Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

I've been looking for a real wide angle lens since I've had digital camera's, which has ranged from the Fuji S1 to my current Nikon D200 and many different types in between. I love the magnification factor for telephoto but hate it when I want a wide angle. Finally, Sigma came to the rescue with this lens. I have only used it for a couple of trips but it has really given me that extra tool that I have needed. The only draw back is the small max f-stop.

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

I bought the lens as supposedly an upgrade from the sigma 10-20mm f/4 I own to shoot landscape pictures since this lens is crazy wide for a DX. I look into sigma because I am impressed by the 10-20.

Great: Well built, good quality, internal focusing, super wide

Con: Very inconsistent sharpness (for my sample at least). I can never quite figure out where the softness is going to happen, and it's not necessary in the extreme borders. 4/10 pictures I took will have obvious softness in certain areas, sometimes even slightly off center. The center is always sharp, but softness happens anywhere from extreme corners to borders to slightly off center areas. Not sure what's causing this. I took all images at f/5.6~f/8 @8mm. Shooting at 16mm seems to be more consistent in terms of sharpness.
Does not accept filters, so protect the front element well.
Lots of distortions but that's unavoidable for lenses with these extreme focal lengths.
This is a personal preference which doesnt matter much: even though the lens is well built, I think it looks boring. Does not have the look of a pro lens or anything to suggest it's the king of wide angle. Perhaps it's the lack of hood?

Even though the 10-20mm f/4 is not the sharpest out there, but at least it's very consistent and I can know what to exact. This particular copy of 8-16mm confuses me, I never know which area is going to be sharp or blurry. I am sure I got a bad sample since I have not heard such similar complaints anywhere. I contacted Sigma but seems like no one cares to even send a response email to me. I am going to return it and try another copy.

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

This lens is awesome! It compliments my D7000 very well. Professional grade construction. Some usrs talk about tight fit on body, but it snaps right in. Not that big of a deal. Very sharp lens, that gives a photographer the ability to capture a full frame shot when needed, or get a little artsy and challenge a photo viewer to look at things with a different perspective. Pair this with a 18-200 or 28-300 and rock n roll!

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

This lens has better optics than I expected, for something that goes that wide, quite sharp and not too much CA. Yes, there are distortions, but nothing like a fisheye. This lens drops a reason for getting a full frame camera: now there *are* very wide angle lenses available for DX format cameras.

Yes, the front element bulges so that you cannot use a filter. That is to be expected with a very wide angle lens, it is the same for the 12-24 full frame lenses. Just think about how wide the angle of view is!

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

I use this lens primarily for shooting interiors of homes. With my Nikon D2x it is a great pairing.
A very high quality lens with awesome wide angle coverage.

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

This lens is terrific for landscape! Although it works consistently with my Nikon D7000 I do find it extremely stiff and difficult to attach. Photos look great however, even with auto-focus!

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

Excellent product, good price [...]. The lens delivers all that is expected based on the summary. Clear sharp pictures with minimal distortion. Perfect addition to my Nikon D7000.

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

Really wide without distortion. Really fun lense once you get used to the angles.

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

This is an incredibly fun lens to use with such a wide variety of applications for creative photography. The construction is top notch from Sigma. It feels rugged and durable, at least with the lens cap on. Since the bulb of the lens is so round it really sticks out there and can collect dust, moisure, and the like quite easily. And as stated in the description, you cannot use this lens with filters, but that is hardly a notch against this lens in my opinion.

I've left this lens on my secondary camera for quite some time now and find myself using it almost as much as I use any other walk around lens. Its a blast to play around with and you might really surpise yourself with just how often you find really usable shots with it.

Perhaps the greatest thing about this lens is how sharp it is through the corners, even at 8mm. It is just all around a great buy...

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

I use this lens for most of my wide angle scenery shots and love it. It gives me sharp images with good color saturation. If kept level, I use most of the images without distortion adjustments. I highly recomment this lens.

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

Really like having the 8mm wide end, I had a 12-24mm and this is a whole lot wider

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

Like it for buildings and to get a different kind a view on things. Great for video.

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

Terrific optic like other Sigma lenses.
Solid construction with a quality feeling.

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

Well-built quality glass...great for interior shots as well as landscape (with a strong foreground object in the frame). I start out all the way in at 16mm (24mm on my D90) which is wide enough for most apps, but I can easily zoom out to superwide when I need it (cloud formations, architecture etc.) Too wide for everyday general-purpose use, but when you need it you'll be glad its in your bag.

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

I own NIKON D40 with kit lens and 70-300 vr. I wanted to complete my setup with and ultra wide. I have already used this lens for landscape photos and it is wonderful. I also love the interesting perspective you get from 8mm and up close. Very enjoyable lens. I would definately reccommend!

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

This lens is everything the professional reviewers say it is and maybe more. It is a blast to take architectual photos, landscapes, even portraits with. There is some destortion at the lower end but thats generic to wide angle lenses. I have had the camera for two weeks and what impresses me besides just how wide it really goes is the sharpness at any focal length. Photos are sharp from 8 to 16 across the hole frame and especially sharp in the middle.

I haven't used the Nikon 12-24 but I have to believe the reviews that the Sigma is every bit as good, and its goes wider and is cheaper. Pictures from both the Nikon and Sigma posted on flickr seem to bear out this claim. The Sigma of course doesn't have the zoom range of the Nikon but why do most people buy a wide angle lenses to shoot at 24 mm or the lower end? To me 8 mm compared to 12 mm. on my Nikon D5000 is a huge difference in angle and range of a photo's coverage. It's actually 12 mm. to comared to 18 mm. with the crop factor of a DX camera. So there is a significant 6 mm. difference!

Construction of this glass is solid and both the zoom and the manual focus feel smooth to the hand. This lens also looks appealing to the eye.

The only cons I see is at this point there are no filters available for use on this lens and sometimes the autofocus takes some time to hunt for the correct focus in lower light as the glass is not the fastest wide angle on the market. However photos taken under low light conditions haven't suffered and still are sharp, with good color saturated and proper exposure. I did a shoot at an art museum this past week, where all photos had to be taken without flash and without a tripod and the 8-16 did just fine producing sharp and well saturated colors. You do need to be careful to not bang the lens as it does protrude some from the casing. I would definitely keep the lens hood on at all times and the lens cap on when you store it.

I highly recommend this lens to anyone who can spring the cash for the 8-16 and wants to have fun with the widest DX lense on the market.

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

I was considering this or the Tokina 11-16/2.8. Decided to go with this one because you can often make up for slower aperture by using tripod or higher ISO, but if you're missing 3mm on the wide end, there is nothing you can do to make up for that.

My one problem and the reason for 4/5 stars is that this lens does not take any filters, so its front element is not really protected.

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

I've used for photos of construction equipment and landscapes, as well as indoor architecture. As with any ultra wide lens, you have to be careful what you're shooting and how you do it - results may be ugly or unique. (You won't get any good portraits with this ;) I haven't been bothered by any lens imperfections yet, except for some potential softness around the corners - but not bad at all. Autofocus works well, but f4.5 is a tad slow... however at such wide angles it's usually not a problem.

So far it's held up great shooting in -30*F snowy conditions.. as opposed to some reviews I read, it focuses smooth and seems mechanically sound in every way. It's a bit of a tight fit onto the camera, but not enough to worry me. I am very happy that I bought this lens!

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

I have been wishing for a wider angle lens than my Nikon 18-200 mm zoom for some time, and am glad I took the plunge with this Sigma offering, for use with my Nikon D90. I expected no less than excellence because of my great experience with a Sigma 50-500 mm telephoto.

Three situations I encounter will benefit from the ultrawide angle capability. 1) Photos of building interiors, 2) scenic shots such as New Mexico desert views, and 3) close quarters shots, as in old city centers of Europe. I can't wait to return, with this lens along, to the cathedral in Toledo, Spain, where you cannot back up enough to get the whole facade at 18 mm, and to the Palau de Musica in Barcelona.

I expected noticeable distortion with such a wide angle lens, but find it notably absent. The focusing is fast and accurate. The included lens case is sturdy, with good padding. The problem of capping the highly convex outer lens surface is cleverly solved with a cylindrical extension tube.

I am delighted with this addition to my photo gear!

Comments about Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens for Select Nikon DSLRs:

I use this for interiors, landscape and other oddball shots requiring a funky look.

I expected it to be about on par with my old 12-24 Siggy. It's better by a healthy margin...thankfully.

Sharp enough for this type of lens, fast to AF (although when you're this wide, everything is essentially in focus), and a relatively low distortion for the FOV. I have owned many Sigma's over the years and this is on the A list for their stock IMO.

I may well sell my Nikon 10-24 now.