Sigma 10-20mm for Nikon

ESiggins

I got up early to wait for the UPS man. At about 9:30 I strolled out front for a cig and stuck my hand in the mailbox out of habit. Little yellow piece of paper saying "Delivery Failed - 9:00am". No freakin way. I called UPS and they sent the driver back. I practiacally attacked him at the door...

This lens is sweet. If I was a Canon shooter I might go for the name brand, but since Nikon is behind the times on crop-sensor lenses, I got the Sigma and man is it sweet. Heavy, solid build, nice feeling full-time focus ring, quiet, very fast AF, zoom ring is stiff, but this baby's staying at 10mm so who cares? It focuses INSANELY close. It is VERY sharp. It produces totally useable interior shots at ISO 800, F4 and 1/20. It also comes with a 4 year warranty so if I encounter any of those Sigma QC problems I can get the bastard fixed. I'm a happy boy.

Fred.

Manfr3d

So nice! I want to buy one around xmas for myself.
Mind posting a few pics taken with this lens? Possibly
a full size jpeg link?

/me lusts after this lens, oh yea!

kygarden

I agree about the sharpness. I have this lens too. I find it difficult to use because it's so wide, but used for what it's made for...it does a great job. Solid build, nice finish, etc...all like you said. Have fun with it!

I don't have a full size jpg to offer, but here's a scaled down shot of a scene in Chicago from earlier this year - using the Sigma 10-20.

Seneca

kygarden wrote:

I agree about the sharpness. I have this lens too. I find it difficult to use because it's so wide, but used for what it's made for...it does a great job. Solid build, nice finish, etc...all like you said. Have fun with it!

I don't have a full size jpg to offer, but here's a scaled down shot of a scene in Chicago from earlier this year - using the Sigma 10-20.

^
^
^ Show-off. Just kidding. - Seneca

kygarden

Seneca wrote:

^
^
^ Show-off. Just kidding. - Seneca

Hey The man asked for a picture :P

What I meant by difficult to use is - it's so wide it's hard to find subjects that fill the frame without having unwanted subjects in the frame too. Also the clouds in the sky tend to blow out sometimes, but there's probably not much I can do about that. Usually it's not an issue.

Manfr3d

kygarden wrote:

I don't have a full size jpg to offer, but here's a scaled down shot of a scene in Chicago from earlier this year - using the Sigma 10-20.

Too bad, maybe a 100% crop?

/me admits to be a pixel peeper at times

AntoineD

I'd be interested in such a lens, I like wide angle portraits very much (not too close to people, though)…

How good is it at 20? What about the curves, the lines?

kygarden

Ok, here ya go. This was actually at 20mm. I applied a little sharpening in Nikon Capture, but that's it.

http://nikon-photog.smugmug.com/photos/109120184-O.jpg


That's the full size image.

Manfr3d

kygarden wrote:

Ok, here ya go. This was actually at 20mm. I applied a little sharpening in Nikon Capture, but that's it.

http://nikon-photog.smugmug.com/photos/109120184-O.jpg


That's the full size image.

Yeehaw! Very sharp! But on the right side its much
more soft than on the left isnt it?

kygarden

Manfr3d wrote:

Yeehaw! Very sharp! But on the right side its much
more soft than on the left isnt it?

I noticed that too. Not sure why that is. I was on a moving boat if it matters.

Seneca

kygarden wrote:

Hey The man asked for a picture :P

What I meant by difficult to use is - it's so wide it's hard to find subjects that fill the frame without having unwanted subjects in the frame too. Also the clouds in the sky tend to blow out sometimes, but there's probably not much I can do about that. Usually it's not an issue.

I know I was only kidding. I admire all your work...

dancorder

kygarden wrote:

I noticed that too. Not sure why that is. I was on a moving boat if it matters.

I have this lens too, and one thing that I read about while researching it is that this seems to be a common fault and you could probably send it back for one that is sharp all the way accross. (edit: Assuming that this affects other photos not taken from a moving boat )

Here are two uncropped (not at 20mm unfortunately)

10mm f11:
http://dancorder.smugmug.com/photos/91254652-O.jpg

12mm f4.5:
http://dancorder.smugmug.com/photos/91255157-O.jpg

To my eye these are equally sharp all the way accross. (Though perhaps not as sharp as they could be if I had better technique )

Manfr3d

Now thats some stunning sharpness! At low mm the Sigma realy shines.