Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM ELD SLD Aspherical Super Wide Angle Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2018

Style: For Nikon DSLR CamerasVerified Purchase

If your looking for a Ultrawide angle lens for a decent price the Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 is a good choice. It is not a fisheye so straight lines will remain straight. However the same caveat that applies to all wide angle lenses applies here. Do not photograph people to the sides of the frame with this lens as you will likely get distortion. It's best to photograph people in the center with any ultra wide lens. For others that are new to wide angles like myself, one of the pieces of advice I came across when shooting with a wide angle lens is to try and get close to your subject. With such a wide angle the viewer may become detached from the subject so it's good to have something in the foreground to draw you in.

What's important to note about this lens is that it has a wider aperture of 3.5. This is good if you plan on shooting indoors or in low light situations.

This isn't a prime lens with a fixed focal length but rather a zoom lens that is a bit more versatile. I have a Nikon D5100 and the newer Nikon wide angle I had seen wouldn't work on my camera body. This lens will work with F-mount cameras. You can check Amazon at the top by searching for your camera model for compatibility.

Also worth mentioning is it does have a focus motor and will auto focus. However it does not have image stabilization which while unfortunate isn't really a necessity.

The build quality of the lens is pretty nice. It is a bit on the heavy side, but it feels solid. It also comes with a petal hood to prevent sun flare and a padded lens case.

On a DX camera it's worth noting that the 10-20 mm is actually 15-30mm due to crop factor.

The only real downside to this lens is that while photos tend to be sharp in the center of the image across all apertures, the corners can become a bit fuzzy. If you want sharper corners you may need to stop down F-8, or F-11.

EDIT: I have had the chance to use this lens on a recent trip to Ireland and have decided to share some of the shots taken with this lens. The lens can create some nice sunburst effects as well!

I was so pleased with how this lens performed in Ireland. I shot a lot of landscape shots right through the window of the tour bus setting a fast shutter speed. I did get some glare at times, which I may have been able to reduce with a polarizing filter. The lens is great for getting an entire building into the frame of an image, or for some truly stunning landscape shots.

If you can't afford to invest a $700-$1000 in a wide angle lens, for the price the Sigma 10-20 F/3.5 is a good lens for the price.

97 people found this helpful

Helpful

Francisco Marquez

Excellent ultra wide people still don't know about.

Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2010

Style: For Canon DSLR CamerasVerified Purchase

I've owned this lens since February and it is my favorite lens for hiking. Using an ultra wide angle lens is a unique experience that comes with a steeper learning curve then most other ranges. The biggest concept to grasp is scale, at 10mm an object 1 foot from your lens will look like its 5 feet away through the viewfinder, so composition and corner to corner attention to detail is crucial to getting a good image.

Distortion at its widest is reasonable and expected.

It is incredibly sharp in center to mid frame wide open, but it can get a little soft on the edges. I own the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 IS USM II , so I know what sharp looks like and I have no gripes with this sigma.

Focus is quick and the rings have just the right amount of tension allowing for precise setting. Try laying on the ground and have a friend jump over you, ultra wide angle lens have incredibly large depths of field and it's hard for this lens to miss focus. Also the minimum focusing distance is inches from the front element, so watch those cactus needle in the desert.

The color reproduction is wonderful, and flare is controlled very well by design. The hood is ample, although when shooting wide the sun always seems to find its way into frame.

Chromatic Aberration can occur towards the sides of the frames, but due to the previously mentioned scaling effect, you would have to crop into the image to notice it.

The case is great, although I never knew how awkward working a cube into my camera bag would be. I eventually started leaving the case at home as it just took up to much room in my bag.

Ultimately I do not regret this purchase one bit. Compared to other ultra wides, I couldn't tell you, all I can tell you as this is my go to lens when I'm feeling creative and it hasn't let me down yet. I'll post sample pics to illustrate my points.

118 people found this helpful

Helpful

Brandon

Amazing Lens for the Price!

Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2016

Style: For Canon DSLR CamerasVerified Purchase

I got this a couple months ago and I have to say it's a very good lens for the price. I got mine used but in "Like New" condition.

First of all, this lens has a sturdy metal lens mount, so when you lock the lens into the camera mount, you know for sure it's not coming off unless it gets hit by a speeding baseball bat. The lens itself also has amazing build quality for the money. I've dropped it a few times and it still powers on like a champ. Even when I'm photographing in light rain, it still performs very well.

The lens is can be very sharp in the center at around f/8, but when you start stopping it up to f/3.5 then you'll lose a little bit of sharpness, but it's not that easy to notice unless you're really pixel-peeping. Unfortunately the edges of all the photos you take within the 10-15mm range will tend to be pretty blurry and seem stretched out. So just keep that in mind.

The autofocus is decently fast, nothing too impressive, but it can really nail the focus when you want it to. This lens paired with my 7D Mark II allows for almost 80% of my burst shots to be in focus. Pretty dang good.

Overall I would highly recommend the Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 to anyone who is looking for a great low-budget wide angle lens. You can get some really creative photos with this thing!

11 people found this helpful

Helpful

J. Morris

Torn

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2012

Style: For Canon DSLR CamerasVerified Purchase

This lens is awesome. But it's not that good. But I love it. Lemme explain.

I bought this lens to shoot interiors without having to stitch huge panoramas out of relatively narrow 28mm (yes, ASP-C makes even 28mm narrow). But I've found that I'm using it for much more fun stuff, like portraits from 6 inches away, macroscapes of foliage, and just all-around wacky wide angle madness.

For the wackiness, this lens is incredibly fun to use. AF is pretty fast for such a wide lens, and pictures are very crisp where it matters. However, the edges are what keep me from truly loving this lens. At 10mm (circus mode), the edge of the picture is utterly useless. Stretched out like taffy, chromatic aberration like nobody's business, and just too silly to even contemplate including in a printed version. Maybe this is normal for a 10mm, and maybe this lens is actually better than others at this focal length. But to me, the 10mm end can only be used for humorous photos because the quality just doesn't suit any other purpose. Luckily at least I have Canon raw software that has a profile for this lens and can help with distortion & CA.

But now we get around 14-18mm, and it starts looking acceptable again. The distortion is down, the CA is under control, and it's once again useable for serious pursuits. And at 20mm, images are nearly gorgeous.

Now for build quality: this sucker is solid, and the controls feel precise and smooth if slightly tight. My focus ring still needs to loosen up a touch, but this will come with use.

While not perfect, this lens has received nearly equal praise to the Canon 10-22, and in a few aspects (center sharpness, constant 3.5 instead of 3.5-4.5) actually beat out its competitor. Oh, and the Sigma a couple hundred dollars cheaper than the Canon. If you're looking for this zoom range, you'll be happy with this choice as long as you are aware of the compromises at the ultra-wide end. Google a professional review to see closeup lab tests. I think there's even a comparison review out there showing Sigma vs Canon side by side so you can make an informed decision.

33 people found this helpful

Helpful

STPJimmy

My favorite lens!

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2014

Style: For Canon DSLR CamerasVerified Purchase

This lens is amazing! I have several Canon L Series lenses, but I decided to buy this for my wide angle needs as I just wasn't willing to pay the extra cost for the L series, and I think this one had the zoom range I was looking for. I'm sooo glad I didn't. This lens is amazing. I use it for professional photo and video in Chicago, and it is a major game changer. I bought this thinking I would upgrade to L series at some point, but after using it there is just no need... It has a good weight, and I love having the fixed aperture. One thing for video use is it doesn't have an image stabilizer, but you wont find a wide angle lens with a stabilizer so really that's a non-factor. Images are sharp, have very rich color, and no real vignetting. The autofocus is fast and accurate, and I honestly can't recommend this highly enough. I bought a circular polarizer for it, and the images that I have gotten have impressed my clients and myself every step of the way. If you need a wide lens, don't hesitate to buy this one.

For any videographer wanting to use this, I have used this on tripods, monopods, and sliders, and it doesn't pick up much shake due to it width. You also are fortunate enough with the zoom range to have a little fisheye effect at 10, but it is pretty much gone at 20mm, so you can get multiple styles without having to switch lenses. This lens has really impressed me. If you're gonna buy a wide lens, this is the one to go with!

17 people found this helpful

Helpful

Buck Wheat

Well Built Lens

Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2012

Style: For Canon DSLR CamerasVerified Purchase

I purchased this lens for my Canon 7D for a recent trip we took to the American southwest and the Rocky Mountains area of Colorado and it was the lens I kept on my camera for most of the trip, the only time I removed it was to use my Tamron 18-270 for a couple of long shots of a wolf in a meadow and other assorted wildlife.

I'm not a professional photographer but I will still try to give my honest review of this lens and what I liked about it, first off if you have a camera that is not Full Framed which the 7D isn't this is the lens for you especially if your shooting outside and you want to capture that wide shot of the Grand Canyon or the Grand Tetons, Another place it came in handy was the inside shots I took of the church in Santa Fe, New Mexico that has the wooden spiral staircase and inside Carlsbad Caverns, NP, both of these places had just enough light that I found I could turn off the flash and still get great results along with beautiful pictures.

And last but not least the built of this lens is very impressive and is as good if not better then Canons 10-22 which I tried along with the Sigma at my local camera store before I purchased the Sigma here on Amazon, plus the Sigmas auto focus internal motor is completely silent even more so then the Canon.

All in all I'm very pleased with this lens, my only regret is I could not find a local dealer who had the Tokina AT-X 116 Pro f/2.8 DX 11-16 in stock so I could compare it to the Canon & Sigma because from the many hours of research and Google searches I did both the above Sigma EX DC f/3.5 10-20 and the Tokina AT-X 116 Pro DX f/2.8 11-16 were running neck to neck with the Tokina edging out the Sigma because of its heavy duty built and the fact that it has an f/2.8 which is ideal for shooting pictures in low light where you sometimes are not aloud to use a flash like museums and some churches or if you are shooting a wedding inside a church, last but not least make sure you purchase a good UV filter for this lens if shooting outside, I bought Sigmas EX DG 82mm Multi coated UV filter here on Amazon and it works out fine on cutting down on the glare.

12 people found this helpful

Helpful

Nano FishMan

Outsanding lens, well worth considering

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2010

Style: For Canon DSLR CamerasVerified Purchase

This is the first short zoom that I've owned, so I can't compare it to any of its competition. I bought the f3.5 model to shoot in low-light because the built-in flash on my D60 casts a shadow with large caliber lenses. It's a quirky lens, for sure; but one well worth its price, overall. Is the Nikon version worth the extra $250? I'll never know. Those wanting a cheaper entry point would do well looking at the Tamron. Of all my lenses, I use this one most of all, with rave reviews. If I had to do it again, I'd have to go with the Sigma 8-16mm.

Update:
I have shot hundreds of photos with this lens over the ensuing months of ownership. My single complaint is vignetting, although it is only a problem with available-light indoor photography.

While this lens shines when used outdoors for architectural photos, it also does a fantastic job indoors at weddings and parties, when you need to get the full table or dance shot but can't back up enough to frame it with a normal zoom. It's simply perfect for crowded street festivals and flea markets as well. I took mine to Queen's Day in Amsterdam and came back with beautifully framed street scenes in the midst of the mob.

In retrospect, this lens is so useful that it is hard for me to believe that I had ever managed without it. I find myself using it with much greater frequency -- and with more impressive results -- than my 70-300mm zoom lens. With a little imagination you too will discover just how versatile a photographic tool the short zoom can be.

Unless you spend a lot of time taking shots of birds or stadium sports, forget the long zoom and commit to the short zoom. Just buy it and start discovering this new perspective for yourself. You will never look back.

30 people found this helpful

Helpful

jeff hollis

Love the optics, but the workmanship is lacking.

Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2013

Style: For Canon DSLR CamerasVerified Purchase

I bought this lens for a trip to Hawaii, and got all of the great shots I could ask for. In fact, I used this lens the most out of the four I brought. I also brought a 50mm, 17-200mm, and a 28-70mm. On my 7d, the shots were pretty clear with no huge issues in quality toward the outside of the photos. Wide angled photos do have some blurring, but this lens wasn't any worse than anything else in the category. For the price, it's great, but it's plastic, and mine broke (kind-of).

This is the second lens from Sigma that I bought, and the second lens that broke in the same exact way. It feels substantial, is comfortable to hold, smooth to zoom, etc... but the internals are held together by plastic brackets. One of the brackets broke inside the lens, and now it feels loose. Not loose on the camera, but the lens itself feels loose from the zoom. I can still use the lens, but I'm scared it will eventually break.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Oregon Bird

Nice lens, but might not work with Sony a77

Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2012

Style: For Sony DSLR CamerasVerified Purchase

Be careful! This lens MIGHT not work with the Sony a77 (and a65)! Yesterday this lens arrived, I attached it to my a77, and found that the autofocus did NOT work! After searching around the Web, I found a page on the Sigma Web site that said there are TWO recent versions of this lens: an older version, which has a sticker on the box saying "a33, a55 compatible" and a newer version with a sticker on the box saying "a65, a77 compatible".

Even though the newer version has been out since October 2011, apparently Amazon had an older supply, because the lens I was sent had the "a33, a55 compatible" sticker, and not the "a65, a77 compatible" sticker. You can find this page on the Sigma Web site for yourself. Just go to their site and search for "a77" ... it's the only document that is returned as a search result.

I contacted Sigma, and they said the compatibility issue is in the firmware, which they can update. But I need to send the lens to them (at my expense!). After paying this much for a lens, I sure don't feel like going through that hassle and expense, especially when the problem is not my fault.

I contacted Amazon, and they said I could definitely return the lens and order again, but they could give no guarantee that I would receive the newer model.

I contacted Adorama directly, asking if they could guarantee that I would get the newer model if I order from them, but I did not hear back from them all day, so I'm still hanging on that one.

I've looked carefully on the Amazon, Adorama, BHphoto, and 47thStreet Web sites, and there is NOTHING in any of the product descriptions that talk about compatibility with certain Sony Alpha models. So if I order from any of these places, I have no idea if I will get the older, incompatible model or the newer compatible one.

I wanted to share this with anyone who might be considering buying this lens. I don't have a solution for you, but at least you have been alerted to the problem!

UPDATE - April 2, 2012 - I did finally get the correct lens from BHphoto and it works fine on my a77 camera. Be sure to read the comments connected to this review.

UPDATE - May 20, 2012 - I'm changing the star rating from 3 to 4 stars. Today I did some testing between this lens and the Sony DT 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Aspherical ED Super Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Sony Alpha Digital SLR Camera . From the results I obtained, this Sigma lens is clearly the better of the two. You can see the test photos for yourself on my web site, which Amazon won't let me put a link to. Google "Brian Byrd's Photo Blog" ... it should be the first result. Go to that page, click on the "Blog" link in the upper-right corner of the page, and then find the blog entry for May 20, 2012 titled "Sony vs. Sigma Wide-Angle Lens Shootout".

31 people found this helpful

Helpful

alexander

100% recomendado

Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2024

Style: For Canon DSLR CamerasVerified Purchase

Producto bien embalado para protección durante el envío. Descripción del producto tal como aparace en la página del vendedor. 100% recomendado.

Helpful

Translate review to English

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star

Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM ELD SLD Aspherical Super Wide Angle Lens...

›

Customer reviews

Customer reviews

Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM ELD SLD Aspherical Super Wide Angle Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

Questions? Get fast answers from reviewers

Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM ELD SLD Aspherical Super Wide Angle Lens... › Customer reviews

Customer reviews

Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM ELD SLD Aspherical Super Wide Angle Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

Top positive review

Top critical review

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

From the United States

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

There was a problem loading comments right now. Please try again later.

Questions? Get fast answers from reviewers

Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM ELD SLD Aspherical Super Wide Angle Lens...

›

Customer reviews