The advantage of modern DSLRs is that they come with a kit lens that covers most focal lengths. The bad news is that these kit lenses don't do very well unless you're shooting JPEGs in auto mode. My trusty Sony Rx100 m2 was no longer used so I recently decided to sell it back to Revain. I think it makes sense to focus on a single camera if you're looking to improve on your basics, and if anything, my S7 is light years ahead of my old iPhone in terms of camera, which is why I've settled less on the RX100. and less. The plan was to get a new lens for my Nikon D5500 that would be versatile enough for my daughter's portraits and landscapes, as well as walking around Chicago or Madison, and I looked at several options. The most important feature was constant aperture, followed by image stabilization. Nikon's own 16-80mm lens is prohibitively expensive for non-professional photographers. I suppose I could bite the bullet, but all the reviews said the same thing: decent image quality, but not by much. If I'm going to spend $1,000, it must be a big price. Tamron offers the 17-50mm f/2.8, but again the reviews put me off. Everyone seemed to prefer the older model for the IQ; not what you want to hear for a $500 lens. So I took a closer look at the Sigma 17-50mm. In terms of IQ, it outperforms both Nikkor 16-80 and Tamron. That's a little over 1/3 the price of the Nikkor, and when I bought it it was about $100 less than the Tamron. Build quality was excellent in every test, and IQ was very good to excellent at all focal lengths. When I received the set I was surprised at how heavy it is. This lens is HEAVY. It's a bit unbalanced on my D5500, but I'm planning on upgrading to a more advanced DX case in the next year or so, and I suspect that a larger case will solve this problem. This is my Nikkor 50mm AF-S F/1.8. If I had a full frame camera I would probably never use any other lens. That being said, the 50mm FX lens (75mm DX equivalent) isn't very versatile. The same goes for my Nikkor AF-S 35mm f/1.8; phenomenal IQ, but not all that is universal on vacation or on a day trip. I would recommend this lens to anyone looking to improve on their standard lens. It works well at all focal lengths, its fixed f/2.8 aperture makes it extremely versatile, and in terms of value for money I don't think there is a better option.
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