Sigma 12-24mm EX DG - Popeye

Here's a sample from a 5D. Image made hand-held, 1/15 at f/5.6 (wide open at 12mm). The corners do go soft, but I don't think it undermines the image. The first image is the full frame, with miminal PP including sharpening. The second is a couple of 100% crops, one from the center and the other from the corner, with no sharpening.

The soft corners don't bother me at all, but the flare from the sliver of visible sky does a bit. This is one of the few images I've made where the flare was noticeable (and, no, I'm not talking about ghost reflections).

Given the settings and subject, this probably represents the worst-case performance with this lens. I can certainly live with it.

Unlike with my 10D, this isn't a walkaround lens on the 5D--it's too wide for that. But when you need it, nothing else will do, and the image quality is good enough such that you don't have to reserve it for the occasional novelty shots.

Rick "working through some recent material" Denney

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Ok, here are my first shots from this lens and a D700:

12mm, f/11

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And another...

12mm, f/11

IMAGE LINK: http://farm4.static.fl​ickr.com …08382934_80441d​4791_o.jpg

Can anyone who owns/uses this lens comment on its usefulness for architecture and interiors?

Do you use it throughout its entire range or would you just use it at the widest focal lengths and switch to something like the 17-40L when you don't need anything wider than 17mm?

Do you find that you often need the 12mm-16mm range in real-life situations or is this over the top for a full-frame camera?

Finally, are there situations/print sizes where the corners of this lens just aren't good enough and you find yourself having to use another lens (let's assume you're using a tripod and can stop down to whatever aperture you want)?

Hermes wrote in post #7418585
Can anyone who owns/uses this lens comment on its usefulness for architecture and interiors?

Do you use it throughout its entire range or would you just use it at the widest focal lengths and switch to something like the 17-40L when you don't need anything wider than 17mm?

Do you find that you often need the 12mm-16mm range in real-life situations or is this over the top for a full-frame camera?

Finally, are there situations/print sizes where the corners of this lens just aren't good enough and you find yourself having to use another lens (let's assume you're using a tripod and can stop down to whatever aperture you want)?

Ok...

This lens draws straight lines and is pretty sharp, so architecture is a yes.

Shooting indoors will require proper lighting, as the lens is a tad on the slow side and it vignettes at 12mm (at least on my copy) until f/13-f/16.

I use the whole range, though I posted 12mm samples here. It's actually good at every focal length from shots I've taken.

Need is subjective. I LIKE the UWA perspective of 12-17mm, otherwise I would have gotten a tamron 17-35. It takes some getting used to, but after some practice, you can find the 12-24 to be very useful.

Again, the corners are good by the f/13-f/16 range. My lens doesn't seem to soften from f/16 to f/22 either (which is odd, as past f/16 is where diffraction normally sets in on my other lenses), so it's ideal for outdoors/landscape shots.

Hermes wrote in post #7418585
Can anyone who owns/uses this lens comment on its usefulness for architecture and interiors?

Do you use it throughout its entire range or would you just use it at the widest focal lengths and switch to something like the 17-40L when you don't need anything wider than 17mm?

Do you find that you often need the 12mm-16mm range in real-life situations or is this over the top for a full-frame camera?

Finally, are there situations/print sizes where the corners of this lens just aren't good enough and you find yourself having to use another lens (let's assume you're using a tripod and can stop down to whatever aperture you want)?

The Corgi maybe angry, but his experience matches mine fully.

The 12mm end is often very difficult to control. But I don't have problems with this lens at the 24mm end. All these were made at 24 (and also all on an APS sensor):

12mm, f/11 on 5D Mark II. There's really no substitute for wideness.

I'd like to see more from this lens, thanks.

Hi,

I'm thinking of getting this lens becasue I'll soon be going FF. I was able to put one on a 5DMKII yesterday and was surprised when I put the camera into live view (to play with video) the zoom was "jumpy", and the lens made a clicking noise each time the image jumped.

This was is in a local camera store with a new lens/body.

Can anyone else who has this lens with a 5D MKII confirm if theirs does the same thing? Note that this only happens when the camera is in live view. When viewing through the viewfinder the zoom function was smooth and silent.

Thanks,
Jim

whitesell wrote in post #7452483
Hi,

I'm thinking of getting this lens becasue I'll soon be going FF. I was able to put one on a 5DMKII yesterday and was surprised when I put the camera into live view (to play with video) the zoom was "jumpy", and the lens made a clicking noise each time the image jumped.

This was is in a local camera store with a new lens/body.

Can anyone else who has this lens with a 5D MKII confirm if theirs does the same thing? Note that this only happens when the camera is in live view. When viewing through the viewfinder the zoom function was smooth and silent.

Thanks,
Jim

I just tried on mine and it does seem a bit choppy for some reason.

i've used it in front of a 5D. it's a bit weird for close-distance objects at 12mm end...

I just checked and yes mine also makes a clicking sound when zoomed and the live view is jumpy while zooming. This can't be good and could possibly damage the lens so it might be worth a call to Sigma to see what's up.

For those of you who have used this lens on FF vs a fisheye, how would you compare them? I've got a 15mm FE and I keep thinking about selling it for the 12-24.

versedmb wrote in post #7681379
For those of you who have used this lens on FF vs a fisheye, how would you compare them? I've got a 15mm FE and I keep thinking about selling it for the 12-24.

The 12-24 is rectilinear, and the fisheye isn't. Is there something about that distinction that an explanation will clarify?

Here goes: In a rectilinear lens, straight lines in the scene remain straight in the image, no mater what their orientation. This form of projection will distort rounded shapes.

A fisheye lens renders straight lines as straight only when they pass through the center of the image. All other straight lines are rendered as curves. A picture of a square, for example, will come out with bulging sides as if it had been inflated. But rounded objects retained their rounded symmetry. Objects in the center of the fisheye image are larger with respect to similarly sized objects at the edge of the frame. Also, fisheye lenses provide more coverage for the same focal length, though they stuff that extra coverage into the corners.

Both have their artistic possibilities. I find that fisheye lenses often work better for natural objects (with the usual exception of tall trees) and rectilinear lenses work better for man-made objects.

Fisheye:

Sigma 12-24 on a 5D @ 12mm

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