Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM ELD SLD Aspherical Super Wide Angle Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

by Sigma

• Super-Wide: 10-20 with maximum aperture of F3.5 throughout entire zoom range
• Includes: Petal-type Hood supplied
• Filter Size: 82mm

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.4 x 3.4 x 3.5 inches ; 1.1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B002D2VS9U
• Item model number: 10-20mm f/3.5 EX Canon
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 24, 2003

Product Description

Style: For Canon DSLR Cameras

Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the new Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM. This super-wide angle lens has a maximum aperture of F3.5 throughout the entire zoom range. With its wide angle view from 102.4 degrees it can produce striking images with exaggerated perspective. The maximum aperture of F3.5 is ideal for indoor shooting and it enables photographers to emphasize the subject. Two ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion) glass elements and a SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass element provide excellent correction of color aberration. Four aspherical lenses provide correction for distortion and allow compact and lightweight construction. The Super Multi-Layer coating reduces flare and ghosting. High image quality is assured throughout the entire zoom range. The incorporation of HSM (Hyper-Sonic Motor) ensures a quiet and high-speed auto focus as well as full-time manual focusing capability. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 9.4 inches (24cm) throughout the entire zoom range and a maximum magnification ratio of 1:6.6. The lens design incorporates an inner focusing system which eliminates front lens rotation, making the lens particularly suitable for using the Petal-type hood and polarizing filter. The Petal-type hood blocks extraneous light and reduces internal reflection.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

128 of 137 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding lens July 19, 2009

By Shane O. Laake VINE™ VOICE

Style Name:For Nikon DSLR Cameras

When I bought the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras 14 months ago, I didn't know what to expect. I never used a 3rd party lens or an ultra wide-angle, but I quickly learned to love the lens and the opportunities it created. Having said goodbye to the lens a week ago (still kicking), I decided to give this new slightly faster model for a spin.

Currently reviews or even sample photos are sparse, and even some details seem elusive, so lets start in the beginning:

* Like the predecessor, this model features HSM, so all Nikon DSLR users can benefit from this lens (D700, D3, and D3x users will only get a cropped view)
* Also like its predecessor, its a hefty well-built lens that's made in Japan
* It's comparable in size and weight to the original, but the 82mm front threads take some getting used to
* While the older model did not extend at 10mm and extended barely at the "long" end, the new one is flush from 16-13mm, and extends slightly at both the wide and the long end.
* the EX finish is a tad more refined, and it now features an AF/MF switch (full time override is available in AF). The focus ring is somewhat stiff, but has a nice movement to it. AF is blazing!
* Sigma seems to have revised the rear element a bit with an added piece of plastic to minimize reflections
* You also get an extra aperture blade for better bokeh and much better sunstars
* Just in case you are wondering, this lens works just like a Nikon lens with full functionality

I'll post photos, but in general its the equal or better to the earlier lens. At the wide end the extra 1/3 stop is barely worth mentioning, but at the wide end, you get 1 1/3 stop more light. The changes do go beyond that, as there now is ELD glass as well as SLD (in the previous version), and there is more aspheric glass. If this doesn't mean anything to you, just know this all helps it be a great lens!

This is a very challenging focal length to design for, especially if cost and size are a concern, so there is no perfect lens in this range. That being said, Sigma seemed to have used their experience with a previous 10-20mm to create a highly refined and very capable lens. If shooting at f/3.5 you will see some softness in the corners, but frankly it's not that limiting. Stopping down to f/5.6 helps a lot with gains in between, and it peeks at f/8-11 (maybe f/13 on a 6mp sensor).

Coming from an 18-## zoom? You'll get a whole new perspective, an opportunity to explore a new world of photography, and get to work with a lens of much better construction than a kit lens.

Coming from another ultra-wide angle? It may not be worth the switch (I sold my other one for a variety of reasons), but you almost get the speed of the Tokina AT-X116PRDXN AT-X PRO DX 11-16mm Ultra-wide Angle Lens for Nikon and you get a faster aperture and more useful zoom range than first gen ultra-wides such as the Nikon 12-24mm f/4G ED IF Autofocus DX Nikkor Zoom Lens or Tokina AT-XAF124DXN 12-24mm Wide-Angle Lens for Nikon.

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sigma 10-20 f/3.5 vs Nikon 16-85 3.5-5.6 VR II September 29, 2009

By Chris I

Style Name:For Nikon DSLR Cameras

I compared performance and test images taken with the Sigma 10-20 f/3.5 against my Nikon 16-85 VRII, which I consider to be my sharpest lens. The photos were taken with a Nikon D5000, tripod mounted, no digital sharpening, of fixed targets on my living room wall at about six feet. The targets consisted of newspaper at the corners and a large US map in the center, with a variety of detail and some color. Illumination was provided by house lamps and a photo flood light. The photos were compared side by side at 200% enlargement.

The Sigma 10-20 was not as sharp as the Nikon 16-85 in the very center of the image at comparable focal lengths (16mm and 20mm) and apertures, although was very close by f/5 and nearly the same at f/8. At the edges of the image however, the Sigma 10-20 was as sharp or sharper and had better contrast at all f-stops tested (3.5-8). I have no lens to compare the Sigma 10-20 to at shorter focal lengths but Imaging Resource tests indicate good to very good sharpness, similar to the older Sigma 10-20.

Focus speed with the Sigma 10-20 is very fast and quiet, similar to the Nikon 16-85. There is some variation in auto focus reproducibility but seems to be within a reasonable margin of error and will likely not be noticable in most photographs. The zoom action of the Sigma is smoother than the Nikon. The lens is somewhat larger and heavier than the Nikon.

Chromatic aberration/color fringing has been reported as being an issue with many wide angle lenses, including this lens. I will comment on this after shooting some high contrast scenes outdoors if I feel it is significant.

This is my second copy of the lens. The first copy appeared to have a slight back focus problem at 10mm at short focal distances as indicated by variations in auto focus performance vs manual focus to achieve optimal sharpness. Optically, the first copy appeared as sharp as this one and likely would have been acceptable to most users.

First edit 9-30-09: Outdoor shots posted in the gallery. The lens performed well in the field yielding good color and contrast. Flaring is visible as the lens is tilted towards the sun. I used my baseball cap to shade the lens and would also recommend the lens hood in most situations. At 10mm, sharpness is acceptable at f3.5 in the center and quite soft at the edges. Sharpness at the edges seems fairly good by f4.5. Color fringing is quite evident in high contrast areas near the edges of the image however it was not so bright as to apppear in uncorrected 8x10 prints. Also it was quite easy to reduce the fringing to a non-issue with CA correction using Adobe CS4. Auto focus was accurate. Overall I'm quite pleased with this lens and I'd say it outperforms my expectations for sharpness and vignetting but I wish the CA was better controlled. I will keep this lens, however the older version (f4-5.6) is reported to be as good or perhaps better in some respects so I'd recommend the f3.5 lens only if the constant aperature is of interest to you.

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent ultra wide people still don't know about. May 7, 2010

By Francisco Marquez

Style Name:For Canon DSLR Cameras|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've owned this lens since February and it is my favorite lens for hiking. Using an ultra wide angle lens is a unique experience that comes with a steeper learning curve then most other ranges. The biggest concept to grasp is scale, at 10mm an object 1 foot from your lens will look like its 5 feet away through the viewfinder, so composition and corner to corner attention to detail is crucial to getting a good image.

Distortion at its widest is reasonable and expected.

It is incredibly sharp in center to mid frame wide open, but it can get a little soft on the edges. I own the Canon 70-200mm 2.8 IS USM II , so I know what sharp looks like and I have no gripes with this sigma.

Focus is quick and the rings have just the right amount of tension allowing for precise setting. Try laying on the ground and have a friend jump over you, ultra wide angle lens have incredibly large depths of field and it's hard for this lens to miss focus. Also the minimum focusing distance is inches from the front element, so watch those cactus needle in the desert.

The color reproduction is wonderful, and flare is controlled very well by design. The hood is ample, although when shooting wide the sun always seems to find its way into frame.

Chromatic Aberration can occur towards the sides of the frames, but due to the previously mentioned scaling effect, you would have to crop into the image to notice it.

The case is great, although I never knew how awkward working a cube into my camera bag would be. I eventually started leaving the case at home as it just took up to much room in my bag.

Ultimately I do not regret this purchase one bit. Compared to other ultra wides, I couldn't tell you, all I can tell you as this is my go to lens when I'm feeling creative and it hasn't let me down yet. I'll post sample pics to illustrate my points.