Sigma 1020mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM ELD SLD

Mine has a focus problem.
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
Maybe I just got a lemon. I worked with this lens for the first time today and I noticed that it is focused at infinity when the outer scale reads 3 ft. And when I turn the focus ring to the infinity mark – at the line, the focus starts to go out. Going beyond this mark it goes further out of focus. I don’t usually need to pay attention to the outer scale but I do need a stop at infinity focus when I turn the focus ring all the way; not have it reach infinity and then go out of focus.

Otherwise, its a nifty view and I don’t see anything like it available. Today I set it up in the cab of a van, between the seats, within an IDC Run & Gun with a gyro on top and shot turnpike driving views out the windshield. Makes 65 mph just about dizzying and too much peripheral vehicle action to take in easily.

Check you lenses for this problem.

I’m returning it. But I’ll get another one because now I can’t do without this view and aperture at this price.

Best 10-2x lens I have used
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Just picked up this lens on a Canon mount, and boy what a sweet lens. I find it to be just as sharp if not more so as the Canon version, yet costs much less. Focus is silent and fast (and spot on). Using my Canon 7D’s spot focus, the lens nails it every time, even in the edges at 10mm. I will be picking up another to keep in my back up bag.

Sigma 10-20 f/3.5 vs Nikon 16-85 3.5-5.6 VR II
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I compared performance and test images taken with the Sigma 10-20 f/3.5 against my Nikon 16-85 VRII, which I consider to be my sharpest lens. The photos were taken with a Nikon D5000, tripod mounted, no digital sharpening, of fixed targets on my living room wall at about six feet. The targets consisted of newspaper at the corners and a large US map in the center, with a variety of detail and some color. Illumination was provided by house lamps and a photo flood light. The photos were compared side by side at 200% enlargement.

The Sigma 10-20 was not as sharp as the Nikon 16-85 in the very center of the image at comparable focal lengths (16mm and 20mm) and apertures, although was very close by f/5 and nearly the same at f/8. At the edges of the image however, the Sigma 10-20 was as sharp or sharper and had better contrast at all f-stops tested (3.5-8). I have no lens to compare the Sigma 10-20 to at shorter focal lengths but Imaging Resource tests indicate good to very good sharpness, similar to the older Sigma 10-20.

Focus speed with the Sigma 10-20 is very fast and quiet, similar to the Nikon 16-85. There is some variation in auto focus reproducibility but seems to be within a reasonable margin of error and will likely not be noticable in most photographs. The zoom action of the Sigma is smoother than the Nikon. The lens is somewhat larger and heavier than the Nikon.

Chromatic aberration/color fringing has been reported as being an issue with many wide angle lenses, including this lens. I will comment on this after shooting some high contrast scenes outdoors if I feel it is significant.

This is my second copy of the lens. The first copy appeared to have a slight back focus problem at 10mm at short focal distances as indicated by variations in auto focus performance vs manual focus to achieve optimal sharpness. Optically, the first copy appeared as sharp as this one and likely would have been acceptable to most users.

First edit 9-30-09: Outdoor shots posted in the gallery. The lens performed well in the field yielding good color and contrast. Flaring is visible as the lens is tilted towards the sun. I used my baseball cap to shade the lens and would also recommend the lens hood in most situations. At 10mm, sharpness is acceptable at f3.5 in the center and quite soft at the edges. Sharpness at the edges seems fairly good by f4.5. Color fringing is quite evident in high contrast areas near the edges of the image however it was not so bright as to apppear in uncorrected 8×10 prints. Also it was quite easy to reduce the fringing to a non-issue with CA correction using Adobe CS4. Auto focus was accurate. Overall I’m quite pleased with this lens and I’d say it outperforms my expectations for sharpness and vignetting but I wish the CA was better controlled. I will keep this lens, however the older version (f4-5.6) is reported to be as good or perhaps better in some respects so I’d recommend the f3.5 lens only if the constant aperature is of interest to you.

Love it
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve gotten into shooting time lapse with my Canon 7D. I got this lens because it seemed good and I figured it was time to take a chance on a sigma lens. So far, I haven’t been disappointed. Here’s a link to a time lapse I shot with it the day I got it.

[...]

I think that pretty much says it all….

Sharpness and focus problems
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I bought this lens based on a Popular Photography test and a recent Sigma purchase. I’m very satisfied with the 50~150mm, but I returned this lens. I wanted to like it, but I continued to have focus problems and unsharp images. The lens seemed to want to focus to infinity at anything beyond a few feet. Many times it went beyond infinity resulting in nothing being in focus. The final straw was a series of outdoor photos at f/8 where the lens failed continuiously. I had used a 12-24mm Nikkor before I retired. I didn’t experience any sharpness issued with that lens. I finally was able to return the Sigma. I purchased a used Nikkor and I’m happy. I would only buy another Sigma from a retailer with a strong return policy. I think they’re capable to creating fine lenses, but their quality control means that you should try before you buy.

Outstanding lens
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
When I bought the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras 14 months ago, I didn’t know what to expect. I never used a 3rd party lens or an ultra wide-angle, but I quickly learned to love the lens and the opportunities it created. Having said goodbye to the lens a week ago (still kicking), I decided to give this new slightly faster model for a spin.

Currently reviews or even sample photos are sparse, and even some details seem elusive, so lets start in the beginning:

* Like the predecessor, this model features HSM, so all Nikon DSLR users can benefit from this lens (D700, D3, and D3x users will only get a cropped view)

* Also like its predecessor, its a hefty well-built lens that’s made in Japan

* It’s comparable in size and weight to the original, but the 82mm front threads take some getting used to

* While the older model did not extend at 10mm and extended barely at the “long” end, the new one is flush from 16-13mm, and extends slightly at both the wide and the long end.

* the EX finish is a tad more refined, and it now features an AF/MF switch (full time override is available in AF). The focus ring is somewhat stiff, but has a nice movement to it. AF is blazing!

* Sigma seems to have revised the rear element a bit with an added piece of plastic to minimize reflections

* You also get an extra aperture blade for better bokeh and much better sunstars

* Just in case you are wondering, this lens works just like a Nikon lens with full functionality

I’ll post photos, but in general its the equal or better to the earlier lens. At the wide end the extra 1/3 stop is barely worth mentioning, but at the wide end, you get 1 1/3 stop more light. The changes do go beyond that, as there now is ELD glass as well as SLD (in the previous version), and there is more aspheric glass. If this doesn’t mean anything to you, just know this all helps it be a great lens!

This is a very challenging focal length to design for, especially if cost and size are a concern, so there is no perfect lens in this range. That being said, Sigma seemed to have used their experience with a previous 10-20mm to create a highly refined and very capable lens. If shooting at f/3.5 you will see some softness in the corners, but frankly it’s not that limiting. Stopping down to f/5.6 helps a lot with gains in between, and it peeks at f/8-11 (maybe f/13 on a 6mp sensor).

Coming from an 18-## zoom? You’ll get a whole new perspective, an opportunity to explore a new world of photography, and get to work with a lens of much better construction than a kit lens.

Coming from another ultra-wide angle? It may not be worth the switch (I sold my other one for a variety of reasons), but you almost get the speed of the Tokina AT-X116PRDXN AT-X PRO DX 11-16mm Ultra-wide Angle Lens for Nikon and you get a faster aperture and more useful zoom range than first gen ultra-wides such as the Nikon 12-24mm f/4G ED IF Autofocus DX Nikkor Zoom Lens or Tokina AT-XAF124DXN 12-24mm Wide-Angle Lens for Nikon.

A Fantastic Lens that Opens Up a Whole New World
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I have been using this lens for about about six months now and I love it. I’m a lover of things Nikon and the Nikon 10-24mm has a little longer range, but the copy I tried, when I was debating which one to buy, just wasn’t as sharp and didn’t focus as quickly, plus I like the fact that the f/stop stays at 3.5 throughout the range with the Sigma lens.

Nikon does build good stuff, but Sigma does too. The build quality on this lens is as good as any of my Nikon lenses.

But what is really outstanding about the vocal range of this lens, is the way you’ll see the world through it. Take it to the beach during sunrise or to the mountains on a snowy day and you’ll see what I mean. The vista through the viewfinder is to die for. A lot of people have opted out for the 18-200+mm wide to long telephotos, thinking it’s the only lens they’ll ever need. Well, I challenge them to put this lens on their camera for a day. They will be surprised.

The lens I have long been waiting for
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
A lens can be judged only in connection with a specific camera body as it may perform differently with different sensors. So, I can speak about it together with the Nikon D300.

From the specifications, it seemed to be a better lens in comparison with equivalent range lenses of other brands including the new Nikon 10-24.

I was long tempted by the new Tokina 12-24 DXII but I wanted to start with a 10 mm rather than a 12 mm in order to justify the gain by the new purchase over the 16-85 mm Nikon lens which I already had. Also, I both tested the new Tokina and Nikon at a professional fair and from the few indoor shots that I took I was a bit disappointed, not as sharp as I would expect and unacceptable chromatic aberrations showed up, although distorsion compensation was OK. So I thought it was worth waiting for the new sigma. That Sigma is able to provide good lenses I had already proof with the 70 mm f2.8 macro, excellent one. Thus, in the end I dared to buy this as soon as it came out even before reading any reviews. I wish I could read at least one though to feel a bit surer. For this reason I want to share soon my experience with those who are wondering as I did, hoping to be of some help.

So, briefly put, I have no regret. This is the lens I have long waiting for. Image quality is the most important factor for me and I am not disappointed. Sharp, excellent correction of chromatic aberrations, reduction of flare. Slightly soft edges especially at large apertures, but since I typically use a tripod then I can use higher F stops and low iso even in low light conditions and then image quality is superb. It’s not the fixed 3.5, which I don’t need much, to make the real difference over other lenses but the combination of glasses, I believe.

If you want to see some images that I took with this lense, although not at full resolution, visit my website:

[...] (look at the gallery under the category new, the wide angle images have been taken with the Sigma 10-20 f3.5, the close up ones with the Sigma 70mm f2.8)

Mario

Didn’t Believe It Til I Saw IT
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Bought this lens with the idea that if it didn’t perform to a professional standard, I’d return it. I LOVE the security I get from Amazon with the 30 day return policy.

Long story short, I’ve shot about 200 floral shots close up and macro equivalent. Virtually all are keepers–and I’ve already committed a number to gallery wrap canvas in 16×24 prints from Mpix. Got them today and they are, in short, phenomenal.

I am still debating the Nikon 12-24 2.8 as I use both a D90 and D700 to maximize my focal lengths given I have 20 or so Nikon lenses ranging in age from 2009 vintage to 1975 glass.

All are great and I have three other Sigma lenses as well–none is as fun and accurate as this one. When time permits and budget allows, I’ll do a comparison of the Nikon 12-24 but let’s face it–it cost three times as much and is generally considered Nikon’s tour de force.

If you buy this f3.5 Sigma, I cannot imagine you will be anything but happy.

Good luck–I will be looking for additional feedback.