Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Designed exclusively for Nikon digital SLR cameras capable of wide-angle photography, the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 lens is a powerful tool for landscape photography and other wide-angle applications. The lens offers an ultra-wide angle of view of 94.5 to 56.8 degrees, with three special low dispersion (SLD) glass elements and three aspherical lenses providing optimum image quality throughout the entire zoom range. The lens also incorporates a Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) to ensure quiet, high-speed autofocusing in addition to full-time manual focusing. Other features include a close focusing distance of 9.4 inches, a non-rotating lens barrel that perfectly suits the petal-shaped lens hood (included), and a one-year warranty.

Specifications

• Focal length: 10-20mm
• Maximum aperture: f/4-5.6
• Lens construction: 14 elements in 10 groups
• Angle of view: 94.5 to 56.8 degrees
• Number of diaphragm blades: 6
• Minimum aperture: f/22
• Minimum focusing distance: 9.4 inches
• Maximum magnification: 1:6.7
• Mount: Nikon
• Filter size: 77mm
• Filter size: Petal-type hood
• Dimensions: 3.3 inches in diameter and 3.4 inches long
• Weight: 17.5 ounces
• Warranty: 1 year

Customer Review: Bought it for a trip, ended up keeping it.
I bought this lens specifically for a trip to Italy. Ancient cities like Venice tend to be pretty cramped, and it is sometimes impossible to get everything you want on the frame with a regular lens. At first, I had some trouble adjusting to the properties of a lens this wide, but I got some beautiful pictures that would have been impossible with another lens. I would recommend practicing with it before you take any important photos. The lens feels very solid and professional much more so than the lenses that come with most Nikon or Canon kits. The pictures are gorgeous (there is some distortion and vignetting, but nothing to complain about). My original intention was to sell the lens online after the trip, but I just like it too much.
Customer Review: Prepare to Relearn Photography
Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras If you've never used an ultrawide lens before, you're in for a shock -- and a new challenge. Mount the Sigma (or any other ultrawide) on a DSLR, rack it out to 10-11mm, look through the viewfinder and see an entirely new perspective on the world that is totally different from what the human eye sees. Objects that are close to the camera appear much closer, and distant objects appear to be much farther away. You'll also notice that straight lines toward the edges of the frame bend, and this distortion changes dramatically as you point the camera up or down. It's a whole new world of photography, and making effective use of the ultrawide perspective takes some practice and getting used to. Regarding the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 specifically, it is arguably the most popular among several ultrawide choices available to Nikon and Canon users for several good reasons -- not the least of which is its low price (I recently purchased one from Amazon for my Nikon D90 for $479.99). Construction quality is excellent, particularly for a third party lens. There's nothing loose or sloppy about it, and it feels solid. I especially like the nonslip exterior finish of the zoom and focus rings, which are large and well-separated. Zooming is a little on the stiff side, but very nicely dampened and smooth without any "catches" in the zoom travel. Optically it's a bit of a compromise, like all ultrawides, but Sigma did a good job of balancing them. Overall sharpness is generally quite good, but it's not absolutely tack-sharp. It's noticeably soft, even in the center, at f/4 (especially zoomed out to 10mm). Stopping down to f/5.6 cures this and improves edge sharpness dramatically. Vignetting is also quite noticeable wide open at 10mm, but stopping down a bit virtually eliminates this problem. Distortion at 10 mm is irregular and difficult to correct in post processing, but simply zooming in to 11mm corrects this problem for architectural shots with a lot of straight lines. Lens flare and chromatic aberration that can be problematic with ultrawides are both extremely well managed -- not a problem at all, in fact. In summary, the Sigma 10-20 is a reasonably priced and incredibly useful addition that will open up new photographic horizons for anyone whose current widest angle lens is 17-18mm. For example, it's a perfect complement to the versatile Nikon 18-200 VR lens for anyone who wants to travel light and still have all their bases covered for any photographic eventuality. Other users have accurately described it as a "fun" lens. And it even comes packaged with a nice padded case. Nice touch, Sigma.


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