Sigma 20mm 1.8 EX DG [Archive] - Page 2 - Canon Digital Photography Forums

shimmishim

8th of August 2009 (Sat), 13:16

Hi, I was just curious if you guys noticed the lens lacking in the lower Fstops and particularly in the F1.8. I read other reviews and they claim it's soft in the lower fstop range. From the pictures in this thread it seems like it does quite well. I notice a lot of pictures in this thread of very close up objects. Do you guys think this lens would work well for indoors in say a restaurant or outdoor night setting? Thanks

This lens is a little soft at the larger apertures between 1.8 to 4.0 but really opens up after that. But I shoot at 2.0 regularly and there's no problems with sharpness unless you are a major pixel peeper.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=626897

stetsonaw

22nd of August 2009 (Sat), 20:45

my new mazda3 i Sport
Canon EOS 5D ♠ Sigma 20mm ♠ ƒ/6.3
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2641/3842911343_49e171ae99_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/stetsonaw/3842911343/)

JhnRX7

7th of September 2009 (Mon), 10:09

So im putting it up for sale :cry: I really love this lens, but I need a 10-20 for my automotive work. sigh.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2482/3560889966_785e73dbe0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnrenna/3560889966/)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2466/3635887259_868f3b8d6b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnrenna/3635887259/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3623/3650859673_6bfce90eb9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnrenna/3650859673/)

JhnRX7

7th of September 2009 (Mon), 10:15

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3207/3714347951_09144f0b96.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnrenna/3714347951/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3397/3603217177_2e45fc288c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnrenna/3603217177/)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2484/3603214723_d6d92bac6f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnrenna/3603214723/)

stetsonaw

9th of September 2009 (Wed), 22:05

so long man, make sure to send the buyer here!

advaitin

19th of September 2009 (Sat), 09:02

Gosh, is my nose soft in the middle? First shots playing around.

kja

27th of October 2009 (Tue), 22:29

I'm loving all of your shots - and I'm looking for a copy of this lens used, so if you hear of anything let me know. I've put a note in the Buy section here, too.

advaitin

29th of October 2009 (Thu), 14:39

Here's a first time out at the Fla. state poets convention with the 20mm and Canon 5DM2: ISO 3200, 1/100s @ f5.6

avidstarr

8th of November 2009 (Sun), 20:20

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/Akurin/SEMA%202009/IMG_5856_web.jpg
SEMA 2009
Las Vegas, NV

avidstarr

8th of November 2009 (Sun), 20:28

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/Akurin/SEMA%202009/IMG_5855_web.jpg
SEMA 2009
Las Vegas, NV

avidstarr

8th of November 2009 (Sun), 20:34

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/Akurin/SEMA%202009/IMG_5585_web.jpg
SEMA 2009
Las Vegas, NV

avidstarr

8th of November 2009 (Sun), 20:41

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/Akurin/SEMA%202009/IMG_5678_web.jpg
SEMA 2009
Las Vegas, NV

avidstarr

8th of November 2009 (Sun), 20:49

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/Akurin/SEMA%202009/IMG_5632_web.jpg
SEMA 2009
Las Vegas, NV

avidstarr

8th of November 2009 (Sun), 20:57

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/Akurin/SEMA%202009/IMG_5704_web.jpg
SEMA 2009
Las Vegas, NV

avidstarr

8th of November 2009 (Sun), 21:03

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/Akurin/SEMA%202009/IMG_5709_web.jpg
SEMA 2009
Las Vegas, NV

avidstarr

8th of November 2009 (Sun), 21:15

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/Akurin/SEMA%202009/IMG_5843_web.jpg
SEMA 2009
Las Vegas, NV

avidstarr

8th of November 2009 (Sun), 21:21

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/Akurin/SEMA%202009/IMG_5836_web.jpg
SEMA 2009
Las Vegas, NV

avidstarr

8th of November 2009 (Sun), 21:30

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/Akurin/SEMA%202009/IMG_5815_web.jpg
SEMA 2009
Las Vegas, NV

avidstarr

8th of November 2009 (Sun), 21:36

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/Akurin/SEMA%202009/IMG_5733_web.jpg
SEMA 2009
Las Vegas, NV

avidstarr

9th of November 2009 (Mon), 19:05

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/Akurin/SEMA%202009/IMG_5883_web.jpg
SEMA 2009
Las Vegas, NV

avidstarr

9th of November 2009 (Mon), 19:18

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/Akurin/SEMA%202009/IMG_5687_web.jpg
SEMA 2009
Las Vegas, NV

stetsonaw

9th of November 2009 (Mon), 20:05

nice car shots man!

JERM

9th of November 2009 (Mon), 20:14

Here's a shot with the 20 on my new 50D, very different from my pink dragon a few pages back...

http://s90223359.onlinehome.us/images/POTN/sig15/IMG_6513.jpg

avidstarr

11th of November 2009 (Wed), 15:12

Thanks Stetsonaw. Never be without a tripod xD Hope my photos help those wondering about distortion when shooting fairly close. :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/Akurin/SEMA%202009/IMG_5671_web.jpg
SEMA 2009
Las Vegas, NV

JERM

11th of November 2009 (Wed), 21:40

Hope my photos help those wondering about distortion when shooting fairly close. :D

At least on a body similar to yours, is that a cropper? I just switched from a full-frame to a 1.6 crop, and this lens is very different on the new body.

Nice car shots, BTW.

avidstarr

13th of November 2009 (Fri), 16:13

Thanks JERM.

I shot with a 5d, so full frame. i think with the cropper you'd get less distortion if you were to get the similar shots.

Im thinking about going for a cropper. should my stuff sell. looking into a 50d and maybe a 7d. really would love to play with the video capabilities.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/Akurin/SEMA%202009/IMG_5663_web.jpg
SEMA 2009
Las Vegas, NV

advaitin

18th of December 2009 (Fri), 15:19

When Hibiscus Fall...

Canon 1Ds Mark III, Sigma 20mm, ISO 800, eV -1.33, 1/40s @ f22. Cropped slightly, vibrance and sharpness adjusted in post-process. Handheld as close as I could get to the bricks without the lenshood touching.

bowlopho

29th of December 2009 (Tue), 16:44

Here are some samples, straight off my XSi. No photoshop

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs120.snc3/16766_224469037525_662352525_4266150_6788143_n.jpg

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs120.snc3/16766_224499232525_662352525_4266423_83540_n.jpg

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs120.snc3/16766_224499317525_662352525_4266435_4763857_n.jpg

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs100.snc3/16766_224482232525_662352525_4266244_116748_n.jpg

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs100.snc3/16766_224482237525_662352525_4266245_8270122_n.jpg

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs120.snc3/16766_224482672525_662352525_4266307_2229168_n.jpg

Tee Why

3rd of January 2010 (Sun), 12:53

http://tomyi.smugmug.com/Photography/Griffith-Observatory-Los/TYi-7239/753212823_pxNyR-L.jpg

http://tomyi.smugmug.com/Photography/Griffith-Observatory-Los/TYi-7304/753211145_wRxby-L.jpg

http://tomyi.smugmug.com/Photography/Travel-Town/TYi-7217/753241546_NEdFw-M.jpg

UmbraDigital

17th of January 2010 (Sun), 02:00

Thought I might share some more examples of what a stunner this lens is in low light...

Cut-Copy
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/ProstheticGod/rhythmvines_cutcopy_041.jpg

Franz Ferdinand
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/ProstheticGod/rhythmvines_franzferdinand_043.jpg

Ladyhawke
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/ProstheticGod/rhythmvines_ladyhawk_026.jpg

Public Enemy
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/ProstheticGod/rhythmvines_publicenemy_035.jpg

This is my workhorse lens for most concerts, I love it! All images shot on the lowly 450D shot and resized for web.

The_Heat

22nd of January 2010 (Fri), 15:24

Nice samples @ Umbra.

Anyone using the 20 1.8 on the 50D?

erixon

15th of February 2010 (Mon), 15:34

Not the sharpest wide around, but I think its quite good actually.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4015/4353337791_76cc211042.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4353391679_20af38b83d.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/4353336855_dc5e497bff.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4356154101_3a6f92a9a6.jpg

.

wernersl

10th of March 2010 (Wed), 16:24

M3Rocket

6th of April 2010 (Tue), 22:27

This lens is the perfect aquarium lens on a 1.6x crop body. It's "macro" focusing is very helpful in those situations. Nearly all the shots in my Marine Life Gallery (http://www.ilukphotography.com/marine_life) was shot with this lens.

#1. @ f2.0:
http://iluk.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p1032710295-5.jpg

#2. @ f2.0:
http://iluk.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p1050580708-4.jpg

#3. @ f2.0:
http://iluk.zenfolio.com/img/v0/p556171857-5.jpg

#4. @ f2.0:
http://iluk.zenfolio.com/img/v5/p997719338-4.jpg

CatalepsicFox

24th of April 2010 (Sat), 22:35

Nice pictures everybody, I been thinking of getting 20mm 1.8. Is there other recommendations besides this one? I kinda want a nice narrow DOF especially for protraits with a wide lens since I have a 40D.

Tee Why

24th of April 2010 (Sat), 23:54

CatalepsicFox

25th of April 2010 (Sun), 01:21

Don't know of any other ultrawide prime this fast. Canon has a 20mm f2.8 but it's not as fast, you can't get as close focusing, and it only has a 5 aperture blade design, meaning pentagon out of focus spots.
http://www.photozone.de/canon-eos/151-canon-ef-20mm-f28-usm-lab-test-report--review

Interesting but I was actually thinking..... this lens vs.... the Canon 24mm 1.4L and Sigma 24mm 1.8.

However, thinking more realistically for cost... Sigma 20mm vs the Sigma 24mm. My main requirement I guess is at least a f/1.8 or faster. I want to be a bokeh whore! HAHA. Looking at the threads, I'm still up in the air on which to get. Wondering which one has a better quality build and also quality picture.

Tee Why

25th of April 2010 (Sun), 12:52

I would hope that the Canon 24mm f1.4L outperforms this lens. I think it does, but it's much much much more expensive.

The Sigms 24/28mm f1.8 is a slightly different design. I had the 28mm f1.8 as well. According to PopPhoto's test a long time ago, the 24/28 primes were a little bit better optically and they can get closer to the subject and give greater magnification. You can actually touch the subject with the lens hood and maintain focus with the 28mm prime. Plus they are cheaper.

Now here is the bad part. The AF on the 24/28 is noticeably worse. It is noisy and the front of the lens extends as you focus. In the 20, the rear element moves, so with the lens mounted the front element does not move. The AF hunts a lot more in low light situations and if you are close, so MF is probably better under those situations. With the 20mm if you know what you are doing, you can use the AF in pretty much all situations like low light and really close up focusing.

Between the 24 vs the 28, I lean towards the 28mm version b/c it's cheaper and
it's actual focal length is 26.99mm and the 24mm's real focal length
is 24.56mm, so the real difference in the focal length of the two
lenses is 2.43mm which is a not a big deal. Not enough to justify
the over $100 price increase of the 24mm lens over the 28mm lens.

newworld666

25th of April 2010 (Sun), 13:47

I have both sigma 24F1.8 and Canon 24L1.4II ... of course Canon is sharper, less sensible to flare, have less CA .. but
sigma gives really very good results in real life ..

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=848612&highlight=sigma+24F1.8

..with use sigma only with 50D .. due to soft edges .. but it should be able to give acceptable results even on a 5DMKII ..
I recommand warmly the sigma 24F1.8

bowlopho

26th of April 2010 (Mon), 16:01

if you were going to get a sigma 28 f/1.8, I would recommend looking into the sigma 30mm f/1.4

CatalepsicFox

26th of April 2010 (Mon), 20:30

^^^ Actually the 30mm 1.4 is nice but I want a full-frame compatible lens because I will eventually upgrade to a full-frame body.

I think I might just go with the 20mm 1.8 it seems like the best choice for the money.

advaitin

27th of April 2010 (Tue), 12:50

Shot with a 7D, so some of the WA is negated, but OH-My-God, you should see the print this can produce.
ISO 200, 1/250s @ f13

aerosmith9110

25th of May 2010 (Tue), 10:59

Tony-S,

from the past posts, i see that you got this on your collection,... :D
I often take your opinion in buying a lens like the 24 - 70 hsm :D

Just want to know your take on this one too.. I've been checking the reviews for this from excellent to downright condemnation...

What is your take on lens? - assuming I got a perfect focusing copy that will be used on the 5D mark 2 ( I can have it calibrated on my body )

say center sharpness?
bokeh?

or would the 24 f1.8 be a better choice.. ( don't mind the FL difference I can live with 24mm ) in terms of wide open sharpness.. would it be even considered sharp?

Thanks,
Paul

Tony-S

25th of May 2010 (Tue), 13:16

It's pretty soft and noisy, but the bokeh is really nice and it focuses really close. It's a compromise lens, that's for sure.

aerosmith9110

25th of May 2010 (Tue), 14:22

It's pretty soft and noisy, but the bokeh is really nice and it focuses really close. It's a compromise lens, that's for sure.

The " soft " comment I don't like...

tnx for the info...

I would prob take a look at the sigma 24 f 1.8 then

JayStar86

25th of May 2010 (Tue), 23:24

any of you FF shooters using this as a landscape/architecture/scenery lens at all? how is the sharpness of this lens for shots like that at F4.0+ from corner to corner?

Mihow

26th of May 2010 (Wed), 01:25

jay id say there not much love for this lens...

Tony-S

26th of May 2010 (Wed), 09:54

any of you FF shooters using this as a landscape/architecture/scenery lens at all? how is the sharpness of this lens for shots like that at F4.0+ from corner to corner?

Nope, I use my 17-40L or 12-24 (and even 70-200 or 150-500) for landscapes. The 20mm is for low light or those times when I really need close-up wide or bokeh. Every lens has its uses and limitations, even my Ls.

JayStar86

26th of May 2010 (Wed), 13:32

Nope, I use my 17-40L or 12-24 (and even 70-200 or 150-500) for landscapes. The 20mm is for low light or those times when I really need close-up wide or bokeh. Every lens has its uses and limitations, even my Ls.

uhm so your saying the lens not usable for landscapes? i mean a 20mm lens on a FF camera is pretty darn wide.... people must have atleast attempted to use it as a landscape lens on FF. even at F4.0 its not sharp? thats kind of disappointing for an F1.8 lens. I was hoping for a low-light capable UWA prime that i could use for landscapes and architecture shots that didnt cost an arm and a leg... but i guess its not possible, lol.

Tony-S

26th of May 2010 (Wed), 13:41

JayStar86

26th of May 2010 (Wed), 13:48

No, I'm not saying it's unusable, but at f/4 it's probably not so good. Get it to f/8 or f/11 (or f/16 for a full-frame) and it would probably do fine - I imagine my 17-40L is better, though. I haven't used the Sigma at those apertures (since I bought it for its f/1.8 ) but I'll see if I can shoot a few in the next couple of days and see how it does.

Interesting so it sounds like this lens really isnt all that sharp which confirms most peoples thoughts on this lens. I was really hoping to find a nice 20mm or 24mm prime for night-time landscapes and architecture shots. And the Sigma 20 and 24 are the only ones that dont cost me my left kidney and right lung, LOL.

I have never heard anyone talk about the Sigma 14mm F2.8 that got discontinued... do you know if that lens was ever any good? I hear it flared so much that it was just unusable.

ppucci

30th of May 2010 (Sun), 08:14

Jay and Tony, don't mind me following this thread closely. I've put my Sig30mm on sale (since I went FF) and there is a guy offering me his 20mm for a swap...

bowlopho

2nd of June 2010 (Wed), 13:42

I love my 20mm. I think it's pretty sharp, but then again I dont have much experience

UmbraDigital

9th of June 2010 (Wed), 18:34

I want to put in a vote for the 20mm on a full frame.
Mine is pin sharp on my 1Ds, even at wide open. In fact I think it's sharper on that than it ever was on a crop camera...

Guess I'm just lucky?

Tony-S

9th of June 2010 (Wed), 21:11

Mine's not knock-out sharp at f/1.8, but it does sharpen up nicely and by f/4 it's as good as my 17-40L, maybe a bit better. But it's a fabulous lens for sure. I have my EG-S focusing screen arriving tomorrow, so that should help with the manual focusing. I've pretty much given up on its autofocus - I'm sure I can be faster!

Tee Why

9th of June 2010 (Wed), 21:30

I tested my 20m f1.8 vs a fellow shooters 17-40mm at 17mm and also found that on a full frame lens, that stopped down to f8 or so the sharpness/IQ was in the same ballpark.

Tee Why

10th of June 2010 (Thu), 23:06

Just messing with flares.
http://tomyi.smugmug.com/People/Portraits-Sessions/TYi-5378/887884779_ejuFp-M.jpg

http://tomyi.smugmug.com/People/Portraits-Sessions/TYi-5370/887883436_c4DpG-M.jpg

rx4pain

21st of July 2010 (Wed), 08:00

http://www.greenhulk.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=206428&d=1279717142

phd

10th of August 2010 (Tue), 06:14

uhm so your saying the lens not usable for landscapes? i mean a 20mm lens on a FF camera is pretty darn wide.... people must have atleast attempted to use it as a landscape lens on FF. even at F4.0 its not sharp? thats kind of disappointing for an F1.8 lens. I was hoping for a low-light capable UWA prime that i could use for landscapes and architecture shots that didnt cost an arm and a leg... but i guess its not possible, lol.

You probably won't see this but I wanted to put this out there for anybody that is reading this thread in the future. I have owned the Sigma 20mm f/1.8 for 5 years now and recently added a 17-40L. On my 5D2, I would say the performance of the 20 and 17-40L are similar at f/4 and beyond. At landscape apertures, I would not hesitate to use either lens. The corners of the 20mm are good until the extreme corners on FF where it does smear a little. (A disclaimer: I am using a regular filter w/ a polarizer on top of it which causes mechanical vignetting and may affect the extreme corner performance)

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I don't think I would recommend this lens to be used as a primary landscape lens. It isn't because of the performance though; the lens is just heavier than alternatives. When used at f/4 or smaller, I can't see why you would want to use one over a 17-40L that weighs 2oz less and gives you zoom from 17-40. If you only want to use 20mm, the Nikon 20mm f/4 AIS or Olympus 21mm f/3.5 are probably better alternatives that weigh ~12-13 oz less and are just as sharp across the frame.

What the 20mm does give you is a large aperture that you can use for night time photography and very close MFD which you can use more creatively than I can, I'm sure. I have no problems opening my 20mm all the way up and would argue it is usable in real world shooting at f/1.8 but mine doesn't start getting "sharp" until ~f/2.2.

Anyway, I would say the 20mm is definitely usable as a landscape lens although it might not be the most ideal outside of specific applications.

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/592_ho65v/3.jpg

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/593_mbpgd/4.jpg

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/595_kyeus/7.jpg

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/596_awqeg/12.jpg

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/597_gohvs/IMG_5830.jpg

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/598_x1uar/IMG_5992.jpg

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/600_adakt/IMG_6248.jpg

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/601_ktuos/IMG_9966.jpg

phd

10th of August 2010 (Tue), 06:23

Here are some more:
http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/609_mdzt0/19.jpg

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/607_t9tdu/13.jpg

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/602_69vqm/IMG_6359.jpg

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/603_9aepz/IMG_6551.jpg

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/599_kpwpc/IMG_6237.jpg

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/608_j72af/IMG_5771.jpg

And oddly enough, the 20mm produced some of my favorite drift photographs. I think I had a cheapie kenko 1.5x on the second one.

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/605_tpr64/9.jpg

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/606_expyf/10.jpg

323

10th of August 2010 (Tue), 20:19

pdh, ur pics are ballin! did you use any filters on the 20mm for the landscape shots?

Tony-S

10th of August 2010 (Tue), 21:47

On my 5D2, I would say the performance of the 20 and 17-40L are similar at f/4 and beyond.

After a bit of testing, I agree completely with this statement.

phd

10th of August 2010 (Tue), 23:49

pdh, ur pics are ballin! did you use any filters on the 20mm for the landscape shots?

Thanks. I mainly only use polarizers except for night time shots. I did stack a ND filter with two polarizers (linear with circ over it) for the golden gate pic.

Tony-S

14th of August 2010 (Sat), 19:46

Had the 20mm in Glacier National Park last weekend. A couple of HDRs.

VisualUniverse

18th of August 2010 (Wed), 23:51

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/598_x1uar/IMG_5992.jpg

Nice Milky Way capture. How did you focus for this? How long was your exposure and what f/stop were you on?

Thanks,
-PJ

phd

20th of August 2010 (Fri), 02:33

Nice Milky Way capture. How did you focus for this? How long was your exposure and what f/stop were you on?

Thanks,
-PJ

Very carefully. This particular one was shot at f/1.8. I have some better ones I shot stopped down a bit more but I included that mainly to dispute the claim that this lens is "unusable" wide open :rolleyes:

As you can imagine DOF here is very thin and a problem is that if you mis focus you'll get OOF stars which look a bunch of OOF highlights in the sky. Because it's impossible to use AF (I've heard some people suggest finding a bright star and focusing on it; this did not work for me) you have to use manual focus. Since 30s is a long time to wait to see if you nailed focus, what I did was pumped the ISO up to 25600 and shot a couple short exposures and chimped them afterwards and made adjustments that way since it was much easier to verify focus. Eventually I found a mark on the 20 that got me pretty consistent results (slightly before infinity).

One area where this lens falls on its face is the AF/MF system. Because the ring is so large it's easy to knock the MF ring when you're repositioning the camera and you have to watch out for that and since it's a switch+clutch system it is nearly impossible to pull the ring back into MF without changing the focus (I've tried). It would be awesome if the one af/mf switch would engage/disengage the ring which would make it nearly perfect imo because I have similar problems with full time focus lenses. Either way, it's something to be aware of so you don't go home and find out everything is OOF. :p

Here are a couple more from the 20. First is a stacked exposure of ~2 hrs and the second is a still with a single perseid meteor

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/710_tvvno/hereitis3.jpg

http://www.4mul8.net/up/files/711_o2zg8/IMG_7447-2.jpg

CatalepsicFox

26th of August 2010 (Thu), 00:15

Does anyone have low light people pics? Like for indoor shots? I'm interested to see those shots.

Dawid

1st of September 2010 (Wed), 19:24

and 2 more :)
I'd recognize that dash anywhere, even if there weren't housings in the shot in the same post. Nice shots.

Cesium

19th of October 2010 (Tue), 16:39

Got one of these a couple weeks back and have been loving it for all sorts of shooting. So much so that I haven't touched my 35L this whole time. This lens is great for weird portrait perspectives. I'm surprised this lens is not more popular; I guess people get too hung up on corner sharpness and wide open performance.

f/2 on APS-H

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/newtheory/d785e81a.jpg

Cesium

21st of October 2010 (Thu), 23:19

This doesn't really show off the qualities of this lens, but I don't care.

f/2.8 on APS-H

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/newtheory/68ec0db0.jpg

arock23

22nd of October 2010 (Fri), 06:22

I am looking for a wide angle walkaround prime. Basically I'm looking for the 35mm FF experience on a crop. Would you recommend it on a APS-C?

Cesium

22nd of October 2010 (Fri), 10:59

Do a search on flikr for "sigma 20 f/1.8" and it should return some full size samples from APS-C users.

I imagine it'd be a little softer on APS-C, but I have no experience with it on that format.

Tee Why

26th of October 2010 (Tue), 20:48

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thinks that this lens is about as sharp as the much lauded Canon 17-40mm f4L.

For shiggles, I compared it against a fellow shooters 17-40mm f4L at 20mm stopped down to about f8-16, what I'd use for landscape use, and they were very similar. I was kind of surprised but I guess I'm not the only one who thinks it.

woolbr8stl

1st of December 2010 (Wed), 14:25

I just picked one up. Looking forward to seeing how this one works.

hslxsmd

1st of December 2010 (Wed), 16:55

^^ in the same boat as you.. just got one a few hours ago.. took a few shots.. battery died... WT#%$$#^#!!!!! now charging battery

Cesium

2nd of December 2010 (Thu), 11:25

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/newtheory/6fe1afde.jpg

f/2.2 fool frame

Cesium

2nd of December 2010 (Thu), 11:42

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/newtheory/hal/c4327882.jpg

f/2.2 APS-H

woolbr8stl

6th of December 2010 (Mon), 22:22

Received my copy today. Looking forward to using this more

5d2 @ 1.8 contrast adjust only

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/woolbr8stl/IMG_5981.jpg

I was about 6" away on this one

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/woolbr8stl/IMG_5991.jpg

Tee Why

12th of December 2010 (Sun), 01:00

http://tomyi.smugmug.com/photos/1121537323_4jxsq-M.jpg

woolbr8stl

13th of December 2010 (Mon), 11:21

Bokeh junk

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/woolbr8stl/IMG_6311.jpg

Cesium

16th of December 2010 (Thu), 16:28

Photo of a cat. Too bad the lens is so soft that you can hardly make out the image.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/newtheory/0c6c66ad.jpg

pawko

18th of December 2010 (Sat), 10:43

on 5d f/2.0 :
http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/4426/photo001o.jpg

marcus riley

28th of December 2010 (Tue), 08:47

I've been looking at this lens for years and I might be ready to pick one up. Has anyone gotten one with the new Sigma finish on it? Where? Thanks!

pawko

29th of December 2010 (Wed), 09:00

on 50d , f/2.8 :
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/1706/photo009ai.jpg

Wimair

18th of January 2011 (Tue), 15:15

Some photos I took before selling the lens about a year ago. Still missing it, sometimes...

http://www.wimair.at/Sonstiges/091022W/viennanight-2.jpg

http://www.wimair.at/Sonstiges/091022W/viennanight-1.jpg

hslxsmd

9th of February 2011 (Wed), 08:06

just thought i'd bring this thread back to life
@3.5 straight off camera

Wimair

9th of February 2011 (Wed), 09:06

I'm in!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/5074573950_e48cea5180_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wim_air/5074573950/) Up In The Air (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wim_air/5074573950/) by Wim Air (http://www.flickr.com/people/wim_air/) at Flickr

hslxsmd

24th of February 2011 (Thu), 14:55

wife @2.8 straight out of camera
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5171/5474788468_bb5e7d8638_z.jpg

Cesium

1st of March 2011 (Tue), 19:00

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/newtheory/7e3502aa.jpg

This thread / lens needs more love.

Cesium

16th of March 2011 (Wed), 00:42

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/newtheory/562fe495.jpg

Jericobot

16th of March 2011 (Wed), 04:54

Nice silvia shot

Cesium

16th of March 2011 (Wed), 11:00

It's a 240sx. Thanks.

Jericobot

17th of March 2011 (Thu), 01:45

S14 same shpiel to general audience until all the fine details come to play. I've always wanted a happy s14

warui

20th of March 2011 (Sun), 05:59

I need one of these lens! Why are they so expensive on Amazon!?

woolbr8stl

11th of April 2011 (Mon), 21:59

Here are two @ 1.8

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/woolbr8stl/IMG_2319.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/woolbr8stl/IMG_2297.jpg

Tee Why

12th of April 2011 (Tue), 01:11

I need one of these lens! Why are they so expensive on Amazon!?

Wow, $629 at both Amazon and B&H. I didn't know they had gotten up so high in price.
Not sure why.

bbss

16th of April 2011 (Sat), 08:59

Wow, $629 at both Amazon and B&H. I didn't know they had gotten up so high in price.
Not sure why.
Because it's an amazing lens?

@f9

Very sharp lens. I like it a lot.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5022/5623938213_c4ac571d8a_b.jpg

100%crop
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5229/5624528180_80432a693b_b.jpg

Cesium

16th of April 2011 (Sat), 13:05

Pretty funny how the price has skyrocketed. I'm seeing this lens mentioned a lot for video work on crop sensor cameras lately. Makes perfect sense, being the fastest wide lens available, and with a smooth manual focus ring to boot.

Here's a recent snap.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/newtheory/ce25526f.jpg

Dogs857

24th of April 2011 (Sun), 14:50

Hello.

I am new to the forum but have been a fan of this lens since I got it. Here are a few of mine. Be kind it's my first day :)

f/1.8
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5287/5354171594_8cdd2fa2e8_z.jpg

f/2.8
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/5412983982_9f6537d96b_z.jpg

f/8.0
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5006/5370023018_c18b75766a_z.jpg

Biological Contagion

24th of April 2011 (Sun), 15:17

Hello.

I am new to the forum but have been a fan of this lens since I got it. Here are a few of mine. Be kind it's my first day :)

f/2.8
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/5412983982_9f6537d96b_z.jpg

Nice pictures, what are these?

Dogs857

24th of April 2011 (Sun), 15:41

Nice pictures, what are these?

Hey thanks mate. They are Mala Skulls used by Buddhists in Nepal and Tibet. There are usually 108 skulls on a necklace. They are traditionally made from Yak bone and are used much like a rosary to keep track of how many mantras have been chanted.

davidfig

27th of April 2011 (Wed), 01:15

wife @2.8 straight out of camera
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5171/5474788468_bb5e7d8638_z.jpg

Mega sharp. Man I think I can see all her eye details in this small shot.

Hello.

I am new to the forum but have been a fan of this lens since I got it. Here are a few of mine. Be kind it's my first day :)

f/1.8
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5287/5354171594_8cdd2fa2e8_z.jpg

Nice, love the bokeh.

OK gang. I am looking to get a lens for crop that I can use for indoors. For my small package I want to use my 18-125, get a T3i, and small flash. But I want to add a prime 1.8 for indoors. Since most indoors will need a wider lens. I'm thinking this lens is perfect for it. What do you all think about 20 on crop? Is it to wide?

UmbraDigital

27th of April 2011 (Wed), 05:38

What do you all think about 20 on crop? Is it to wide?

I used to love this on my old 450D - pretty close to the old standard 35mm on a crop... beautiful.

Grab a copy, you won't be disappointed.

davidfig

27th of April 2011 (Wed), 10:47

I used to love this on my old 450D - pretty close to the old standard 35mm on a crop... beautiful.

Grab a copy, you won't be disappointed.

Thanks UD, it looks like it makes it a 32mm. Which sounds wide for normal use. But since I expect to use it most for indoors, I think the wideness maybe just perfect. Plus a nice 20mm prime on my 5D couldn't hurt either. ;-)

woolbr8stl

11th of May 2011 (Wed), 22:23

Yapo

14th of May 2011 (Sat), 02:55

I really like this lens for closeup shots

Wow those flowers really pop! Great shots!

watduzhkstand4

24th of May 2011 (Tue), 11:52

I really like this lens for closeup shots

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/woolbr8stl/IMG_6390.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/woolbr8stl/IMG_6382.jpg

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/woolbr8stl/IMG_6341.jpg

are these at 1.8? I see many pictures here that are taken stopped down. It makes me wonder if this lens is any sharp wide open.

Thanks!

thepepperman

24th of May 2011 (Tue), 13:13

EXIF says 2.5, 2.8, and 4.5 respectively.

Cesium

24th of May 2011 (Tue), 14:01

are these at 1.8? I see many pictures here that are taken stopped down. It makes me wonder if this lens is any sharp wide open.

Thanks!

If those flower shots were taken wide open, there would be hardly enough depth of field to keep a single petal in focus at these shooting distances.

As for being sharp wide open... no, not really. Depending on the subject, it can definitely be used wide open though. Mine sharpens up quite a bit by f/2.2, which is where I tend to shoot it most. This is still 2/3 of a stop faster than any zoom in this focal range.

Results may be worse/better depending on what camera you're pairing this lens with.

Dogs857

28th of May 2011 (Sat), 05:42

are these at 1.8? I see many pictures here that are taken stopped down. It makes me wonder if this lens is any sharp wide open.

Thanks!

This lens can be soft wide open but once you learn to use it you can get some great shots from it.
Also check out the following link
http://www.prime-junta.net/pont/Reviews/a_Sigma_20_f1-8/a_Sigma_20_mm_f-1.8.html

This is a pretty good write up on this lens

Dogs857

28th of May 2011 (Sat), 05:57

Taken at f/1.8

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5246/5285045613_8009c64d02_b.jpg

Dogs857

28th of May 2011 (Sat), 06:01

And another one

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5242/5299372644_68f3d4fa88_b.jpg

woolbr8stl

30th of May 2011 (Mon), 23:04

In the meadow:

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/woolbr8stl/IMG_7239.jpg

genjurok

18th of June 2011 (Sat), 08:43

on 5D

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2607/5843988265_d425ecfde6_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2050/5741857904_8d49dab4cd_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3355/5715061752_2a08e70429_b.jpg

Dogs857

11th of July 2011 (Mon), 09:18

This thread needs more love cause this is quite an underrated lens.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5090/5369910354_7291afee08_z.jpg

The Bob Stand at North Sydney Oval

Dogs857

11th of July 2011 (Mon), 09:29

Sydney Australia CBD

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5283/5358992815_5024f3df55_b.jpg

Neil B

24th of July 2011 (Sun), 19:12

http://i53.tinypic.com/2i23epk.jpg

http://i52.tinypic.com/16lldls.jpg

exchanged my 70-200 f4L for a Sigma 20mm f1.8 and i loveee it :grin:

genjurok

27th of July 2011 (Wed), 07:15

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6027/5980838286_0f268ed714_b.jpg

Neil B

27th of July 2011 (Wed), 20:09

http://i52.tinypic.com/29pw2fc.jpg

Dogs857

27th of July 2011 (Wed), 22:44

^^^^^^^
Great shot mate.

eastcoastshredd

29th of July 2011 (Fri), 09:18

agreed, great shot

Neil B

29th of July 2011 (Fri), 21:23

thanks ^

SchwettyLens

12th of October 2011 (Wed), 11:06

http://usagani.com/img/v33/p36501741-4.jpg
http://usagani.com/img/v28/p620007909-4.jpg

323

14th of October 2011 (Fri), 00:16

think im gonna pick one of these up once i sell a few things.

tomcat7886

14th of October 2011 (Fri), 01:09

great shots, tact sharp goodness. :)

SchwettyLens

17th of October 2011 (Mon), 15:10

think im gonna pick one of these up once i sell a few things.

You wont need that much money LOL

323

22nd of October 2011 (Sat), 17:04

someone sell me theirs :D

BobbyT

8th of December 2011 (Thu), 16:20

http://images54.fotki.com/v77/photos/2/949682/10251758/untitled4-vi.jpg

http://images56.fotki.com/v1298/photos/2/949682/10251758/untitled13-vi.jpg

http://images9.fotki.com/v248/photos/2/949682/10251758/untitled16-vi.jpg

BobbyT

28th of December 2011 (Wed), 16:44

http://images58.fotki.com/v279/photos/2/949682/10295573/untitled110-vi.jpg

masberg24

9th of January 2012 (Mon), 12:53

Great shots bobbyT, been looking to get the sigma 20 for my 5d ii
Debating between this and the canon 20mm..
What do you guys think?

Nismode

19th of January 2012 (Thu), 01:33

I found 2 of these for sale, one in NY and one in Boston, both on craigslist about 2 months ago. Haven't been able to find one since :\

Erik_L

21st of January 2012 (Sat), 20:06

I love the shot above of the pups :)

It's PLENTY sharp at f/1.8:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6718506479_6d9493401e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/12276287@N05/6718506479/)
Peace! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/12276287@N05/6718506479/) by Erik Lauritsen (http://www.flickr.com/people/12276287@N05/), on Flickr

Missed focus a bit in this one, but it's fun for this kind of stuff :)
http://i1021.photobucket.com/albums/af339/smrndmguy/Resize10001of1-2-32.jpg

svassh

26th of February 2012 (Sun), 20:58

Some samples from my first outings with this lens. Vintage drag races, just my standard LR sharpening applied.

svassh

26th of February 2012 (Sun), 20:59

1 more, vintage drag races, just my standard LR sharpening applied.

svassh

26th of February 2012 (Sun), 21:00

More from my first day with the lens, only my standard LR sharpening applied. My daughters symphony.

svassh

26th of February 2012 (Sun), 21:01

1 more from my first day with the lens, only my standard LR sharpening applied. My daughters symphony. This is the symphony hall from outside at night.

tomcat7886

26th of February 2012 (Sun), 23:40

nveo

18th of March 2012 (Sun), 03:08

Hi there....
Just wanted to say hello... And that I just got my self this lens...
I read a lot about it (good and bad) but when I saw the photos here and the price I found it for on ebay I had to have it (price £215) used.....
I should have it in a few days, as soon as I get I will post up photos..

DT Visual

23rd of March 2012 (Fri), 18:50

I find myself going back to using this lens quite often... Got it as a present (used) from a friend, re-calibrated by Sigma and now is great...

http://dtvisual.smugmug.com/Other/Nature/i-8kRSswc/0/XL/IMG6885-XL.jpg

p360

11th of June 2012 (Mon), 13:12

Very interesting lens.

Would this be an overkill if I am also getting Tokina 16-28 f2.8? Obviously, one’s 2.8, and the other is 1.8. One is heavier than the other. Etc.

what do you guys think? I guess I am looking to be convinced I will use this lens, after having the Tokina.

TIA.

Edit: I also like Sigma’s ability to take filters.

p360

12th of June 2012 (Tue), 17:31

I couldn’t resist; B & H finally had these in stock, and I ordered one.

Mainly because it’s wide (wider than 35L that I am getting), fast, and it takes filters ( I already have 82mm CPL and ND filters). I am hoping to use it for taking indoor photos of my two boys, and some landscapes with long exposure.

I will try it; if it doesn’t work, will send it back.

DT Visual

17th of June 2012 (Sun), 09:49

TIA

I am sure that you will enjoy it (if you get good copy)....

p360

20th of June 2012 (Wed), 18:27

The Brown just delivered my new toy. Initial impression - AWESOME..!

It feels good in your hand, feels like a quality glass, is very light-weight, MFD is great, AF is slower and noisier than Canon lenses, but easy to live with. It focuses very accurately - no focus issues (on mine, at least). And the cylindrical bokeh is unique - I like it.

Sharpness, colors, and contrast - Judge for yourself.

Here are two test shots, both taken wide open, no clarity or sharpness added in post processing, only WB and exposure adjusted a tiny bit.

In summary, I am HAPPY..! :D

http://pratyush360.com/img/s3/v8/p667158950-4.jpg

http://pratyush360.com/img/s1/v47/p789804462-4.jpg