Sigma lenses on Four Thirds (not Micro Four Thirds) cameras
Has anyone used any of the Sigma lenses made in the Four Thirds mount? Does autofocus performance take a big hit? In the One Month Two Cameras episode about the E300, I believe she found that the Panasonic lenses don't autofocus very well on the Olympus E300, so I expect it might be the same for Sigma glass. These lenses aren't cheap and the ones on eBay seem to have been there for a long time, so it's not a really a situation where I'd want to buy one just to test it out. Hoping that someone here already has some experience with this.
I've got the 18-50 F2.8 which is good however I slightly prefer the Olympus 14-54 II. The autofocus is quite good. I got it at a bargain price on auction as it was labelled OM mount, so I've decided to keep both.
I'm selling the Sigma 30mm 1.4 as I don't need it. Wide open it does show some chromatic aberration.
The autofocus is fine on Four Thirds bodies but bad on MFT Bodies (slow and unreliable).
I’d also point out the Sigma lenses are either APSC or full frame lenses, so they are bigger than they need to be.
I think supposedly there were 13 lenses.
This chart shows all the lenses available across the brands:
Four Thirds | Four Thirds | Four Thirds | Chart(Lenses) (archive.org)
I’ve heard some are incredibly hard to find such as the 300-800. I love to try some of the exotic ones but like the Olympus Pro lenses they are hard to find and expensive when they do eventually turn up.
I wouldn’t pay too much as it’s an old mount but as they are rarer they often go for as much if not more than Canon, or Nikon mount versions.
Which lenses are you interested in?
That chart is a great resource! Thanks. I haven't used any of the Sigma lenses on my four thirds bodies, which is why I didn't initially reply, but I am interested in this topic. Right now I have my 25mm and 50mm for my E300 and am thinking to maybe go after the 7-14 one day to complete the kit for myself. These lenses are tough to find!
I've written a response three separate times to Lim's very helpful response, but clicking submit gives me an error and I lose what I've written. So maybe the fourth time is the charm. Either way, this will be brief.
Thanks for confirming that Sigma Lens AF is usable on Four Thirds cameras. As James said, that is a great chart and features some lenses I didn't even know about. I don't have my eye on one in particular, but it would definitely be nice to have a lens that's faster than f/2.8. It's hard to justify spending more than the camera on a single lens. At least now I know that if I do, the AF should be workable.
Slightly off topic, I have the first Olympus 14-54. I like it but the autofocus is a little weak. Does the Mark II have their SWD system for better reliability?
The chart was referenced on the Wikipedia article it has gone however I was able to find it with some difficulty. It's a nice summary of what's out there. I do think the Four Thirds system has enough lenses but the interesting ones were made in small quantities so are hard to find.
The 14-54 II has a faster autofocus motor. So, unless you are shooting wildlife or fast-moving subjects it's still usable on MFT bodies. I use it as my main Lense on MFT.
