Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art. The all-round best Sigma midrange zoom lens. The optimum decision is a model with a static focal length of 20-24 mm (35 mm equivalent) and f/1.4 or f/1.8 lens speed. Zoom or fix with an f/2.8 lens speed is acceptable for an astrophotography lens, but isn’t the best choice. Best Lens for Astrophotography in 2020. Many lenses can be suitable for shooting the night sky – both affordable. There are plenty of Nikon shooters that use the Sigma 10-20. Perhaps you aren't finding info because the lens is relatively old news now. I have both it and the Nikkor 12-24mm and I find that I want the Sigma in my backpack far more than the Nikkor. 60-70% of the pictures in my gallery have been taken with the Sigma. May 24, 2008 at 06:07 PM.
- Using A Sigma 10 20mm Lens For Real Estate Photography What F Stop The Same
- Using A Sigma 10 20mm Lens For Real Estate Photography What F Stop Reviews
- Using A Sigma 10 20mm Lens For Real Estate Photography What F Stop Working
- Using A Sigma 10 20mm Lens For Real Estate Photography What F Stop 4
Not yet tested
- Navigate ReviewJump to review page..
Your purchases support this site
Buy the Nikon 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR AF-P DX Nikkor
Nikon 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR AF-P DX Review -- Now Shooting!
Updates
07/18/2017: Field Test & Gallery Images added
07/18/2017: Field Test & Gallery Images added
Nikon 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR AF-P Field Test
Nikon's new $300 ultra-wide zoom impresses for the price
by Jeremy Gray | Posted 07/18/2017
20mm (30mm equiv.), f/8.0, 1/500s, ISO 720. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file. |
The new Nikon 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR AF-P DX lens joins the Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED DX AF-S lens in the company's ultra-wide angle zoom lineup for DX (APS-C) DSLRs. While the new 10-20mm zoom doesn't have as bright an aperture range, nor does it offer the same zoom versatility, it also costs nearly $600 less and includes Nikon's new AF-P autofocus technology, which promises quick and quiet AF operation. For just over $300, you may not expect much by way of optical performance, but don't let its price fool you, the Nikon 10-20mm VR lens proved to be impressive in the real world. Let's take a closer look..
Key Features and Specs
- Ultra-wide-angle DX (APS-C) zoom lens
- 15-30mm equivalent focal length range
- 3.5 stops of Vibration Reduction (VR) performance
- Uses Pulse Motor technology for quick, quiet autofocus performance
- 14 elements in 11 groups, including 3 aspherical elements
- 0.8 feet (0.22 meters) close focus distance
- 8.2 ounces (230 grams)
- 72mm filter thread
- Costs just under US$310
Construction and Feel
Weighing in at 8.2 ounces (230 grams), the new Nikon 10-20mm AF-P lens is quite lightweight. It is 2.8 inches (73 millimeters) long with a maximum diameter of 3 inches (77 millimeters) with a 72mm filter thread. The lens does change its length slightly as you work through the zoom range, but the difference between its shortest and longest length is small, about half an inch (10 millimeters). In case you're wondering how the 10-20mm lens compares in weight to its faster, more versatile sibling the 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5, the new 10-20mm lens weighs exactly half that of the 2.4x zoom.
The 10-20mm lens is well-balanced and feels well-constructed given its price point. It is not a weather-sealed lens nor is there a rubber gasket around the lens mount, but it still feels solid and should stand up well to most typical shooting conditions. It is constructed using plastic, which helps keep the weight down, but that does mean it's not as robust as more expensive, heavier-duty Nikon lenses.
At the end of the day, many shooters would opt for a lighter, less costly lens than one with weather-sealing and a heavier, more rugged construction, so I think that Nikon made some good decisions with the design of the new 10-20mm lens.
Rings and Switches
The Nikon 10-20mm VR AF-P lens has no switches on the barrel itself, which affects compatibility with some Nikon cameras. More on that later. The zoom ring is a little over an inch wide (about 30 millimeters) with much of it being covered with a textured rubber grip.
The zoom ring rotates nicely and has painted on markings at 10, 12, 14, 16 and 20 millimeters. It takes minimal rotation to go from 10 to 20mm, which I like, as it means it's easy to go from the widest to the longest focal length quickly and without repositioning my fingers on the lens. I don't like the focus ring as much as it is very narrow, less than a quarter of an inch (about 6 millimeters), and doesn't have a lot to grip aside from ridges on the plastic. There also isn't any focus scale, which while disappointing, is pretty standard for a lens at this price point.
Overall
Overall, the build quality of the Nikon 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR AF-P DX lens is good for the money. The focus ring is an area of weakness and for $310, it's unreasonable to expect rugged, weather-sealed construction. The Thailand-made lens is lightweight, and the zoom ring feels nice, so those two important boxes are checked.
Optical Quality
Optical Construction
The Nikon 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G lens has 14 elements in 11 groups, including 3 aspherical elements. This is the same number of aspherical and total elements as the 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G lens, but the more expensive optic includes a pair of ED elements. With that said, the 10-20mm does include Super Integrated Coating, to help reduce interior reflections and improve color reproduction.
Sharpness: Nikon 10-20mm AF-P DX lens struggles at its extremes
The Nikon 10-20mm lens is quite sharp in the center of the frame across the entire focal length range, but at the wide end and when shooting wide open in particular, the performance drops off quickly as you move away from the center.
10mm (15mm equiv.), f/4.5, 1/500s, ISO 100. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
10mm (15mm equiv.), f/4.5, 1/500s, ISO 100. 100% crop from the center of an unedited JPEG. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
10mm (15mm equiv.), f/4.5, 1/500s, ISO 100. 100% crop from a bit above the center of an unedited JPEG. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
Stopping the lens down does help dramatically, although performance at the very edge will never be great at 10mm. On the other hand, at 15mm, performance is impressive even when shooting wide open across much of the frame.
15mm (22.5mm equiv.), f/5.0, 1/320s, ISO 100. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
15mm (22.5mm equiv.), f/5.0, 1/320s, ISO 100. 100% crop from the center of an unedited JPEG. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
15mm (22.5mm equiv.), f/5.0, 1/320s, ISO 100. 100% crop from the top left corner of an unedited JPEG. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
At 20mm, performance worsens again - the extreme ends of the lens have issues - because the entire frame takes on a somewhat soft, blurry look. It isn't bad, it's just softer than at 15mm. On the plus side, performance is more consistent across the frame at 20mm than at 10mm.
20mm (35mm equiv.), f/5.0, 1/250s, ISO 100. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
20mm (35mm equiv.), f/5.0, 1/250s, ISO 100. 100% crop from the center of an unedited JPEG. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
Overall, the lens is not very sharp at 10mm or 20mm but it performs very well at 15mm. In any case, the lens is still quite impressive considering its price.
Vignetting
Maxsea 12.1.1 Keygen allworldprofits.web.fc2.com› ▀ ▀ Maxsea 12.1.1 Keygen ▀ ▀ Jul 9, 2018 - The World Cup is a chance for younger players to shine on the big stage, and they have been for years. These are the best young players in. Meteorologist Matt Peterson, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 2247 likes 4 talking about this. Maxsea v12.6.4.1 keygen Crack, Maxsea v12.6.4.1 keygen Keygen, Maxsea v12.6.4.1 keygen Serial, Maxsea v12.6.4.1 keygen No Cd, Maxsea v12.6.4.1 keygen Free Full Version Direct Download And More Full Version Warez Downloads. Found results for Maxsea 12.6.4.1 crack, serial & keygen. Our results are updated in real-time and rated by our users. Many downloads like Maxsea V 12.1.1.6 may also include a serial number, cd key or keygen. If this is the case then it's usually included in the full crack download archive itself. If you are still having trouble finding Maxsea V 12.1.1.6 after simplifying your search term then we highly recommend using the alternative full download sites. Tournament Indicator V 1 6. 0 keygen Yamicsoft licence key for idm crack Maxsea v 12 1 1 6 free downloads-3GF0FJTKZ MaxSea v 12 6 4 1 04 03 12 ENG rar letitbit RapidFiles. Us-4shared, bitshare, rapidgator, turbobit, netload I have been trying to crack this with my Maptech BSB charts and got. Maxsea 12.1.1 keygen. Found results for Maxsea 12.1.1 crack, serial & keygen. Our results are updated in real-time and rated by our users. Maxsea V12.6.4.1 Keygen. Feature Requests: Inventors Blueprint: Home. 287 MaxSea 12.6.4.
At 10mm, there is considerable corner darkening (vignette), especially when shooting wide open, and the falloff persists throughout the entire aperture range. By the time you get to f/11, you're beginning to have to deal with diffraction, and the drop in vignette is so minimal that I don't think it's worth worrying about in any event. Plus, it's not hard to correct for in post-processing. At 15mm, the situation improves and at 20mm, it's even better. At both 15mm and 20mm, you can get rid of most of the vignette by stopping down.
10mm (15mm equiv.), f/4.5, 1/640s, ISO 100, +1 EV exposure compensation. Vignette test image. Resized JPEG image. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
15mm (22.5mm equiv.), f/5.0, 1/500s, ISO 100, +1 EV exposure compensation. Vignette test image. Resized JPEG image. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
20mm (30mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/800s, ISO 100, +1 EV exposure compensation. Vignette test image. Resized JPEG image. I am unsure why the camera metered 20mm test images differently. This happened on a few occasions during general testing with this lens. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
Aberration and flare: A lot of chromatic aberration near the edges
Chromatic aberration is a problem for the Nikon 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR AF-P lens, particularly when shooting wide open at 10mm. As you work your way toward the edges of the frame, and I don't mean very far from the center, CA is quite noticeable when viewing uncorrected files. The camera (a D500, in this case) does correct it a little with the in-camera processing, but not by much. The situation is a little better at 15mm but it gets poorer again at 20mm, particularly with respective to purple fringing around high contrast details.
10mm (15mm equiv.), f/4.5, 1/500s, ISO 100. 100% crop from the left edge of a RAW image processed with Adobe Camera Raw default settings. Click for the original JPEG image. Click here for the RAW file. |
However, flare is handled very well by the 10-20mm lens. I struggled to introduce lens flare in most situations, which is great for such a wide lens. Overall, the chromatic aberration prevention leaves quite a bit to be desired, but the handling of flare is impressive and I think that generally, it's a good lens. When you make a lens this compact and affordable, there will be some compromises to be made optically.
Distortion: A moderate amount at 10mm, improves as you zoom in
It is unreasonable to expect a 10-20mm (15-30mm equivalent) zoom lens to perform with zero distortion, particularly at the wide end, but the distortion isn't bad in real-world shooting. At 10mm, there is a fair bit of barrel distortion, as you can see in the imperfect testing shot below. It's not a lab situation, but it illustrates distortion. By 15mm, the situation improves and is better at 20mm.
10mm (15mm equiv.), f/4.5, 1/15s, ISO 250, +0.67 EV exposure compensation. Distortion test image. Resized JPEG image. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
15mm (22.5mm equiv.), f/5.0, 1/25s, ISO 720, +1 EV exposure compensation. Distortion test image. Resized JPEG image. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
20mm (30mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/30s, ISO 1800, +1 EV exposure compensation. Distortion test image. Resized JPEG image. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
In the Field: Nikon 10-20mm performs well in real-world shooting
Nikon 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR AF-P DX Nikkor Video Sample 3840 x 2160, 30 frames per second (fps) Download Original (210MB .MP4 File) |
Autofocus: Fast and quiet
One of the big new features of the 10-20mm DX lens is its AF-P autofocus system. The internal focus lens has Nikon's new Pulse Motor (AF-P) system, which relies on stepping motors. The stepping motors provide smoother and quieter autofocus than previous drive system, and the quieter focus in particular makes the 10-20mm lens a good option for recording video. In real world use, the autofocus proved very quiet and quick, so the promise of the AF-P system is certainly realized with the 10-20mm (as it has been with other AF-P lenses I've used).
On the other hand, the AF-P system and the lack of Manual Focus/Autofocus toggle and VR switches on the lens barrel means that the new 10-20mm DX lens is not fully compatible with all Nikon DX DSLR cameras. The lens is fully compatible with the following cameras: Nikon D7500, D5600, D5500, D3400 and D500 (and any newer cameras). With a firmware update, D5300 and D3300 cameras are also fully compatible. Somewhat recent cameras which are incompatible include the Nikon D7000, D5100, D90 and D3200. Cameras older than these models are also, understandably, incompatible. Green roofing and waterproofing. For example, on the D800E (ignoring the cropped image circle), the Nikon 10-20mm will not focus at all, both manually or with AF. It is worth nothing that with the AF-P 10-20mm lens, there is full-time manual focus override, so there is not much need for an autofocus mode switch on the lens.
Close Focus: Not a macro lens, but it's still best to take an extra step back
The Nikon AF-P 10-20mm lens is certainly not a macro lens, but it is still capable of taking fairly close shots. Its close focus distance is 0.8 feet (0.22 meters), and it offers a maximum magnification of 0.17x (1:5.9), which is decent for a wide-angle lens. Tamron's latest 10-24mm lens offers very similar specs with regards to close focus, for example. One aspect of the lens worth pointing out that it is noticeably softer at 20mm when focusing very closely than when shooting at 10mm, as you can see in the pair of test shots below.
10mm (20mm equiv.), f/4.5, 1/20s, ISO 100. Close focus test image. Resized JPEG image. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
20mm (30mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/30s, ISO 280. Close focus test image. Resized JPEG image. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
There is also a quite a bit of falloff in sharpness when shooting at the close focus distance, as you can see in the two shots below. Notice, in particular, when shooting at 20mm the loss in detail, and that there is considerably more fringing than in the 10mm shot. Does shooting at 15mm, for example, help solve the issue and offer something of a balance between the 10 and 20mm shots? Yes, the performance is improved at the close focus distance when shooting at 15mm, but it still shows more fringing than the 10mm shot.
20mm (30mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/640s, ISO 100. Close focus test image. 100% center crop from JPEG image. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file. |
If you want the best optical performance, stepping back even a foot or two beyond the close focus distance helps considerably. Not only are issues with fringing basically eliminated when you aren't near or at the close focus distance, the consistency of image quality across the frame is much better.
20mm (30mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/800s, ISO 100. Close focus test image. Slightly further away than minimum focus distance. 100% center crop from JPEG image. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file. |
Image Stabilization: VR works well
The AF-P 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR lens has Vibration Reduction, as is evidenced by its very name. The VR is rated to offer 3.5 stops of image stabilization. I was able to capture some sharp images at shutter speeds as low as 1/5s and 1/6s at 10mm and 20mm, respectively. That's pretty good, although in most cases I'd want to shoot at 1/15s and 1/20s, respectively, because my rate of sharp shots was essentially 100% at those shutter speeds.
Real-world shooting
The Nikon 10-20mm lens performed well in real-world shooting situations. It's not a highly versatile lens given that its zoom is only 2x (in contrast to the 2.4x zoom offered by Nikon's 10-24mm lens) but it delivers consistently good performance, so long as I was not shooting a very close-up subject.
Armed with AF-P autofocus tech, the 10-20mm lens is very quiet and lightweight, which are two aspects I liked a lot. While I am not a big video shooter, the AF-P is very well-suited for recording video. Any Nikon shooters who need an ultra-wide DX lens for video should definitely consider the new AF-P 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G lens.
I've selected a few of my favorite images I captured with the Nikon 10-20mm lens to help illustrate what it can do.
12mm (18mm equiv.), f/5.6, 1/400s, ISO 400. This image has been modified. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
20mm (30mm equiv.), f/7.1, 1/640s, ISO 640. This image has been modified. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
10mm (15mm equiv.), f/7.1, 0.8s, ISO 250. This image has been modified. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
10mm (15mm equiv.), f/4.5, 1/1000s, ISO 100. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file. |
20mm (30mm equiv.), f/8.0, 1/30s, ISO 1000. Click for full-size image. Click here for the RAW file. |
Ultra-wide zoom at an ultra-affordable price
What I like:
- Lightweight and compact
- Good optical performance
- AF-P autofocus is quick and essentially silent
- Built-in VR works well
- A great value at just over $300
What I dislike:
- Not a very fast lens in terms of maximum aperture
- I'm not sure it would stand up to harsh shooting conditions
- Sharpness performance drops at close-focus
- Some compatibility issues due to AF-P, but for newer cameras, it is all set
When you're talking about a roughly $300 lens, it can be easy to be too harsh a critic. After all, gear should be evaluated within a context. Looking at just optics, the Nikon 10-20mm is an impressive lens whose image quality far surpasses its price point. Add in the excellent AF-P autofocus system, and this is a slam dunk ultra wide-angle zoom lens for crop-sensor DSLRs. For stills and video alike, the 10-20mm lens is a great addition to any beginner's bag and is worth a look for those considering the much more expensive Nikon 10-24mm lens, which, while offering a bit more zoom and faster apertures, is hard-pressed to top the new 10-20mm lens in terms of bang-for-your-buck.
10mm (15mm equiv.), f/7.1, 1/800s, ISO 400. This image has been modified. Click for original image. Click here for the RAW file. |
• • •
Nikon 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR AF-P DX Review -- Overview
(From Nikon lens literature)The AF-P DX NIKKOR 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR -- Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens That's Compact and Portable.
The new NIKKOR 10-20mm is an ultra-wide-angle DX-format zoom lens that opens new perspectives and possibilities for those new to photography, and is ideal for shooting travel and scenery, real estate, large group portraits or vlogging. This new lens combines superior image quality and an attainable price to give consumers wide-angle versatility with a lens that's remarkably compact and lightweight.
Like all NIKKOR lenses, the new AF-P DX NIKKOR 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR provides advanced optical technologies for stellar image quality in any light, whether shooting a sun-drenched coastal vista, tight spaces or the night sky. The lens features the equivalent of 3.5 stops* of Vibration Reduction (VR) performance, to help capture sharp images while handheld or in challenging light. Additionally, it utilizes Nikon's Pulse Motor technology for super-fast and whisper quiet AF operation -- which is especially useful when recording video. The optical formula contains three aspherical elements for excellent image quality with minimal distortion even at the widest focal length.
This is a versatile lens that not only excels at shooting expansive horizons, but also offers a remarkably close working distance that's useful for images or showing up-close details when making product-related videos or how-to content. To get closer to capture small objects with big details, the lens has a close minimum focusing distance of only 8.6 inches (0.22 meters), bringing small objects to life in glorious size.
The AF-P DX NIKKOR 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR will be available in late June for a suggested retail price (SRP) of US$309.95.
* Based on CIPA Standard. This value is achieved when DX-format compatible lenses are attached to a DX-format digital SLR camera and zoom lenses are set at the maximum telephoto position.
Your purchases support this site
Nikon F - Black
Nikon 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR AF-P DX Nikkor User Reviews
Using A Sigma 10 20mm Lens For Real Estate Photography What F Stop The Same
10.0/10average of 1 review(s)Build Quality9.0/10Image Quality10.0/10
- 10 out of 10 pointsand recommendedbysjkip(26 reviews)Very sharp across the frame; useful specialized focal length range; lightweightAfter a two day rental, I sent it back and decided to buy one. It arrived today, two days later.reviewed July 27th, 2017(purchased for $307)
With the rented lens I took dozens of sets of six images each..10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20mm..from fixed positions to see which focal lengths render the best composition. With good subjects to begin with..our local mountain canyons, over a mountain lake, at a nearby Spanish mission, gnarly tree branches and roots, and indoors..most of the best are at 10 to 14mm, optimizing, to my taste, at 12mm. The important thing is that this lens does well throughout its focal range, whatever your taste. It's easier to get good final images at the longer end of the focal length range, although more dramatic ones at the shorter end.
Autofocus is very fast and accurate, but not quite as fast as with the other two AF-P DX lenses I have, although it's faster than any of my AF-S lenses. Yes, you have to have one of the most recent Nikon cameras. But all of these AF-P lenses, including this one, work perfectly with my D7200 and D7500s. I haven tried it on my D3300 backup camera yet, but I'm sure it'll work fine, just as the other two do.
With the latest firmware update, shooting .NEF 14-bit lossless compressed, all barrel distortion seems to be automatically removed with Distortion Control ON. At least I can't see any in the converted .JPGs even at 10mm, where you'd expect to see a lot of it. I didn't try turning DC OFF, but who cares?
Nikon's latest version of Capture NX-D can read and process DC ON images from a D7200 or D7500. That's what counts to me.
As with all of Nikon's latest lenses. VR works so well that I'm able to take perfectly sharp - yes, I looked very closely to nitpick them - hand-held indoor shots at ISO 800, 1/4 second, f/8. Of course, at ultra wide focal lengths it's easier to do that than with a longer lens. But it's nice to have really good VR anyway.
Ultra wide is not the easiest type of photography to get right, with so many image elements, at different distances, to be reconciled by careful subject selection, camera setting, shooting and processing. Composition, and even the angle at which the camera is held, are critically important. It can easily look like there's poor resolution at the image edges. But careful composition will show that this is more likely technique, e.g., failure to note varying subject focal planes, than the lens.
But with this lens at f/8, which is the aperture it's probably optimized for and what I usually shoot anyway, resolution is tack sharp in the center and, with careful composition, very good all the way to the edges, even at 10mm. So you have a flexible, efficient tool to work with.
It probably can't be used as a general walkabout, because most subjects don't benefit from ultra wide. But I've already gotten some dramatic shots down long corridors and over a lake with reed foreground and mountain, forest and cloud backdrop. Such shots take a lot of processing to eliminate blown cloud highlights and too-deep shadows to 'look right.' Everyone who shoots ultra wide knows what i mean.
I think that anyone who is familiar with ultra wide will love this lens, as will as those who are willing to climb the fairly steep learning curve to become proficient with it. This is not a lens for those who think they can just go click and produce an endless succession of Wow shots without working at it. Such results don't come easy. But this lens, with careful subject selection, camera setting and composition. and skillful processing, can produce results that are breathtaking.
And, hey, the price is right. I'm a cheapskate, and I bought one.
- Navigate ReviewJump to review page..
Here’s a brief look at the Sigma 10-20mm F/4-5.6 EX DC zoom lens. Scroll down for the review.
Front and rear caps, hood, nice softcase and users manual. |
About $479 |
Good |
See another model with this focal length, the Sigma 10-20mm F/3.5with HSM focusing |
Specifications below |
14 elements in 10 groups |
102°-64° |
6 blades, straight |
APS-C only, 35mm equivalent, 15-30mm. Will work on full frame, but vignettes massively at 10-14mm. Turn on APS-C size capt. for good pictures. |
Focus distance scale only |
9.5″ (240mm) |
4.4″ (112mm) |
No |
Length changes when focusing? |
Focus ring turns in AF? |
Filter size |
Filter ring rotates? |
Distance encoder? |
Max magnification |
Min. F/stop |
Sony teleconverter compatible? |
Length changes when zooming? |
Dimensions W x L (my measurements) |
Maximum extended length (my measurements) |
Weight bare (my scale) |
Requisite product shots.
Front with plastic petal hood |
Side shot fully extended |
Front view, that’s not dust you see, it’s Sigma’s sparkly dirt-look finish |
Sigma MTF screen grab, incomplete, but this is all they give. |
The Sony A700 was used for this review. For a better understanding of my review methods and terminology, go here.
The Sigma 10-20mm F/4-5.6 EX DC is currently the widest of the super-wide angle zooms available for your Sony APS-C sensor camera, and isn’t designed to be used on full frame/film cameras. The lens is finished in the standard Sigma sparkly dirt-look black which I hate, however, quality is good, with a nice fit and finish. It also has rubber ribbed grip areas around the zoom and focus rings, a metal mount, and a distance scale, which you’ll need, see below. The lens says made in Japan. This lens is identical in size, weight and close focusing distance to the Sony 11-18mm, but they are optically much different. Sigma claims they use three aspherical, and three “SLD” elements in the construction of this lens. Note; don’t set this lens mount side down at 10mm, the rear element will touch the surface and wobble around.
Zoom control is nice and smooth and the barrel extends out (clockwise) another 4mm at full extension. The focal length numbers come at; 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm and 20mm. Oddly enough, my lens won’t register 14mm in the EXIF data, all other numbers show up, even in-between lengths (except 19mm), but 14mm is written on the barrel, so it should show, this is the same missing data as the Sony 11-18mm. There’s a lot of room between each number, so you could shoot different scenes at the same length as it appears in the data, but it may look substantially closer, or farther away, that’s in the design, they don’t put enough internal length sensor contacts to mark every single change of movement. Other lenses are like this too, it’s not a defect, but maybe the missing 14mm is.
Auto-focusing is troublesome, typical for Sigma. At 10mm, I have to set the focus ring to the 1 meter mark, where everything from about 6′ or 2m will be in sharp focus. Auto-focus will choose something past infinity, and everything will be out of focus. At 20mm, the infinity mark is fine. Manually focusing is easy, as you have 1/5 turn from close-in to infinity, which is plenty of rotation, and the focus ring is smooth and easy to turn. The closest focusing distance from lens barrel to subject is 4.4″ or 112mm. The problem above effects my lens. Due to the obvious lack of quality control, another copy may, or may not have this problem. I’ve had several Sigma lenses over the years, and they’ve all had focusing issues.
Aperture/focal length guide for the Sigma 10-20mm F/4-5.6. This lens has overlapping numbers, depending on tiny movements of the zoom ring, this is quite common. Look below for guide. Also, this lens did not register 14mm in the EXIF data, which is the same as the Sony 11-18mm. So why do they put 14mm on the barrel? Also no 19mm, but that’s no problem.
F/4 | F/5 | |
Range | 11mm – 13mm | 17mm – 20mm |
Flare and ghosting. Lens flare is very strong at all focal lengths with the aperture wide open. If the sun is in the image, or just outside, you’ll have some rough looking shots, depending on the scene. One stop down helps tremendously. See small sample of flare below, at full size it looks terrible. The Sigma is much worse than the Sony 11-18mm in this department. Good news though; if you shoot at F/8, things look much better, and the sun doesn’t cause any real problems, other than a couple of small ghosts. Overall, ghosting is well controlled, and better than the Sony 11-18mm. This lens comes with a nice plastic petal type hood, but it doesn’t help the situation described here. Use your hand when the sun is close to the image periphery, which will eliminate the flare, but only when the sun is actually outside the image.
This lens is multi-coated and looks very similar to the Sony 11-18mm front.
Filter use; no vignetting when using normal filters.
Filter size. 77mm. Sony lenses using this size are: 70-200mm G, CZ 24-70mm, and CZ 135mm F/1.8
Coma. Light wide open at 10mm. Stopped down, no problems. This isn’t something to worry about, it’s only in the corners. See crops below.
Color. Looks the same as Sony lenses.
Lateral color fringing is about average with the Sigma 10-20mm, It shows up at all apertures and all focal lengths. Stopping down doesn’t help, you’ll have to live with it or remove it with your imaging software. It’s mostly magenta/cyan along the sides of the image, a little better control here than the Sony 11-18mm.
Moderate barrel distortion, 10mm |
Barrel and pincushion distortion. The distortion at 10mm-11mm is odd mustache type, hard to correct in post processing. There is no flat point in the zoom range, and pincushion starts around 13mm. The Sony 11-18mm is better at controlling distortion. In landscape shots, this distortion rarely shows up unless you’re shooting straight lines near the image edges. A workaround for the mustache distortion is to zoom out to 11-12mm for architectural type shots.
Lens Bokeh. The Sigma 10-20mm F/4-5.6 is just so-so to harsh in this department. Generally, everything is in focus less than 15′ (4.5m) and beyond, so background blur isn’t something I’d worry about with this lens. See crops below.
light fall-off, directly below, looks strong at 10mm and F/4, stopping down to F/5.6 helps, but at F/11 there is still a small amount. You’ll find some too at 20mm, F/5.6. Check out the sample below and see how light fall-off looks in a real picture from this lens. The Sony 11-18mm is much better at controlling light fall-off or corner shading.
10mm @ F/4 |
20mm @ F/5.6 |
Random shotsbelow.
10mm @ F/4 massive flare |
10mm @ F/4 bokeh |
20mm @ F/5.6 bokeh |
10mm @ F/4 coma |
The left shot above shows light fall-off at F/4, 10mm, which really isn’t noticeable with a real picture, it’s quite different from the test shots above. This shows you why you shouldn’t worry about stuff like this. The right shot is massive flare, F/4 at 10mm. It’s bad here (and looks worse enlarged) as I said above, it’ll ruin your shot. Close the aperture one stop (F/5.6) and things look much better, and F/8 looks pretty good at all focal lengths. This flare is visible in most sun shots, though sometimes a busy background can hide it. The Sony 11-18 has this also at F/4.5, but it isn’t nearly as bad as the Sigma. There used to be filters that did the same thing as you see in the flare shot, and you paid good money for them. Some people may actually like this affect. Good news for ghosting, control is good, and much better than the Sony 11-18mm. There’s a faint red ring that can be seen at the corners when the sun is close to the center of the image, just barely visible in the top right shot. If you don’t like to take pictures with the sun in the image, don’t worry about all this.
Bokeh shots in the middle. This lens isn’t for getting creamy smooth backgrounds, just about everything is sharp in a real picture, so don’t worry about the rather harsh looking background blur. You can occasionally make out the six bladed aperture, even wide open, again, no big deal on a super-wide angle lens.
Coma, bottom row. Light at 10mm and F/4. No problems stopped down.
Using A Sigma 10 20mm Lens For Real Estate Photography What F Stop Reviews
10mm @ F/5.6 |
10mm @ F/11 |
20mm @ F/5.6 |
The 10mm corners are soft wide open, two stops down makes them nice and sharp. At 20mm, one stop down and everything is sharp. This lens is sharper in the corners at the wide end than the Sony 11-18mm. If you’re using this lens at 10mm for its intended purpose, you won’t care about the corners anyway. If you’re taking pictures of your home or architectural type shots, and you want everything super sharp, stop down to F/8 but not F/11, where softening of the image occurs due to diffraction. For indoors, use a tripod if you can’t get the shutter speeds you require for hand-held use.
Center samples at 10mm next.
10mm @ F/4 |
20mm centers.
20mm @ F/8 |
Look at the boring pictures above. This isn’t the way to shoot this lens, but it shows you real results. Feel free to shoot at F/4-8 with this lens at any focal length. Leave F/11 alone, it’s a little soft due to diffraction.
Examples of the differences in focal lengths at wide angle below.
11mm (16.5mm equivalent) |
10mm (15mm equivalent) |
Look at the difference in area covered going from 11mm to 10mm. It’s noticeable here, but you probably wouldn’t really see it unless compared side-by-side.
Check out the close focus shot.
Below, check out the sample, cropped to reduce size, and click (144kb) to see image. The sample shot was taken with the Sony A700 12.2MP camera. The subject is a standard US stamp, 1″x 3/4″ or 25.4mm x 19mm. Also, note the macro shot was taken as close to the subject as focusing allowed; In this case, 4.4″ or 112mm, measured from the front of the lens barrel to the subject, the same as the Sony 11-18mm.
Below, check out the sample, cropped to reduce size, and click (144kb) to see image. The sample shot was taken with the Sony A700 12.2MP camera. The subject is a standard US stamp, 1″x 3/4″ or 25.4mm x 19mm. Also, note the macro shot was taken as close to the subject as focusing allowed; In this case, 4.4″ or 112mm, measured from the front of the lens barrel to the subject, the same as the Sony 11-18mm.
This lens has a small reproduction size at 0.15x. It isn’t meant to be a good close up lens, so don’t use it for this. The image below was taken at F/8, but F/5.6 was similar.
100% crop, click for larger image F/8 |
Conclusion.The Sigma 10-20mm F/4-5.6 is currently the widest of the super-wide angle zooms you can buy for your Sony APS-C sensor camera that accepts regular filters, that’s important, because theSigma 8-16mm will not, so you can’t use a cloud saving graduated neutral density filter. Cost wise; it’s less than the Sony 11-18mm by a good chunk of change. If the widest you’ve ever shot is 18mm, you’ll be in for a surprise when looking at 10mm. This also brings up some problems, see the last paragraph.
The Sigma 10-20mm F/4-5.6 super wide angle lens turned in a very good performance, although it’s not perfect. Flare/veiling glare is harsh wide open at all focal lengths, and the focusing issues as mentioned in the introduction. There are some good things too; ghosting is well controlled, the corners are sharp at one or two stops down; and at 10mm, you’ll have plenty of room to pack some fun in the image. This lens is very good if you shoot at F/8-11; you won’t need to worry about focusing issues, because you’ll have a huge DOF, and flare is mostly gone at F/8 as I stated earlier. Note: there could be sample variations, so my copy may not be indicative of all. If you don’t like taking pictures with the sun in the image, don’t worry about the flare issue.
To give you an idea about how much this lens will cover, at 10mm or 15mm in 35mm terms, you can get an entire normal-sized bedroom in the frame, from wall to wall, standing at the door. The lens at 10mm covers a lot of real estate. Unless used correctly, most people will not enjoy their results with this lens. Problematic areas include, getting your shoes in the shot, I’ve done it, getting way too much ground or sky in the image, and winding up with pathetic tiny unrecognizable objects strewn across the middle of the frame, because you were too far away from your subject and didn’t understand the proper use of the lens, I’ve done all of those things. Try some forced perspective type shots, like getting the camera square in the middle of the action or object of interest, that makes it much more interesting.
This super wide angle lens is also good for taking pictures of rooms or areas where you can’t back off enough with a normal lens, this is also called “getting it all in” and sometimes you just feel the need to do it, but is shunned by many photographers. Used in this way walls tend to want to tilt hard over from the lens not being exactly level (keystone), and things near the periphery look elongated, but some of that can be corrected in imaging software.
Using A Sigma 10 20mm Lens For Real Estate Photography What F Stop Working
Check out this comparison test between three super-wide zoom lenses.
Using A Sigma 10 20mm Lens For Real Estate Photography What F Stop 4
Don’t forget to check out the newer Sigma 10-20mm F/3.5 HSM, if you have the extra money, I’d get this lens.