Canon EOS Kiss X3, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

Cameras and Lenses: Images with a legacy Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8, a highly acknowledged vintage with its mini-macro capabilities, compact and lightweight with its retrofocus design, a standard normal 44.8mm full-frame equivalent on the EOS Kiss X3.

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For the cost-conscious, or better, a vintage DSLR enthusiast, a 45mm (or equivalent) focal length is quite a rare prime to source. Aside from the acknowledged Minolta MD Rokkor 45mm 1:2 series, and maybe a few other discreet lenses, the focal length that sits between the wide-angle 35mm and a standard nifty-fifty is not much discussed on the Net either.

The focal length, however, is still considered a standard normal capable of capturing images that mimic what the eye sees.

The all-rounder focal length is equally versatile for various photography genres, including portraits, street photography, travel, architecture imaging, and environmental portraits, and is just as well-suited as a daily-use lens.

While it offers a field of view slightly wider than a standard normal, like other primes, the 45mm focal length will typically have a shallower depth of field, which is good for getting images with a blurred background effect.

With the interest in mind, I did manage, recently, to set up what could very well be a very fine vintage setup for enthusiasts to experiment with - a three-way kit with an OM-Mount Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8, an OM-EOS AF lens adapter, and an APS-C EOS Kiss X3 (EOS 500D) digital SLR camera. The 28mm wide-angle, mounted on the 1.6x crop sensor Kiss X3, is equivalent to a 44.8mm prime on a 35mm full-frame. Exposures are based on the Sunny 16 Rule.

The lens, a retrofocus design released in 1985, is a later version of the initial Sigma Mini-Wide 28mm, which was first introduced in 1978. The version, said to be constructed with fewer elements, has a plastic ring and a diagonal pattern on the focus ring, 6 blades, a focus rotation of approximately 200°, a closest focusing distance of 0.22 meters, weighs 210 grams, is 43-50 mm in length, and enjoys a rating for Sharpness (8.6), Aberrations (7.4), Bokeh (7.7), Handling (8.7), and Value (9.20) on PentaxForums.

The lightweight, small, and compact lens is convenient to carry around, even mounted, provides for good image rendering, has a handy close-focusing ability, ages well, and is sharp all around, even at its widest. A good working copy, with clean and clear elements, smooth focus throw, and snappy aperture stops, is all you need to treat yourself to the experience of a 45mm equivalent focal length lens.

Canon EOS Kiss X3 (EOS 500D), Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

For the choice of a camera, settling for an EOS APS-C digital SLR camera is straightforward, as the model series is fitted with a 1.6x crop factor sensor and the EF/EF-S lens mount system, which is common across all EOS APS-C models. The lens mount is easy to use and adaptable to work with. Getting a lens adapter with an AF confirm chip will activate the camera's focus confirmation system for more precise and advanced focusing.