Quality Digital Camera

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.

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.

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.