Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 Ultra-wide Zoom Lens
If you recently purchased a low to mid-priced DSLR and are looking for a wide-angle digital camera zoom lens, consider the new Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM. This lens is directed at the ultra-wide lens market.
The Sigma F4-5.6 EX DC HSM digital camera zoom lens is available for Nikon, Canon, Sigma, Pentax and Sony cameras. There is also a mount available for Four Thirds cameras. Photographers using cameras employing the HyperSonic Motor, or HSM, silent focusing system can take advantage of this lens model. Sony and Pentax cameras, however, do not use HSM and instead the lens will work using the “screw-drive” that they both employ.
Although the premise of presenting an affordable wide-angle lens for photo enthusiasts is a noble one, this Sigma wide angle zoom lens does have its share of problems. Lack of sharpness can be an issue towards the edges of the picture frame, although that isn’t the case for the frame’s center. And at the widest zoom settings a considerable amount of barrel distortion can be noticeable, although distortion to some degree has always been an issue with wide-angle lenses anyway. But–and this is an important but especially if you do lots of outdoor photography–chromatic aberration is minimal with this lens, so the fringing you would ordinarily see on linear edges for instance in images cropped at 100 percent is almost non-existent (depending on the subject, of course).
DPReview.com concludes its recent examination of this lens by writing that:
So overall the Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM is a solid, well-built lens with good operational characteristics, which justifies its popularity with generally decent imaging results. While its long-running unique selling point of being the only third-party 10mm zoom has now disappeared, and it faces strong competition from Tamron’s 10-24mm, the different characteristics of the two lenses means it’s still a good option for APS-C users looking for the widest of ultra-wideangle zooms. It may no longer necessarily be the leader of the pack, but it’s still well worth considering.
The Sigma accessories produced for digital cameras are considerably high in quality. And despite the negative aspects this wide-angle lens has, it may be worth trying out. The Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM lens is priced between $430 and $500 at online retailers.
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