Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DG ASP RF 35mm Primes
Sigma 20mm f/1.8 EX DG ASP RF 35mm Primes
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[Jul 14, 2002]
Bentley
Intermediate
Strength:
Consistently sharp results, even @ f/1.8; exceptional build quality; nice color rendition; VALUE.
Weakness:
Giant filter size (but this is what prevents vignetting on such a wide piece of glass), two-step AF/MF clutch takes some getting used to. I'm a big fan of super wide-angle lenses and this one by Sigma is the new benchmark by which all others will be judged. I haven't been very impressed with the two Sigma zooms in my bag but their EX line of primes has made me a believer. This lens is a permanent resident in my camera bag and always finds its way into my gear load on all my backcountry trips. And i've gotten some really nice comments on that sparkly EX finish... Customer Service Not required. Similar Products Used: Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX Macro, Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4, other Sigma zooms; will soon own Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX. |
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[Jul 05, 2002]
Phil
Professional
Strength:
1 1/2 stops faster than Nikon equivalent with excellent image quality. Very good build quality. Very little distortion all around.
Weakness:
Larger than OEM equivalent. Filters are expensive. Slightly soft wide open, as would be expected. I bought this lens in a town I was passing through, after missing some opportunities that a 28mm didn't do justice. Great lens. Build Quality, Speed, and Optics are all in line with what I paid, and a bargain at the price. Sigma did a nice job on these new lenses, and I've since got the 28mm 1.8 as well with no regrets. Customer Service None needed. Called them on the phone with quetions once, and was answered honestly and politley. Similar Products Used: Sigma 28mm f/1.8 EX DG Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 EX HSM Sigma 17-35 f/2.8-4 EX |
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[May 08, 2002]
jimbaxter
Beginner
Strength:
1.8, well built and is clear- i mean sharp- no doubt it is clearly sharpp
Weakness:
82mm filters but i plan on getting the 24-70 next so i will share them - believe it or not it is heavy for such a small lens- distortion at the edges but it is a 20mm what else can you expect (it is at a minimum tho) this is my first sigma and will not be my last if the other lenses are made like this one- it is my first wiiiide lens it is a different world in this range- thought about the canon but liked the 1.8 and the price Customer Service rob w. was great at the store have not used sigmsa or cannon and hope not to Similar Products Used: 50 1.8 canon- kit zoom |
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[Mar 16, 2002]
roger o
Professional
Strength:
It is stunningly sharp above f/5.0. Price Fast
Weakness:
You will need to buy a 82mm filter to protect the front element. These are not cheap. It does not feel particularly solid, though I''ve had no trouble with it so far This is a wonderful lens. It give good, sharp pictures and has stood up well to getting salt water all over it. |
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[Feb 20, 2002]
Bill50
Intermediate
Strength:
can solve your "not wide enough" problems a very fast lens nice finish lens hood and case provided nice price
Weakness:
vignetting at widest aperature(but hardly noticible in low light) care must be used to avoid vignetting with filters most flashes are not wide enough for this lens At first I thought there was no point in having a fast wideangle. They are generally not used for sport and action photography. In my search for something wider than my 28-80 lens,it was either this or the Nikon 20mm 2.8. But as time went by, I started to like it more and more. I decided it was better to go with the faster Sigma because of frustrations with my first lenses for not being fast enough. I really like it,even though the 82mm filter size almost turned me away from it. I find it to be very sharp. There is a detectable vignetting wide open, but only in very bright conditions. that does not bother me because 99% of the time you don''t need it wide open in good lighting. I like that "funky" AF/MF switch(I focus manually most of the time anyway).You can put the camera in MF and the lens in AF and do not have to worry about it getting bumped from infinity. From experience, you should be able to stack 2 filters without vignetting. If you use the Cokin P series filter holder,cut the front slot off. Even then, be sure the holder is perfectly square. The speed of this lens is really cool.If you have a steady hand,shooting handheld under streetlighting with 400 film is possible. Customer Service don''t know yet Similar Products Used: no fixed wide angles equivelant |
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[Jan 29, 2002]
Michiel
Casual
Strength:
Very sharp Quick AF Well built Cheap compared to OEM f/1.8 Good package (pouch and hood included)
Weakness:
Some vignetting at 1.8 Blocks built in flash I read a lot of reviews on this site and decided to compare this lens to the Canon 20 mm 2.8. The canon lens is 240$ more expensive. For the 240$ you get a USM motor, but no hood or pouch. Furthermore the Canon is 2.8 instead of 1.8. In my opinion the Sigma is just as quick as the Canon, so I do not need the USM in this case. However, it is true that some vignetting occurs when shooting at 1.8 in bright conditions. In darker conditions, the vignetting is not a problem. From 2.5 the lens is really sharp, sometimes maybe even to sharp. The lens is built for more camera brands (Nikon), so there is this odd ring on the lens for focusing. I usually focus with AF so I have this ring switched off most of the time. The results are really amazing. In my opinion the lens is much better built than the Canon 20 mm, although I don''t like the gold band. The negative thing is the filter size which is 82 mm. Because of this huge size, you must be careful when using a body with built in flash. The lens blocks the built in flash, which gives a big shadow. However, usually you don''t need any flash because of the big aperture. When I buy a lens, I do not buy a lens for the pouch, but for the optics. However, with this lens you get a beautiful pouch, and a good hood. A good package for 560$. |
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[Jan 28, 2002]
Olivier Ffrench
Casual
Strength:
- Sharp - 20 cm close focusing distance (in fact I have used it much closer) - F1.8 handy in low light situations - Comes with Lens hood and pouch. The Canon equivalent is sold without anything - Cheap compared to Canon or the Sigma 17-35 Zoom I also contemplated
Weakness:
- Not very good in the corners wide open - Large, rather heavy and Filter thread : 82mm - autofocus rather slow and noisy (I seem to be an exception for this) - AF/MF swith a bit awkward to use Nice lens with good optical quality and some defaults you easily forget when you see the price. I am using it with an EOS 30 (Elan 7E) and the prints I have made from slides taken with it are good : sharp with lots of details. I am always surprised to see that it often got bad marks in magazine tests. |
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[Jan 07, 2002]
williamrolls
Intermediate
Strength:
Sharper than Nikon, faster than Nikon, cheaper than Nikon.
Weakness:
Heavier than Nikon, bulkier than Nikon, pizza-sized filters. I have a Nikon F80. I wanted a very good ultrawide to match the image quality of my Nikkor 85mm 1.8. I tried a Nikkor (AF18-35) - soft, then another Nikkor (AF20)- I hardly wanted to believe this - but it was just as bad, and then this. This was the cheapest, the fastest and the best. It is marvellously sharp, marvellously balanced and ... well, just marvellous. I am normally very pro-Nikon, but Sigma have emphatically got their act together since I last tried them a decade ago. This said, I am currently trying to talk my bank manager into loaning me the money to buy a filter big enough to fit it. Oh, and the two-step change to manual focus loses you time. Customer Service None needed Similar Products Used: AF Nikkors 18-35 IFED, AF 20 2.8, old Sigma 24mm MF |
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[Dec 31, 2001]
Aaron
Intermediate
Strength:
Sharp, ruggid feeling. Finish isn''t THAT cheesy looking.
Weakness:
82mm filter thread YEOUCH! I was quite pleased with this lens, the price was right, and it got me a fairly wide angle on the D30. I don''t mind the clutch, and manual focusing ring is very solid feeling. (makes my canon 50 f/1.8 look like piddly crap) Only complaint persay is the filter thread, a circular polarizer on it will set you back 1/3 the cost of the lens. Customer Service NA Similar Products Used: NA |
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[Nov 03, 2001]
LRothman
Expert
Strength:
Awesome Crispness of Image and Color Renditon and NO DISTORTION! Focus on a D30 is IMMEDIATE! Manual Focus Ring is sweetly damped
Weakness:
NONE I compared this side by side with some Canon L primes and it is RIGHT THERE with them. This lens is scary sharp and NO distortions. Built like a brick and sweet to handle. Now if Sigma only made ALL their other lenses this well Canon would be in REAL trouble. As it is I feel this is an exceptional piece of optics. Sigma did everything right here AFAIAC. Customer Service N/A Similar Products Used: Canon 20 and 24mm Primes |