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Perry Ge
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Registered: Jul 29, 2007
Location: N/A
Posts: 9
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Review Date: Aug 31, 2007
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Recommend? no |
Price paid: $475.00
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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Build quality, colours, fast focus
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Cons:
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Soft, annoying lens hood
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A pretty good ultra-wide for cropped sensors, especially for the price. Build quality is fantastic, I feel like I can use this thing as a weapon.
I am not a fan of the lens hood, it's very tight and it's almost impossible to either remove/replace the lens cap or turn a polariser with it on. Not a huge issue, but annoying nonetheless.
Wasn't too impressed by its sharpness. Pretty soft wide open, especially at 10mm and around the edges. Even at f/8, sharpness is OK but nothing stellar. To be expected from an ultra-wide I guess, but if you're used to shooting with primes, even the nifty fifty blows this lens away. Maybe I got a soft copy, who knows - if so, Sigma have got to work on QC!
This is my first Sigma, and I'm underwhelmed. I've never been disappointed with a Canon lens. Maybe I expected too much from a lens designated 'EX'. I'd be curious to get my hands on a Tokina 12-24; I might miss the extra 2mm, but at a similar price, maybe the image quality'll be better.
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 Aug 31, 2007
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Balrog
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Registered: Aug 7, 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Aug 27, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Price - value for money, build,
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Cons:
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Apart from first copy very soft left-hand side, Sigma QC.
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First copy very soft and de-centred so had to return to Sigma. Second copy excellant and very sharp. If I had the second copy first then my overall score would have been a 10.
Far better value for money than the Canon version (as long as you get a 'GOOD' one).
Love the ultra-wide view you get from this lens.
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Aug 27, 2007
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Gene Lugo
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Registered: Apr 30, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Aug 24, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $400.00
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Nice build quality, exceptional sharpness even wide open. Very little linear distortion. Even image brightness, even into the corners.
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Cons:
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Don't even think about purchasing one of these new or used without planning on returning it to Sigma for "adjustment"
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I just purchased a used year old copy. My initial impression, prior to Sigma's repair, was that it was an incredibly average lens. Moderate to severe vignetting, soft edges and unusable corners, loss of image brightness from left to right all seem to indicate an alignment problem. I took a chance, approached the previous owner with the issues. He indicated that there were still 3 yrs left on the warranty and he would gladly return it to Sigma on my behalf.
A speedy 10 days later I recieved the lens and it was if I had gotten a completely different copy! All of my concerns were addressed, the lens mount was tightened to remove any slack between the camera and lens, and they performed a cleaning.
Optically this lens is SHARP and crisp! I would rate it equal to the Nikon 12-24 in overall sharpness, and center sharpness is noticeably better. The HSM is quiet and fast, however, when shooting at 10 mm it is far easier to set it on manual focus just short of infinity - at F8 the depth of field will ensure that everything is in focus.
Uncropped images can be found here:
http://flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/1142079976/
http://flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/1163901567/
As you can see, this lens recovers amazing amounts of detail.
10 mm is an extremely wide angle, even on a cropped sensor - getting used to it requires a little bit of time. It is hard to keep the sun or bright lights from affecting meter readings, so you must take that into consideration when composing your shot, otherwise your pictures will be underexposed.
Sigma service was fast. The lens could not have been in their facility more than 8 days, and when it came back it was perfect. Resist the temptation take them up on their offer to have them calibrate the camera to the lens - it is possible that if you do this it may work well with your current body, but could be problematic on other bodies. Returning the lens to factory spec is probably all you need, and if you continue to experience issues, the body would be suspect.
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Aug 24, 2007
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poyorick
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Registered: Nov 5, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Aug 23, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $475.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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solid build, very wide
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Cons:
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zoom ring a little stiff, soft wide open especially at 10 mm, heavy
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This lens is very wide. I use mine at 10 almost all the time. It has serious barrel distortion at 10, which is a plus in my book (but probably not for a lot of folks).
I like this lens for architecture photos and when I want to capture an entire room. It's sharp enough in the center, but gets seriously soft/distorted at the edges. This really gives some room for creative photography, but also limits the use of the lens (I can't really use it for group photos, for example).
I seriously considered the canon 10-22 for a while, but I couldn't justify spending that much money on what would basically be a one-trick lens for me.
It takes some time to get used to using it with a flash (and is nearly impossible to use with the on-board flash).
I mull selling it some times, but I know I would regret it as soon as I needed a really wide shot. I have had this lens for a year and a half now and I still don't quite feel like I've gotten $475 worth of value out of it.
This was the second lens I got (after a prime) and I probably would have been better served getting something along the lines of a tamron 17-50, but live and learn!
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Aug 23, 2007
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William Austin
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Registered: Sep 30, 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Aug 14, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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second copy was sharp
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Cons:
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QC is so very bad at Sigma, bad lens cap, unable to turn polarizing filter when hood is fitted
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I gave this lens an overall rating of 7, it would have had a 10 had my first copy not been soft round the left side at all zoom ranges and f-stops.
I returned my first copy and the replacement seemed to be fine however i later found that when the lens hood it fitted it doesn't leave enough room to rotate a polarizing filter.
I returned this lens and bought the Canon 10-22mm
I also have the Sigma 15-30mm which I use on my 5D, I had to swap this lens out 3 times before I got a sharp copy, however the copy I now have is so sharp, it's much sharper than the Canon 16-35L and the 17-40L that I used to have.
before I got the 15-30 I tried the Sigma 12-24mm, again I tried 3 copies, the first was soft the second had it's ap blades lock after 3 shots and the 3rd was soft on the right side, I gave up and got the 15-30mm.
QC at Sigma is so bad
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Aug 14, 2007
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Artur Nogueira
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Registered: Aug 1, 2007
Location: Portugal
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Aug 1, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Excellent image and build quality. A real bargain.
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Cons:
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none so far
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I am a Nikkor lens user for 35 years and it took me almost 6 months to decide wether to buy this Sigma, the Tokina 12-24 or the Nikon 12-24. I was decided for the Sigma mainly for the 3mm difference in the shortest focal length compared with the other two - and 3mm at the shortest focal length is something to take in consideration, at least for myself. The Nikon was very early discarded from the competition as its price is way out of my boundaries, and the Tokina because its sensitiveness to flare. So, first things first.
1 - The build quality of the Sigma is really good. Sturdy, not excessively heavy nor light, it gives a very good balance with the D200. Focus is silent and precise, zoom ring very well damped, its a pleasure to work with it. With a protective filter in front . in my case an UV - the lens cap, although a bit flimsy, is easily handled in and out with the lens hood in its place. really. From my side, I have no problems although it could be a better lens cap. I have compared the "outer" construction with the Nikkor and I really prefer the Sigma.
2 - Image quality " in the field " is really and surprisingly very good to excellent at any aperture -being that at f/8 is really outstanding - or focal length, across all the frame. This is what gave me the biggest surprise. This lens is really sharp. The distortions are well controled - it has the normal distortions for a 10-20 mm focal lens - being that at 20 mm I can notice a slight pincushion distortion. Neverteless, everything is well corrected with PTLens. So no problem. For "normal" shooting, camera balance it is a must but we can dare to be more radical and get excellent "radical" compos. Colour rendition is very good - although my work is 98% black and white. Flare control is amazing. I can shoot with the sun in front of me without getting any flare at all. I am impressed.
I was a little affraid on what concerns the problems some users got with their first sample having some image issues due to some bad centering of the lens elements. It seems I got a very good sample of this baby and it seems that those problems are solved for good nowadays.
For the time being, its the Sigma that is attached most of the time to my D200. It's an hell of an excellent performer.
I am really pleased with my buying and I do not regret it at all. I only can recommend it with the highest rating
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Aug 1, 2007
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hexentanz
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Registered: Apr 10, 2005
Location: Germany
Posts: 614
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Review Date: Jul 31, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Nice ultra wide lens! Super build, doesn't feel dinky like the 10-22mm from Canon. Oh have i mentioned yet it comes with a very nice padded case? Much better then the cheap crap Canon includes with most of their lenses.
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Cons:
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I live abroad so I had to pay a bit more then i would if i were in the USA, but considering I will be living here for good the extra price seemed fair when you take in to fact the warranty differences.
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Excellent lens, does well in low light. I like the nice distorted effect when close up on subjects.
I was blown away when I saw the nice quality case Sigma had included for FREE!! This lens was already sweeter then the Canon costs wise but then they blew me away with the case. :P
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Jul 31, 2007
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ptys
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Registered: Jul 6, 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 135
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Review Date: Jul 26, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $470.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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WIDE, sharp, competitively priced, included super cool lens pouch and hood
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Cons:
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silly lens cap, 77mm filter, flare
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This lens is reeeeally wide and so much fun! I’ve had it for a week now and it still makes me dizzy every time at 10mm 
This is my first Sigma and the first super wide angle lens I’ve ever tried. The first copy of this lens I received had soft left side at any aperture between about 15-20mm and also suffered from crazy focus, and I was quite disappointed.
I am glad I decided to try another copy before giving up, because the second one is of that quality that gets this lens such great reviews. It has very fast and accurate focus (makes funny silent grunting noises like a little piglet), and is quite sharp across the frame by f8 at all focal lengths. Wide open a little soft around the edges but sill very good. I would recommend it to anyone, with the caveat that they might have to send it back once or twice to get a good one.
I can’t say I’m a fan of the Sigma finish – I have a feeling that the paint is going to chip off at any moment. But hey, it takes great pictures and that’s what counts!
The flare can get to it in harsh conditions, but no one will ever notice at 10mm they’ll be so dizzy Oh and the lens cap is really annoying. I can’t get it off with the hood on. I have to figure out where to get that pinchy Tamron-like replacement now.
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Jul 26, 2007
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Brikwall
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Registered: Jul 2, 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Jul 21, 2007
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Recommend? |
Price paid: $699.00
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Pros:
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Build quality, HSM
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Cons:
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Distortion
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This is an update to my previous review. Some comments may be repeated.
I borrowed this lens twice for informal field testing and read and re-read countless published and online reviews before finally purchasing it ($699.00 price is in Canadian dollars).
I like the build quality - sturdy, solid and the zoom and focus controls are smooth and well-damped. HSM is fast and responsive. The inclusion of a case and lens hood are an added bonus.
In bright sunlight this lens gives deep, saturated colours, especially blues and yellows. Perhaps it underexposes by default but the results are quite pleasing. I can get "Mediterranean skies" even without the use of a CPL.
The extreme wide angle makes for sweeping vistas. It also allows one to get extremely close to a subject yet still include the entire subject in the frame. This is handy when you either don't have the room to back up or, as in crowded spots, where backing up will cause people to come between you and the subject.
Negatives continue to be the front lens cap design (difficult to add/remove with hood installed) and the variable aperture. A constant f/4 would have been nice: however, as a landscape lens, I don't foresee using it much below f/8 or f/11 (my EF 16-35mm f/2.8 will cover low-light duties). Besides, I knew it was a variable-aperture lens when I bought it, so there is little sense griping about that point!
Distortion can be a little tricky. Over 15mm, it is negligible but from 10-15mm great care must be taken. The distortion is not easily corrected by software. Holding the lens level, in most cases, causes the horizon to split the frame across the middle - counterintuitive for most of us who, by instinct, want to emphasize either ground or sky or follow the rule-of-thirds. It takes a little getting used to. But the distortion can also be fun to play with, whether for getting "extreme angles" on a subject or simply to add some playful elements to portraits.
I finally bought this lens because I wanted a UWA but my desired Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 was out of my price range. Also, I knew I needed something a little wider than 16mm for my Rebel XT's 1.6x crop factor. As fate would have it, I picked up a 16-35mm Mark I, brand new, on clearance special for almost half-price just a week after buying the Sigma. Had I bought the Canon first I wouldn't have bothered with the Sigma 10-20. Although my bank account will suffer for a little while, I'm glad I ended up with both. Because of my shooting style and preferences, I fully expect the 16-35mm to get more use than the 10-20. However, the 10-20 will fill a niche: I've already had a couple of instances where it was the only lens in my kit that could pull off a shot, and I'm sure I'll have a few more of those down the road.
All-in-all, this is a nice little lens. It does have its faults but if you can live with them, or work around them, you'll enjoy using it. Because it's both slow and variable aperture I wouldn't recommend it as a general purpose lens. However, as a UWA landscape lens, or simply as a fun lens where distortional effects can be used for effect, it nicely fills a niche.
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Jul 21, 2007
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joeanty
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Registered: May 17, 2006
Location: Italy
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jul 17, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Fast and accurate AF
10 mm!!!
Build quality
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Cons:
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Soft at extreme border
77mm filter (but is normal for a 10/20 mm zoom, I think!)
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I like this lens very much, but it has got a big problm on extreme edge: it's too soft (also at f/8)!
For the rest, is a very good lens: handling and feeling, build quality and center performance are great. Also CA is OK, except at wide open.
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Jul 17, 2007
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AxelWolf
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Registered: Jun 24, 2007
Location: Germany
Posts: 0
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Review Date: Jun 24, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Price, Image Quality above 4.0
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Cons:
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Softness at 10mm wide open
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Very nice lens, happy with my purchase. There is some noticable softness in the corners at 10mm wide open. Not noticable vignetting. No problems with AF. On my 400D images are constantly underexposed about a half stop.
Sample images with 100% crops at:
http://tausendstern.com/blog/?p=10
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Jun 24, 2007
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Simon K
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Registered: May 13, 2007
Location: Lithuania
Posts: 1
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Review Date: May 13, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Pretty sharp, contrast, colors.. and very wide!
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Cons:
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A bit of vignetting wide open; nothing more I can think of
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I'm sure I got a good copy and it's impressively sharp even wide open. Distortion is as expected, but I love it Colors are great, CA is negligible.
When shooting at 10mm f/4 there's a bit of vignetting, though can be easy fixed in PS
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May 13, 2007
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yido
Offline
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Registered: Sep 11, 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 812
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Review Date: May 10, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $469.00
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Price, HSM, optics, relative lack of distortion at 10mm, focal length range.
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Cons:
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None
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May 10, 2007
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Bitty
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Registered: Apr 1, 2005
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 3
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Review Date: May 1, 2007
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Recommend? no |
Price paid: $289.00
| Rating: 4
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Pros:
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Nice EX finish, lens bag and hood. Small and HSM. Works on any EF mount.
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Cons:
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Won't AF consistently.
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I have 15-30 but wanted something smaller and wider. This 10-20 fitted the bill and pocket. Sadly, it's AF is way off on my 20D and D60. It will focus then it won't. Nearby is more certain than farther off. My 15-30 is much better. I'll stick with that rather than play lens tennis.
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May 1, 2007
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JMK-FI
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Registered: Jan 17, 2005
Location: Finland
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Apr 29, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Good contrast and saturation, very good autofocus.
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Cons:
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Nada, nothing so far.
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I have to give this baby a very high rating, cause IMO it beats the canon 10-22 easily...
I used the canon lens for a couple of years and shot hundreds of apartments indoor with it.
Now I bought the Sigma version cause I'm gonna change my 20D for the 1Dmk3 later this year.
After my first indoor shoting with the Sigma I was really supriced of the good contrast an quality of the lens.
I could easily see that tha Sigma is better.
I use F.11 usually and the exposure time is always long.
It is imortant to have tha camera vertically and horizontally straight when shooting structures and indoor apartment photos, cause tha disortion is very visible if the camera is not straight, in the canon lens it was less visible.
But if the sigma is correctly used it is a winner.
I am using PT-lens plugin to correct the disortion.
I have no problem with the lens cap, and I can easily remove it with the hood on.
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Apr 29, 2007
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Jonasmr
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Registered: Jan 15, 2007
Location: Norway
Posts: 43
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Review Date: Apr 26, 2007
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Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $400.00
| Rating: 10
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This is the lens that I use most, and what can I say? I love it. If you need anything really wide, and dont got enough money to buy canon's 10-22mm, then you should definitive go for this lens. I guess I am lucky with my version, because I cant fin anything negative about it.
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Apr 26, 2007
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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170
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432101
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Nov 5, 2017
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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84% of reviewers
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$468.72
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Build Quality Rating
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Price Rating
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Overall Rating
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8.89
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8.90
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8.4
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