Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DG ASP RF 35mm Primes

Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DG ASP RF 35mm Primes 

DESCRIPTION

This Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DG Aspherical RF is a unique Sigma offering with an aperture of f/1.8 making it the fastest super wide angle lens available from any camera or lens manufacturer. For the scenic or landscape photographer it’s important to have a wide angle lens with excellent optical performance and Sigma’s aspherical lens technology provides high quality images for the serious shooter. Sigma’s 20mm lens has a field of view of 94.5º and yet provides for a close focusing lens-to-subject distance of only 2.6 inches. Such performance parameters provide great creative freedom to the photographer who wishes to exploit its capabilities for juxtaposing very near subject with the surrounding background. This extreme wide angle view also makes this lens ideal for crating “stitched” panoramic scenes for dramatic effect. The architectural photographer will find this lens attractive for shooting building interiors and the photojournalists will find its fast speed a life saver in low light conditions.

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 40  
[Apr 12, 2021]
Janwil


Strength:

It has a nice quality and also the durability of this lens is superb! builtright industries

Weakness:

None so far!

OVERALL
RATING
5
[Jan 03, 2021]
hgriffin08


Strength:

It is worthwhile to note that this lens is really good even in an environment with low lights. It works wonders as well and I need not color correct most of the outputs.

Purchased:
New  
OVERALL
RATING
5
[Feb 13, 2020]
jeffbozo


Strength:

This is my fifth Sigma lens, and I couldn't be happier with it. Because of it's f/1.8, don't expect much depth of field when shooting wide open. Especially in close ups, that's the trade off for low light capability. This lens has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me with indoor photography when a flash is inapppropriate (performances, candids, etc.). The wide angle is not so extreme that I have to deal with distortion at the edges, but in close ups it creates a different perspective on the subject, especially with faces. I also own a 10-20mm zoom which I use primarily for architectural shots, but this is my go-to lens for landscapes, group portraits and low light situations.

Purchased:
Used  
OVERALL
RATING
4
[Dec 30, 2008]
eregis
Intermediate

Strength:

Build quality
Wide aperture
Wide angle

Weakness:

Can be a little slow focusing in low light but this is an acceptable trade off.

This is an extremely underrated lens in my view. When I mentioned to some photographers that I bought a sigma wide angle over a canon, there was a little debate that went one but I have no regrets.

For a start, this opens to f1.8 and comes with the hood and is 20mm - Canon don't do a lens close to this spec. Forget image stabilisation - it is not necessary at f1.8 and though a little heavy, the lens is small enough to hand hold well.

Mounts well on my 1v and the build quality is good.

Sure its heavy but that also indicates decent build quality. I have had this lens for 7 years now and not had a problem with it.

Customer Service

None needed

Similar Products Used:

Canon EF 50mm f1.4, EF 70-200 f2.8 IS USM, EF 24-70mm f2.8

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 23, 2008]
Stan
Casual

Strength:

Composition is a breeze. I can finally shoot the way the articles describe pictures in Popular Photography. I don't have to place my subject smack dab in the middle of every shot!

I lvoe the physical size. It's a pain after an hour of it hanging around my neck, but that's the exception. When I justify having the DSLR in tow - I can justify this lens.

Quality materials - from a "how it feels in the palm of my hand" perspective.

I'll own this lens for a long time. The guts of my DSLR will upgrade, and I anticipate seeing even better results from this lens.

Gone are my orange tinted gym photos!

Weakness:

Would VR help - only if the price stayed below $350 :)

I really like this lens. I found a close-out 50mm 1.4 and loved the speed. I shoot family and friends most of the time. I take my D70 places that I initially took my N80, and decided that getting everyone/thing into the picture, with low lighting issues, was too discouraging for anything but fast speed lens.

This is the lens that got me to use RAW (NEF). The pics are huge - I crop what I want, and things look incredibly sharp to my untrained eye. There are technical terms galore for the specifics of my photos; however, I can compose in a hurry, snap a bunch of pics, and marvel at the outcome.

The best accessories I picked up to go with the lens was some EXTREME IV 8gb nuclear fast memory cards, and the generic expodisc from a guy in colorado. The fast memory cards, white balance set and forget, and the low light capabilities of this monster glass have me smiling at results.

The little 50mm Quantarray 1.4, a Nikon 85mm 1.8, the Sigma 20MM, and a Sigma outdoor 70-300mm 4.5-6 Macro Zoom, all have space in my bag.

Similar Products Used:

None. This is big glass.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Mar 26, 2006]
stoker98
Expert

Strength:

Excellent finish. Nice hood that you can fix back to front when not in use. Apparently well built. Good contrast and colour. Low distortion. Very sharp indeed above f.4. Useful wide aperture. Nice case.

The barrel does not twist much during focussing, and the depth of field is low. This makes it a great lens for architectural photography.

Weakness:

AF/MF gear sometimes gets moved accidentally off its setting.

I purchased this a few months ago, and it immediately became one of my favourite lenses. I have been using the lens with a Fuji S2 digital SLR and have obtained absolutely excellent results. With my DSLR, there is no vignetting and the lens is very sharp at all apertures above f4. Contrast and colour are very good (with a slight hint of Sigma yellow, which I don't mind). It is excellent for photography on dull winter days, and for indoor photography by ambient light. I simply cannot understand why some reviewers have found fault with this lens. and can only explain this by sample variation, though my experience with Sigma's EX lenses is that quality control issues are less of a problem than with earlier lenses. Provided you get a good one, I can unreservedly recommend this lens as a bright wideangle prime for DSLRs.

Similar Products Used:

Nikkor 18-70mmG DX S
Sigma 24mm Superwide II

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 08, 2005]
philiphart
Expert

I agree with those who say this lens performs poorly below f8. For a fixed focal length lens, I consider it reasonably expensive. Stopped down in the range f2.8-f5.6 I expected a lot more. My web page has an outdoor test sequence of this lens against the Canon EF-S 10-22mm. cheers Phil.

Similar Products Used:

Canon EF-S 10-22mm Canon EF-S 18-55mm

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
1
[Aug 31, 2005]
neuroptera1
Professional

Strength:

When used at f/8 or 11, it's a reasonably cheap 20mm.

Weakness:

Soft focus at large apertures. Hard to focus manually.

What an awful purchase I made. I've been working with this lens for almost 6 months now, and after aprox. 5,000 images taken, I can flatly, and without a doubt say, this is a piece of crap. Images are soft at anything wider than 5.6. Somebody needs to explain to me why should I pay for a f/1.8 when I can only use it after f/8. Yes, you can take good photos with it, and I have. But then you need to keep your camera on aperture priority and otherwise think about exposure in moments when you rather not. All my good pictures are when I've had time to fiddle with the lens. When I want to fiddle with a camera, I'll take my Canon F1 from the closet. What I bought was an autofocus (and slow at that it is) lens with an aperture wide range (and that it is not).

Customer Service

Not used.

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
[Mar 23, 2005]
ajbuckle
Intermediate

Strength:

Low Light. Macro.

Weakness:

Not critically sharp wide open.

Don't listen to the detractors. This lens isn't for them. They use tri-pods and tight f-stops... what they call "proper" technique. The Singma 20mm f1.8 is the best wide angle walking around lens for the Nikon mount. Since it's f1.8, you can get excellent shutter speeds even by candle light or moonlight. The wide area of coverage makes it easy to hand-hold down to 1/15 or 1/8. If you bump the ISO, you can capture semi-action shots in the middle of the night. No it's not critically sharp until you close down to f8, but f1.8 still prints beautifully at 8x10. For digital shooters, you're looking at 30mm, making this lens the spiritual heir to the Nikon 28mm f1.4, a lens which is also criticised for not being critically sharp wide open. A lens which is also revered for its low light abilities.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 28mm f1.4

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 04, 2005]
regree
Professional

Strength:

Cheap and fast

Weakness:

unacceptable vignetting

I do not like this lens. I bought this because of the reviews I read and the price to go with it; however, you get what you pay for. I have used this lens for wedding and landscape photography and have noticed a lot of vignetting on the corners. It is pretty unacceptable for me. However, for $369.00 what should I have expected? Other than that the lens has not given me any problems. I guess I have to stick to the L series from Canon. I’ll probably be selling it soon.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Canon Zoom Super Wide Angle EF 16-35mm f/2.8L

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
3
Showing 1-10 of 40  

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