Wide angle advice.............

[Mr.Noisy]

Any input on the performance and quality of photographs taken using the sigma 10-20mm, I'm thinking about getting one for a architectural project (church ruins) ive got coming up after a small break, I'm not saying i will buy one but if i did it would be for a Nikon, so any advice greatly received


tar

 

[CarlsonCustoms]

If its just for one project I'd rent the lens and see if you like it and then if you need it for another project in a future project then you have a better opionion of it for purchasing.

 

[Mr.Noisy]

If its just for one project I'd rent the lens and see if you like it and then if you need it for another project in a future project then you have a better opionion of it for purchasing.

Thanks, I had thought about renting, but I could do with adding a wide lens to my lens collection, It's initially for one project but if it's as good as some samples ive seen i may use it for personal stuff too, so I just need to hear from users/owners to hear if they are happy about the results

 

[Consultant]

You can probably find reviews on how much distortion and light fall off it has.

 

[Cliff3]

It is discussed to varying degrees in these two articles:

http://www.naturfotograf.com/lens_zoom_01.html#Sigma10-20
http://www.bythom.com/DigRecs.htm

I would probably look at Tokina's 11-16 f2.8 as well as I prefer constant aperture lenses.

 

[OreoCookie]

I would probably look at Tokina's 11-16 f2.8 as well as I prefer constant aperture lenses.

… or Tokina's much acclaimed 12-24 mm f/4. (Should be cheaper.)

 

[AlaskaMoose]

This lens is very nice, considering it price, when used on Canon EOS with cropped sensors, so I can only imagine that it also works well on Nikon. I use a Tokina 12-24mm f/4, and it's a real nice lens, but perhaps a little more expensive than the Sigma one.

 

[Cliff3]

… or Tokina's much acclaimed 12-24 mm f/4. (Should be cheaper.)

This should have occurred to me before... The choice is also probably dependent on whether the OP is using a D40 or D60 - the 11-16 and the cheaper version of the Tokina 12-24 don't have an internal focus motor. Tokina does have a version of the 12-24 f4 that does, however. The Sigma lens has HSM, their term for an internal focus motor.

 

[Mr.Noisy]

This should have occurred to me before... The choice is also probably dependent on whether the OP is using a D40 or D60 - the 11-16 and the cheaper version of the Tokina 12-24 don't have an internal focus motor. Tokina does have a version of the 12-24 f4 that does, however. The Sigma lens has HSM, their term for an internal focus motor.

using D70s & D300, looking for reviews on the tokina lenses right now, this is quite exciting, never used wide angle before but looks like a new direction for me to explore............. & thom hogan rates the sigma 10-20 quite well.

 

[OreoCookie]

using D70s & D300, looking for reviews on the tokina lenses right now, this is quite exciting, never used wide angle before but looks like a new direction for me to explore............. & thom hogan rates the sigma 10-20 quite well.

Have a look at Photozone for an extensive list of reviewed lenses. Tokina's 11-16 mm f/2.8 zoom is the best UW zoom according to them, beating even Canon's original 10-22 mm.

The Tokina AF 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX is currently the best ultra-wide angle zoom lens for Canon EOS APS-C DSLRs.

The 12-24 mm zoom is also held in very high regards. The build quality is the best among the big three third-party lens vendors and IMO comes very close to professional glass.

 

[Father Jack]

The Sigma 10 - 20 is a very useful lens for landscape and architecture and considering the price, it does a very good job. Of course you will get distortion but as long as you keep the horizon in the middle, IMO the distortion is acceptable.

 

[NightGeometry]

I use the Sigma 10-20, and find it to be a lovely lens, possibly my favourite. Note - I'm using it on a Sony Alpha, not a Nikon, but I can't imagine there being much difference.

Self promotion these are some of my pics taken with it. But you may get a better idea of possibilities looking at all Flickr images with this tag - they will be a lot better than my efforts.

There is distortion at the edges, but not as much as you'd expect given the focal length. Not the fastest lens available, but its not too bad.

 

[compuwar]

Any input on the performance and quality of photographs taken using the sigma 10-20mm, I'm thinking about getting one for a architectural project (church ruins) ive got coming up after a small break, I'm not saying i will buy one but if i did it would be for a Nikon, so any advice greatly received


tar

If you're going to use it for architecture, you're going to need to do some correction of the images. I find Bibble works well for that, and like the images that I get from it, though only when I really need really wide, otherwise I tend to go with my 20-35mm zoom. For a single project, I'd probably look for a faster 12-24mm though, as you'll get a lot of sky in the picture with the 10-20 and you'll be shooting at a smaller minimum aperture.

The first few months I owned the 10-20, I used it quite a lot, but lately it's rarely used unless I need the extreme angle because I can't get a shot from further back in terms of architecture. I still like it a lot as a landscape lens, but only when I won't be stitching because a longer lens gives me more detail.

 

[Apple Ink]

From SLRGear

Geometric distortion is quite interesting, in that the maximum level swings from pretty severe barrel distortion (1.3%) at 10mm to slight pincushion (0.29%) at 12mm, holding more or less constant at that level over the rest of the zoom range.

Wait... there's a lot more:

What's really interesting though, is that the geometric distortion is almost entirely restricted to the very corners of the frame, so the average distortion level is actually very(!) low: Along the top and bottom of the frame, and along much of the left and right sides, the image is remarkably rectilinear. Sigma's optical engineers have done a very good job of compensating for distortion in the design of this lens!

Have a look at their charts.....

 

[jaduffy108]

Tokina 11-16 f2.8

 

[Mr.Noisy]

Firstly, thank you guys for the advice much appreciated,
I think i'm going to get the Sigma 10-20mm, I did think about either the Tokina 12-24mm or 11-16mm, but choosing the Sigma feels right, now to search for a retailor selling one at a price thats right, thanks