Sigma Zoom-γ AF 21-35mm f/3.5-4.2, Take I

Analog Diary: Film photography favorites, images with a Sigma Zoom-γ AF 21-35mm f/3.5-4.2, an all-metal ultra-wide zoom lens known for its robust build and wide-angle focal range.

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

I already had a copy of the Sigma Zoom-Gamma 21-35mm 1:3.5~4.2, a 1979 vintage from Sigma in my collection, and had a couple of good outings with it, but went on and decided to add the AF version of the lens, the Sigma Zoom AF 21-35mm 1:3.5~4.2.2, to the jumble.

The lens, an AF version of the same, very highly rated by reviewers on the Dyxum forum, was released in 1985. It came with a 77mm. diameter front element, bigger when compared to the 67mm of the prior, and it weighs in at 480 grams.

My copy comes with an EOS EF-mount, and the camera I had to test it on was the Canon EOS 700QD (1990). Aside from the weight of the camera and lens, which totals almost 1.4 kg (with a heavy-duty wide shoulder strap attached), it might not take too long for you to feel the weight when it is hanging down your neck; both cameras and the lens seem to be functioning well. This is despite their age, which are about 35 and 29 years old, respectively.

Canon EOS 700 QD, Sigma Zoom-γ AF 21-35mm f/3.5-4.2

As was the case with all cameras that I tested, the first instance was always down to the park, an early morning visit this time, with the main emphasis of the test being the zoom range of the lens. Images were shot on Kodak ColorPlus 200, post-processed on Olympus Viewer 3, and print sharpened on Windows Photo.

Canon EOS 700 QD, Sigma Zoom-γ AF 21-35mm f/3.5-4.2

Your observation is probably as good as mine due to the rich color rendition of the landscape. I will have to work harder, however, on getting sharper images with different subjects and lighting conditions while going through the various preset shooting modes or with the shutter-priority option.

Pentax Espio AF Zoom, First Roll

Analog Diary: Film photography favorites, images with a Pentax Espio AF Zoom, a beginner-friendly 35mm point-and-shoot film camera from Pentax's "Espio" lineup, automated convenience with solid optical performance.

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

I was not at all pleased with the images that came out of the first roll of film on the newly acquired Pentax Espio AF Zoom. The images were kind of hazy, blurry, and completely unexpected from a camera that has the acknowledgment of being a very capable model.

Not wanting to admit defeat, I went for the option of converting the images to black and white and came away with these cool images, reminiscent of what I used to get when I was starting out with photography, when I was just a kid.

The Pentax Espio AF, introduced in 1992, comes with a programmed electronic shutter with a speed range from 1/5 to 1/400 second and B, +1.5EV backlight compensation, a built-in zoom flash with red-eye reduction mode, and a host of interesting functionalities.

The camera is fitted with a 35-70mm F4.3~8 zoom lens with 8 elements in 7 groups, capable of a minimum focus of 0.6 meters. Film loading and rewinding are automatic at the end of the roll.

Pentax Espio AF Zoom

With the right mode selection, you can set the camera up for flash off or auto flash on photography, daylight synchro, backlight compensation, dual-frame or auto tele-wide self-timer modes, continuous or timed interval shooting, multiple exposures, and infinity landscape focusing.

Pentax Espio AF Zoom

The images here were originally shot on Kodak ColorPlus 200, lab-processed, scanned, and post-processed on Olympus Viewer 3 (OV3).

Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

Malaysia's Online Marketplace for Vintage Film and Digital Cameras, Lenses,
and Camera Accessories. Follow ImagingPixel on Facebook, Pinterest, and X.

Sigma Zoom-γ (Gamma) 21-35mm f/3.5-4, The Twin Towers

Analog Diary: Film photography favorites, the Petronas Twin Towers with the all-metal Sigma Zoom-γ (Gamma) 21-35mm f/3.5-4, a lens widely recognized as the world's first wide-angle zoom lens for 35mm film SLRs.

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

I was at the location of the Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur, recently with another camera, but found that the 28mm wide-angle zoom I had on the camera wasn't wide enough to capture both of the twin-tower elements in a single frame as I would like it to be. The decision to visit the location again, with another camera, was the better choice.

For the second visit, I took the ultra-wide-angle Sigma Zoom-Gamma 21-35mm F3.5~4 mounted on the Olympus OM-2SP, and I was able to capture the set of amateurish images I was looking for.

Launched in 1979, the one-touch Zoom Gamma 21-35mm lens was the world’s first wide-angle zoom, an area that Sigma continues to excel in today. The lens was a solid metal and glass construction with 7 elements in 7 groups, and comes complete with a built-in floral hood, and a rotating front element with a diameter of 67mm.

While I have used the lens only occasionally, initially for image samples with the lens adapted to the digital Pen E-P5, and then only of late, I do have high regard for the lens - for its built quality, the zoom range it offers, images it renders, and its worth as a keeper.

Olympus OM-2S, Sigma Zoom-γ 21-35mm f/3.5-4

The lens, which is almost a rarity, came almost complementary with the purchase of an Olympus OM body. By itself, listings of the lens on auction sites are far and few in between. You may, instead, find more instances of the follow-up Sigma Zoom-Gamma II 21-35mm F3.5~4.2 being offered in the listings or something that will cost you an arm and a leg in the form of the Leica Vario-Elmar-R 21-35mm F3.5~4 Asph.

Olympus OM-2S, Sigma Zoom-γ 21-35mm f/3.5-4

These images were shot on a roll of a recently expired Kodak ColorPlus 200, post-processed on Olympus Viewer 3 (OV3), and print sharpened on Google NIK Sharpener Pro3.

Two Vintage 35mm Analog SLRs, Loaded And Primed, Ready To Go

Analog Diary,: Film photography favorites, a look at two vintage popular analog 35mm SLR film cameras, a Canon EOS 700 QD, and a Nikon F-601, loaded, primed, and ready to go.

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

My collection of vintage lenses and 35mm film SLRs grew over the last two weeks with the addition of an EF-mount Sigma Zoom-γ AF 21-35mm f/3.5-4.2 zoom, a Canon EOS 700QD, the lens will be mounted on, and an AF Zoom-Nikkor 35-105mm f/3.5~4.5 D, which I wanted to test mounted on the Nikon F601, an earlier acquisition.

Canon EOS 700 QD, Sigma Zoom AF 21-35mm F3.5-4.2

The Sigma Zoom-γ AF 21-35mm f/3.5-4.2, the second in my collection after the initial Sigma Zoom-Gamma 21-35mm f/3.5-4, the world's first wide-angle zoom lens, was introduced in 1985 to meet the demands of AF SLR cameras, which started with the introduction of the Minolta Maxxum series.

Canon EOS 700 QD, Sigma Zoom AF 21-35mm F3.5-4.2

Just as well, the Canon EOS 700 QD, released in 1990 by Canon, was an upgrade of the EOS750/EOS850. Canon's initial development of the EOS series started with the introduction of the EOS 650 in 1987. The EOS 700QD is a frame-and-shoot 35mm film SLR with a range of programmed scene settings and an option of using the camera as a shutter-priority SLR.

Nikon F601, AF Nikkor 35-105mm f/3.5~4.5 D

The AF Zoom-Nikkor 35-105mm f/3.5~4.5 D, developed from an Ai-S version of the same, is a kit zoom lens packaged with Nikon F cameras. The lens is said to be a gem often overlooked by photographers and reviewers during the days of Nikon AF film SLRs. It is a push-pull zoom with a decent zoom range, very well made, and a bit bulky by today's standards, but it comes with image qualities that are highly respected. Ken Rockwell's review here praises the lens.

Nikon F601, AF Nikkor 35-105mm F3.5~4.5 D

The Nikon F601 (N6006 in the US), an earlier acquisition, is a tough bakelite body from the era of the professional Nikon F4 and semi-professional F90x. Introduced in 1991, a couple of years after the F801, the Nikon mid-range came with an improved second-generation autofocus system, motor drive for automatic film advance, a built-in pop-up electronic flash, a top shutter speed of 1/2000 of a second, and a new 'Matrix' evaluative multi-zone metering program.

The camera and lens are a seamless fit; it has one of the brightest viewfinders I have ever come across, and it looks all set to be one of my preferred camera-lens combinations.

Pentax MZ-7, SMC Pentax-M 100mm f/2.8

The Galleria, Photo of the Day, 6/21/19

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>