Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsWider than wide and as good or better than 10-20mm
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2014
I never knew how much I'd like wide angles until I bought the original Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 lens. It was sharp (on a D70), and it opened my eyes to a whole new perspective. Way different than the 18mm I was used to thinking was wide. That lens beget an "upgrade" to the 10-20mm f/3.5 lens (it offered some improvements). I used that chubby ens quite a bit on my D90, and I never wanted more in the 10-20mm realm, but I found myself using my 8mm fisheye more and more. I sold both of these lenses to buy this one. I'm quite happy with my decision.
10mm already creates challenges in framing, and 8mm takes that further. Your feet and even belly may appear in shots depending upon your posture (and size of belly/feet!). You will want to get as close as you possibly can to your subject to fill the frame and eliminate distracting and unwanted items in the frame.
You will be rewarded with a sharp lens with limited distortions (apart from those inherent in ultra wide angle lenses). The zoom and especially focus rings are well damped and require deliberate action to move them. Given the limited zoom range and focal range (infinity comes quick, as the depth of field is immense) this is a plus. The build is solid and inspires confidence, and the included cap is quite nice. Technically it offers filter threads and a traditional lens cap, but the filter threads have limited use, and I use the entire module as a cap. It stays n quite nicely. You have this arrangement because of the bulbous front element. It's generally protected by the built in hood, and it's typical for lenses this wide.
As I sold my other lenses to purchase this one, I can't do a side by side comparison. Looking at some of my older pics, especially those on my more demanding D7100, I find this to be the sharpest my Sigma ultra wide angle zooms and Samyang fisheye, and that says quite a bit among those peers. I feel this accomplishment is due both to Sigmas recent strides in lens design and quality control, as well as an introduction of high end materials for lens construction. You may still prefer the range of the 10-20mm lenses or their ability to use filters.
Really the question is whether or not you want to go this wide. It's a great lens, but a highly specialized one. More than anything, this solidified my decision to stay with a DX SLR (vs full frame), as I no longer felt that was sacrificing the wide angle perspective to the 1.5x crop (I get that there are other benefits to full frame, but for me, that was my biggest concern with staying with DX).
Highly recommended!
