The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 08/15/25

Olympus E-500, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 08/14/25

Olympus E-500, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 08/13/25

Olympus E-500, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 08/12/25

Olympus E-500, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

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Olympus E-500, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

CCD Resurgence: Image making with a legacy Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8 wide-angle prime mounted on a 2x crop sensor Four/Thirds digital SLR camera.

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A highly recommended digital SLR and lens kit combo for CCD enthusiasts is the Olympus E-500, a vintage digital SLR camera launched in 2005 with an 8MP Four Thirds sensor from Kodak, fitted with a legacy manual focus from the 1080s, the Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8.

The camera and lens combo, light in the hand, and swift on the take, should do well for enthusiasts enamored with the low-light, high-quality film-like images CCD sensors are known for.

The Olympus E-500, although not the smallest, was the lightest DSLR camera on the market when it was launched in 2005, and, unlike the preceding E-300 model, featured a body shape similar to that of a conventional SLR.

The camera is fitted with the highly acknowledged 8MP Kodak KAF-8300CE CCD sensor, has good ergonomics, a comfortable hand grip, and a body that is built stiff and strong.

The Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8, on the other hand, is a lens known for its good contrast and color rendition, and is a later version of the original Mini-Wide. The lens, a compact, manual-focus wide-angle lens, was made available in various camera mounts from the 1980s to the early 1990s.

Construction-wise, the Mini Wide II is mainly of plastic construction with a 6-element, 6-group optical design, multi-coated glass, and 6 matte blades that form a hexagonal aperture shape. The lens measures 43–50 mm in length, depending on the version, weighs around 210 grams, and takes 52mm filters.

To distinguish it from the original iteration, the Mini Wide II features a plastic aperture ring and a diagonal pattern focus grip, while the original Mini Wide has a metal aperture ring and a square pattern focus grip. On PentaxForums, the Mini Wide II enjoys a favored rating of Sharpness (8.6), Aberrations (7.4), Bokeh (7.7), Handling (8.7), and Value ( 9.2).

Reviews indicate that the lens shows moderate sharpness when used wide open. Sharpness, however, improves significantly from edge to edge when the lens is stopped down to f/5.6 or f/8, a characteristic that makes the lens well-suited for shooting in bright daylight with smaller apertures.

Olympus E-500, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

On the 2x crop sensor E-500, the Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8, with its standard normal 56mm equivalent offering a field of view similar to that of a short telephoto, is a good choice for street photography, cityscapes, and environmental portraits. The lens has a close-focus distance of 0.22 meters and is known for its macro capabilities at a 1:4.5 macro reproduction ratio.

The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 07/04/25

Pentax K-m, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 07/03/25

Pentax K-m, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 07/02/25

Pentax K-m, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 07/01/25

Pentax K-m, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

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Pentax K-m, Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

CCD Resurgence: Image making with a vintage legacy Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8 prime lens mounted on a 10.2MP CCD Pentax K-m digital SLR camera.

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I am a sucker for Sigma Super- and Mini-Wide legacy lenses and started out, a while back, with a couple of Mini-Wides that were unusable due to their coating failure.

Next, I went through a couple with FD Mounts: a Sigma 24mm 1:2.8 FD-Mount Super-Wide and a Sigma 28mm f/2.8 nFD Mount Mini-Wide II, a K-mount Sigma 28mm f/2.8 Mini-Wide, and an OM-mount Sigma 28mm f/2.8 Mini-Wide II, before ending up with what is hopefully the last: a K_A-mount Sigma 28mm f/2.8 Mini-Wide II.

The lens series, which began with the 24mm Super-Wide and the more compact 28mm Mini-Wide in the late 1980s, stands out for Sigma Corporation's design and innovation capabilities, optical performance, and the cult influence these products have had on amateur and professional photographers alike. The Mark II iterations of the lenses were first seen around 1988.

The 28mm f/2.8 K_A-mount Mini-Wide II, the draw card, is fitted with an 'A' button, which, when set, allows the lens's aperture to be set by the camera. Aside from being used only in Fully Manual and Aperture-Priority with other legacy lenses, this makes it possible for the camera to be used in Shutter-Priority and Programmed Auto Exposure modes.

The K_A-mount was introduced in 1983 with the launch of Pentax A and later, Pentax P series 35mm SLR cameras. The lenses are completely backward-compatible with the original K-mount system bodies.

On the 10MP Pentax K-m with the 1.5x CCD crop sensor, the Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8 is equivalent to a 42mm prime on a 35mm full frame camera, close enough to the 43.3mm diagonal of the film frame. Though the focal length is slightly wider than a standard normal 50mm, yet tighter than a wide-angle 35mm (or when a 24mm is used in the same context), the focal length is often described as a 'sweet spot' for capturing a balanced view, allowing for some context while still isolating the subject. This focal length is also considered close to what the eye sees with natural and realistic perspective.

The 40mm focal length, just as well-suited for other photographic genres, including portraits, environmental portraits, and, aside from street photography, mimics what the eye sees with a perspective that is natural and realistic. The normally compact and lightweight lens is also easy on the go, and is a natural choice for many photographers who find it comfortable to work with for images that create a sense of realism, where the viewer feels like they are right there in the scene.

The Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8, acknowledged for its portability, versatility, and good image quality, enjoys a rating of Sharpness (8.6), Aberrations (7.4), Bokeh (7.7), Handling (8.7), and Value (9.2) on PentaxForums. The K_A iteration has a plastic focus ring with a rectangular pattern, is a 6-element, 6-group optical design with 6 blades, an aperture range from f/2.8 to f/22, a closest focusing distance of 0.22 meters (great for macros), a length of 43mm (50mm extended), takes 52mm filters, and weighs 210 grams.

Pentax K-m, K_A-mount Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

The advantage of the K_A Mount, when coupled to the Pentax K-m (and other Pentax bodies), is the versatility of a camera that can be used with all its exposure (PASM) and other custom shooting modes, and a lens with a focal length that will let you right into the context of a scene, with the ability still, to pick and single out the main subjects.

Pentax K-m, K_A-mount Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8

p.s. Something to watch out for, when you bidding, is that while the Sigma Mini-Wide II 28mm f/2.8 may be listed (in 2025) from as low as US$ 20 on the auction market, not many sellers specify what camera mount the lens is fitted with, neither do they show an image of the mount or the letters denoting the mount, which are often engraved or silk-screened on the lens barrel. Pentax K-m's, often available from as low as US$80, will normally require you to provide the 4x AA batteries and an SDHC card to get the camera up and running on your own.

The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 05/16/25

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

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 05/15/25

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

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 05/14/25

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

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The Galleria: Photo of the Day, 05/13/25

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

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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 regarded vintage lens 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, architectural 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 when mounted, provides 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.