NEW - Ken Gilbert

PROFESSIONAL
Durable, Affordable
PRO 700 DX
Max Height: 74.80 in.
Max Load: 15.00 lbs.
Weight: 7.05 lbs.
SUPER
A.M.T.
ALLOY
PRO 500 DX
Max Height: 63.95 in.
Max Load: 10.00 lbs.
Weight: 5.47 lbs.
SUPER
A.M.T.
ALLOY
SLIK Super A. M. T. alloy uses a mixture of
Aluminum, Magnesium and Titanium to form
an alloy stronger than regular aluminum yet
much more light-weight.
For professionals, the PRO 700 DX is a sturdy
tripod that will hold up to years of regular
use. The PRO 500 DX is a slightly smaller
and lighter version with the same features.
For enthusiasts, the PRO 330 DX and PRO
340 DX are compact and light-weight for
easy use and easy traveling.
EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION BY:
7642 Woodwind Drive, Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Visit our website for more information at
www.thkphoto.com
LENS TEST By Julia Silber
TopSeed
No lens epitomizes Sigma’s new
level of competiton with Canon and Nikon
better than this 24–70mm f/2.8. When we
tested Sigma’s previous 24–70mm f/2.8 in
2002, it sold for $380, a fraction of the
price of comparable high-speed glass.
This newcomer? $900, street.
The improvements are dramatic. They
include a super-quiet HSM autofocus
motor, ELD and SLD glass elements to
suppress chromatic aberration, three
aspheric elements for compactness and
reduced aberration, rounded aperture
blades for better bokeh, and an internalfocusing
design. On APS-sensored
DSLRs, the lens scales up to about a
38–112mm full-frame equivalent.
HANDS ON: This solid-feeling lens is
much more compact than its predecessor.
It’s lighter than the comparable 2-pound
Nikkor, but not by much. Focus and zoom
rings turn smoothly, easily, and evenly
across their ranges. AF is rapid, accurate,
and, for all practical purposes, silent.
IN THE LAB: Its Excellent SQF results
were drastically superior to the earlier lens,
especially at 50mm and 70mm, indicating
much more sharpness and contrast.
Distortion, according to DxO Analyzer
3.0.1 tests, was also vastly improved, with
Visible barreling at 24mm (0.39%), versus
Very Visible (1.2%) barrel distortion before.
At 50mm pincushioning was Imperceptible
(0.09%)—astounding next to the Very
Visible (1.5%) pincushion distortion of the
earlier lens. Similarly, the new lens
showed just Slight pincushioning at
70mm (0.15%) compared with Very
Visible (1.8%) pincushion distortion in
24–70mm (24.95–68.56mm tested),
f/2.8 (f/3.02 tested), 14 elements in 12
groups. Focusing turns 90 degrees
counterclockwise. Zoom ring turns 80
degrees clockwise. Focal lengths marked
at 24-, 28-, 35-, 50-, and 70mm.
■ Diagonal view angle: 84–34
degrees. ■ Weight: 1.82 lb. ■ Filter
size: 82mm. ■ Mounts: Canon AF,
Nikon AF, Pentax AF, Sigma AF, Sony AF.
■ Included: Lenshood, softcase.
■ Street price: $900.
78
70MM 50MM 24MM
4.83 in.
3.72 in.
Sigma 24–
70mm f/2.8 EX
DG HSM AF
0.40 in.
0.61 in.
3.48 in.
2002. This all suggests a complete
rethinking of the lens. Light falloff was gone
from the edges by f/3.5 at 24mm and
70mm, with no measurable falloff at 50mm.
Magnifi cation ratios at the uniform closefocusing
distance of 13.4 inches ranged
from 1:10.31 at 24mm to 1:5.34 at 50mm,
and 1:4.35 at 70mm—disappointing next to
the older lens’ 1:3.6 top magnifi cation, but
the price of SQF and distortion superiority.
CONCLUSIONS: This top-drawer
lens is fast and compact, with a practical
focal-length range perfect for many of the
subjects covered by event shooters and
photojournalists in particular. p