Sony Zoom Lens: Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM FLD AF Ultra Wide Zoom Lens for APS-C sized Sony Digital DSLR Camera
Thе Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM іѕ thе οnƖу one οf іtѕ kind. Thіѕ іѕ thе first ultra wide zoom lens wіth a minimum focal length οf 8mm, designed specifically fοr APS-C size image sensors. It hаѕ аn equivalent angle οf view οf a 12-24mm lens whеn used οn digital camera wіth аn APS-C size image sensor. Sigma’s nеw FLD glass elements, whісh hаνе thе performance equal tο fluorite glass, compensate fοr color aberration. One hybrid aspherical lens аnԁ two glass mold elements give ехсеƖƖеnt correction fοr distortion аnԁ astigmatism. An inner focusing system produces high definition images throughout thе entire zoom range аnԁ thе Super Multi-Layer Coating reduces flare аnԁ ghosting whіƖе superior peripheral brightness ensures high contrast images throughout thе entire zoom range. HSM ensures qυіеt аnԁ high speed AF аѕ well аѕ full-time manual focus capability. It hаѕ a minimum focusing distance οf 9.4 inches throughout thе entire zoom range whісh allows photographers tο emphasize thе subject bу сrеаtіnɡ exaggerated perspectives. Thіѕ lens hаѕ a compact construction wіth аn overall length οf 4.2 inches аnԁ a maximum diameter οf 2.9 inches аnԁ іѕ perfect fοr shooting landscape photography, architecture, building interiors, photojournalism, wedding photography, group pictures аnԁ more. Please Note Vignetting wіƖƖ occur іf thе lens іѕ used wіth digital cameras wіth image sensors Ɩаrɡеr thаn APS-C size οr 35mm SLR cameras.
- Produces images wіth exaggerated perspective wіth іtѕ wide angle view frοm 121.2º
- DC series lens designed exclusively fοr υѕе wіth smaller chip APS-c sensor cameras
- HSM (Hyper-Sonic Motor) ensures a qυіеt & high-speed auto focus
- FLD glass elements wіth performance equal tο fluorite glass tο compensate fοr color aberration
- One Aspherical lens аnԁ two glass mold elements
Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM FLD AF Ultra Wide Zoom Lens fοr APS-C sized Sony Digital DSLR Camera
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a cure for that pesky APS-C problem,
with a 35mm efl of 12-24mm, APS-C users can no longer complain about not getting wide enough. i’m using this on a canon 7D. here are my impressions:
8mm is wide. how wide? 114 degrees wide. how wide is 114 degrees? make an angle with your thumb and index finger that’s about 114 degrees, hold it out in front of you and draw imaginary lines continuing out of your finger tips. that’s approximately your field of view. you can put your camera on the floor pointing upwards and capture the entire ceiling of a room and part of all four walls. (depending on the size of the room, obviously) you can just about shove everything in front of you into the frame. and that’s the catch….
you need to ask yourself whether or not you need an 8mm lens. or more specifically, whether you WANT an 8mm lens. at 8mm the frame distorts severely towards the edges. take the wrong shot and your friends nose looks like it’s a foot long. tilt the camera just slightly in any direction and all your angles shift dramatically. you have to start putting a lot of consideration into how you compose the image, and because you can fit everything into the frame it becomes a challenge to keep things out of the frame. composition is not easy. if you’ve never shot ultra wide before, be prepared for a lot of lousy learning curve shots.
these caveats are, of course, exactly what makes this lens fun and rewarding. if you learn how to use it, you’ll get some really unique results.
a few other notes and thoughts that may help you decide if you need this lens:
- image quality is very nice. i’m not one of these blow it up to 100% and look at photos of charts all day people, so if you’re looking for that type of information i can’t help you. but as far as i’m concerned the image quality is very good. there’s plenty of distortion on the wide end, as i already mentioned, so know you’ll have to contend with that. but i wouldn’t call that an image quality problem at this focal length.
- build quality is good. it’s not L lens good, but i’d say it’s better than non-L canon lens build. i would have liked a little moisture & dust sealing though. i would have loved it, actually. oh well.
- no filters, protective or otherwise. this has been stated in other reviews, but it’s worth repeating. if you’re rough on your equipment, consider that you can’t keep the front element of this lens under a protective UV filter. the metal petals offer some protection, and zoomed to 16mm the element retracts a bit further into the body of the lens, but it’s still more vulnerable than other lenses. can’t really complain about this… i doubt sigma made this lens this way so you’d break it. i’m sure it was necessary to get to 8mm.
- nice, quick auto focus on the 7d. even in lower light. can’t complain at all.
- no issues using it with a speedlite.
- if you don’t REALLY need 8mm, consider other options. especially if you’re tight on cash. 10mm is still pretty darn wide. i promise, it really is. you can get a sigma 10-20mm for significantly less money, so if you don’t need that last 2mm, consider your options.
- it’s pretty slow at 4.5-5.6. whatever. i crank my iso to 3200 if necessary. or just use the speedlite. if you do a ton of low light shooting without flash, i’d take a serious look at the tokina 11-16 f2.8. of course you sacrifice 3mm on the wide end. again, ask yourself what you need most and sacrifice accordingly.
- it comes with a $5 padded pouch to store it in. i mention this not as a real plus to sigma, but as a jab at canon who can’t throw us a fifty cent plastic hood. (sorry!) the case is a perfect fit for my 24-105, so when this lens is on the camera the 24-105 is in the bag.
so, do you buy this lens? if you’re willing to work at your composition, don’t need a really fast lens and REALLY need the widest lens without going fisheye, then yes, you buy it. it’s a very nice piece of equipment. but if you don’t really NEED 8mm – if you can live with 10mm or 11mm, if you are short on cash, if you need a fast lens or you’re positive you’re gonna smack the front of this baby against a rock on day one – then consider the other sigma and tokina alternatives. nobody’s making the “perfect” ultra wide right now… you’ve gotta sacrifice something, whether it be focal length, aperture, filters… whatever. decide what you truly need most and least, and pick accordingly.
don’t spend too much time thinking, though. go take some pictures!
Edit 6/6/11 – A couple of thoughts after using this lens a bit longer:
First, the IQ really is nice. Pictures are sharp, with lots of color and contrast. I am not sure what type of coating they may have on the front element, but there’s something different about it. When I photograph the sky it almost has a polarizing effect,…
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|Compared to the Sigma 10 – 20mm lens,
I am going to give my opinion comparing the Sigma 8 – 16mm to the Sigma 10 – 20mm lens and not to other manufactures WA lenes.
I take around 200,000 pictures a year with the Sigma 10 – 20mm lens. The lens has held up well, feels solid and in my opinion works well with little chromatic aberrations. My only real issue with the 10 – 20 was when taking photos of dark home interiors (which is what I do) and there is a very bright window in the image then sometimes a blue flare appears just off center in the image. This can be reduced by, say 90% in Photoshop. It does not happen every time but when it does even moving to a slightly different shooting position often does not eliminate the problem. The blue flare seems to be not the same problem one might expect to see outdoors shooting in bright sunlight where flare spots can run diagonally through the picture, but then maybe it is the same type of flare. Also by even adding a “thin” filter it can cause some vignetting. The filter issue is forgivable on such a wide angle lens. One last point, there is some slight curvature noticable on verticals close to the sides of the frame.
So to the Sigma 8 – 16mm. I think it’s very well made and feels good and solid right out of the box. I was thinking “20% wider” but forgot also 20% taller in image coverage. It is noticable different in angle of view from the 10 – 20mm. Because of the bulbus front element forget about ever adding a filter. Some WA lenes (fisheyes) allow fitting a filter in the rear of the lens. Forgive me but I have not looked to see if this lens allows that. The front of the lens has a fixed petal lens shade that allows the lens cap to slide/push over it and creating a nice tight fit. The lens cap is in two parts for reasons someone else will have to explain.
The lens has a maximium f4.5 – f5.6 aperture, a little slow but of no importance for most users of a lens this wide and for 99% of the uses it will be put to.
I have taken about 2,000 pictures with my 8 – 16mm and think it is probably slightly better in all aspects than the 10 – 20mm lens, but read the guys who put this lens through lab tests, my tests are in the field and based on what my eyes can see rather than what instruments can measure.
It is a harder lens to use than the Sigma 10 – 20mm. Tilting just slightly will cause verticuls to tilt (thank you Photoshop). I have noticed the blue flare less with this lens than the 10 – 20mm. I think it may be there but spread over a bigger area and less strong and maybe less common. Some flare is to be expected with all super wides. Curviture at the frame edges seems about the same as the 10 – 20mm – which I consider good – again for a super wide.
So which is the better choice. That is a difficult question to answer – it depends. The 8 – 16mm is about $200 more – but is noticable wider. It you need to squeese every inch from a picture then the 8 – 16 is your choice. If price is a concern or landscape is your interest I am sure the 10 – 20 would suffice. However if money is no object then get the 8 – 16mm and then go out and learn to use it. Believe me there is a learning process.
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