Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens

Description:

This 10-20mm lens is equivalent to a 15-30mm in a 35mm film camera, so it's an ultra-wide lens at 10mm. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how sharp the images are from this lens; and it's rectilinear, which means that straight lines in real life remain straight in the photograph. It is a well-made lens, made with high-grade materials. What this lens excels at is when you want to photograph sweeping landscapes, close-quarters interior photography, and in architectural photography where you don't mind the exaggerated converging lines that an ultrawide produces (and is typical of wide-angle lenses). You can also get close to the subject as well: 5 inches from subject to the front surface of the lens. By the way, if you're going to photograph in Big Sky Country, this is the one lens you can't leave home without. And, I suggest purchasing a graduated neutral density filter to balance out the luminance range between the sky and the landscape below. This great lens package comes with front & rear lens cap, lens hood, and a very nice cushioned & zippered lens pouch!

Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens Main View

This ultra-wide zoom lens has a wide angle of view from 102.4 - 63.8 degrees (when Sigma mount is used) and it is exclusive to digital SLR cameras. SLD glass elements effectively compensate color aberration. Aspherical lenses provide maximum correction for distortion and various aberrations; high image quality is displayed throughout the entire zoom range. The HSM equipped models makes fast AF speeds and quiet shooting a reality, and it is also capable of full-time manual focus. It has a minimum focusing distance of 9.4" (24cm) at all focal lengths. It is also equipped with an integral Petal-type hood to block out extraneous light.

Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens Mount View

HSM means this lens will autofocus on Nikon D40/D40x, Nikon D60, Nikon D3000, Nikon D3100 and the Nikon D5000

Ultra-wide zoom lens 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM lens allows enjoyment of super wide-angle photography and it is a very powerful tool for indoor shooting and landscape photography with APS-C size image sensors of digital SLR cameras. Wide angle of view 102.4-63.8 degrees (for Sigma mount) offers the photographer greater freedom of expression.

Most Appropriate Coating for Digital SLR Cameras The new multi layer lens coating and lens design reduce flare and ghost, which is a common problem with digital cameras and also creates an optimum color balance through the entire zoom range.

The best possible correction of aberrations Three SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements are employed for effective compensation of color aberration, which is a common problem with super-wide angle lenses. One piece of glass mold and two hybrid aspherical lenses, offer excellent correction for distortion, as well as all types of aberration.

Inner focus system This lens incorporates an internal focusing system, which eliminates front lens rotation allowing the use of a Petal-type Hood and also minimize fluctuation of aberration caused by focusing system.

HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) The HSM equipped models ensure a silent, high-speed AF function as well as full-time manual focusing capability for Sigma, Canon, and Nikon-D mount lenses.

Minimum focusing distance of 9.4" (24cm) at all focal lengths This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 9.4" (24cm) throughout the entire zoom range.

Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM is awarded TIPA best consumer lens in Europe 2006 Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM super wide-angle zoom lens, exclusively designed for digital SLR, wins "TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) best consumer lens in Europe, 2006" prize. Currently, 31 publications from 12 countries are members of TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) organization and chief editors and technical editors of these publications constitute this organization. Since 1991, TIPA has presented many awards in several sectors, including imaging. TIPA has stated that with a versatile range of wide-angle focal lengths, a good optical performance and a budget price, the Sigma 10-20mm is an excellent investment for owners of DSLRs with APS-C format sensors. Its sharpness remains constant throughout the zoom range, and its compact size makes it an ideal companion for shooting travel, landscapes or architectural photography.

Lens Hood, Front & Rear Lens Caps, 4-Year USA Warranty, 1-Year International Warranty

This lens lets me go places that an 18-55 kit lens will not. It takes photos of small kitchens, small bathrooms, and small back yards. An extra 1 to 2mm over the 12-24mm Nikkor or the 11-18mm Tamron makes a difference in small areas. At f/4 it is a little slow for interiors. it needs lots of natural light or a strong bounce flash. If you try to use the built-in flash, you're going to get a large shadow on the bottom of your pictures. This is because the lens is so wide the on-camera flash cannot see over the lens and casts a shadow on the picture. To get around this limitation, I use an inexpensive Nikon SB400 as a bounce flash with success when ceilings are light colored and are 10 feet or less. The Sigma 10-20mm sells for around $480 discount price or about half as much as the Nikkor 12-24mm. It weighs 16.6. For really wide angle work, there isn't a better choice.

As with all very-wide lenses, you have to be careful that you don't have people at the edges of your frame or too close to the lens, or they will appear very distorted when shooting photos at 10mm. Also note that a wide angle lens is not easy to use at first to create compelling images, as it's very easy to include too much clutter in your compositions. The Nikkor 12-24mm doesn't go as wide, nor is it quite as sharp at the widest end.

* Vignetting will occur if the lens is used with digital cameras with image sensors larger than APS-C size or 35mm SLR cameras.

View other informational videos