has an aperture ring (Non-G - lens type). The aperture ring has marks: 3.5, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22 + the value marked with a dot between 3.5 and 5.6 There is a diaphragm ring retainer
MDF (minimum focusing distance)	0.5 m over the entire range of focal lengths, the maximum magnification ratio is achieved by 70 mm focal length and is approximately 1: 6.5
The weight	317 grams (measured, Nikon F version)
Optical design	11 elements in 5 groups No exact optical data found
Lens hood	bayonet model unknown
Manufacturer country	LENS MADE IN JAPAN (Japan)
Period	Since 10 February 1989
Price	Prices for modern universal Sigma lenses are available see here.

The F / 4.5 aperture is about 1/2 stop wider than the F / 5.6 of other similar lenses.

Assembly

The build quality of the Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 is good. Unfortunately, I had a shabby-looking lens in my review. I noticed that almost all lenses of that time look terrible and this is not due to the harsh operating conditions of the lens, but to the design and materials of the lens barrel.

The Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 uses a metal mount. The retractable body frame consists of one section. The zoom and focus ring is rubberized. Ring aperture plastic. The zoom ring rotates 90 degrees without jerking. The body design is typical of very old Sigma lenses. In this case, the Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 is like two drops of water similar to a similar Sigma 35-80 / 4-5.6 from the same era.

For its time, the Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 was a very compact lens. In those early days, it was not so easy to create a small lens, since in optical schemes, special elements were almost not used that would make the lenses compact.

The frame (trunk) of the Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 does not spontaneously change its dimensions under its own weight.

The Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 uses a bayonet hood that locks into the special grooves located on the focus ring. When changing the focal length, the hood does not extend along with the 'trunk'. The hood can be installed in the opposite direction for transportation.

Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 has a feature - the lens trunk lengthens with decreasing focal length. Sometimes it is a little unnerving, it is customary that the longer the lens trunk, the more focal length installed on it.

The rear lens moves during focal length changes.

The diaphragm device consists of 6 not rounded petals.

It's important: Depending on the system for which the Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 has been adapted, its appearance may differ. This is primarily due to the different aperture ring (each system has its own methods of setting the aperture value using the aperture ring and its own specific labels for the aperture ring and its own specific buttons). For example, the version for Canon EOS has no such aperture ring at all, while the version for Pentax has an additional button on the ring. Another difference is related to the fact that the directions of rotation of the rings of the Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 usually correspond to the established habits for a particular system. This entails a different location of the marks on the focusing distance scale, which can be confusing. Sigma also likes to release the same lens with different color markings. For example, there are sub-versions of the Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 with green focusing distance markings in feet, an additional red / orange P on the aperture control ring (near F / 22) and versions without focal length values. Worst of all, some models have a completely different structure of the focus and / or zoom rings (example). With all this variety, you can go crazy when you try to figure out which lens is in your hands.

The lens has a manual aperture ring. To be able to control the value aperture from camera or for automatic installation aperture on modern CZK, you need to turn the control ring to the extreme position (red mark with F / 22) and fix it with a special lock button, which is located to the right of the aperture values. If this is not done, then on a number of cameras, on the display, an error will be displayed - 'fEE' (ring aperture) Some cameras having diaphragm rheostatallow you to control the aperture using the ring aperturebut only in metering modes exposure 'M' and 'A'. You can read more about this issue in the section on Non-G Lenses. Ring aperture rotates with clicks.

Focusing

Auto focus speed is average, comfortable for most photo tasks.

During focusing, the front lens and the frame for filters spin and drive forward. When changing the focal length, the front lens does not rotate.

Focus ring rotates 135 degrees. The movement of the ring is smooth. The minimum focusing distance is 0.5 m. The maximum magnification ratio is only 1: 6.9 (weak). Manual focusing is pretty handy.

When used on cameras Nikon D700 и Fujifilm FienPix S5 Pro the lens behaves well; very rarely it is mistaken in focusing. On camera Nikon D90 I checked the presence of the back and focus front at different focusing distances and different values ​​of the focal length (infinity and MDF as well). Pictures taken using the Live View mode (which does not suffer from back / front focus) were used as a measure. Focusing accuracy using phase sensors completely coincided with the Live View mode.

It's important: auto focus with this lens is available only when using him on cameras with built-in motor focusing.

Exact list Nikon DSLR cameras with a built-in focus motor, on which this lens will focus automatically:

• D1, D1h, D1x, D2x, D2xs, D2h, D2hs
• D3, D3x, D3s, D4, D4s, D5, D6
• Df
• D50, D70, D70s, D80, D90
• D7000, D7100, D7200,D7500
• D100, D200, D300, D300s,D500
• D600, D610, D750, D780
• D700, D800,D800E, D810, D810a, D850
• Fujifilm FinePix S1 Pro, S2 Pro, S3 ProS3 Pro UVIR, S5 ProIS Pro
• Kodak DCS PRO 14n, DCS Pro SLR/n

Exact list Nikon DSLR cameras without a built-in focus motor, on which this lens will not focus automatically:

• D40, D40x, D60
• D3000, D3100, D3200, D3300, D3400, D3500
• D5000, D5100, D5200, D5300, D5500, D5600
• all digital mirrorless cameras Nikon ZDX, Nikon ZFX with Nikon FTZ/FTZ II adapter

Only auto focus and sound confirmation of focus will not work with these cameras, all other important functions, such as automatic exposure metering and automatic iris control, will work well.

You will find a lot of useful information on the types of cameras and lenses Nikon here.

Focus Features:

1. Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 does not have a focus mode switch. To translate the lens into manual focus on cameras with motor For focusing, use the focus mode switching lever located near the camera mount. For cameras without motor Only manual focus mode will always be available for focusing.
2. During auto focus, the focus ring rotates and cannot be touched.
   
3. Focus speed may vary slightly from the camera used. This issue has been considered. here.
4. During focusing, the lens and camera are quite noisy.
5. There is a small effect of 'Focus Breathing' (changing the viewing angle during focusing).
6. Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 is a third party lens. It may happen that it will not work correctly with some Nikon cameras. Details on this issue have been reviewed by me here.
7. When changing the focal length, focusing is almost not lost.
8. Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 does not transmit the value of the focusing distance to the subject to the camera and is a lens of the type Nikon NON-D.
9. The lens has a scale with a focusing distance in meters and feet. Such a scale in itself is of little use and is present more for show (justification of this thought here). The distance scale is made using a special window, and not just printed on the focusing ring.
10. Unknown compatibility with teleconverters.
11. Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 does not have hard stop (hard infinity mechanical stop) which allows you to accurately and quickly focus the lens at infinity under any external conditions.

Image quality

As for a very cheap lens, Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 shows quite acceptable image quality. The most obvious drawbacks are strong barrel distortion at 28mm focal length and a slight drop in resolution with increasing focal length. Of course, there were some perceptible chromatic aberrations and vignetting.

Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 is not optimized for working with digital cameras, nevertheless there is nothing criminal in the image quality, and the image quality itself is an order of magnitude higher than the cost of the lens.

Distinguish picture from Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 and original Nikon AF 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 it will be hard. On the other hand, modern inexpensive kit lenses, for example, Nikon AF-P 18-55 / 3.5-5.6G, in most cases, a cut above Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 in image quality, primarily in resolution in the center of the frame on cameras with a high pixel density.

Sample photos on Nikon D700 (Nikon FX)

Basic examples of photos with RAW source files helped me make a photographer Natalya romanenko (instagram). Convert RAW source files with Nikon D700 the original Nikon Capture NX-D v 1.4.6 utility.

Raw photos ('.nef') can be download from this link (24 photos, 300 MB).

Important: the final result of images with Nikon cameras is greatly influenced by the settings Picture Control, which is responsible for the options for managing snapshots. If you correctly configure it right in the camera, you can very quickly get a good result in JPEG. Likewise, you can easily and quickly develop / convert original RAW ('.NEF') images with even better results. For example, you can use the original free Capture NX-D utility (link to download from the official site) and in just two or three clicks significantly improve the final image result. You can easily get a pleasant picture with good sharpness, color and tonal transitions, remove some of the optical imperfections of the lens (for example, some aberrations, distortion, vignetting). It's simple and very important points, which can radically change the final result and the impression of a particular lens. With such simple manipulations, you can get a pleasant and fairly high-quality result. Unfortunately, the original Nikon software does not have a Russian language menu. You can also use third-party RAW converters, for example, Adobe Lightroom. Thoughts on how to easily batch convert files using a lens profile in Lightroom are explained here.

Sample photos on Fujifilm FienPix S5 Pro (Nikon DX)

On-camera JPEG with legendary camera Fujifilm FienPix S5 Pro (built on the basis Nikon D200, Nikon F mount, 6 + 6 MP Super CCD SR II sensor).

Original photos in JPEG format ('.jpg') can be download or watch by this link (28 photos)

My experience

I bought Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 for anti-crisis review, but due to being busy with other things, I practically did not shoot with the Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5. This is the cheapest full-frame autofocus lens for Nikon F I could find on OLX and was in working order and with perfect lens condition.

Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 is a simple lens with a good price / functionality ratio (the price is very low, and the functionality corresponds to the original Nikon 28-70mm 1: 3.5-4.5 AF Nikkor).

List of all Nikon FX 28-XXX autofocus lenses:

• Nikon 28-70 mm 1: 2.8D AF-S Nikkor ED SWM (black / white)
• Nikon 28-70 mm 1: 3.5-4.5 AF Nikkor (MKI)
• Nikon 28-70 mm 1: 3.5-4.5D AF Nikkor (MKII)
• Nikon 28-80 mm 1: 3.5-5.6D AF Nikkor (MKI)
• Nikon 28-80 mm 1: 3.5-5.6D AF Nikkor (MKII)
• Nikon 28-80 mm 1: 3.3-5.6G AF Nikkor (MKIII, black / silver)
• Nikon 28-85 mm 1: 3.5-4.5 AF Nikkor (MKI)
• Nikon 28-85 mm 1: 3.5-4.5 AF Nikkor (MKII)
• Nikon 28-100 mm 1: 3.5-5.6G AF Nikkor (black / silver)
• Nikon 28-105 mm 1: 3.5-4.5D AF Nikkor (Japan / China)
• Nikon 28-200 mm 1: 3.5-5.6D AF Nikkor (Japan / China, Black / Silver)
• Nikon 28-200 mm 1: 3.5-5.6G ED IF Aspherical AF Nikkor (Japan / Thailand)
• Nikon 28-300 mm 1: 3.5-5.6G AF-S Nikkor ED SWM VR IF Aspherical

The catalog of modern universal lenses for Nikon can be see here.

Results

Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 is very similar to its predecessor Sigma AF-S 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 Is a budget versatile lens with no specific features. Gray, boring, stock, reliable and cheap lens from Sigma.

Like its predecessor, the Sigma UC 28-70 / 3.5-4.5 is a very compact lens with a very convenient focal length range. Slightly increased aperture (F / 4.5 versus F / 5.6 for darker counterparts) allows better autofocus performance, and overall gives a 1/2 stop gain in many categories.

10 main advantages

1. very low cost, one of the cheapest AF lenses in the aftermarket
2. compact size, the prefix in the name of the lens UC (Ultra Compact) is justified
3. auto focus is fast enough for comfortable operation
4. small standard diameter of the front filter
5. increased aperture (F / 4.5 versus F / 5.6 on more 'simple' lenses, for example Sigma 35-80 / 4-5.6 or Nikon 28-80 / 3.5-5.6D)
6. good assembly: no self-extension of the trunk, metal mount, bayonet-type hood, zoom and focus rings are rubberized
7. the presence of a diaphragm ring, depth of field scale, focusing distance window, marks for working in the IR spectrum
8. convenient set of focal lengths for full-frame cameras (almost like the TOP 24-70 / 2.8 E)
9. the direction of rotation of the zoom ring and focus coincides with the original lens Nikon 28-70 / 3.5-4.5... This lens follows the directions specific to a particular system
10. good image quality on covered apertures in the center of the frame

10 main disadvantages

1. total 6 non-rounded aperture blades
2. there is no built-in focusing motor (critical for owners of junior Nikon DX cameras)
3. noisy auto focus
4. the lens does not transmit the focusing distance value to the camera (analogue of Nikon NON-D)
5. rotation of the front lens and the frame for the filters during focusing, in addition, the trunk of the lens also goes forward (inconvenience when using polarists and other specific light filters)
6. '70 -28 'design (max trunk length 28mm)
7. lens barrel is prone to dirt, scuffs and chipping
8. there may be incompatibility with some cameras and / or teleconverters (no exact data)
9. lack of data about the lens in modern cameras, which makes it difficult to automatically correct some types of distortion (distortion etc.), lack of data about the lens in modern RAW converters, difficulty in identifying the exact lens model
10. strong distortion at 28 mm focal length and other noticeable optical distortion, poor resolution in the corners and edges of the frame

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Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram