Review on 📷 Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM FLD Zoom Lens for Nikon DSLR Camera with Large Aperture by Aaron Charlton

I bought this lens to use with the new Nikon D7200. As with all third-party lenses, there is a risk of compatibility issues, and this is where I seem to run into a small issue. However, this is not really a problem. The lens itself is nice and sharp. The autofocus is quite fast and the f2.8 aperture is welcome when shooting indoors. Optically I am very satisfied with this lens. OS (optical stabilizer) seems to work fine. When using a lens, keep in mind that it is a slightly older model and the focus ring rotates during autofocus. Also, you need to set the switch to manual focus mode if you want to use manual focus. You can't cancel autofocus just by turning the focus ring. Keeping your fingers on the focus ring while autofocusing also creates a slightly annoying situation. As the ring spins, you'll hear a squeak as it hits your fingers. So try to keep your fingers away from the focus ring when using autofocus. Next, my Nikon D7200's image metadata incorrectly flags whether image stabilization is on or off. It's a minor thing, but it's one of those compatibility issues you should know about. I saved the biggest compatibility issue for last. The lens OS stays awake for a full minute and prevents the camera from going to sleep for a full minute (mine is set to 6 seconds). I haven't shot with the lens all day, so I can't say for sure how much of an impact this will have on battery life. However, from other sources I've read, it can reduce effective battery life by 10-20%. My workaround is to turn off the camera when I've taken a series of shots. I've read that a Sigma service center can update lens firmware to fix this problem. I haven't tried yet. My general thoughts? This lens is optically great. It's also much cheaper than the comparable Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED autofocus zoom lens for Nikon DSLRs, which costs more than twice as much. Compatibility issues are relatively minor, and carrying a spare battery or two for long shoots won't cause any major problems. I am satisfied with this lens because it offers me good optical quality at an affordable price. I'm deducting a star due to compatibility issues, but that doesn't stop me from using the lens.